Chicken.
Our range raised broilers are never medicated. Our broilers eat grain, grass, and insects (although tomato hornworms scared them off!) The chicks start in a cozy nook of the greenhouse, and as soon as they have enough feathers to stand a dewy morning, they go into lightweight range houses. These houses provide shade and protection from predators. We move them to fresh grass daily, so the birds have plenty of new things to eat and a clean place to sleep. As they continue to grow, we surround the range houses with a portable fence and let them range free during the day. The even spread of manure this generates turns what is a toxic liability for large farms into an integral part of our soil care program for pasture health.
Our birds are JM Hatchery’s “Freedom Rangers,” a slower-growing cross which is based on the French model. They have enough finish to be juicy, but rarely have large fat deposits. They get enough exercise to develop muscle structure, but not so much that you’d have to stew them to enjoy them. And of course, their meat reflects the flavor of the green feed in their diet. Chickens eat grain and ours are fed either Non-GMO or organic grain depending on cost and availability.
We sell chicken as whole birds only (because that is what the state requires of us). You can get them through our CSAs and at the Amherst or Northampton Farmer’s Market.
We sell chicken as whole birds only (because that is what the state requires of us). You can get them through our CSAs and at the Amherst or Northampton Farmer’s Market.