Goose Pond Farm Tour

Did you know that theses coops are moved every morning by the farmer? Which makes sense there is a ton of feces each day...nothing you want your meat to be ingesting! The coops have gliders and they are slightly pushed forward each day. This helps keep your chicken healthy while being drug free.

The chickens are fed a mix of vegetable and animal protein that Farmer Ritch mixes on the property. He also sells his own non-GMO mixes for others to feed their animals. He buys individual ingredients and compiles himself to make his own feed. He mixes each a little different based on what animal it is intended for and their specific needs.

These chickens are bred for meat, not eggs, so they are happy not being "free range". They are "double breasted" meaning more meat will be available from one chicken. The term "free range" simply means that these chickens have access to the outdoors, there are no other specifications involved in regards to amount of chickens allowed in a certain area, or overall environmental quality. Just a fact to keep in mind when you're shopping for your chicken.  As Farmer Ritch says, they don't need to be "free range", they want the shelter, they also; however, want clean cages to sit in.

Farmer Ritch does not keep the hens and roosters separate and says fertilized eggs are fine as long as they are refrigerated to halt the hatching process. He gifted us with a dozen eggs when we left and the consistency and texture resulted in the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever made! He also gave us a tip in regards to keeping your eggs fresh: if you keep your eggs in the carton and flip it over every time you open it to use an egg and it will keep them fresh for up to 6 months!

They have to keep up their energy! They are fed with the same vegetable and protein mix which gives them a good source of fish protein to help with healthy Omega 3 fat intake. The same Omega 3 fat intake that makes Omega 3 fats available to the consumer through the meat of an animal that consumed those fats.

Finally, we met the turkeys! I had never seen a turkey before and  I honestly pictured them to look more brown and chicken like with huge, feathered tails, and a large giblet. The giblets did not disappoint, but these birds are white!

Farmer Ritch discourages stressful environments for the animals and states that a large difference between farm raised and conventionally raised animals is the stressful environment in which they are forced to live. He cautiously grabbed one for us to get a close up since every time we inched closer, the whole herd turned the other way.

These guys sell out really quick! Farmer Ritch says as soon as he sends out an email to his suscribers that they are ready, he sells them all shortly after with everyone reserving their Thanksgiving feast ahead of time.

This is the part where we talk about processing, so if you were only here for sweet farm photos, this is probably a good time to stop reading. Thanks for stopping by! For the rest of us, who recognize one must kill an animal in order to eat it, here is a step by step flow of how the poultry is processed on the farm. The beef, lamb, and pork are processed off site.

1.  Killing Cones; purpose: cuts jugular to allow for the autonomic system to take control so the chickens' nervous system stops feeling. The chickens lose blood here before moving on.

2. Scalder; purpose: to loosen feathers.

 The meat is sold at affordable prices that are typically cheaper than natural food store prices. For example, farm fresh chicken from Goose Pond farm is sold for $4.36 per pound. As a bonus, the neck and feet are left on the chickens and poultry for collagen purposes. Bone broth craze, anyone?!

Mr. Ritch prides himself in keeping animals how they were meant to live. He spent years developing his farming techniques and always keeps the animals interest in mind. It took him around 5 years to perfect the feed combination for his beef and he continues to work to make sure the animals get what they need. He employs local farm hands and helps out the community all in an effort to connect people to their farmer. With that said you have to come to him to get any meat, he does not do farmers markets or delivery as his primary goal is to once again connect the people to their farmer.

For more information, or to join the mailing list, visit the Goose Pond Farm website by clicking here.