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peacefulheartfarm · 5 years

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Our Virginia Life

This week I want to share our dream with all of you. Perhaps you’ve been dreaming the dream as well and just don’t think you can get there. Sometimes it takes time—a lot of time. But it is so worth it. I encourage you to start today.

Welcome new listeners. It’s so good to have you. And welcome back veteran homestead-loving regulars. Thank you for stopping by the farmcast every week. I appreciate you all so much. I’m super excited to share with you what’s going on at the farm this week and I’m super existed to share the history of our homestead dream with you.

Today’s Show

Homestead Life Updates

Our Virginia Life

Greek Spiced Ground Meat with (optional) Yogurt or Sour Cream

Homestead Life Updates

Garden

Starting with the garden which seems to be at the end of our list of priorities at the moment. The strawberries are overwhelmed with wheat grass. I believe I mentioned that the straw we bought for mulch was full of seeds. I’ve never seen so much waste of wheat. Scott is working on that project today. The carrots are overrun with grass and weeds. I just looked at them. They seem to be holding their own for the moment. It will have to do until Tuesday. That is 3 days from now. Market is tomorrow. Church on Sunday and much needed rest in the afternoon. Cheesemaking on Monday. Hang in there, guys. I’ll save you. And the rest of the garden needs to be weeded and fertilized as well. I still need to get the green beans planted. The peanuts did not sprout and will need to be replanted. And the first harvests will be happening next week as well. I use flowers as pest control but I’m so far behind on my flower starts that the bugs may take over in June. Oh well, we do what we can and don’t sweat it. That’s not quite true is it? We will be sweating a lot come next week.

Cows

Cows are finally getting back into a routine. They really, really don’t like change. We added a new cow. We split up our girls and put one with Butter as a companion. Butter had a calf. All changes. The big one was we changed their feed. Once we changed their feed, all of a sudden the entire herd of Normandes no longer wanted to come into the milking shed and stick their head in the stanchion. I don’t mind so much the ones that we are not milking. But Claire and Buttercup are in milk and have to be milked twice a day. Anyway, we fooled them by putting a bit of sweet feed on top of their nutritional supplement and they are now eating it and getting better about coming into the shed without a lot of hassle. Still some work to do there, but we are making progress. We changed their dairy supplement from a garden variety from Southern States to a non-GMO, non-soy dairy supplement. It’s like a kid that is used to eating McDonald’s and then being switched to organic salad greens. They were pretty petulant. Butter is a different story. She will eat anything you put in front of her and beg for more.

Lambs and Goats

The lambs and goats are doing great. We couldn’t be more pleased with how this group of lambs is progressing. And the goats just keep on keeping on eating weeds and brush that the others won’t touch. They have cleaned up so much around here in the way of small trees that were sprouting, briars, wild blackberry bushes and so on. Good job!!

Creamery

The creamery project has been sitting idle for nearly two weeks. Scott had to fix the bush hog and then mow everything. He built the quail cages for when the little guys get out of the brooder and into their permanent digs. A load of gravel was delivered and he spent quite a bit of time spreading that in the places where erosion and mud was making our lives miserable. A day of digging a trench for drainage out of the milking shed took another day of his time. The days seems to slip by one after another. There is always so much to do and not enough hours in the day.

That update was pretty intense with listing our setbacks on timing. But you know what? We love it and wouldn’t have it any other way. Our lives are filled with purpose and meaning. The geese are strutting around with their gaggles of goslings. The trees are leafing out. The garden is full of all kinds of plants. The calves are a joy to watch as they bask in the sun or galivant around their pasture. We have taken the moment to look at the stars at night in a while. But they are there, waiting for us to enjoy their magnificence.

Our Virginia Life

That brings me to today’s topic. Have you dreamed of living the homestead life? Do you think it is impossible? I want to give you inspiration and share a bit of our journey. It all started in the last century.

The Beginning . . .

Scott and I met in 1999 in western North Carolina. We were two people following similar paths who met and become life-long friends. We apprenticed together at a spiritual training center learning how to teach a meditation technique. This is where we reconnected to our hearts and desire to be close to the land. The dream of our homestead life was born.

During our training we dreamed of a sustainable farm and communal living. We wanted to raise good food as close to nature’s intended way as possible. We knew that experiencing loving relationships with others and soaking up nourishing nature would ultimately help us remember our kinship with God and creation. Two souls had found each other.

Our dream has changed and evolved over time. It continues to evolve. We just took a step and then another and another. Each step clarified our vision. Each step led to the next and sometimes our direction needed to change. So we changed. We continue to take steps and we continue to change.

The first step began 16 years ago and we still don’t have that creamery built. But we love our homestead life and all it brings us.

Buying Land Was the First Step

In the summer of 2003, we bought our first piece of land in southwest Virginia. We rented a mobile home nearby. At this point in our lives we had a great deal of debt: credit cards, school loans, taxes, and now a mortgage. We set out to pay everything off in full. We would have our farm — but we would have it debt-free. We both took on lucrative jobs in Information Technology as the electronic medical records industry kicked off.

Our jobs required extensive travel. We traveled all over the US and to a couple of European countries as well. Every other week we flew home to Virginia to visit our beautiful piece of land.

In 2005 we bought our own mobile home and moved it onto our land. And in the fall, our wedding ceremony took place at the homestead. It was so beautiful. Even though it was November the weather had permitted the leaves to change very slowly. And with very little wind this particular fall, there were many leaves still on the trees. We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect time.

Learning to Produce Food

Our first experience with livestock was raising chickens in the summer of 2006.

The contract we had been working for a couple of years was done. I moved on to a different contract and continued traveling. Scott was done with traveling. He remained on the homestead and built a couple of chicken tractors ala Joel Salatin. He raised, and we processed, around 100 chickens. We ate a lot of them ourselves and gave a lot away to relatives and neighbors. This part of the journey was just a taste to get our feet wet.

Twists and Turns and . . . Texas?

Somewhere along that two-year time period we paid all of our debts in full. The next step along the path was making the money needed for infrastructure.

February 2007 Scott went back to work . . . in Texas.

I was now traveling to various places around the country every week instead of every other week. I lived in hotels and airports with a too quick Saturday and Sunday at home with Scott. What a far cry from the peaceful life we envisioned. We persevered and dreamed on.

In 2008 we bought an additional 40 acres adjoining our property. We were in debt again. This time for more money than ever before. It’s a good thing that I got to walk around that property occasionally or I might have forgotten exactly why we went into debt again. The “why” had to do with dreaming bigger. We were learning about raising sheep. Still very much a dream at this point . . . we’re still living in Texas. The timeline to move permanently to the homestead kept getting longer. That can happen when you’re dreaming while making good coin.

The constant travel and living out of a suitcase got really old, really fast for me. It was fine when I was traveling with my best friend and awesome life partner. Doing it alone was torture. Within a year I was insisting that Scott get a job closer to home. If I was going to fly home every weekend, I wanted it to be Virginia — not Texas. Scott made it happen.

South Carolina is Closer Than Texas

From the fall of 2008 until December 31, 2016 Scott traveled 6 hours every Sunday evening to Beaufort, South Carolina. A guy by himself doesn’t need much and a travel trailer we purchased for the task was sufficient housing. Every Friday evening, he returned to the homestead in Virginia. Six hours again. He did it alone for the first year and a half. Then I got a job offer . . . just outside of Savannah, Georgia.

We moved the travel trailer to a park halfway between Savannah and Beaufort. It was an hour drive for me and 45 minutes for him. We were completely back together again as a couple.

Then in 2010 I got a job offer at the same hospital where Scott had been working for over two years. I jumped on that like a duck on a June bug. We moved the travel trailer to Beaufort and cut our work commute down to 20 minutes. As we were still driving 6 hours each way, we were actually able to leave a little earlier on Friday as Scott no longer drive backwards 45 minutes to pick me up. We only buying gas for one vehicle. These were small but important steps on our journey.

All of this unconventional living circumstance was worth the huge amount of stress that came with it. After all, we were now back together as a couple. That was great. We were at the homestead every single weekend. That was great. And it was only going to be for a couple of years . . .

Five years later and nearly 12 years into the process, I was stressed beyond my capacity to remain sane. I needed a nest. For the final two years of working in Beaufort, we rented an apartment. Moving from 100 square feet to over 1,000 square feet of living space was just enough nesting happiness to get me through it.

In the end, even that wasn’t enough and we decided to make the leap to full-time homesteaders. That was December 31, 2016. Over 13 years of tiny steps and a couple of giant steps.

Getting that creamery built is the focus of our lives right now. We are over 2 years into that process. The dream keeps going. The dream keeps moving forward.

From Chicken Tractors to Raw Milk Artisan Cheese

Let me back up a little bit and fill in some details of how we grew the farm during this period of time. How did we go from pasture raised chickens to artisan cheese? What the heck happened there? Well, we tried a few different things over the years. In order to succeed as a small homestead farmer, diversity is important. You don’t want to have all of your eggs in one basket. However, having a central core enterprise is also important. So one big basket and lots of smaller baskets was our ideal. This also supports our ideal of living a traditional life where every farming family raised much of their own food in addition to their main crop or livestock enterprise.

The weekend life allowed us to dabble a bit in a lot of areas. And we read a lot and studied a lot about many areas of interest. We did a lot of trial and error experiments on a small scale. There is so much that can be done on a homestead. Which was going to be the best fit for us? Like a lot of folks, we tried to do too many things at once. Having that central enterprise is the only way to make it.

Early on we were clear that raising the chickens in 2006 was a great learning exercise but not where our hearts were. Having them for eggs and meat for personal use, yes. But not as our central farm enterprise. In 2009 we put in fruit trees. That’s a long-term project that continues to stretch over many years. Also, for personal use at this point, though the orchard will provide a small income at a later date. You know. The date we actually have time to give it attention. 😊

In 2010 we bought a flock of sheep and a donkey as a guardian animal for them. Twelve pregnant ewes and a pregnant donkey. We proceeded along the lines of raising sheep and selling lamb as our centerpiece. We learned a lot over several years. At one point we had over 70 sheep. However, two things happened that prompted us to change our course yet again. An issue arose around raising and marketing lamb. One, we simply didn’t have the land to raise enough livestock to make it profitable – and two, in 2011 something big changed on the homestead. Love crept in, awakened and rapidly altered the farm dream.

I wanted to make my own butter and cheese and I loved drinking raw milk. I still can’t stand the taste of cooked milk. In 2011 we bought cows. With working toward homestead sustainability as part of our mission, we also wanted beef (and pork and chicken and rabbit). And after researching every cow breed under the sun, we settled on the Normande. It’s a dual breed cow. A prolific milk producer as well as producing well-marbled muscle perfectly suited for beef. For more details on these cows, give a listen to the Peaceful Heart FarmCast episode I dedicated to them.

Suffice it to say, I fell in love with these cows. We knew the lamb was not going to produce the income we desired without adding a lot more pasture. Another alternative arose out of the dream. We could build a creamery and make artisan and farmstead cheese. It just happened to coincide with my desire to have more of these cows in my life. To pay for it, how much longer are we going to have to work for someone else? Yes, that’s the decision that drove the planned two years of living in a travel trailer to a full seven years of craziness.

It was so worth it.

Peaceful Heart Farm Creamery is Born

Finally, I’ve gotten to the part of the story where the creamery comes in. It has been a wild and varied journey getting here. But this is the one. We are investing all of our time and energy into becoming a local cheese resource for our community. We will use traditional cheese making techniques to develop our local cheeses. I have two recipes that meet my expectations regarding the product I want to sell . . . and I have two others that are currently in development. One is failing miserably. Fear not! I will prevail. We are going to produce the best cheddar cheese that Virginia has ever seen! With a slight tweak on the salt, I’m expecting my alpine-style cheese to be a winner this year as well.

The creamery still has a long way to go before passing state inspection. I’ve got a little time to get the cheese right. In the meantime, I’m getting to know you and getting some really good traditional cooking information together for you. If you are buying local food, it pays to know how to prepare it well.

The latest change is the addition of the herdshare program. We became aware of this need some time ago for offering herdshares to our fellow Virginians. Not everyone wants to live this life but they want the benefit of the great food that it produces. One of those great foods is milk from pasture-raised cows. If you’ve been following me, you’ve heard me talk about this before. You can own a piece of a grassfed dairy herd. We provide the land, animals and labor so you don’t have to do that part.

We purchased a lovely Jersey cow from a fellow Farmer’s Market vendor. She has had her calf and is now producing wonderful A2A2 milk. We are offering milk and/or yogurt (full fat or low fat with honey) during the summer months, May through October. November through April cheese and butter will come out of the herdshare. During times of abundance in the summer you may find yourself with a little extra product. Your herd sometimes produces a LOT of milk. And at other times not so much.

What Else?

At some point we added cashmere goats to our livestock. I’m a big knitter and dream of using only 100% cashmere. More and more my skepticism that I will ever reach that goal increases. You can only do so much! For now, they keep our pastures clear of brambles and provide us with some really great nutrition. But their days are numbered. You remember what I talked about earlier? There are only so many hours in a day. So, dream big but keep in mind that at some point, likely you will have to trim it back a little.

At the present time on the homestead, the only food we don’t produce is eggs (and coffee). That situation will be rectified in the next few months. I believe I’ve mentioned before that Scott doesn’t have the time to invest in building elaborate chicken housing and protection. His priority is getting that creamery functional. Instead, we’ve opted for quail. This is 99% my project. Scott will build a couple of cages that will likely take no more than a day or two to complete. The rest is all on me.

With the addition of the quail, all of our food will now be produced on the homestead. We spend hours and hours working, sweating and loving every minute of our life.

We are meeting new people just like you at the Wytheville Farmer’s Market. Come see us on Saturdays 8am to 12 noon. Taste our grass-fed beef, lamb, and goat. Talk to us about your interest in a herdshare and taste our yogurt. There are lots of other great vendors there as well. And remember, you can come directly to the farm on Tuesday mornings 10am to 12 noon or Saturday afternoons from 3pm to 5pm. Call for directions. We’d love to help you get here.

Greek Seasoned Ground Meat Medley with (optional) Yogurt or Sour Cream

This recipe is for my Keto and carnivore friends and listeners. If you have a traditional, diversified farm with all kinds of ruminant animals, this recipe is for you. Or if you are shopping at your local farmer’s market for a variety of grass-fed meats, this recipe is for you. It calls for one pound each of beef, lamb and chev or goat, but you can use any combination of these meats. Or you could divide the ingredients by three and only use 1 lb.

What You Need

1 lb ground beef

1 lb ground lamb

1 lb ground chev (goat)

3 tablespoon butter

Spice Mix

3 teaspoons garlic, minced

1 ½ teaspoon dried oregano

1 ½ teaspoon dried basil

1 ½ teaspoon dried rosemary

1 ½ teaspoon dried thyme

¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg

3 teaspoons salt (less is fine)

3 teaspoons ground pepper

¾ cup water

What To Do

Brown ground meats until fully cooked

Drain pan drippings and add butter (this is actually optional but worth it)

Mix in spices and water

Simmer 5 to 10 minutes

Serve with yogurt or sour cream

Final Thoughts

I hope you found some inspiration to follow your dreams whatever they may be. By continually putting one foot in front of the other, you will get there. Keep the vision in front of you and keep plugging away. Start as small as you need to and build a little each day. It doesn’t matter how long it takes or what route you follow. It really doesn’t. It is all about the journey. You will never reach your destination because there is always another dream in the making. It’s all about the journey and living each day to the fullest. Go for it!

If you enjoyed this podcast, please hop over to Apple Podcasts and give me a 5-star rating and review. Also, we’d really love it if you shared it with any friends or family who might be interested in this type of content.

As always, I’m here to help you “taste the traditional touch.”

Thank you so much for stopping by the homestead and until next time, may God fill your life with grace and peace.

Recipe Link

Greek Seasoned Ground Meat Medley with (optional) Yogurt or Sour Cream

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rachaldp19-blog · 6 years

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Now You Can Buy An App That is Really Made For Cold Pressed Oil India

Making it a bit harder to define is chilly pressed oils are established in any other case in numerous areas of the globe. Authentic types are generated utilizing a method known as expeller urgent. Most important oils are extracted using a steam distillation approach, nonetheless the utilization of solvent extraction is likewise completed in sure particular scenario. warmth processing has been a favorite means of processing meals For many many years. Most people recognizes that olive oil is great for you and is amongst the principal explanations with the minimal incidence of coronary illness of people who reside on a Mediterranean eating plan. The oil involves all-pure astringent Houses as properly, causing firmer-wanting skin. close to use, it is likely to be utilized immediately over the skin. In the event you're searching for the perfect chilly pressed Rosehip oil for the cope with, you ought to acknowledge that Rosehip oil is great for numerous pores and skin challenges and conditions. turning out to be biodegradable, there is totally no residue on the last generate. you might be also inspired to verify the product to make certain that it satisfies your wants, prior to creating use of for mass creation. Most oil manufactures use heaps of varied processing practices to ensure that no residue could make its method to the completed item, nonetheless it may rarely guarantee purity. The incredibly very first measures of the process stay the same as cold or expeller methods. Also, you will not need to forgo coconut oil completely, but Do not use by yourself. you are able to assist hold coconut oil clear for around 20 years. if it is advisable get ready your personal flaxseed oil we advocate consuming it straight absent. To keep away from genetically meant canola oil, it is possible to pick organic and natural canola oil, which by definition wouldn't be genetically modified, or canola oil which is non-GMO verified.

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Should Fixing Cold Pressed Oil Shop Near Me Take 60 Steps? click this

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trenttrendspotter · 6 years

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Niche Naturals

The Natural Products Expo East may not be where all the grand launches are but it’s still jammed with great finds. Held at The Baltimore Convention Center, September 13-15, there were 1,500 innovative brands in food and beverage, personal care and home, and supplements and ingredients.

According to New Hope Network’s Nutrition Business Journal, the U.S. natural products industry grew 6.3% to hit $206 billion in annual sales last year, and industry sales have been more than doubling since 2007. The combined U.S. sales of natural, organic and functional foods and beverages increased 6.5% to $143 billion in 2017. This growth was about 10 times that of the overall $280 billion total food industry, which saw another stagnant year of about 0.7% growth.

We were there to check out the innovations and new flavors.

The Granola Boom – Over the last 10 years the granola options have grown from a 4-foot shelf to a 12-foot high, 8 feet wide shelf because of healthy eating habits and a backlash to cereal. Expo East hosted the players in the granola game who appeal to the hippies + hipsters. As people are learning more about fats, granola is once again being embraced for its good fat content. One of the pioneers, GrandyOats going into its 40th year in business in 2019 is one of the first small batch granola companies to go grain free with Coconola, a line of grain-free coconut-based granola made with 4g of protein per serving. Coconola is an all-natural, organic, vegan, paleo, non-GMO granola blended with organic coconut to create a yummy alternative to traditional granola. During the expo, GrandyOats — an organic business with eco-conscious initiatives and processes, and earth-friendly ideals hosted an interactive smoothie bowl bar hosted by Instagram star Caroline Fausel, @oliveyouwhole who shared her tips for making the most delicious, nutritious, Instagram-a-bowl smoothie bowls.

Crazy for PB – You couldn’t keep the influencers away from the Crazy Richards Peanut Butter booth, one of the most instragammable nut butters on the market because of its silky consistency and rich nutrients without any added clutter like added salt, sugar and oils. The crowds didn’t just come for the peanut butter, Crazy Richard samples were donated to Hunger Relief Month through the Specialty Foods Association instead of handed out at the booth. People lined up to take selfies with the CR peanut butter heiress, Kimmi Wernli, who established “Healthy Kids Happy Future”, donating over 350,000 servings of peanut butter to children and families in need with a goal to reach 1 million by 2020.

Kidding around – Goat people love goats because the’re cute, healthy people love goats for their digestible nutrient dense milk. It is well tolerated by the lactose intolerant and doesn’t cause inflammation. It also has A2 beta-casein protein which is far better and safer than its counterpart in cow milk. Goat milk also prevents allergic reactions and is environment-friendly. There is some evidence that the lipids and linoleic acid in goat milk influences brain development. Funny Farms, the makers of La Loo’s famous goat milk ice cream are bringing the many nutritional and digestive benefits of high quality goat milk and cheese from family goat farms to a variety of products with a focus on flavor and happiness including ready to eat cheeses, mac & cheese, popcorn and soon to be out pizzas.

Italian take on dairy-free – Leave it to the Italians not to scrimp on flavor or texture when it comes to vegan cheese. MozzaRisella’s rice based dairy-free products look and taste just like the real thing. The whole-grain rice used to make the mock mozzarella and other imitation cheese products are rich in proteins, dietary fibers, vitamins, minerals, common and special amino-acids, which include GABA, or γ-aminobutyric acid. In addition, ferulic acid and its esters, phytosterols (γ-oryzanole) and phenolic antioxidants which seem to play an important role in maintaining human health are in there too. The antipasto spread at the booth was to die for, for any former cheese eater.

Be your own blender – Meal prep is about to get even more creative as Ariston, the Greek olive oil and vinegar brand that first introduced the “refill & save” containers at retail showed up to Expo East with a new concept in dressing – stand alone dressing centers so shoppers can master their own blends right in the store. These self-blended dressings featuring Ariston’s superior oils and vinegars makes everyone who uses it a master blender.

Mercury testing fish instead of yourself – There is now a diagnostic tool to test the mercury level of fish before consumed, and Safe Catch is using it to ensure they are selling the lowest mercury tuna on the market. The company claims it’s even safe enough for pregnant women and children as it keeps its mercury limit to ten times stricter than the FDA. The hand-cut tuna steaks are slow cooked with an artisan process making them taste as good as they are for you.

Hunting, fishing and foraging meet in supplements – We learned about the healing powers of antlers and new reasons to take medicinal berries, fungi and bovine talking to the hunter and gatherer behind the Surthrivalsupplement line, Daniel Vitalis. Known for its Immortal Velvet Elk Antler extractions, Immunity Quest Colostrum, Medicinal Mushroom tinctures and Perpetual Youth Pine Pollen products, we got most excited about the new Schizandra berry which has more nutritive and adaptogenic properties.

Meaty mushrooms – Pan’s has turned mushroom into jerky with a meaty treat that wouldn’t quite trick a carnivore, but it gives a herbivore a satisfying snack. We think mushroom jerky is a hearty, healthy snack and an emerging category to watch.

Fresh flour on demand – There weren’t many appliances at Expo East, we would like to see more but we love playing with the MockMill, an affordable home mill that uses old grains in new ways. The best bread starts with freshly ground flour and this handy tool makes it easy to make when you need it.

Eggs re-imagined – We tried several hard boiled eggs at Expo East. From cage-free to free-range to pasture-fed but the eggs we enjoyed the most were the ones that Perfectly Peckish coated in delicious seasonings and served up ready to eat.

Bread-free crumbs – A new way to enjoy nuts, Appel Foods Nut Crumbs took the bread right out of the crumb and created crushed nut crumbs that coats just as well and give everything a nutty flavor and lots more proteins without the carbs.

Juice style water – That’s what Rethink water did by putting slightly flavored water right in the old-style juice boxes your kids love to sip from. While Petal Beverage boosts our tastes up a notch with subtly delicious floral drinks.

Keto snacking – We would be missing a chunk of the expo if we didn’t bring up Keto, the lifestyle DuJour. Summit Naturals among other brands had keto-friendly snacks so decadent you wouldn’t know they are good for you.

Vegans get more organic – Clean eaters want cleaner options that don’t scrimp on taste. VeganSmart, a nutrient-dense shake that’s free of everything but fun, announced an organic line at Expo East. It could take all day for a vegan or anyone to consume the nutrients (protein, vitamins, minerals, fiber, prebiotics and digestive enzymes) found in one scoop of VeganSmart. We find it easier to get it out of the way by mixing it water, coffee, juice or a smoothie with no prep work. Everyone benefits, not just vegans, especially meat eaters who may be depleting nutrients.

On the nose of health – If you’ve ever used a neti pot you know how good it is for your breathing and how difficult it can be to maneuver. Nasopure makes nose rinsing as easy as mouth washing with a burn-free sinus wash that will keep your sinus ph in balance.

The charcoal bar – Charcoal has gained popularity in the cosmetics industry due to its toxin-absorbing properties which is perfect for maintaining healthy teeth, skin, and hair. Brittanie’s Thyme, a certified organic and vegan personal care brand, expanded its USDA certified charcoal collection with a sugar scrub, capsules, masks, deodorant, soaps, teeth whitening and washes.

We’re already getting ready for the Natural Product Expo West in Anaheim March 5-9 where more products will be unveiled to try.

As seen in Whole Foods Magazine

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josephkitchen0 · 6 years

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Saving Heritage Chicken Breeds

Did you know there are many endangered heritage chicken breeds? Chickens, turkeys, geese and more are on the American Livestock Breeders Conservancy list of at-risk breeds. The risk levels run from Critical to Studied. Over the years, the old breeds have been interbred in an attempt to control and reproduce characteristics like chicken egg color, egg production and meat production for commercial breeders.

While speaking on choosing breeds and establishing your flock, a man interrupted me, “I’m sick and tired of hearing people like you talk about ‘old breeds’ and raising our birds like the old-timers. We don’t have the same birds they had and our feed isn’t the same.”

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In my best Southern I answered, “Bless your heart, If we establish our flock with heritage chicken breeds, they are genetically close to, if not the same owned by our grandparents, great-grandparents, and maybe further back. You’re right, our feed is not the same. It’s GMO and pesticide-laden. That’s why I free range, grow some of our feed, and when necessary, purchase organic, Non-Gmo feed. This way I can feed my heritage chicken breeds the way they did.” He had no further comment.

What is a Heritage Chicken Breed?

The term heritage breed can be simply defined as breeds that were raised by our ancestors. We’d find them on our great-grandparent’s farms. Most all heritage breeds are on the risk list. You’ll find a thorough definition of heritage breed chickens and standards they must meet as well as a complete list of at-risk poultry on The Livestock Conservancy site.

Choosing a Chicken Breed

To choose the breeds best suited for you, consider these points.

– Pick a breed that will do well where you live. – Do you want dual-purpose birds or not? – Standard or bantam. The size of housing and yard you have will be a factor. – Free range or not – If you want or plan to free range your birds, be sure they are good foragers.

Today’s chickens are bred to not get broody so their egg production will stay up. A heritage breed hen will have the desire to set and hatch eggs. Some breeds are more broody than others.

Once you have made these decisions, determine which breed you want. The Livestock Conservancy has a handy chart that will help you compare the different breeds. Most hatcheries also have something similar.

We raise at-risk heritage chicken breeds for their sakes as well as ours. We have two breeds that my grandmother had and I enjoyed as a child. We narrowed it down to three breeds because our setup allows us to maintain the bloodlines of three breeds without difficulty.

We have two brooder coops and two rooster yards separate from the main flock. One rooster stays with the flock, right now it’s Red, our Rhode Island Red. Sambo, the Black Australorp, and the Speckled Sussex rooster (to be named Chief, probably) have their own yard. When it’s time to breed, we put our best Black Australorp hen in with Sambo and our best Sussex hen in with Chief and let nature take its course. To increase the RIR population, I add their eggs to the brooding hens’ nests. Once they begin hard setting, I shut their gates and the roosters are on their own again.

What We Raise

We raise dual-purpose birds because we’re sustenance farmers. This gives us eggs and meat.

Black Austrolorp

We started keeping this breed years ago because it’s one that my grandmother had and enjoyed so much. When we first began keeping them, they were on the Threatened list. Now they’re on the Recovering list. This breed originates from Australia and was introduced to our country in the 1920s. They are a brown egg layer, are heat and cold tolerant, have great personalities, are excellent foragers and are an excellent meat bird. The roosters dress out between 8 to 9 pounds and hens between 6 to 7 pounds, on average.

One hatchery site stated these hens are not likely to sit on eggs. In all my years of keeping this breed, I’ve found these hens to be excellent setters and mothers. Read about this year’s hatchings.

Rhode Island Reds

Rhode Island Red chickens (commonly abbreviated RIR) is the other breed that both our grandparents had so we had nostalgic reasons for keeping them. They have proven to be a valuable asset to our flock. They were bred in the early 1900s in the state of Rhode Island and are on the Recovering list.

They’re heat and cold tolerant, good foragers, excellent layers of large brown eggs, friendly and are good meat birds. The roosters dress out between 8 – 9 pounds and hens between 6 – 7 pounds, on average.

Speckled Sussex

The Speckled Sussex chicken is our favorite breed, but not by much. We find their disposition, productivity, beauty and broodiness unsurpassed. This bird was developed in Sussex County, England well over 100 years ago.

They lay large brown eggs, are heat and cold tolerant, good foragers, and excellent meat producers. The roosters dress out between 9 to 10 pounds and hens between 7 to 8 pounds, on average.

When we first began keeping them, they were on the Critical list. Now they’re on the Recovering list, but these birds can still be difficult to obtain. We lost our last Sussex to predators a couple of years ago and have been trying to re-establish them since. To do this, we pre-ordered our chicks in November to arrive in June.

It’s important to us to help preserve our heritage in the poultry, livestock, and seeds we use and reproduce here on the farm.

Do you raise heritage chicken breeds poultry? Which breeds? Why did you choose them?

Safe and Happy Journey

Rhonda and The Pack

Originally published in 2015 and regularly vetted for accuracy.

Extended Definition of a Heritage Chicken from The Livestock Conservancy Purpose:

Chickens have been a part of the American diet since the arrival of the Spanish explorers. Since that time, different breeds have been developed to provide meat, eggs, and pleasure.

The American Poultry Association began defining breeds in 1873 and publishing the definitions in the Standard of Perfection. These Standard breeds were well adapted to outdoor production in various climatic regions. They were hearty, long-lived, and reproductively vital birds that provided an important source of protein to the growing population of the country until the mid-20th century. With the industrialization of chickens, many breeds were sidelined in preference to a few rapidly growing hybrids. The Livestock Conservancy now lists over three-dozen breeds of chickens in danger of extinction. Extinction of a breed would mean the irrevocable loss of the genetic resources and options it embodies.

Therefore, to draw attention to these endangered breeds, to support their long-term conservation, to support efforts to recover these breeds to historic levels of productivity, and to re-introduce these culinary and cultural treasures to the marketplace, The Livestock Conservancy is defining Heritage Chicken. Chickens must meet all of the following criteria to be marketed as Heritage.

Definition:

Heritage Chicken must adhere to all the following:

APA Standard Breed Heritage Chicken must be from parent and grandparent stock of breeds recognized by the American Poultry Association (APA) prior to the mid-20th century; whose genetic line can be traced back multiple generations; with traits that meet the APA Standard of Perfection guidelines for the breed. Heritage Chicken must be produced and sired by an APA Standard breed. Heritage eggs must be laid by an APA Standard breed.

Naturally mating Heritage Chicken must be reproduced and genetically maintained through natural mating. Chickens marketed as Heritage must be the result of naturally mating pairs of both grandparent and parent stock.

Long, productive outdoor lifespan Heritage Chicken must have the genetic ability to live a long, vigorous life and thrive in the rigors of pasture-based, outdoor production systems. Breeding hens should be productive for 5-7 years and roosters for 3-5 years.

Slow growth rate Heritage Chicken must have a moderate to slow rate of growth, reaching appropriate market weight for the breed in no less than 16 weeks. This gives the chicken time to develop strong skeletal structure and healthy organs prior to building muscle mass.

Chickens marketed as Heritage must include the variety and breed name on the label.

Terms like “heirloom,” “antique,” “old-fashioned,” and “old-timey” imply Heritage and are understood to be synonymous with the definition provided here.

Heritage Chicken Breeds from the Livestock Conservancy

CRITICAL THREATENED WATCH RECOVERING STUDY Campine Aseel Ancona Australorp Araucana1 Crèvecoeur Cubalaya Andalusian Brahma Large Fowl American Game Holland Faverolle Buckeye Cochin Manx Rumpy or Persian Rumpless La Fleche Houdan Buttercup Leghorn – Non-industrial Saipan Malay Icelandic Catalana Plymouth Rock Modern Game Lakenvelder Chantecler Sussex Nankin Old English Game Cornish Redcap Rhode Island White Delaware Spanish Russian Orloff Dominique Sultan Sebright Dorking Yokohama Spitzhauben Hamburg Java Jersey Giant Langshan Minorca New Hampshire Phoenix Polish Rhode Island Red – Non-industrial Shamo Sumatra

Saving Heritage Chicken Breeds was originally posted by All About Chickens

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josephkitchen0 · 7 years

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Saving Heritage Chicken Breeds

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What is a Heritage Chicken Breed?

Choosing a Chicken Breed

To choose the breeds best suited for you, consider these points.

Today’s chickens are bred to not get broody so their egg production will stay up. A heritage breed hen will have the desire to set and hatch eggs. Some breeds are more broody than others.

What We Raise

We raise dual-purpose birds because we’re sustenance farmers. This gives us eggs and meat.

Black Austrolorp

We started keeping this breed years ago because it’s one that my grandmother had and enjoyed so much. When we first began keeping them, they were on the Threatened list. Now they’re on the Recovering list. This breed originates from Australia and was introduced to our country in the 1920s. They lay large brown eggs, are heat and cold tolerant, have great personalities, are excellent foragers and are an excellent meat bird. The roosters dress out between 8 to 9 pounds and hens between 6 to 7 pounds, on average.

Rhode Island Reds

Speckled Sussex

They lay large brown eggs, are heat and cold tolerant, good foragers, and excellent meat producers. The roosters dress out between 9 to 10 pounds and hens between 7 to 8 pounds, on average.

It’s important to us to help preserve our heritage in the poultry, livestock, and seeds we use and reproduce here on the farm.

Do you raise heritage chicken breeds poultry? Which breeds? Why did you choose them?

Safe and Happy Journey

Rhonda and The Pack

Originally published in 2015 and regularly vetted for accuracy.

Extended Definition of a Heritage Chicken from The Livestock Conservancy Purpose:

Chickens have been a part of the American diet since the arrival of the Spanish explorers. Since that time, different breeds have been developed to provide meat, eggs, and pleasure.

Definition:

Heritage Chicken must adhere to all the following:

Chickens marketed as Heritage must include the variety and breed name on the label.

Terms like “heirloom,” “antique,” “old-fashioned,” and “old-timey” imply Heritage and are understood to be synonymous with the definition provided here.

Heritage Chicken Breeds from the Livestock Conservancy

Saving Heritage Chicken Breeds was originally posted by All About Chickens

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