Buying Local S3E37: Regenerative Farming with Arthur Kraamwinkel

In this episode of the Buying Local Podcast, host Mike Nelson sits down with Arthur Kraamwinkel, a poultry farmer from Hepatica Farm in Greenwich, NY. They dive into the challenges and rewards of regenerative farming, the economics of pastured poultry, Arthur’s vision for a diversified, sustainable farm operation, and more!

Find the Buying Local Podcast on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Rumble.

Learn more about Arthur and Hepatika Farm at www.hepaticafarm.com.

00:00 Intro and Arthur’s introduction as a poultry farmer
00:37 Why poultry? Short investment-to-return cycle
01:36 Vision for a multi-species grazing operation
02:19 Starting with pastured poultry to restore soil
02:57 Benefits of Katahdin sheep for parasite resistance
03:50 Economics of pigs, sheep, and beef compared
04:25 Using organic feed and chicken manure as fertilizer
06:30 Scaling up to 6,000 birds annually
07:32 Challenges with Salatin-style chicken tractors
08:12 Arthur’s custom-built chicken schooners
09:10 Using silage plastic for better shade and ventilation
10:00 Adapting to extreme weather challenges
11:06 Plans for a water system to reduce labor
12:46 Joe Salatin’s influence and regenerative ag principles
14:51 Health benefits of pastured poultry vs. barn-raised
25:00 Organic certification requirements explained
30:00 Arthur’s commitment to honest, healthy food
52:36 Where to find Hepatica Farm’s products