Cattle Run Farm awarded $20,000 grant by American Farmland Trust

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - Farmers across the region gathered to celebrate Sarah J. Morton of Cattle Run Farm.

At her farm, Morton is focusing on adapting the livestock system to produce food without harming the environment.

Now, she is showing other producers and consumers how they can do this too.

“It’s really to share our best practices across the region about what we’re doing for the agrarian industry, and how we need to continue to protect it moving forward,” Morton said.

Morton says the sustainability measures her farm is taking are critical for the future of what we eat.

“We’re a chemical free farm, and we try to use a lot of our own manure and composting practices here at the farm,” Morton said.

The American Farmland Trust donated $20,000 to Cattle Run Farm.

The group says this was an easy choice because of the farm’s far reaching impact on the community.

“She supports other farmers and being able to give them market rate for their produce, or their vegetables, their their eggs, their meat, and she’s able to get that out to folks who need it,” said Nicole Gwishiri with American Farmland Trust.

Morton says sustaining small farms is crucial not just for farmers, but for the community as a whole.

“Small farms and farms in general are so critical to the livelihood. If we continue to allow them to dissipate, we’re going to be eating out of petri dishes literally,” Morton said.

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