Starting Carver Family Farms LLC

Starting a farm is a daunting task!  Nevertheless, it is something I feel called to do.  

How did I get to this point?  I have loved animals and agriculture for my entire life.  I grew up on 40 acres in Central Florida with orange groves and cattle pastures.  I experienced 4-H and FFA and I couldn’t get enough.  But now, more than 20 years later, I live in Virginia (not on a farm) and work in an office.  

Knowing my passion, my very supportive wife indulged me and let me get a few chicks in the Spring of 2019.  We already had a garden but chickens were very new to her.  Then in the Fall of 2019 I added some more chicks because it really is addictive and it’s fun to add new breeds.  I hinted at adding “meat chickens” without much enthusiasm in her response.  Then COVID-19 hit in the late winter/early Spring of 2020 and Grocery store shelves were emptied of nearly all meat, seemingly overnight.  My wife mentioned that we might should consider raising meat chickens.  So I got online that night and put it into motion (without giving her a chance to change her mind).  Hatcheries were running out quickly but I managed to order 35 for delivery and thought our family of 6 should have more than that, so I tried a different hatchery and added 50 more for 3 weeks later.

My great idea was to buy a chicken plucker and process myself.  I had hand plucked several roosters previously and certainly did not want to process 50+ by hand.  Another by product of COVID was pluckers sold out EVERYWHERE!  SO I researched processing and I eventually met Bev Eggleston of EcoFriendly Foods.  Bev is awesome and encouraging.  He processed both of my small batches and I will happily keep working with and learning from him.

Raising meat chickens allows us access to healthy protein, no matter what is going on in a very uncertain world.  We now have a freezer full of nutritious and delicious chicken.  We have enjoyed cooking  and eating it from smoked leg quarters, grilled chicken breasts, instant-pot whole chicken, chicken salad, etc. We love giving away chicken to friends and family!

So why take this a step further?  Why a farm instead of a homestead?

I believe God called us to be good stewards of the land.  Our chickens are raised well!  They at most have one bad day!  They are raised outside, on grass.  They get to be chickens.  They can eat grass and bugs while having access to very high quality non-gmo feed from a local mill, Sunrise Farms. 

I want to eat healthy, nutrient dense food. I want to eat food that was raised well from birth to processing.  I want to know where my food comes from.  It is even more important to me that my wife and kids are healthy.  It seems strange to stop there if I have the ability to raise more and provide my community with access to what I truly believe is better chicken - with more animal proteins to come in the future.

I want farming to be seen as a noble profession.  I want to help people know where food comes from.  It is meaningful to know the farm and farmer where your food comes from.  So this daunting task (crazy idea) is for me to help you know at least one farmer.  So, “Hi, I’m Lyle and I’m a farmer.”

If you suffered through my ramblings to the end, Thank you!  I hope you will join us on this journey.  I want to learn and educate; to improve land, and raise healthy/happy animals.  I want my wife and kids to be healthy and proud of where our food comes from.  I want to share all of this with (at least) the Central Virginia area.  I want to regenerate soils and live sustainably. Finally, I want to encourage others to do the same.