Working with NRCS for over 30-years has helped Verena and Greg Sava’s Brier Run Farm become not only the first certified organic chevre (goat cheese) producer in the United States, but also a model of environmentally sound agricultural practices.

With help from NRCS, the owners of the West Virginia farm have established a successful cheese-making business and improved water quality on their 260 acres – a relationship that inspired NRCS district conservationist Larry Greynolds last summer to nominate the Savas for SARE’s Patrick Madden Award for Sustainable Agriculture. In October, SARE awarded the couple an honorable mention for their exemplary farming practices and highlighted their achievements in the 2004 Patrick Madden Award booklet.

Verena and Greg Sava, owners of the Brier Run Farm

Working with NRCS, the Savas installed a leach field to filter wastewater from their cheese-making plant. The byproducts of the cheese-making process – whey and soapy water – flow through a network of pipes into the field and percolate through an organic bed of tree bark mulch. “Along with NRCS, we dug a 30 X 30 X 2-foot deep area and filled it with shredded bark,” Greg Sava said. “The idea was that the organic matter would clean the wastewater.” Samples from wells dug on the Savas’ land confirm that the system produces clean water.

Besides their innovative water filtration system, the Savas incorporate other ecological practices on their farm. They apply composted manure to their pastures as fertilizer, making sure that nutrients do not leach into streams. The Savas carefully manage their 238 acres of woodland with livestock exclusion fencing and grapevine removal.

As well, the Savas are considered pioneers of managed intensive grazing. They graze 85 milking goats on 20 acres of pasture, rotating the goats every 12 hours among 27 subdivided paddocks. This system prevents over-grazing and ensures the growth of fresh forage. They help others, too. “They provide great information on goat herd management, from grazing and health to marketing,” Greynolds said.

Visit the NRCS West Virginia Web site.

Brier Run Farm, once a rocky, hilly collection of fields considered poor agricultural land, now boasts excellent pastures. The Savas produce top quality goat cheese, due in part to their careful land and herd management. They sell their award-winning chevre to clients all over the country, including gourmet food stores and five-star resorts.

About SARE
Since 1988, the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program has helped advance farming systems that are profitable, environmentally sound and good for communities through a nationwide grants program. The program, administered by the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, USDA, funds projects and conducts outreach designed to improve agricultural systems and natural resources.

NRCS field office professionals frequently collaborate on SARE-funded projects and are valuable partners to the SARE program. NRCS staff serve on SARE’s national Operations Committee, on regional Administrative Councils, on state committees and are actively engaged as technical advisers and collaborators on SARE-funded research grants around the U.S. 

For more information, visit the SARE website or for more information about the regional SARE programs, click on the region area of the map below.

Your contact is Diana Friedman, SARE research associate, at 301-504-6422, or dfriedman@sare.org.