Quality over Quantity
Nowadays it can be quite daunting with all of the food labels to choose humanly raised, healthy meat. With increased feed costs, factory shut downs, supply chain issues, not to mention the Avian Flu, meat and eggs have gone up significantly in price. As a health and budget conscious consumer, choosing, for example, a whole chicken can vary in price from .99 cents a pound to $7 or $8 a pound! These carry a variety of labels. Non-GMO. Free range. Organic. Pasture Raised.
How can I be sure I am getting the best quality meat for a fair price? In short, find a local farmer and ask how the chicken is raised. Here at Monte Farm, we raise our own chicken for eggs and meat. We take great pride in the quality birds we are able to raise. However, it does come at great cost! Raising our own meat birds, entirely pasture-raised and fed locally grown certified organic feed comes at quite a price tag. On average, each bird costs us close to $15-18 to grow, not including labor. Talk about slim margins! We can justify this cost because we know we are getting the very best product to feed our family. I do not have to worry about gmo’s or roundup being sprayed on our certified organic feed. My chickens are not being shipped to China for processing. Pasture-raised poultry contains 50% more vitamin A, D, and E, less saturated fat, and three-times the omega-3s compared to conventionally raised birds. Not to mention, it is better for the chicken's health and happiness. We believe eggs and meat from happy, healthy birds just tastes better! Are these values important to you?
Pasture-raised
We prefer to raise heritage breeds as well as the hybrid cornish-cross chickens on pasture, no tractors or confinement at all. They have freedom to forage for grass and bugs, dust bathe, and lay in the sun. And yes, the “notoriously lazy” cornish-cross breed engage in these normal chicken behaviors well. They are protected from predators by a safe coop at night, observant roosters by day, as well as the deterrent of nearby livestock. We are also excited to add American Bresse chickens to our flock this year, the “chicken of Kings,” known for its beautiful marbling.
Despite the cost, we find our chicken to be quite a budget food! How so? We are able to stretch 1 bird into 2-3 meals. We also use the nutrient-dense bones to make delicious bone broths or stocks for other recipes. Here is an example how we utilize one chicken:
Meal 1: Roasted Chicken. We are a family of 2, so we each get an entire breast to enjoy. Often this is too much, and we save the leftovers.
Meal 2: Chicken Soup. I shred the rest of the chicken and reserve about 2 cups of shredded meat. The rest goes to making a beautiful chicken soup. The broth is made from the bones of the roasted chicken. We will make a classic chicken noodle, chicken and dumpling, or a spicy chipotle chicken stew. There are always leftovers for lunch too!
Meal 3: Chicken Enchiladas with the reserved 2 cups of shredded meat.
How far one chicken can stretch can vary depending on family size. Regardless, every chicken will give us nutrient rich broth we can can or freeze for other recipes or soup!
A Cornish cross meat bird enjoying life on a warm lamb.
How is your meat raised?
If a “budget and health conscious consumer” is how you think of yourself, why not give buying a whole chicken a try? I promise the extra meal planning on your part will be worth it!
We would be delighted to be your Chicken and Egg farmer.
We offer organic pasture raised chicken and eggs, based on availability.
Be sure to check out our FARM CLUB, which guarantees you get your share of the goodness!
