Anticipating the New Season
It is MARCH and we are feeling like Spring here at Joe's Farm. There is nothing quite like the anticipation of a new season. The weather is starting to warm (a few days more than normal) and we are getting ready to welcome our new baby chicks very soon. We are starting to see the end of the lists we made in the Fall. Hours spent on calendars and schedules. Days spent thinking through plans that will all soon become a reality. There is excitement in the air on the Farm! Over the past week, one very large development has been under construction. Last year, our farm expanded to include a new pasture. It is located right next to one of our farm properties. With this additional land, we are able to expand our production capabilities. This year, we plan to produce over TWICE as many broilers as we produced in 2023! This means, more infrastructure as well. Below, you will see photos from last week where we had NINE new coops assembled! Although, this is all very exciting for those here on Joe's Farm, this is really even more exciting to us because this means the demand for pasture-raised chicken is GROWING! So many farmers we talk to have said they can't keep up with the demand. This is AMAZING! People are asking questions and doing research. They are shopping local and buying from farms they trust! We are just one of many farms working to bring ethically raised meats to market. We are grateful you are here. Every week, we are getting more and more questions through our social media and website asking about our practices. This is such an encouragement to us! It shows how much you care. We have reflected on a lot of things this week, with growth comes some fears about the unknowns. We are so excited to embrace whatever challenges lie ahead, but you can be confident that even as we grow, our principles and values will not change. We are committed to maintaining our high standards whether we raise 100 chickens or 100,000. We know there are a lot of new names on our email list and social media accounts. First, we want to say thank you! Welcome! We would also like to share a few things that we feel are fundamental to us here at Joe's Farm. One example would be the length of time our chicks are on pasture. While baby chicks need the protection of a brooder barn at first, they are not meant to stay in a barn. Our protocol is to have our birds on pasture for over 50% of their lives. All of our broilers are moved to pasture when they are 3 weeks old. Another important part of our process in raising broilers, is the feed they eat. We have both non-GMO feed for our broilers and corn-free soy-free Organic. Another part of our process is DAILY movement! Each coop is hooked up to our tractor and moved until there is fresh grass under the entire coop. This gives them not only feed and water, but fresh vegetation, worms, and bugs along with sunlight and fresh air. Members of our team walk along while we move the coops helping the birds move along and looking for any potential issues. These are just a few examples of what care goes into the food we bring to your table. If you want to follow along with us this season, make sure to check out our Facebook and Instagram links. We will also share here on our Farm Newsletter. In closing, we want to share just how grateful we are to each one of you. The support shown by not only our amazing local community, but also all over the country. It is so incredible and humbling to be able spend our days caring for the land and the animals who use it. ~ The Joe’s Farm Team
