Wyebrook Farm is a sustainable farm in Honey Brook that sells its own meat products on site in its own butcher shop and restaurant.
Raising grass fed cattle, woodland pasture heritage breed pigs and free range pastured chickens, the farm staff butchers and sells their own meat products. People can dine at the farm’s restaurant, which serves all of their own meat and locally grown produce from neighboring farms.
Noting the farm property’s aesthetic beauty, owner Dean Carlson realized the value of restoring the historical buildings to bring people to the farm. The barn that now houses the Market & Cafe dates to about 1785 and believes the farm has always been called Wyebrook Farm, after two streams that made a ‘y’.
“I needed somewhere to sell the product. The vision became getting people to come here so they could enjoy what this place is all about but also to give people a connection with their food,” said Dean. “I think a lot of people are searching for that connection of knowing where their food comes from. The best way to do that is to see with your eyes the actual place it comes from.”
New this year, Wyebrook welcomes executive chef Andrew Wood, owner of Philadelphia restaurant Russet.
“His life mission is what we do here at the farm, truly farm to table, really utilize all the products we produce. We’re really excited,” said Dean’s wife Emelie.
Dean and Emelie bought the farm five years ago and have been in business for about three years.
“By creating a diverse polyculture on our farm, we produce the healthiest animals and best food without the use of artificial fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, hormones or antibiotics,” according to the website, wyebrookfarm.com.
Wyebrook Farm raises about 200 cattle and 75 pigs on 360 acres of pasture and woodland. During the warmer months, they raise about 2,000 broiler chickens and 300 to 400 egg laying hens.
In their Market & Cafe, Wyebrook Farm sells their own butchered beef, pork and chicken in the butcher shop area. The shop also offers many hard to find items such as cheek, tongue, offal, tail, marrow bones, ears, and feet. The staff make their own stock, render lard, cure and smoke own bacon, grind own burger, and make own hot dogs and sausages.
“Everything is made in house,” said his wife Emelie. “We slaughter every week, so we only sell fresh products. We have all cuts every week but when we sell out, we sell out. You get to use the whole part of the animal. And whatever cuts we don’t use in the butcher shop, we have our on-farm restaurant which uses all of our own meats, too.”
Dean does not have a background in agriculture, but instead in finance.
“I got really interested in agriculture, especially with animals,” said Dean, who use to work in finance in New York. “I looked at agriculture farmland as a good investment.”
Reading “The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals” by Michael Pollan opened Dean’s eyes to the idea of growing food in a more sustainable way.
“By that I mean not using and relying on fossil fuels to grow our food. If you look at modern, conventional agriculture, it’s incredibly fossil fuel intensive and it’s something we won’t be able to get away with forever,” said Dean. “You can argue how much fossil fuels are in the ground but they’re finite. I’d like to think our food supply is not finite… Food is going to have to not be based on a finite resource.”
What makes this a sustainable farm is that its 360 acres of pasture feed the cattle, pigs and chickens, whose diet is also supplemented by grains. While not completely self-sufficient, solar panels provide quite a bit of power for the farm, including the electric fencing and the water system to provide water for the animals. They use solar power to heat their water and other electricity needs. Dean and Emelie’s house, also on the farm property, uses geothermal energy to heat and cool their home. Dean also uses an electric car to make deliveries.
What brought the Carlson’s to Honey Brook?
A friend who lives in the area introduced them to the Lancaster area.
“Part of the reason I chose this place is it’s close to where people live. This was a place that had really great farmland and proximity to transportation so in my mind it’s the perfect place to have a farm.”
He also appreciates the small farming community in Lancaster. “All of that small-scale farming infrastructure is still in place. Lancaster County is a huge resource for someone trying to do agriculture on a small scale,” said Dean.
What also attracted Dean to the property was that the farm was going to be developed for housing but had been foreclosed upon as a result of the housing market. “It was a good way to buy a farm.”
Closed January and February, the farm reopens in March. The Cafe seats 50 people and during the warmer months, the outdoor courtyard seats more than 100 people. This year, Wyebrook will be able to host private events such as rehearsal dinners and corporate events, but not weddings.
For more information about Wyebrook Farm, 15O Wyebrook Road, Honey Brook, visit http://wyebrookfarm.com/. Call 610-942-7481.
