Where Pasture Meets Purpose: Meet the Team Behind Northaven Farm

Tucked into the rolling fields of Red Hook, Northaven Pastures isn’t your average farm—it’s a living, breathing ecosystem powered by heart, vision, and a whole lot of know-how. What started as a big dream and a patch of land has become a regenerative haven for grass-fed cows, foraging pigs, curious chickens, and the passionate team guiding it all. From soy-free eggs to raw A2A2 milk, Northaven Pastures is redefining intentional farming—where healthy soil, ecological resilience, and human health thrive alongside animals who roam free and are honored for their unique personalities and inclinations. Meet the team behind this mission-driven farmstead, and discover how a lighting designer, a Navy veteran and a herd of happy livestock are co-creating something beautifully sustainable, one hoofprint at a time.

Let’s get to know Eric Marchwinski and Cameron Pedigo and their philosophy that drives this exceptional Hudson Valley farm.

INSIDE+OUT: Where are you originally from, and how did you wind up in the Hudson Valley?

Eric Marchwinski: I grew up in Putnam County, just a bit south of where we are now. After attending college in Boston, I spent about a decade based in New Rochelle while traveling for work in the entertainment industry.  After a nearly 3-year search for a place to build our vision, in the summer of 2022, we (myself, Sue and Kim) made the move to Red Hook to start Northaven. Our team includes Sue and Kim Sippel, who have deep roots here in New York, having lived in Putnam and Rockland Counties for over 45 years and Cameron Pedigo joined the team earlier this year. He’s originally from Tennessee but has spent the past eight years farming right here in the Hudson Valley.

Tell us about Northaven Pastures. What makes it unique, and how did you wind up as the owner of this farm?

Eric Marchwinski: Northaven Pastures is one half of a larger entity, Northaven Farm. Our farm consists of Northaven Stables, a holistic horse boarding operation, and Northaven Pastures, a regenerative livestock business. Sue and Kim handle the day-to-day operations of Northaven Stables (horse boarding/stable,) while Cameron handles the day-to-day operations of Northaven Pastures. I oversee all business operations across both entities and help out in small ways when I am around (I travel a lot for work.)

Northaven Pastures is focused on grass-fed beef, pastured and forest-raised pork, and pastured eggs and will soon include A2A2 raw milk. Our commitment to regenerative agriculture and the integration of our enterprises is at the center of our farming model. We utilize rotational grazing, strategically stacking livestock, and strive to align with the inherent cycles found within nature.

Our commitment to regenerative agriculture extends beyond the movement patterns of our livestock; it encompasses what we feed our animals and, consequently, what our customers consume. We prioritize a corn- and soy-free diet for our pigs, a soy-free diet for our chickens, and a 100% grass-fed diet for our beef cattle. Additionally, we emphasize the natural behaviors of these animals, treating them as partners in the ecosystem rather than merely producers. These values collectively set us apart at Northaven.

What personal experiences led you to view ecological regenerative agriculture as essential in your farming practices?

Cameron Pedigo: It really started for me with the documentary, Food, Inc and the books by Michael Pollan. I was in college when I first came across this material, and it just flipped a switch. I started digging deeper into topics like Joel Salatin’s regenerative grazing systems and soil health. The more I learned, the clearer it became that the industrial model of agriculture no longer made sense to me. Regenerative agriculture wasn’t just more ethical or sustainable; it actually performed better. It respected the whole system: the animals, the land, and the people eating the food.

Once you see the connections between healthy soil, animal well-being, ecological resilience, and human health, you can’t unsee it. It’s all part of the same web. That’s why we do what we do. We’re not trying to force production out of the land; we’re trying to build something that actually gives back more than it takes.

Your site mentions the importance of giving animals freedom to express their innate behaviors. Can you share examples of these and what the benefits might be?

Cameron Pedigo: We believe it is important for animals to live in a way that reflects their natural instincts. Cows should graze on pasture instead of being confined and fed grain. We regularly move the cows to give them access to fresh forage while allowing the land to recover. Pigs are natural rooters and foragers, so we raise them in the forest where they can dig, explore, and live more like wild animals. Chickens love to scratch, peck, and roam, so they follow the cows across the pasture, helping spread manure and control insects as they live out their natural instincts.

When animals are allowed to express their natural behaviors, everything improves: animal health, soil biology, and nutrient cycling. We hardly need to intervene because the system regulates itself. You give animals the environment they were designed for, and they perform better, while the land becomes more fertile. The entire goal of regenerative agriculture is found within these systems, and the ultimate goal is to create a feedback loop that benefits every member involved, including humans.

Any events and learning opportunities upcoming on the farm?

Cameron Pedigo: We’re currently in a transition phase as we focus on launching our dairy enterprise, so we’ve put farm tours on hold for now. Once the dairy is up and running, we’re planning to host community events, farm walks, and other opportunities for folks to see how the different pieces of our system work together. We’ll be sharing updates through our newsletter as those plans come together.

Is bulk purchasing of pork and meat on the rise in the Hudson Valley, and why do you think this is a model that works?

Eric Marchwinski: It might not be that bulk purchasing itself is suddenly on the rise, but what we are seeing is a growing desire from people to eat closer to the source. More customers want to know where their food comes from, what’s in it, and how it was raised. Bulk purchasing is a natural outcome of that mindset, especially when it comes to staple proteins like pork and beef.

Bulk has always been a common model in farm-direct sales, and it makes sense for many households looking to stock their freezers with nutrient-dense, locally raised food. Yet we also recognize that not everyone has the freezer space or the upfront budget for a quarter cow or half hog, and sometimes a less frequent purchasing option works better for some.

We have worked hard to establish a multi-layered approach to our sales and offer our customers options that can suit their needs. We offer bulk sales for those looking for large quantities, retail bundles as a middle ground that still offers variety, and individual retail cuts for the ultimate flexibility. The diversity found in our agricultural model extends to our product offerings; multiple enterprises with multiple options for our customers. This lets us meet our customers where they are and grow with them as their needs change.

You offer corn and soy-free meat, chickens, and eggs. Why is this important?

Cameron Pedigo: We feed our livestock in this way because it supports our core values: animal husbandry, regenerative agriculture, and community. Within that, we prioritize feed transparency, animal health, and ecological responsibility as essential parts of how we care for animals, steward the land, and serve the people who rely on our food.

Corn and soy are staples of the industrial feed system, and we’re intentionally working to move away from that model. By choosing alternative feeds, we avoid supporting large-scale monocultures that rely heavily on synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, systems that run counter to the kind of agriculture we believe in.

It also allows us to offer something different—cleaner, simpler food for people who want or need to avoid corn and soy, whether for health reasons, dietary sensitivity, or ethical concerns. From a farm management perspective, our animals thrive on diverse, non-GMO feed blends that more closely reflect a natural diet. It’s not the easiest path, but for us, it’s the right one.

Raw milk has gotten a bad rap for a long time, and is thankfully legal again in New York. Can you share some of the exciting health benefits and why it may have gotten a bad rap previously?

Cameron Pedigo: Raw milk has been misunderstood for many decades now. These fears are rooted in a time when milk was being produced in dirty urban dairies attached to places like distilleries, where cows were fed spent grains, confined in poor conditions, and milked without sanitation standards. That milk was not nearly as safe as the products produced today, and pasteurization was vital to ensuring the health of the public.

Raw milk from healthy, pasture-raised cows, managed with strict hygiene, is entirely different. This milk contains a full spectrum of living enzymes, beneficial bacteria, and fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, and K2. These are often diminished or destroyed by pasteurization. Many people who have trouble digesting pasteurized milk find they can tolerate raw milk, especially from A2A2 cows. In addition to meticulous livestock management, the management of a dairy facility is highly regulated, especially for raw milk. In New York, to obtain a license, myriad and incredibly strict standards must be adhered to. This includes water testing, detailed construction guidelines, and multiple layers of approval and inspection, sometimes monthly.

When approached correctly, people report that raw milk supports gut health, immune function, and many other things. The important part is not just that it is raw, but that it is from a well-managed system: clean cows, clean milking, and proper handling. That is what we are building at Northaven Pastures: a raw dairy that’s as biologically smart and ecologically sound as the rest of the farm.

Many of our readers are still undoubtedly purchasing dairy and meat products that are not hormone/steroid and antibiotic-free. Would you share your favorite benefits and why this feels important for a healthy community and world?

Cameron Pedigo: Choosing to purchase meat and dairy products that avoid hormones, steroids, and routine antibiotics means you are supporting food production that honors both animals and the environment. Your choice supports an enduring system that chooses enduring health benefits over quick solutions.

The practice of using synthetic inputs to force animal growth differs fundamentally from allowing animals to develop naturally. The process of allowing animals to grow naturally while providing them with nutritious feed and proper care results in food products that contain higher nutritional value and better digestion and health benefits for consumers.

The decision of what we eat extends to what we support; what kind of agricultural system do we stand behind? The production of clean food results in healthier soil conditions, stronger community structures, and an overall more robust food system. Our mission extends beyond solely the production of food. We are aiming to create sustainable practices that will remain viable well beyond our current generation. Clean food isn’t a luxury, it’s a foundation for a better future.

Are there any new developments or upcoming projects you’d like to share?

Eric Marchwinski: We are starting some very exciting work with MIT’s media lab this month. We can’t say much more right now as we are in the very early stages of this project, but we are excited to share more soon. We are working to integrate some very custom technology with our operation in a way that will help our animals live more comfortable lives, and in turn help us produce even better products for our customers.

What do you love about being in Red Hook?

Eric Marchwinski: We love being in this incredibly special part of New York State, nestled on the side of the Hudson, a far but close reach to The City, and an area that is saturated with culture and history. This community is a diverse collection of residents who primarily live in New York City, and have second homes up here, and those who have been long-time residents, established in the community. This diversity is unique, and we want to recognize and provide options for all members of our community.

What local businesses do you rely on to be successful?

Eric Marchwinski: We rely on so many businesses throughout our year here, but the three that stand out the most are:

• Stone House Grain for nearly all of our (certified organic!) feed
• Down The Road Butchery, for some of our butchering on the farm
• Williams Lumber, for all of our renovations, upkeep, and general supplies

What impact does your business strive to have on your new community?

Eric Marchwinski: We are striving to bring the most nutrient-dense, transparent, and educational food source to those in our community. We are a small farm with a big vision, and we want to share that vision with our customers, so they may join us in our endeavor to feed the world. We don’t only want to provide reliable and consistent products to our customers, but also an understanding of why we do what we do and how we do it. “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.”

Tell us something about yourself that people would be surprised to learn?

Eric Marchwinski: In my “other life,” I am a Lighting Designer and Programmer for a wide variety of concert tours, television variety specials, and special events. I’m also a fairly avid scuba diver, with technical certifications up through GUE Cave 2. I have spent much of the last six or seven years diving a concentrated area of cenotes in the Riviera Maya in Mexico.

Cameron Pedigo: In my “other life,” I was a member of the U.S. Navy, have a degree in political science, and have a wide range of interests outside of farming. It goes from sailing to martial arts and many other things in between.

If you could manifest the perfect scenario for your business, what would that look like?

Eric Marchwinski: Farming is anything but perfect, and it has taught me personally (a perfectionist) how to come to terms with this imperfect world. I think the most ideal scenario for our business would mirror what most business owners would strive for: to become a well-established, stable brand that gives back to the community while growing to be larger than the people who built the business. Farming is a bit outside the norm when it comes to business, but we are certainly looking to bring a streamlined customer experience, a fresh look and brand, and our continued commitment to “doing it right.”

If you could have one superpower, what would that be?

Eric Marchwinski: Endless and effortless patience.

What is your current state of mind?

Eric Marchwinski: Appreciative that we can work to build something that is able to have a real impact on the lives of those we serve. Passionately committed to growing our seed of an idea to be larger than just us, and to have a lasting impact on those in the area.

Photos courtesy of Northaven Pastures

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