The Chicken Trail

The trail behind the chicken pens shows where they have been on the pasture for the past week or so.

This is the best pasture on the farm right now.  Last year, the cattle fertilized it really well. Then we put the broiler pasture pens out there to add more nitrogen to the soil.  Then it rested.  No cattle grazed on it. No chicken pens. Some of the layer flock ventured out onto it from time to time but not very far out into the grass.  A few geese wandered over it earlier this spring. But we let time and the seasons work on all the nutrient rich fertilizer the animals left for the earth.  The result: the grass on this pasture came back the fastest of all the pastures this spring. It's thick, it's lush, it's fast growing.

By raising our chickens on pasture, we're helping to restore sustainability to the pastures on this farm.  Pasture raised chickens are a much superior consumer product that grocery store chicken. That's a proven fact. Not only are they good for your health but they help restore the health of the soil.  This beautiful pasture will now feed the cattle, helping them gain weight so that we can provide another healthy food product for our family and our customers - grass-fed and finished beef.

Each animal is doing their part to feed the pastures creating better quality grass for grazing and then better quality livestock.  It's an amazing circle of sustainability.