Aquidneck Farms raises grass-fed beef and pastured poultry on conservation land overlooking the scenic Sakonnet River in Portsmouth, RI, managing nearly 400 acres of prime agricultural land all within two miles of the farm. We maintain a herd of 180 to 200 Black Angus cattle across several properties. In addition to grass-fed beef and pastured poultry, AQF also sells eggs and other products at their year round farm store on Wapping Rd.

100% Grass-fed Beef

Grass-Fed Beef

In the agricultural market today there are a number of labels used to describe sustainable meats, and at Aquidneck Farms we have chosen just one: Grass-Fed.

All of our cattle are born on the farm, raised on mother’s milk, and naturally weaned on our lush grass and legume pastures. The herd is carefully selected for genetics that will thrive in our grass-based system. Aquidneck Farms beef is 100% grass-fed and grass-finished, meaning for the entirety of their lives they are sustained on a pasture diet. During the summer months the herd is rotationally grazed on our fields. Simultaneously, AQF grows, harvests, and stores specially planted grasses in the form of dry hay and silage to sustain our herd over the long New England winter.

We do not use hormones or add prophylactic antibiotics to our feed, nor do we ever finish our cattle with grain. It is important to us to also avoid pesticides and fertilize our pastures exclusively with our own herd’s manure, chicken droppings, and farm-made compost.

All of our beef is slaughtered and processed in USDA facilities in nearby southern Massachusetts. Our farm management plan is approved by theNatural Resource Conservation Services (NRCS) and all of our practices are reviewed regularly by Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM). We also maintain compliance with the Rhode Island Health Department and hold a Retail Food Peddlers license, allowing us to sell out our retail location as well as provide products wholesale to local restaurants and grocers.

see the cuts

Poultry

poultry

Commodity poultry practices have a lot in common with commodity beef. Birds are raised in enormous, overcrowded, enclosed pens with little light, no exercise and medicated feed. Because of the scale and resulting conditions commodity birds are also more prone disease and bacteria such as salmonella.

Our pastured birds are raised in mobile outdoor pens with built in coops called “chicken tractors”. The “tractors” are placed in recently vacated cow pasture and are moved daily. Our birds never lack fresh ground nor their favorite meal: bugs and insect eggs. They have plenty of light, air, fresh water & exercise and are protected from predators. (We have a healthy hawk population.) We supplement their diet with grain but do not medicate the feed.

Aside from bird health, raising poultry outdoors has a beneficial impact on our pastures. Chicken droppings are nitrogen rich and excellent fertilizer.

visit our store

farm store