Frequently Asked Questions & Answers
QUESTION: Your chickens cost more than I'm used to paying at the supermarket. Why is that?
ANSWER: Our answer begins with our belief that you have never seen nor tasted a chicken quite like ours (unless, of course, you grew on a farm over a century ago). There's good reason why an Audi costs more than a Yugo: it has to do with quality craftsmanship and painstaking attention to detail. We truly believe that you will not find a better, more cared-for chicken anywhere else in the world – and we're buoyed by the fact that others who have actually traveled around trying to came back and said 'You win.'
And then there's overhead. In order to bring you chickens this delicious, we not only have to buy the best feed, we have to use the best practices, and cut no corners doing so.
But back to the thing about bringing you chickens with all the integrity the birds had over a century ago: It wasn't until the late-mid-twentieth century that non-farming Americans could afford to serve chicken on a regular basis (Think of Herbert Hoover's "Chicken in every pot, car in every garage" thing). Before this, it was too costly. Then, a number of practices (and chemicals, etc) were instituted to lower the cost of raising chickens, and to raise their weight and force them to mature quickly. Unfortunately, this had a negative impact on things like taste, texture, nutritional value and the health of both the birds and those who consume them. We're all about reversing that trend, and as a natural consequence of raising the bar, the price flows suit.
QUESTION: Size-wise, what can I expect from an Earth Shine Farm chicken?
ANSWER: Our birds typically weigh in between 3-4 pounds.
QUESTION: Are your chickens available year-round? If not, when?
ANSWER: This year (2007) they'll be available fresh from late July to December, with frozen birds available after that while supplies last.
QUESTION: I've never seen chickens packaged like yours, in brown paper bags. Why do you do this?
ANSWER: We began doing it when we were much smaller and just catering to a few friends and neighbors. It was – and is – the most eco-friendly way we could think of to package our birds and keep them fresh. And it's a tradition that helps remind us (and now, hopefully all who read this) of our history.
QUESTION: Your chickens look different than most I've tried. What causes the yellow-orange color?
ANSWER: We call this 'the Color of Yummy.' It's evidence of natural carotinoids our birds ingest just by eating the way chickens were designed to. As noted author and Eatwild.com writer Jo Robinson once told us, "The yellowier the skin, the healthier the bird, the healthier the consumer." And it's been proven time and time again that a healthy bird equals a delicious bird.
QUESTION: You talk about your chickens being Heirloom breeds. What does that mean?
ANSWER: They are an heirloom breed in that they are long-growing birds that mate naturally and carry primarily Plymouth Barred Rock (the first breed admitted to the American Poultry Association well over 150 years ago) genes. We say 'primarily' because we have been finely tuning our birds for years, doing a bit of mixing and mating with other heirloom breeds to bring out the best traits (culinary-wise). Again, we want to emphasize that we do this the old-fashioned way, through natural breeding: selecting the most desirable birds, putting them in the honeymoon suite together, and letting nature take its course. The years of refining our birds have led us to what we believe is the best breed of all, what we affectionately and passionately call an Earth Shine Chicken!
QUESTION: Food labeling these days is confusing. 'Organic' has lost some of its luster. Free Range isn't what it once meant. And "Pastured" just means that chickens have some grass nearby that they don't necessarily visit. So how do your birds compare to others health-wise?
ANSWER: They're raised according to OCIA Wisconsin guidelines for Organic Certification and Label Rouge Standards of excellence. They're pastured in a manner that exceeds most - we set our birds out immediately, not even waiting a week before introducing them to grass, where they remain for a minimum of 84 days. And when our chickens aren't munching out there, we feed them a diet of certified organic ingredients (we're vigilant about checking into the farms they come from, as everyone should be) that we grind ourselves every week. No chemicals, hormones, antibiotics, growth or appetite stimulants or feed additives ever pass through our birds' lips (Joke. No, they don't really have them).
QUESTION: Do you sell anything besides chickens and eggs?
ANSWER: Not yet. But bookmark this site and check back from time to time, because we have plans to bring you the best, most exquisitely delicious organic foods from local farms delivered straight to your door. And we're open to your suggestions, so feel free…
QUESTION: Are your chickens happy?
ANSWER: Although no empirical evidence (i.e. clinical metrics, multiphasic personality tests) exists on this, we know in our hearts that when chickens are allowed to do what nature intended them to do – forage through grass in natural sun and shade, roost in the occasional tree, and have enough room to run and engage in whatever the chicken version of 'playing' is – they are as happy as a Gallus Gallus can get. Especially if the right safeguards against predators are added to the equation, which is the case at Earth Shine Farm.
QUESTION: What is your favorite song with the word 'chicken' in the title?
ANSWER: Gosh, there are so many. Thought not a song, we're partial to "Chicken Skin Music" by Ry Cooder, and a friend of ours claims Little Feat's "Dixie Chicken" as one of his all-time favorite songs. We pretty much feel that any song with chicken in the title is worth noting, though we have all of the usual apprehensions regarding "Chicken Dance," and never really cut a rug to "The Funky Chicken."
QUESTION: My husband and I really like the work of German film director Werner Herzog, He uses chickens in many of his movies, and he says its because they frighten him with their extreme stupidity. He has even depicted them as cannibals! How do you respond to that?
ANSWER: Eeeewwww! He must have visited a big industrial farm where chickens are often fed parts of other chickens, and overcrowded to the point that they get pretty feisty with one another. Or maybe it was just a childhood thing. Either way, we'd like to invite him over and help him work through his feelings. Spending time with happy chickens could do him a world of good. In a print interview with Roger Ebert, Mr. Herzog did mention that "I only like eating them (chickens)" So all is not lost. By the way, we were asked to send a bunch of birds to a party that George Lucas threw on his Skywalker Ranch, and he sent back rave reviews. So we do have a bit of a track record with big name film directors.