As I like to mention to friends and customers, I'm trying to do more than just grow and sell food.
I am trying to demonstrate sustainable, low-tech farm practices that help restore depleted soil. Or more aptly, walking lightly so the soil may restore itself. I would also like to share resources with others. Not only my personal experiences but all the information I have gathered on the topics of food, nutrition and low-tech gardening. You can even borrow some of my tools to try them out. :)
There is a "master plan" to bring all of this together and it is still on a back burner. But right now I'll be happy to get the rest of my seed in the ground and hopefully some sweet potatoes planted.
In the meanwhile, I'll be glad to discuss these topics or answer any questions to the best of my knowledge. Or for a first hand look you can arrange a visit. Just send an email to jake (at) grandprairiefood.com .
Saturday, June 03, 2006
What An Egg License Gets You
I was recently reported to the “authorities” for “selling “ my eggs without a license. The only problem is I don’t sell eggs, I sell Egg Shares. In other words, I sell interest in my flock to others. Since they are vested in the flock, egg share owners are only getting what is theirs, eggs from their flock. I am not selling, trading or trafficking eggs and therefore am not in need of a egg license.
But, shouldn’t consumers be worried that I’m not inspected by some “official”? Well, I invite egg share holders to visit their flock. I trust they can tell a healthy bird from an obviously unhealthy one and can judge if they are cared for.
As it turns out, the farmer who reported me has an egg license and sells at the same market as I do. I had volunteered on this guy’s farm in the past. I’ll never forget the first time I went to collect eggs from his coop. In the dim light I could make out the bodies of at least 3 dead birds, right by the nest boxes. And these birds hadn’t died any time recently but were well on their way to “melting” into the shit covered floor. Like the live chickens, I had to step over them to get to the nest boxes. The eggs I collected were pretty fragile and when asked about their diet I was told they were on pheasant feed and, no, no oyster shell was being fed.
This farmer sells his eggs as “free-range”, another term hijacked by the factory food industry and their protectors. When I hear the term “free-range’ I imagine healthy birds foraging on green pasture with bugs and seeds as part of their natural buffet. At least, that’s how my free range birds are. When I worked there, this farmer had only a small fenced in dirt yard. If there were ever plants and bugs in there they were long ago decimated by the poor birds who could not forage outside the fence. These birds have no way to correct any deficiencies in their diet, no “free range” of goodies to choose from. Further there was no shade in this yard so during the heat they crammed together in the dim shed, just like in a factory situation.
That is what an egg license gets you. That is what state inspection gets you. It’s important to remember that factory farms are inspected and APPROVED by those who are supposed to protect the food supply. If an inspector had gone out and found this farmer’s chicken coop the way I did, do you think he would be shut down and the deplorable conditions published? Not likely. It was clear from the gross neglect in this case that the farmer was not even concerned about an inspection. Do you think he would have allowed his customers out to see his flock? If they did see it they would buy no more of his eggs.
Questions for your egg supplier, if he or she hasn't already told you :
What do you feed your layers?
If they are “free range” do they actually have access to pasture?
Can customers come to your farm and see your birds? If not, why?
When was the last time you were inspected?
NOTE: Obviously there are egg producers who have paid for permission to sell eggs who do raise their birds well.
But, shouldn’t consumers be worried that I’m not inspected by some “official”? Well, I invite egg share holders to visit their flock. I trust they can tell a healthy bird from an obviously unhealthy one and can judge if they are cared for.
As it turns out, the farmer who reported me has an egg license and sells at the same market as I do. I had volunteered on this guy’s farm in the past. I’ll never forget the first time I went to collect eggs from his coop. In the dim light I could make out the bodies of at least 3 dead birds, right by the nest boxes. And these birds hadn’t died any time recently but were well on their way to “melting” into the shit covered floor. Like the live chickens, I had to step over them to get to the nest boxes. The eggs I collected were pretty fragile and when asked about their diet I was told they were on pheasant feed and, no, no oyster shell was being fed.
This farmer sells his eggs as “free-range”, another term hijacked by the factory food industry and their protectors. When I hear the term “free-range’ I imagine healthy birds foraging on green pasture with bugs and seeds as part of their natural buffet. At least, that’s how my free range birds are. When I worked there, this farmer had only a small fenced in dirt yard. If there were ever plants and bugs in there they were long ago decimated by the poor birds who could not forage outside the fence. These birds have no way to correct any deficiencies in their diet, no “free range” of goodies to choose from. Further there was no shade in this yard so during the heat they crammed together in the dim shed, just like in a factory situation.
That is what an egg license gets you. That is what state inspection gets you. It’s important to remember that factory farms are inspected and APPROVED by those who are supposed to protect the food supply. If an inspector had gone out and found this farmer’s chicken coop the way I did, do you think he would be shut down and the deplorable conditions published? Not likely. It was clear from the gross neglect in this case that the farmer was not even concerned about an inspection. Do you think he would have allowed his customers out to see his flock? If they did see it they would buy no more of his eggs.
Questions for your egg supplier, if he or she hasn't already told you :
What do you feed your layers?
If they are “free range” do they actually have access to pasture?
Can customers come to your farm and see your birds? If not, why?
When was the last time you were inspected?
NOTE: Obviously there are egg producers who have paid for permission to sell eggs who do raise their birds well.
Friday, June 02, 2006
Pullets are SOLD OUT!
The 10 1/2 week Black Australorp pullets are officially sold out. I found these beautiful birds to have a wonderful temperament, if only a little too curious, like most chickens. And excellent egg layers they be. A black australorp from Australia holds the world record for egg production. We may have more to come later in the season.
Still plenty of cornish cross broilers and heritage breed chickens available. See post below for more info.
Also plenty of 3 1/2 week pullets left. I'll be getting rid of 50 Delawares and probably 50-75 mixed pullets. A few of the Delawares are already spoken for.
Still plenty of cornish cross broilers and heritage breed chickens available. See post below for more info.
Also plenty of 3 1/2 week pullets left. I'll be getting rid of 50 Delawares and probably 50-75 mixed pullets. A few of the Delawares are already spoken for.
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Healthy Flock
Just an update on our chickens.
The Babies
The newest chicks are now 3 1/2 weeks old. We lost 5 in the first week or so. Since then we have had only one loss. I did have another incident with that cat getting in the garage and I have reason to believe he may have got one too. Still I consider our losses low. for those interested, Meyer Hatchery in Polk, OH is our supplier this year. We are selling another 100 or so of the pullets from this batch.
The Kids
The other chicks are now 10 1/2 weeks old. I delivered 20 of the Black Austrolorp pullets to my feed supplier in exchange for some organic feed this morning. The demand for their organic pastured eggs is outpacing the supply. Once customers compare farm fresh organic eggs to factory eggs they are sold. And consumers are really waking up to the health and environmental costs of factory farming.
The Broilers
We have begun dressing out the broilers. Besides the two resident roosters, they are the biggest birds on the farm. Some of these birds are dressing out over 6 pounds! My neighbor got some from me and invited me down for fried chicken Tuesday. Folks, you just don't know until you try it. I put a whole one in the crock pot overnight last night (it barely fit). Mmmm, mmmmmm! It would not break my heart if I didn't sell any of these and had to keep them all for myself. But I have 50 heritage breed chickens coming due in a couple weeks and 100 more of these cornish cross broilers right behind them. I just can't eat that much chicken.
--I have a few more of the current batch of broilers for sale. $3 / lb. Each bird weighs between 4 1/2 and 6 lbs.
--I will be taking orders for the heritage chickens to be butchered in the next 2-3 weeks. They will be a bit smaller, probably 3-4 lbs., and will be $3.50 / lb.
--Also taking pre-orders on the next batch of broilers coming due in 6-8 weeks. Should also be in the 4-6 lb. range at $3 / lb.
Worth mentioning again that all of these birds are raised on organic feed, organic pasture and rainwater. We also use vinegar as a disinfectant and cleaner, no bleach or harsh chemicals.
The Adults
The free range flock is doing well. They are fairly carefree, bringing themselves home to roost everynight. The reds in the chicken tractor are still the hardest working, not only providing us with 11-14 eggs a day (out of 14 hens) but also doing a wonderful job improving the soil beneath their mobile pen where some of next year's garden will be.
Injured Pullet
I had another pullet get injured about 2 weeks ago. Just a small predator wound, obviously made through the chicken wire. When I found her she was also hobbling on one leg. I put her in a nice new pan bottomed cage given to me by a friend, now dubbed the "chicken infirmary". Now she can rest away from the other birds and out of the elements. At first sight, my uncle suggested I "thump her" to end her suffering but a week later she is eating and more active. She still hobbles but these birds have proven to be quite resilient.
That's the chicken update for now.
Email jake@grandprairiefood.com for more info on buying organic broilers, chicks or eggs.
The Babies
The newest chicks are now 3 1/2 weeks old. We lost 5 in the first week or so. Since then we have had only one loss. I did have another incident with that cat getting in the garage and I have reason to believe he may have got one too. Still I consider our losses low. for those interested, Meyer Hatchery in Polk, OH is our supplier this year. We are selling another 100 or so of the pullets from this batch.
The Kids
The other chicks are now 10 1/2 weeks old. I delivered 20 of the Black Austrolorp pullets to my feed supplier in exchange for some organic feed this morning. The demand for their organic pastured eggs is outpacing the supply. Once customers compare farm fresh organic eggs to factory eggs they are sold. And consumers are really waking up to the health and environmental costs of factory farming.
The Broilers
We have begun dressing out the broilers. Besides the two resident roosters, they are the biggest birds on the farm. Some of these birds are dressing out over 6 pounds! My neighbor got some from me and invited me down for fried chicken Tuesday. Folks, you just don't know until you try it. I put a whole one in the crock pot overnight last night (it barely fit). Mmmm, mmmmmm! It would not break my heart if I didn't sell any of these and had to keep them all for myself. But I have 50 heritage breed chickens coming due in a couple weeks and 100 more of these cornish cross broilers right behind them. I just can't eat that much chicken.
--I have a few more of the current batch of broilers for sale. $3 / lb. Each bird weighs between 4 1/2 and 6 lbs.
--I will be taking orders for the heritage chickens to be butchered in the next 2-3 weeks. They will be a bit smaller, probably 3-4 lbs., and will be $3.50 / lb.
--Also taking pre-orders on the next batch of broilers coming due in 6-8 weeks. Should also be in the 4-6 lb. range at $3 / lb.
Worth mentioning again that all of these birds are raised on organic feed, organic pasture and rainwater. We also use vinegar as a disinfectant and cleaner, no bleach or harsh chemicals.
The Adults
The free range flock is doing well. They are fairly carefree, bringing themselves home to roost everynight. The reds in the chicken tractor are still the hardest working, not only providing us with 11-14 eggs a day (out of 14 hens) but also doing a wonderful job improving the soil beneath their mobile pen where some of next year's garden will be.
Injured Pullet
I had another pullet get injured about 2 weeks ago. Just a small predator wound, obviously made through the chicken wire. When I found her she was also hobbling on one leg. I put her in a nice new pan bottomed cage given to me by a friend, now dubbed the "chicken infirmary". Now she can rest away from the other birds and out of the elements. At first sight, my uncle suggested I "thump her" to end her suffering but a week later she is eating and more active. She still hobbles but these birds have proven to be quite resilient.
That's the chicken update for now.
Email jake@grandprairiefood.com for more info on buying organic broilers, chicks or eggs.
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