What Does Pastured Mean?

At the Badger compound, our meat chickens are raised outside in the grass under watchful eye of the sun, and while that seems perfectly natural to me (and to the chickens), I encounter plenty of people who are surprised by the idea. The key to pastured-raised chickens is to ensure the flock always has access to a fresh grass and bugs.That means the chickens and their shelter are always moving.

The healthy “side-effects” of grass-raised animals are well documented. Pastured chickens producers also afford their flocks more space, which allows the chickens to move around and exercise. The exercise translates to a firmer meat with less fat. But the taste will hook you. 

Is pastured poultry production considered organic? Maybe.

The term organic has been hijacked by the government as a certification label that includes a lot of different criteria, including type of feed, drug-free, etc. Pastured is a production model that describes how the chickens are raised. And from this devout meat eater’s perspective, how the chicken was raised affects taste more than whether or not the organic chicken ate GMO-free corn, for example. So while many pastured poultry producers are organic, it’s the cliche apples to oranges comparison. And while organic is a noble pursuit, it’s still not a substitute for eating locally produced chicken from someone you trust.