About Michael W. Brescia
Mike Brescia Regenerative Farmer and Local Food Advocate
Michael W. Brescia is a first-generation farmer who has built his life around restoring the land, raising animals ethically, and creating a healthier, more resilient local food system. After years of living in the city, he felt a growing pull toward something more grounded, more meaningful, and more connected to the earth. That pull led him to Upstate Pennsylvania, where he discovered almost instantly his true calling – farming with intention, integrity, and purpose.
Today, Michael raises a variety of animals on pasture using sustainable principles designed to rebuild soil, capture carbon, restore ecosystems, and produce nutrient-dense food. Alongside his wife, he also maintains a thriving market garden and orchard that supplies seasonal vegetables, herbs, and fruit to farmers markets throughout the Northeast.
Michael Brescia’s Journey From City Life to Soil Life
Mike didn’t grow up farming. He didn’t inherit land or take over a family operation. Instead, he walked away from city life and began building something from the ground up – literally.
Years of working in fast-paced corporate environments had left him searching for a deeper sense of purpose. He wanted to do work that mattered. Farming offered everything he had been missing: meaningful labor, a direct connection to food, and the opportunity to care for animals that brought not just sustenance, but sustainability to his homestead and community.
With a little determination, a lot of self-education, and hands-on trial and error, he began reshaping a once-tired plot of land into a small family farm that now thrives with life.
Why Regenerative Farming?
Regenerative agriculture aligns perfectly with Mike’s values:
- Heal the soil rather than deplete it
- Raise animals with dignity instead of confinement
- Work with nature, not against it
- Feed his family nutrient-dense food grown responsibly
Every decision is made with future generations in mind. The goal is simple: leave the land better than it was found.
The Animals of the Farm
Each species plays a unique role supporting a self-sustaining ecosystem.
Cows Are The Heart of the Pasture-Based System
Among the animals Mike cares for, his Brown Swiss cows hold a special place. Known for their gentle nature, impressive strength, and high-quality milk and beef, Brown Swiss are a versatile heritage breed.
Why Brown Swiss?
Brown Swiss cattle offer a combination of durability, adaptability, and nutritional excellence that makes them exceptionally well-suited for Pennsylvania’s diverse climate. Known for their hardiness, they handle cold winters, humid summers, and rapid seasonal changes, making them a reliable breed year-round.
Their natural grazing efficiency allows them to thrive on pasture rather than grain, aligning perfectly with grass-fed practices and low-input farming. Michael’s family appreciates their calm, friendly temperament, which makes them easy to handle. Beyond temperament and hardiness, Brown Swiss cows are valued for the superior nutrition of their milk and meat; when raised on grass, they produce food naturally rich in omega-3s and beneficial fats.
This combination of resilience, efficiency, and nutrient density makes the Brown Swiss an ideal cornerstone for regenerative herds. Rotating cows frequently mimics natural grazing patterns, encouraging forage regrowth, and fertilizing the soil without machinery. Their hooves aerate the earth, their manure feeds the microbial life beneath the surface, and their grazing fuels plant diversity across the fields. In return, the land provides them with nutrient-rich grass, and they produce deeply flavorful, nutrient-dense beef.
Heritage Layer Hens
The farm is also home to a vibrant mix of layer hens chosen for egg production, temperament, and ability to thrive on pasture.
Orpingtons
Lavender Orpingtons are among the most beloved birds on the farm, admired not only for their stunning lavender-gray plumage but also for their gentle and friendly personalities. These soft-feathered hens lay medium-to-large brown eggs and are well-suited for Pennsylvania’s colder seasons thanks to their natural cold hardiness. Their calm, curious nature makes them easy to handle and enjoyable to keep. With their unique coloring and delightful temperament, Lavender Orpingtons bring both beauty and charm to any flock.
High-Production Layers
For consistent egg supply, Mike also keeps brown and white Novegen hens and Easter egg layers. These hybrids are known for high daily egg output, excellent feed efficiency, strong shells, rich yolks and strong adaptability to free-range environments. Together, the flock produces a rainbow of nutritious eggs that local customers eagerly seek out each week.
Cornish Cross Meat Chickens
Michael and his wife raise Cornish Cross broilers, the most widely used meat chicken in all farming systems. These birds are prized for their fast, efficient growth, which results in affordable local meat. Their mild temperament makes them easy to manage in the field.
In a regenerative setting, Cornish Cross birds are raised in mobile field shelters. Shelters are often moved 2-3 times per day to fresh pasture. This method ensures the chickens have access to fresh grass, insects, and sunshine, keeps the ground clean, distributes manure that enriches the soil, and prevents illness. The result is healthy, thriving birds, flavorful and tender meat, and simultaneously improved, more fertile land.
Sheep for Meat, Wool & Land Restoration
Sheep also play a major role in diversifying the farm’s grazing system. Mike Brescia raises a hardy flock of Columbia sheep suited for both meat and wool production. Their gentle grazing style complements the cows, targeting different plant species and preventing the dominance of aggressive weeds on the hillside.
The Natural Tillers of the Farm
Pigs play a vital role in resetting and rejuvenating overgrown or compacted areas of the farm. Their natural rooting behavior, when managed responsibly, helps disturb the soil just enough to encourage new plant growth, break down old root systems, incorporate organic matter into the earth.
The pigs are also rotated throughout the pasture and supplemented with high-quality, locally sourced feed. The Brescia family pigs enjoy an active, enriched life with plenty of space to explore, contributing both to the health of the land and the quality of the meat they provide.
A Family-Run Abundance
Extensive Garden and Orchard
Alongside the livestock, Michael and his wife maintain an extensive garden and orchard that yield a wide variety of seasonal vegetables, herbs, market greens, berries, fruit, and specialty items for the surrounding community. Their garden features companion plantings, pollinator habitats, compost-fed beds, and heirloom varieties carefully cultivated for both flavor and nutrition.
Market Greens & Specialty Produce
Each week, they bring fresh, vibrant produce to local farmers markets, including salad mixes, microgreens, herbs, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, root vegetables, and seasonal fruit. Everything is grown without synthetic chemicals, relying instead on polyculture principles to ensure the highest quality and nutrient-dense offerings for their community.
Explore Michael’s Regenerative Farming Journey
If you’re curious about sustainable agriculture, looking to learn more about caring for animals, or simply interested in how sustainable practices can transform your land, there’s always more to explore. Follow along Michael’s blog for informative articles and posts about regenerative farming, animal care, seasonal gardening, and more. Perfect for anyone passionate about growing, raising, and eating food with purpose.