Known & Grown exists to help farmers within the St. Louis foodshed spread the word about their practices, their products, and the principles that ground their work.

Known & Grown STL is a project of Missouri Coalition for the Environment, on behalf of the St. Louis Food Policy Coalition.

(314) 727-0600
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Animal Criteria

We believe animals thrive best on farms when they are pasture-raised and can forage for foods found naturally in their diet.

Below are some of the practices that we require and recommend.

Conservation Practices for Livestock

Fence out of waterways

Grazing management plan

Integrated Pest Management Plan

Nutrient Management Plan

Water and Sediment Control Basin

Access Control

Field Border

Forage and Biomass Planting

Riparian Herbaceous Cover

Requirements for Livestock

Must be within 150 miles of St. Louis (special considerations can be made)

Animals cannot live in confinement.

This includes concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO) and operations of any size where the animals live in confinement, not being able to access the outdoors.

Never use conventional herbicides or synthetic fertilizers on pastures or hayfields (unless required by a government-funded conservation program such as the Conservation Stewardship Program)

Antibiotics, parasiticides, and other pharmaceuticals are allowed to be used therapeutically and only in response to disease, infestation, or injury. No added hormones or synthetic growth promotants.

Animals are loaded on trailers and slaughtered without use of electric prods, transportation to slaughter house should be a clean environment with minimal travel time.

  • No clipped beaks
  • No hog nose rings
  • Disbudding goats or sheep only in first two weeks
  • Tail docking only as needed
  • Castration with rubber ring, in first 2 months, otherwise surgically done
  • Weaning after 28 days

Livestock Feed

If providing grain or feed diet, feed should not contain domestic animal byproducts (includes but is not limited to: animal waste, meat, blood, bones, hair, hooves, and feathers), arsenic, or growth promotants.

100% grass fed/pasture-raised

non-GMO animal feed

Living Environment

  • Animals must not be confined, and should be rotated from pasture to pasture in warm seasons
  • Winter shelter may be provided with deep bedding for nitrogen absorption

Rotated daily

Rotated weekly

Conservation Practices for Bees

Adequate access to nectar

Hives are exposed to 5 hours of sunlight

Hives are well ventilated

Bees have access to clean water within 1/2 mile of their hives

Top bar hives

An acre of forage available per hive within 3 miles

No synthetic chemical use on property (required)

No white sugar as feed

Hives are 150 miles from STL (required)