Providing the local community with a healthy and sustainable food option through pasture raised poultry.
Four Maples Farm provides organically raised pastured poultry in Medina, Ohio. We operate in conjunction with Schmidt Family Farms who provide local honey, certified organic eggs, and certified organic vegetables. Chickens are raised on certified organic pasture, and fed certified organic feed (No GMOs). Our 2011 organic certification through the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) has been submitted, and we are awaiting inspection.
All of our chickens are raised on a constantly rotated pasture to promote the health of the animals and the soil. We use the "day-range" method which means that the chickens are safe in a coop during the night and free to roam their ample paddock space during the day. Constant access to fresh grass gives the birds a taste that's beyond compare. The chickens are processed on-farm, humanely, and without the unnecessary use of chemicals.
Monday, March 21, 2011
The hens are back in their summer home!
After 3 long months of being cooped up in the barn for the winter, the hens are finally back on the open range again. Of course they weren't confined the whole time. I would open up the house for fresh air and leave the door open on warmer days, but when there was snow on the ground they were just not interested in setting foot outside, even if it was above freezing during the day. These hens stay at my parent's house not at Schmidt Family Farm where I will be raising my meat chickens this year. They have plenty of layers of their own over at Schmidt's so if your coming to pick up meat birds this summer you should definitely plan on picking up some of their eggs, honey, and vegetables that will be available.
I don't have much of an update on the organic certification other than the application has been submitted, and all that's left to do now is wait for inspection. I'm told that may not be until June, but the chickens won't be ready until then anyways. The pasture that they will be raised on is still under organic certification, just not the livestock production. It's all in place though, and the first chicks will be here in just 2 weeks!
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