‘Round The Farm
When the “open” heifer you bought surprises you with a beautiful bull calf 😮
Still adding to the herd (and loving a nice white face) 🐮
Jason drew the short stick and had to clean the coop 🐓
Ace still hasn’t figured out how to keep his tongue in his mouth 👅
💩🚜 Join us on a ‘crappy’ day at our family-run farm and homestead where we turn chicken manure into gold for our pastures. We get into the nitty-gritty of using poultry litter from our egg mobile, barn, and brooder to enrich our soil and boost our farm’s sustainability. 🌱
Let’s Talk Eggs:
Understanding Marketing Claims and Their Real Impact
We’ve talked about this before, but though a rehashing was needed. You’ve likely noticed the labels on egg cartons—’Cage Free’, ‘Free Range’, ‘Free Roaming’—promising pastoral scenes of hens on pasture. But what do these labels really mean, and more critically, what do they OMIT? Let’s dive in!
Conventional Eggs
Conventional eggs, often sold for about $1.99 per dozen, come with hidden costs not reflected in the price. These eggs are produced by hens living their entire lives in tiny cages within large barns, each hen having less than half a square foot of space.
These conditions lead to pollution from concentrated manure, disease outbreaks, and frequent recalls. Standard practices include beak trimming to prevent cannibalism and the use of medicated feed, turning potential solutions into further problems.
Cage Free
The ‘Cage Free’ label means that hens can roam in indoor areas and have access to fresh food and water—but that’s it. They are typically allocated only 1 square foot of space each, with no access to pasture, bugs, or grass, and no doors to go outside for sunlight or fresh air. Despite the idyllic images on packaging, these environments are far from the pastoral settings advertised.
Free Range (Free Roaming)
‘Free Range’ offers a slight improvement, providing doors for chickens to go outside. However, the keyword here is ‘access‘. There’s no guarantee that the hens actually spend time outdoors, and those that do often find themselves in barren lots stripped of vegetation due to overuse and high concentrations of manure.
Importantly, according to the USDA, the terms ‘Free Range’ and ‘Raised on Pasture’ can be used interchangeably, which means birds labeled as ‘Pasture Raised’ may never actually see a pasture!
Real Pasture Raised
‘Real Pasture Raised’ is not an actual term, but one I made up to convey what ‘Pasture-Raised’ should mean. At Longbottom Farm, we adhere to the ‘Pasture Raised’ standards set by the American Pastured Poultry Producers Association (APPPA), which surpass the undefined USDA standards.
Our chickens live most of their lives on fresh, rotated pastures, benefiting from mobile shelters and a varied diet of grass, forages, and insects. This natural lifestyle not only results in healthier, tastier eggs but also improves the land through natural fertilization and supports ethical animal treatment.
By choosing pasture-raised eggs from Longbottom Farm, you’re not only enjoying a superior product but also contributing to a healthier environment and fairer animal practices. Thank you for supporting real change in our food system!
P.S. We love seeing our products in action! Share your culinary creations with us on Facebook, Instagram, X(Twitter), and Threads. Let’s spread the joy of cooking and eating together.
Thanks for following us and allowing us to serve you. If you have questions or would like to share your thoughts, give us a shout! Have a wonderful week!
With Our Appreciation,
Jason, Lexi, and Family