Meet our Farm Partner: Byers Organic Dairy
One of the Byers' daughters on a vintage tractor in front of their field of spelt!
Partnering with organic mills large and small means that we have a range of diversely sized organic grain farms in our supply chain. As we work to help build the organic regional grain economy, we have heard time and time again from smaller Northeast farmers that specialty, value-added grains can be a key part of economically sustainable crop rotations. Today we’re introducing Byers’ Organic Dairy, a 100 acre organic grain farm and dairy in Mercersberg, PA, who supply organic spelt–a specialty, value-added grain–to our partners at Small Valley Milling.
The Byers are a farming family, working the land in Pennsylvania for seven generations. Dairy is the primary focus of the farm, but they also grow spelt, black beans, hay, corn, and soybeans on their land, in addition to a small orchard. It's a true family affair–James Byers works with his wife and their kids (five sons and two daughters) on the farm.
Their decision to switch to organic farming was personal. James’ wife cares a lot about health, and after learning about the impacts that pesticides and herbicides can have on people, encouraged the transition in 2000. They’ve been very happy with the switch. “We enjoy being stewards of the earth,” says James. “When we fertilize with cow manure, there is a balance to all things.”
Soil health is a big focus for the Byers. They limit tilling, follow a thoughtful crop rotation, and integrate the manure of their livestock to provide nutrients for the soil. Since the transition to organic, James has noticed both increased biology in the soil and an improvement in the Brix (sugar and other mineral content) of the crops they grow.
They began growing spelt for Small Valley Milling after learning about its properties–both its heartiness, lower gluten content, and profitable economics. They’ve been very please with the decision to add spelt to their crop rotation. The family loves to cook with spelt, and buys back a few industrial-sized bags every year for waffles. James’ brother-in-law has a gluten sensitivity, but enjoys baked goods made with spelt due to the lower concentration of gluten compared to wheat.
The Byers’ spelt can be found in many of our breads and pastries that feature whole grains, such as our French Sourdough, Miche, and vegan Chocolate Spelt Cake. The best bread starts with the best grains, and it is important to us to support the regional organic grain economy through purchasing specialty grains from partners like Byers Organic Farm and Small Valley Milling.
