There’s nothing like chasing a spry pasture-raised broiler to make you look and feel silly. These 3 week old cornish cross broilers defy the fat, lethargic, sickly stereotype. It’s the sunshine, grass, and fresh forage that keeps them running.
I just moved these hens into a fresh pasture. As you can see, they’re eager to get out of the eggmobile and into the grass.
That’s an easy one, right? Chickens on pasture eat grass and insects. That’s inline with their omnivore tendencies. But the grass, seeds, and insects that the chickens eat out on pasture is really only a supplement. It provides lots of natural forage and contributes to the exceptional taste and health of the chicken and its […]
Local, pasture-based egg producers often cite a Mother Earth News study to underscore their superior egg quality when compared to conventionally raised eggs. So, here is that study. Our [Mother Earth News] testing has found that, compared to official U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) nutrient data for commercial eggs, eggs from hens raised on pasture […]
If you want to understand the reality of the current bee crisis from the beekeeper’s perspective, Vanishing of the Bees is a must watch.There are many nuanced topics in the video including debates on commercial versus organic beekeeping or whether it’s appropriate to use insecticides to treat for varroa mites. But the most eye opening […]
If you watched Food Inc, then you saw a contract grower for Perdue, walk through her chicken house with a mask, hauling dead chickens out of the barn. Sustainable Food News reports that Carole Morison now raises a flock of 500 Rhode Island Red hens on pasture. From the story: “On farms across the country […]
If cheaper, bigger, and faster are your only food yardstick, then Food Inc. provides the counter argument to the mainstream food production you’ve come to love. Enjoy the trailer, and then Buy Food Inc (affiliate link). After you watch this movie, you’ll want to call us to find out how you can get some local, […]
Here are a few photos from the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture’s (PASA) field day at Eli Reif’s farm on August 31, 2011.
As we process chickens, we’re ending up with some left over parts. Raw chicken feet – $1 each Raw hearts and livers – $2/lb Raw necks – $2/lb (very limited supply since we leave these on the chicken at processing time) Make no mistake. This is human quality food, and we have customers who eat […]
We were expecting a litter of rabbits this weekend, but when I fed evening chores, I found the pregnant doe dead in her nest box. No signs of labor. Perhaps the relentless heat and humidity in combination with being pregnant was too much for her Over the past few months, we’ve been collecting breeding stock, […]