March 07, 2010 Exposed to her parents interest in horticulture as a young child, Joya Parsons grew to embrace her green thumb. “By the time I reached my early twenties, I was bitten by the horticulture bug.” Her interest in growing things was played out on the land her parents went on to buy in the 90’s.
But wait, it wasn’t just vegetation. Parsons brought chickens to the farm – broilers for meat and several heritage breeds for their eggs. In Angela Tunner’s article, she goes on to talk about a typical day, some misunderstandings about free-range chickens, and the future of chicken farming…
“The other future for chicken farming is decentralization. It is many smaller farmers raising birds in a socially and ecologically sound manner, in the sunshine and on a natural diet, and with enough room to move. It is healthy birds, healthy farms and healthy communities. But it is going to take a lot of community support to get chicken farming back there. Currently, the industrial model has the upper hand and continues to expand while small, independent chicken farmers suffer from a lack of infrastructure, like rural slaughterhouses and shipping to larger markets. The only way the second vision is going to become a reality is if the consumer demands it and supports it with their buying power.”
Remember to support your local (chicken) farmer!
Thanks to @kubileya and @angelatunner