October 2021 Update
posted on
October 18, 2021
Fall is here! We raise two batches of fall "meat chickens." Our first batch (400+) of fall chicks transitioned to the processor last week and our second batch (300+) is on pasture for three more weeks. Our brooders are closed down until Spring because we farm with nature and don't try to raise chicks when they cannot comfortably be outdoors. Our pigs are growing well and enjoying apples and acorns to supplement their ration of non gmo hog feed. This week most of our hogs will be processed into healthy and delicious pork. We enjoy this time of year because the animals do so well. It is warm enough that the chicks don't get stressed by the cold and the summer heat is behind us.
Our pigs love the fall. They love the apples and acorns. The happy pigs are almost ready to give us delicious, nutrient dense pork. Soon our freezers will be filled! We can catch up on some of the items that we have trouble keeping in stock. We will also be getting our freezer stocked to carry our inventory through the winter. You cannot pasture chickens 365 days a year in Virginia. We take off the winter for our pastures to rest and to farm more in line with nature. So far we have also elected to take off the hottest part of the summer. We could change our infrastructure some to allow us to raise chickens through July and August but we prefer to not fight against nature with our current systems. This also allows our farming to be more family friendly. The kids can go to summer camp and we can squeeze in a summer vacation during this time.
If you are interested in chicken or pork please contact us soon as it is difficult to keep enough inventory in stock. We certainly recommend purchasing a chest freezer so that you can buy in bulk for some cost savings but also guaranteeing that inventory issues we may have in the coming weeks does not limit your access.
We are also going to start farrowing our own pigs next year which means we will start breeding pigs this month! We will raise piglets farrow (birth) to finish. This will allow us to breed for the traits we like and have access to the correct genetics for our operation. Our customers will know EXACTLY where there food comes from (birth to table). More info to come on this soon! We will also provide more pictures and updates on our Instagram page.
