The Rise of Local Chicken: Why It's Worth a Cluck

As consumers become more conscious about the quality and origins of their food, the demand for locally sourced products has skyrocketed. One such product that has gained significant popularity in recent years is local chicken. From farm-to-table restaurants to neighborhood farmers markets, local chicken has become a staple in many households. In this article, we'll delve into the reasons behind this growing trend and explore the benefits of choosing local chicken over its mass-produced counterparts.

Taste and Flavor That's Worth Savoring

When it comes to poultry, freshness is key. Local chicken offers a taste experience that is simply unmatched by its commercially raised counterparts. By purchasing chicken from local farmers, you can be assured that the birds were raised in a more natural and humane manner. The result? Meat that is succulent, tender, and bursting with flavor.

Unlike factory-farmed chicken, which is often injected with additives and raised in overcrowded conditions, local chicken is typically free-range or pasture-raised. These chickens have the opportunity to roam and forage, resulting in meat that is leaner, more flavorful, and has a richer texture.

Supporting Local Farmers and Sustainable Agriculture

Choosing local chicken means supporting local farmers and their sustainable practices. By buying directly from these farmers, you are not only putting money back into your local economy but also helping to preserve small-scale farming traditions.

Local chicken farmers prioritize animal welfare and environmentally friendly practices. They focus on smaller flocks and prioritize quality over quantity. By supporting these farmers, you are contributing to the overall sustainability and resilience of the local agricultural system.

Transparency and Food Safety

One of the biggest advantages of purchasing local chicken is the transparency it provides. When you buy from local farmers, you have the opportunity to learn about their farming methods, including how the chickens are raised, what they are fed, and any additional practices they follow.

This level of transparency helps build trust between consumers and producers. You can rest assured knowing that the chicken you are consuming is free from hormones, antibiotics, and other harmful chemicals commonly found in mass-produced chicken. Local farmers often prioritize organic or natural feed, ensuring a healthier and safer product for you and your family.

A Positive Impact on the Environment

Choosing local chicken also has a positive impact on the environment. Local farmers typically employ sustainable farming practices that minimize the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. They also focus on reducing waste and minimizing their carbon footprint.

By supporting local chicken farmers, you are contributing to the preservation of natural resources and biodiversity. Additionally, since local chicken often travels shorter distances to reach your plate, it reduces the carbon emissions associated with transportation.

Embracing the Local Chicken Movement

In conclusion, the local chicken movement is more than just a food trend; it's a conscious choice that benefits both consumers and farmers. The superior taste, support for local economies, transparency, and positive environmental impact make local chicken a compelling option.

So, the next time you're planning a meal, consider opting for local chicken. Whether you're cooking up a comforting roast or enjoying a crispy fried chicken dish, you can savor every bite knowing that you're making a difference – one cluck at a time.

The Benefits of Choosing Pasture-Raised Chicken for Your Plate

When it comes to poultry, there are various labels and terms that can be confusing for consumers. One term that has gained popularity in recent years is "pasture-raised chicken." But what does it mean exactly, and why should you consider adding it to your diet? In this article, we will explore the many benefits of choosing pasture-raised chicken for your plate.

A Healthier Option

One of the primary reasons why pasture-raised chicken is becoming increasingly popular is its health benefits. Unlike conventionally-raised chicken, which is often confined to crowded indoor spaces, pasture-raised chicken is allowed to roam freely outdoors. This means that they have access to natural sunlight, fresh air, and a diverse diet of insects, seeds, and grass. As a result, pasture-raised chicken tends to be leaner and have a higher nutrient content.

Research shows that pasture-raised chicken is richer in essential vitamins and minerals such as vitamin E, vitamin A, and omega-3 fatty acids. These nutrients play a crucial role in supporting overall health, boosting the immune system, and reducing the risk of chronic diseases. Additionally, pasture-raised chicken has been found to contain lower levels of harmful substances such as antibiotics and hormones, making it a safer choice for consumption.

Ethical and Sustainable Farming Practices

Choosing pasture-raised chicken goes beyond personal health benefits; it also supports ethical and sustainable farming practices. Pasture-raised chickens are raised in a more humane environment, with ample space to roam and express natural behaviors. This method of farming prioritizes animal welfare, ensuring that the chickens lead a happier and healthier life.

Furthermore, pasture-raised chicken farming is environmentally friendly. The chickens are allowed to forage on grass, which promotes natural soil fertilization and reduces the need for artificial fertilizers. This approach helps maintain biodiversity and prevents soil degradation. Additionally, the outdoor grazing system prevents the accumulation of waste in confined spaces, reducing the risk of water pollution.

Superior Taste and Texture

In addition to the health and environmental benefits, pasture-raised chicken offers a superior taste and texture compared to conventionally-raised chicken. The freedom to move and forage results in stronger muscles and more flavorful meat. Pasture-raised chicken has a richer, deeper taste that is often described as "more chickeny." The meat is also known for its tenderness and juiciness, making it a favorite among chefs and food enthusiasts.

How to Identify and Source Pasture-Raised Chicken

While the benefits of pasture-raised chicken are clear, it can be challenging to find it in mainstream grocery stores. However, there are a few ways to ensure you are purchasing truly pasture-raised chicken. Look for labels such as "Certified Humane" or "Animal Welfare Approved," which indicate that the chickens were raised in accordance with specific animal welfare standards. Additionally, consider visiting your local farmer's market or seeking out small, local farms that prioritize sustainable and ethical practices.

Conclusion

Choosing pasture-raised chicken is not only a healthier option but also a conscious decision that supports animal welfare and sustainable farming practices. From its superior taste and texture to its higher nutrient content, pasture-raised chicken offers a range of benefits that make it worth seeking out. By making informed choices and supporting local farmers who prioritize ethical practices, we can ensure a better future for our health, the animals, and the environment. So next time you're shopping for chicken, consider opting for pasture-raised and enjoy the many advantages it brings to your plate.

Fresh Pasture-Raised Chicken - Available July 10th

Our next batch of chicken will be ready for sale on Saturday, July 10th! If you’re like us, you know the importance of buying locally sourced foods. It helps to support the local economy and makes our community more self-sustainable. Most chicken that you buy in the supermarket is raised on factory farms in terrible, crowded conditions without access to the outdoors. How would you like to spend your entire life on a concrete slab? No thank you! And our chickens don’t either! They spend a few weeks indoors when they are little chicks then once they’re big enough, they spend the rest of their time out on pasture. I wish all chicken could be raised this way, but these huge meat conglomerates only care about producing the cheapest meat possible, without regard for the animals or for the workers and farmers that take care of them.

Not only is it more humane to buy local pasture-raised chicken, but it’s actually better for you too! Pasture-raised chicken contains more vitamin A, vitamin D, iron, omega 3 fatty acids and less saturated fat. These chickens are able to roam about all day long and can forage for bugs and plants which leads to better quality and more flavorful meat.

Contact us at highlandviewfarmalstead@gmail.com or call or text me at 607-226-4855 to reserve! Or if you have any questions or want to see our farm in Alstead, NH, we are happy to show you around or answer any questions you may have!

Fresh Chicken - Available June 11th

Well Spring is finally in full swing here at the farm and our first batch of pasture-raised chicken for the season are out to pasture! We love being able to raise our own chicken right in our backyard where they can forage and scratch around just like chickens are meant to do, instead of all cooped up in a building where most conventionally raised grocery store chickens are raised. And with a potential chicken shortage on the horizon, it’s great to know that chicken can be raised in a happy and healthy way right at home!

Demand for our chicken increased significantly last year as more and more people saw the benefit from supporting local farmers and food producers, so we have ramped up production a bit this year to hopefully make sure we can accommodate everyone! Here are the dates that we will have fresh chicken available:

• June 11th - Cornish Cross

• July 10th - Cornish Cross

• September 3rd - Cornish Cross and Red Rangers

• Turkeys - November 21st

Please email us if you would like to reserve or have any questions and we can let you know about the availability. We do not require any payment up front to reserve, you don’t owe us anything until chicken is in your hands. We do ask that if you would like fresh chicken, that you pick up on the dates above if possible as our refrigerated space is limited. Anything not picked up by the next day (or that isn’t spoken for) will be available frozen.

The Cornish Cross Chickens will be $4.50 per lb for whole birds and $6.00 per lb for pieced-out. The Cornish are the most popular breed of meat chickens would be most similar to the type of chicken that you would buy at the grocery store (except of course - healthier because they are pasture-raised). The Red Ranger Chickens are the slower growing variety with a higher dark meat to white meat ratio. The price for this variety is $5.50 per lb for whole birds and $7.00 per lb for pieced out. The whole bird weights range from 3.5 lbs to 7.5 lbs each.

Any questions at all, please do not hesitate to reach out! And if you are interested in purchasing our local pasture-raised chicken, we definitely recommend that you contact us to reserve to ensure that we get you on the list before everything is spoken for!

Why Buy Pasture-Raised Chicken?

Our next batch of chicken will be ready for purchase on August 23rd! We will have it available fresh for a few days and then available frozen. These will be the more traditional Cornish Cross meat bird, similar to what you might find in a grocery store except ours have spend nearly their entire lives on pasture here at our farm in Alstead, NH!

We actually have been very impressed with these guys as they are really great foragers. I think a lot people tend to think that these birds that were specifically bred to be meat birds would be completely satisfied sitting around being lazy and just eating grain all day, but every morning when we let them out of their enclosure they zip out of there like crazy! The foraging instinct has not been bred out of them in the least bit. So before you buy your next bird at the grocery store, just remember that most of that chicken was raised unnaturally indoors their entire lives. If we are going to be omnivores, it’s much better that we know where our food comes from and that it was raised as naturally as possible.

Another reason to buy pasture-raised is to because the meat actually ends up being more nutritious than meat from chickens raised solely on grain. Studies have shown that pasture-raised meat tends to have more iron, more Omega 3s, a lower Omega 6:3 ratio and higher in antioxidants such as Vitamin E. So by buying pasture-raised chicken, you are not only being more humane but also treating your own body better as well!

Pricing is $4.50 per lb whole and $5.50 per lb pieced. We are raising a lot more in this batch than the last one, but we already have a lot of the birds spoken for so if you are interested, please reach out to reserve, especially if you would like to buy pieced out chickens or just specific cuts such as breasts, drums, thighs or wings so we can properly plan.

If you haven’t tried local pasture-raised chicken before, now is your chance! A healthier and more humane choice is available right here in the Connecticut River Valley region of Southwest New Hampshire. We are located within 20 miles of Alstead, Walpole, Acworth, Langdon, Charlestown, Surry, Gilsum and Keene, NH and are just a few miles away from the Vermont border, easily reachable if you live in Rockingham, Bellows Falls and Saxton’s River, VT. We hope to hear from you!

Fresh Chicken Available July 2nd

We are moving our butchering date up to next week! Partly because I am bad at math and mostly because these birds are ready to go! Fresh chicken will be available this Thursday, July 2nd. Whole birds for $5.50/lb and halves/quarters for $6.50/lb. Email us at highlandviewfarmalstead@gmail.com if you would like to reserve as quantities will be limited.

This is the slower growing Red Ranger breed of chickens raised right here at our farm in Alstead, NH. This breed of chicken has more dark meat vs. white meat like you would traditionally see in the supermarket chickens. They spent a couple months out to pasture allowing them to graze around like chickens are supposed to do. Any feed we give them is Non-GMO, but they usually don’t even finish what we give them each day because they love foraging so much.

We really do take pride in raising our chickens in a humane way and it feels good to know that we know where the food is coming from that we are consuming. Your conventional chicken found in a grocery store was likely raised in some filthy poultry house where the birds do not see the light of day and is part of a broken industrial food system that does not care about animals nor the farmers that it contracts with.

Please contact us if you are interested in purchasing fresh chicken! If you have not tried the Red Ranger variety yet, I highly recommend you give it a try especially if you are partial to dark meat and don’t care for the super sized freakish chicken you see in the store. The flavor is also much different - more similar to the chicken of the “days of old” before the super fast Cornish breeds were developed (and for a quite some time, pumped up with antibiotics - for some excellent background on this, check out Big Chicken by Maryn McKenna).

I could go on and on… but that’s all for now! As always, if you have any questions please reach out to us at highlandviewfarmalstead@gmail.com.

Walpole Farmers Market

Farmers Market season has officially started! This year we will be attending the Farmers Market in Walpole at the site of the future Great River Co-op next to The Hungry Diner. The market takes places every Wednesday from 4:00 - 7:00 rain or shine from June until September. We will be starting off by selling honey, eggs, herbs, beeswax candles, beeswax boot sealer and syrup from our friends at Austin Farm in Springfield, VT.

Beginning with the July 22nd Market we will also be selling pasture-raised chicken! Our first batch of the year are the Red Ranger breed which is a slower growing bird that loves to free range. Personally I like the flavor from this breed better than the traditional Cornish breed and it also has more dark meat than white meat. If you are interested in buying locally pasture-raised chicken from us - please contact us to reserve your birds! You will be surprised the difference in quality between a pasture-raised chicken versus the kind you buy at a supermarket.