Many consumers would be surprised to realize that the photo above could very easily be from an organic chicken operation. Remember, though, that the organic label only refers to what feed a chicken gets, not what life the chicken lives.
To be clear, we believe that both organic feed and the organic label are important and valuable for consumers. Organic food is free of pesticides and herbicides, something our conventional foods are getting heavier and heavier doses of these days. These poisons are showing up in the food we eat, even the cereals we feed our kids. That’s why ClemTuck Farm made the decisions at the onset that we would only feed our chickens organic feed.
But, when they buy organic foods at the grocery, folks have an image of chickens living happy, healthy lives on traditional farms with grass under their feet. It’s that image that agribusiness capitalizes on. They meet the letter of the label while ignoring its spirit. That they can raise chickens in conditions pictured above gives them a pricing advantage over family farms such as ours.
At ClemTuck Farm we believe that organic feed is only part of what goes to make a healthy and healthful chicken. We believe that a chicken, getting fresh air, not living in filth, pecking at grasses and eating bugs results in more flavorful and nutritious meat (and eggs). Studies conducted by the American Pastured Poultry Producers Association (APPPA) of which we are members, as well as other studies verify this.
We just thought you should know.