May 8, 2025
Category: Behind the Scenes
Spring at Brookhaven Farms isn’t just a season—it’s a symphony. The air hums with new life: calves wobbling on fresh legs, hens clucking over golden eggs, and pastures greening up faster than we can graze them. For us, it’s the busiest, muddiest, most electric time of year—a chance to sync with nature’s rhythm and share how it shapes everything from our daily grind to the food on your plate. Want a front-row seat to the chaos and beauty of a regenerative farm in May? Pull on your boots—here’s what spring looks like at Brookhaven.
The Pasture Comes Alive
By May, our paddocks are a riot of green. Winter’s rest—months of letting the soil sleep under a blanket of frost—pays off as grasses explode back, fueled by spring rains and the manure our cows and hens dropped last fall. We’re grazing full tilt now, moving the herd daily with our portable electric fences. It’s a dance: cows munch a paddock down, then step aside for the chickens to scratch through the aftermath, fertilizing as they go. This isn’t just feeding animals—it’s building soil, locking carbon into the ground, and growing grass that’s nutrient-dense for our beef and lamb.
Why’s this matter to you? That lush pasture doesn’t just feed our animals—it feeds you. Grass-fed beef from spring grazing is leaner, richer in omega-3s, and packed with flavor that whispers of clover and sunshine. It’s sustainability you can taste, straight from our fields to your grill.
Calving Season: New Faces, Sleepless Nights
Spring means babies—lots of them. Our cow-calf operation hits its peak now, with calves dropping daily. We’re out at dawn, checking the herd, watching mamas nudge their newborns to stand. Most calve on their own—nature’s design works better than ours—but we’re there for the tough ones, pulling a calf if a heifer’s struggling or warming a little one caught in a cold snap. It’s messy, exhausting, and pure joy—every wobbly step is a win.
These calves are the future of our grass-fed beef. Raised on mom’s milk and spring pasture, they’re building strong bones and clean meat, no hormones or grain needed. For families, it’s a promise: beef that’s safe, healthy, and raised with care. For us, it’s a legacy—stewarding land and herd for the long haul.
Hens in High Gear
The chickens are loving spring, too. Longer days mean more eggs—our pasture-raised hens are laying like champs, their coops spilling over with golden-yolked treasures. We’re towing those mobile coops daily now, chasing the greenest patches where they can forage bugs and grass. The result? Eggs with omega-3s, vitamin D, and a taste that’s pure farm—creamy, rich, a cut above anything in a Styrofoam carton.
Health buffs, take note: these eggs are your spring power-up. Scramble them for breakfast, and you’re packing in brain-boosting choline and immunity-lifting vitamin D—fuel for busy days or growing kids. It’s food that works as hard as you do.
Planting for the Future
Spring’s also when we sow seeds—literally and figuratively. We’re not a crop farm, but we do plant cover crops in resting paddocks—rye, clover, vetch—to fix nitrogen, choke weeds, and keep the soil alive. It’s a quiet job, scattering seed between grazing rotations, but it’s big: healthy soil grows healthy grass, which grows healthy animals. For the eco-conscious, this is regen ag in action—farming that gives more than it takes.
We’re planting ideas, too. Spring’s when we host our first farm tours, opening gates to families and foodies who want to see where their meals begin. Kids pet calves, adults ask about soil carbon—it’s a chance to connect, to show why this matters. Want in? Sign up for our next one on the site.
Recipe: Spring Grass-Fed Beef Stir-Fry
Let’s bring it to your kitchen. Spring beef is tender and lean—perfect for a quick stir-fry that sings with seasonal vibes. Here’s a fave from our table:
Ingredients (Serves 4):
- 1 lb Brookhaven grass-fed beef (sirloin or flank), thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 cup snap peas
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Steps:
- Marinate beef in soy sauce, honey, ginger, and garlic for 20 mins.
- Heat oil in a skillet over high. Sear beef 2-3 mins, then set aside.
- Toss peppers and peas in the pan, stir-fry 3-4 mins till crisp.
- Return beef, add green onions, season, and cook 1 min more.
- Serve hot—maybe over rice or just solo for a light spring bite.
It’s fast, fresh, and lets that grass-fed flavor shine—perfect for busy families or a healthy weeknight win.
The Grind Behind the Glory
Spring’s no picnic—it’s mud in our boots, late nights with calving, and endless fence checks. But it’s worth it. Every calf born, egg laid, and paddock greened is a step toward food that’s real—sustainable, nutrient-rich, raised right. Conventional farms chase scale with chemicals and confinement; we chase health with pasture and patience. It’s slower, tougher, and better—for the land, the animals, and you.
Take eggs: factory hens crank out dozens in cages, but ours roam free, laying fewer but packing more punch. Beef? Grain-fed lots fatten fast; our grass-fed herd grows slow, building meat that’s lean and clean. It’s not cheap—our dozen’s $6, our beef’s a premium—but it’s an investment in your health and a system that lasts.
Your Spring Connection
Spring at Brookhaven is a season of renewal—for us, for the land, for your table. Every bite of our beef, every egg you crack, ties you to this rhythm. Families get food they trust. Eco-warriors back a farm that heals. Health nuts fuel up on the good stuff. Want to taste it? Swing by shop.brookhavenfarm.net for beef, eggs, and more—fresh from our spring pastures to you.
Join our mailing list for tour dates, recipes, and farm tales—spring’s just the start.