Artza Mendi Farm, which means "Bear Mountain" in the Basque language, was founded on the soil of a former dairy farm in Baltic, a small village in Sprague, Connecticut. From the beginning, the farm has been committed to regenerative agriculture, producing delicious eggs with pasture-raised hens. On farming, owner Murray Gates commented that, “As farmers, we are extracting value from the land and it requires a deep understanding and careful stewardship to avoid screwing with the land's naturally regenerative systems.”

On the farm, you may find chickens, goats, sheep and pigs mulling about on pasture or in the forest benefitting from the natural environment. Artza Mendi recently started a system of multi-animal rotational grazing in addition to no-till soil management. This year’s plans focus on the development of a market garden to supply a farm stand and farmers markets.

The farm has over 400 egg-laying chickens raised on pasture with non-GMO feed, with plans to transition the feed to compost from food scraps. “In doing so, we can reduce the cost of grain inputs as well as help our community dispose of food scraps which otherwise would be sent to a landfill out of state,” commented Murray.

Murray served in the US Navy from 1988-1992 and was deployed to Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines. On being a Farmer Veteran, Murray commented, “I've enjoyed the community that comes with being a CT Veteran Farmer and feel a responsibility to support my fellow Veterans when I can.”

Joining the team is Bruno, a Maremma farm dog. Bruno’s gregarious, affectionate personality inspired Murray to invest in fencing, as, “He has become somewhat of a neighborhood celebrity (or nuisance) on Facebook for his ability to dig under, leap over and plow through any obstacle in order to make his neighborly visits.”