Dancing Bear Farm is a small diversified farm in Claremont NH. We are located on a property previously used for raising sheep in the 1780’s.
After Mary & Ken bought the property in 2010, they spent the initial decade restoring the property from a state of disrepair and abuse to a working homestead. Julia & Cam moved here in fall of 2024, and we are now in a phase of transitioning the property to a small, diversified demonstration farm operating with regenerative silvopasture practices.
Our farming systems are rooted in the goals of 1) Increasing food security for ourselves and our community, 2) Giving back more to the land than we take, and 3) Establishing systems to demonstrate that it is possible to meet each above goal without detracting from the other.
Today, we grow produce, make maple syrup, raise pigs, chickens, and Thanksgiving turkeys, cultivate shiitake mushrooms, offer nature-based education, and coexist, mostly peacefully, with a small herd of goats.
Silvopasture
Silvopasture is the intentional integration of livestock, pasture, and trees resulting in a healthier and more productive system overall.
At Dancing Bear Farm we are adding trees to our pastures - though silvopasture can also refer to integrating livestock into an existing forest.
The trees we are planting provide shade and food for livestock as well as fruit and nuts for us. Some of our species include Mulberry (berries, edible leaves), Hazelnut and Chestnut (nuts), and Serviceberry and Aronia (berries).
Our animals will be moved to a fresh section of pasture each day, so that they can graze and forage alongside the tree alleys. The trees provide the animals with shade and the animals provide the trees with fertilization.
