WHY HERITAGE BREEDS?

WHAT IS A HERITAGE BREED?

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The short answer is that these are animals that were raised by our early forefathers in a time before industrialized farming. According to The Livestock Conservancy, "Traditional, historic breeds retain essential attributes for survival and self-sufficiency – fertility, foraging ability, longevity, maternal instincts, ability to mate naturally, and resistance to diseases and parasites."

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You can learn more from The Livestock Conservancy. https://livestockconservancy.org/index.php/heritage

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WHY HAVE WE CHOSEN HERITAGE?

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Initially we loved the idea of preserving a piece of our American history. Many heritage breeds are in danger of becoming extinct and we feel this is unfortunate. When farming began becoming industrialized animals were bred for quicker growth and more muscle mass in specific areas. This quick muscle growth is ideal for larger, quicker cuts of meat and a more profitable turn around for farmers. For example the typical chicken breast you will find in your stores (organic and non organic) is from a Cornish X and bred to hit market weight in as little as 6 weeks as compared to 8-10 weeks for a heritage breed. These birds grow so quickly that their bone structure and organs are not always able to keep up. We understand why most farmers choose to raise this bird. It makes the most sense financially and it is what the American people expect the processed meat to look, taste and feel like because it is all they have known in our modern society.

After working with these birds and seeing them in their final days of life we decided for our farm we want every part of it, even down to the breeds we raise, to honor life and honor our Creator God. We do not feel that this common Cornish X breed does that. The other side of this coin though is that we are dependent on our customers desiring to honor life and appreciate heritage conservancy as well. After all we know that you can get a bigger cheaper chicken at the supermarket. Our goal is to invite you to connect with your food on our farm in a way that educates and births an appreciation and desire to support these amazing heritage breeds and our farm.