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Organically grown pasture-raised poultry
produced on San Juan Island
This article appears in the Islands' Farm & Food Connection newsletter. Published with permission.
San Juan Islander file photo
posted 12/13/00
This year, three farms on San Juan Island formed an informal coop and produced 1,950 organically grown pasture raised chickens. Inspired by Joel Salatin's book Pasture Poultry Profits and Karen Gilbert's experience with pasture raised chickens at Middle Farm on Lopez Island, these farmers set out to meet an ever growing demand for high quality, locally produced, organic poultry.
Katie Hover and Paul Lacrampe of Lacrover Farm on Mitchell Bay Road bought their 30-acre farm just over a year ago. Along with one acre of strawberries and another acre of market vegetables, Katie and Paul raised 150 chickens in two batches of 75.
Jim and Christina Sesby lived on Shaw for 25 years before moving to their 37 acre Heritage Farm on Cattle Point Road in June of 1999. You have probably seen Christina and Jim giving carriage rides in Friday Harbor, or at weddings in Roche Harbor. This year they raised 600 chickens in two batches of 300.
Megan Jones of Willowcrest Farm raised 1.200 chickens in six batches of 200. Megan first came to San Juan Island in 1977, and has been farming in various ways for 20 years. In addition to the pasture chickens, Megan has 200 laying hens. You can buy her eggs at Kings, the Marketplace and Gourmet Galley.
Through their informal coop, these five farmers were able to save money in many ways. The bought their certified organic feed in six-ton truck loads which not only saved money, but were large enough orders for the feed manufacturer to deliver to the islands. They advertised their chickens with one brochure that listed all the farms. And when it came time for butchering, they all helped each other out for the labor-intensive butchering process. Whenever a problem came up for any of the growers, they all pitched in to solve it.
The chickens were butchered at Middle Farm on Lopez, which has a Washington State approved chicken processing facility. This allowed their chickens to be sold in grocery stores and to restaurants in San Juan County, as well as directly to consumers from their farms.
"The market is definitely there," says Jim Sesby. "But be prepared to spend 1 to 1 1/2 hours each day moving the pens once a day, feeding and watering twice, and when its hot watering three times a day." He also emphasized the need for a large storage space for the feed.
With 12-14 pens going at a time, Megan spent approximately six hours a day caring for her chickens. "The help we got from Karen Gilbert and her years of experience was invaluable," said Megan.
"One of the best benefits from raising the organic pasture poultry is the improved health and fertility of the soil in our field," said Katie Hover while looking at the bright green strips in her pasture where the chicken pens had been. "The nitrogen from their manure, and the aeration of the soil from their scratching up bugs has made significant improvements to our soil's health in just one season."
The Sesbys will be doing one more batch of 150 free range organic chickens for the Christmas season. Free range chickens are raised on a floor with access to the out-of-doors as opposed to cages. Because these chickens are being raised in the winter when the weather can be very cold and wet (not good chicken-raising weather) they won't be raised in outdoor pens.
Many of these chickens will be processed for the holidays in the Sesby's smoker/griller, which can hold 12 whole chickens at a time. The smoker/griller uses special wood only pellets (no fillers or fire enhancing chemicals) that come in mesquite, hickory, alder, maple, or cherry. With a portable rig for the smoker/griller made from a discarded pop-up camper, Jim and Christina have plans to sell their ready to eat grilled or smoked chicken at the farmers' market, the county fair and other events.
For anyone interested in learning more about organically grown pasture raised poultry here in San Juan County, call:
- Megan Jones at 360-378-4917
- Jim and Christina Sesby at 360-378-2872
- Katie Hover and Paul Lacrampe at 360-378-3515
- Karen Gilbert at 360-468-2406
Sharon Kivisto
and
Matt Pranger
can be reached:
phone:
360.378.3748
fax:
360.378.9748
by e-mail:
news@sanjuanislander.com
by mail:
San Juan Islander
PO Box 1118
Friday Harbor, WA 98250 USA