The seeds for the Herbert family farm were planted years ago as Aimee Herbert saw her grandmother battle multiple rounds of cancer. Then her mother and aunt dealt with the disease.
Aimee later discovered she did not have the aggressive cancer genetic condition shared by some of her relatives, yet she still changed her lifestyle. She began focusing on what she ate and ditched unpronounceable ingredients. She started a garden and then she and her husband, Bill, upgraded to a 10-acre property in District Township. There, they’ve started a self-sustainable farm where they raise pigs, chickens and vegetables, all free of chemicals and antibiotics.
It’s a lot of work for what they call an expensive hobby, but it’s worth it.
“It's difficult, but it’s very rewarding,” Aimee says. “I sleep better at night knowing that I'm feeding myself and now my son has the healthiest possible food.”
It Started with a Garden
Before the couple started Herberts’ Heaven on Acres, a small garden came first. Aimee grew lettuce, broccoli and herbs in a raised bed at their home at the end of a cul de sac in Limerick. She quickly fell in love with growing her own food.
“Just being able to go out in the morning and if I wanted to have a salad for lunch, just grabbing it from my garden and eating it, it was amazing,” Aimee says.
She asked Bill: Why don’t we start a farm?
They found a 10-acre property in District Township with a modified ranch home and made the move.
While they worked to establish a small farm, they’ve kept their careers. Aimee’s a photographer with a studio in Skippack. She used to shoot weddings, but now focuses on children and family portraiture. She also is a vehicle appraiser. Bill’s the assistant shop manager at a local tri-axle company. They also have a new member of the family, Wiley, who was born in September.
A Sustainable Farm
The couple started the farm in August of 2014. Even the chickens and pigs help with the chores, key for the farm’s sustainability.
How does it work?
The circle of life on the Herbert farm starts with the organic, non-GMO feed bought from a mill in Atglen, Chester County. The animals aren’t given growth hormones or antibiotics.
“I believe that one of the main reasons we have such a staggeringly high cancer rate is because we're ingesting all of these things that our bodies are just not meant to have,” Aimee says.
After the couple harvests vegetables, the pigs pasture in those fields, eating the scraps and roots left behind and fertilizing the soil. “At the beginning of the season, we don't have to do anything because they've turned it over,” Aimee says. “They've tilled it and they've fertilized it for us.”
The pigs are the stars of the farm. They are free to roam the entire property along with chickens, ducks and goats. “We think that's really important because the way an animal is raised contributes to their health,” Aimee says.
Allowing the animals to roam free gives them the chance to stay true to their instincts. As soon as the pigs come to the farm, they start digging. “I let them stay true to that instinct of wanting to forage and roam and turn my soil over and eat everything that's in it,” Aimee says. “That makes them such happy pigs.”
“My chickens, their natural instinct is to walk around and scratch and eat and peck, so I let them do that. If they want to fly over to the pig pen to go through that, they can. If they want to roost in one of my trees in my woods, they can.”
Pork and Produce
The farm specializes in meat. There are eggs and organic non-GMO chicken, whole or pieces. The Herberts also butcher their English Berkshire pigs twice a year.
"It is not only a working pig, a pig that wants to be outside, that will work our field for us, but a pig that produces really, really good, high-quality juicy meat with little to no fat on its bones,” Aimee says.
The pork is available by the pound or a half a pig. "All of the clients we have right now rave about our meat and how it has so much flavor," Aimee says.
In addition, the farm also raises and sells seasonal vegetables, from broccoli and beans to specialty greens and zucchini. The products are available at the farm, 250 Forgedale Rd. The Herberts are building a client base, mainly through word of mouth. It’s a small enough of an operation for them to make deliveries if the time’s right.
Getting to Know the Farmer
The Herberts also want to educate people about the quality and source of their food. "I don't try to push my way of living or my thoughts on anybody,” Aimee says. “I'm simply here to say, ‘hey, if you want to learn, I will happily help you and I will show you what to do and what's in this.’"
While she tested negative for the genetic condition linked to cancer, what she eats is still important to her. "I still live my life like I have it because I think the ultimate goal of life is not to not die, it's to not suffer,” Aimee says. “And that's what cancer does: it makes you suffer. This was 100 percent the reason why I started (the farm).”
If she starts to change her lifestyle early, starting with food, she’s hoping to avoid future medical problems.
How they do it
The Herberts started their farm while working full-time and raising their son. They work together to feed the animals. Aimee handles the bookkeeping. Bill's handy and takes charge of the building projects, like the shelter for their pigs.
"He came up with the idea and we built it together. While he's putting up the structure, I'm on top of it, nailing down the roof shingles,” Aimee says. “We have a great working relationship here and we both complement each other."
It’s a lot for two to handle. But it’s been an amazing adventure.
“We both love it. We are really hard workers and love the labor side of it,” Aimee says. “We love building. We love constructing. We love figuring things out and we love to just be working together. It's taken us to a different level in our relationship where we can appreciate the value of the work that we're doing.”
They’re excited to raise Wiley on the farm, too.
Next Up: Cattle
The next step for the farm will be introducing cattle this year or next. Aimee would like to start with bison. “Then we'll have control over how they're raised and how they’re treated. That's the whole idea behind it,” she says. “We want our farm to be self-sufficient. The chickens can spread the fertilizer that the pigs put out. The cows can eat all of the grass and the weeds and the shrubbery that's overgrown. We want to basically have a big circle and we want to rotate from cow to pig to chicken to veggies and back again."
For now, the farm is small. They’re raising enough for their own family and enough to sell to others who share their vision.
“I don't really need this to be full-time, part-time, money-making, millionaire rich,” Aimee explains. “It’s just important to me to provide my family with safe quality food and to educate whoever wants to learn."
By Erin Negley | Photos by Aimee Herbert, Aimee Herbert Photography
