A Fowl Question

(Posted in response to a great comment/question)

Q:  I think the closest farm to me that I can buy a whole chicken is Newnan. I fear Newnan. I’m curious as to what your opinion of Bell & Evans is… that’s the company that supplies my farmer’s market and I did some superficial research and thinking it’s a step in the right direction.

A: If you fear a local farm - all the more reason to avoid it!  That's the real power of local food - you know and see where it's coming from!  Our per pound price isn't the cheapest around these parts - but I encourage people who want to buy a "cheaper" bird to visit our farm and flocks...  then visit other farms and flocks...  no harm - no hurt pride - you are welcome back anytime (just wear different shoes so you don't bring disease grossness into our flock).  It's called being an educated consumer - and competition raises the standards.  Sure - there are some other really great local farms - find them - maybe they offer things we don't...  but when it comes to chicken production environments and veggies - well - like I said, we will welcome you back!  There's no arrogance there - just repeating what others have said to us.

As for your question - there's sorta "stages" of better chickens - IMHO.  At the bottom are the factories - pack em in, debeak them and fill their food with antibiotics because the flock density is so high you don't have any other tools to control disease.  Feed them waste scraps of things you would not want your food eating and include arsnic to make them grow faster...

On the opposite end of the spectrum is - fresh air, green pastures, let the birds hunt the way they are programed to be.  I think your Bell & Evans folks look like, on a sliding scale, they are about 1/3 of the way from factory towards pastured.  And that's not a bad thing for the volumes of chickens they produce.

Their operations still looks to keep the birds indoors and out of sunlight (think about how you would feel and your personal health after a lifetime of no sun).  They do - however - appear to keep densities lower, use less "junk" in their feed and use a higher quality feed...  So - bottom line - their chickens are likely better than the "discount" factory birds out there but at the same time "likely" not of the same quality (flavor and nutritional) of those birds that spend most of their lives on pasture supplemented diets (that's sun, clover, and crickets).

Your question is a great one.  People should spend their food money like they are voting with it.  Your choice for the non-status-quo chicken is a vote in the right direction (I still say go find a local farm that's not scary - check localharvest.org and craigslist to start - when you get there ask to see where the chicks are started, where the birds grow up, where and how they are processed...  and let your gut tell you if you should be buying chicken from that farm)

It's amazing - most consumers really believe that the old adage "you get what you pay for" is true when they go buy a computer, car, washer, clothing...  you name it...  so - why doesn't that register when we are standing there ordering entire meals off of the $1 Value Menu?

Comments

[kat]

"Your choice for the non-status-quo chicken is a vote in the right direction.

It’s amazing – most consumers really believe that the old adage “you get what you pay for” is true when they go buy a computer, car, washer, clothing… you name it… so – why doesn’t that register when we are standing there ordering entire meals off of the $1 Value Menu?"

YOU get a post win for the day. I could not agree more or have said it better myself.

[kat]

Dang. In the first sentence I meant to quote this:

"People should spend their food money like they are voting with it. "

So, so true.