North Plain Farm (and our sister farm, Blue Hill Farm) is a family farm tucked away in the foothills of the Berkshires. We are committed to raising livestock in a rotational grass-based system that is regenerative for the soil and respects the lives and welfare of the animals we raise as well as the people who raise them. We strive to bring nutrient-dense, traceable food to our neighbors and maintain open space for farmland in our community.
Our mission is to honor our animals. We provide a low stress environment opting to teach the cows to come when called rather than push and scare them towards where we want them to go. This method allows the cows to make the decision to move because they trust when we call them that fresh grass is in their immediate future. By implementing intensive rotational grazing, we ensure our bovine herds are always on the best grass while allowing the grass ample time to regrow and remain healthy. Our animals are always provided with fresh water in clean troughs and minerals to help naturally boost their immune systems and overall well-being.
We are committed to having an open farm policy and invite our customers to visit our farm at any time of the year. Our products are sold at our on-site farm store on North Plain Road in Housatinic, MA.
The farm is a combined 300 acres in and around Great Barrington on North Plain Farm owned land, Blue Hill Farm owned land, and land that belongs to neighbors. We are grateful to be able to live and work in a supportive community and to have the opportunity to contribute to a working landscape of pastures and hay fields. Because of this support, we are able to produce all the hay our animals require throughout the winter.
Our Story
Sean Stanton established North Plain Farm in 2001 on his family's ten acres in Great Barrington. Sean first began with a small chicken flock. Since then, the farm has grown into an incredibly productive, 100% grass-fed beef operation. Farm manager Phoebe Scott-Lawson joined the farm in 2011. She began by milking a few mornings a week, but it didn’t take long for her to realize that farming was her true passion. Sean was farming in a way that fit with her mission in life: to give every animal the best possible life by both honoring the individual animal and the land they call home. Through hands-on learning, research, experience, and advice from Sean, Phoebe eventually became the Assistant Farm Manager. In 2021 she left the farm to gain more experience in the art of pasture management, specifically intensive rotational grazing, as well as more knowledge about the proper management of the bovine species. She returned in 2024 to help Sean with the next chapter of North Plain Farm. Together Sean and Phoebe plan to continually improve the farm, its practices, the land it utilizes, and the lives of the all the animals who call North Plain Farm ‘home.’