Attendees gathered round in the course of the cease on the farm tour on the hen pens. Images by Cait Carr Picture.

TO SELL OR NOT TO SELL…. EGGS

Grateful Pastures Farm has left behind elevating laying hens in favor of solely rising their Cornish hens for meat. Sabrina and Shaun discovered that because the demand for eggs on the farmers market is so variable, it’s laborious to take care of their profitability. Additionally, as livestock farmers, managing the opposing must maintain their meat frozen and eggs refrigerated proved to be a stress level. Finally, the Terrys decided that the various infrastructure wants of promoting eggs added a layer of additional logistics to their system, in order that they determined to chop it out.

That being mentioned, vegetable farmers who’re contemplating including eggs to their operation might, actually, make the most of the identical post-harvest storage infrastructure they use for different crops – one thing to think about when you’re a vegetable grower who needs to diversify your farm merchandise!

PASTURE MANAGEMENT

When requested about their pasture administration, Shaun replied that they like to reduce their interference with what nature intends for the land. For Grateful Pastures, meaning not tilling or making use of fertilizers. Whereas they don’t presently plant within the pasture, Shaun is contemplating seeding legumes to extend the forage high quality the place the chickens have knocked again the pasture. The Nationwide Natural Program normal 205.239 requires poultry to have out of doors entry however doesn’t specify the sq. footage or pasture entry. Nonetheless, pasture entry offers poultry with a various weight loss program, recent air, and humane care that helps improve their immune system to guard them from viruses and illnesses, and in addition produces extra nutritious hen for the buyer.