Pasture-raised chicken will be available soon!
The first long weekend of the season has come and gone and June is nearly here. That can only mean one thing—it’s almost time for pasture-raised chicken from VG Meats! If you’re familiar with this specialty product, you already understand why we’re excited to get this delicious chicken to customers. And if you’re new to our pastured poultry, read on—we’ll tell you all about it!
How we raise our pastured chickens
Our pasture-raised chickens are cared for using the recommendations of animal welfare expert Temple Grandin. The chickens have plenty of space to roam and feed at will (much more space than the minimum recommendation, actually). They’re given fresh water and GMO-free grains every day, and have access to plenty of green grass and clover as well as that fresh country air and sunlight. The chickens also have access to shade throughout the day and their portable shelters (inspired by the work of Joel Salatin) provide protection from local predators. Here’s a closer look at how it’s done.
We raise these chickens on pasture for several reasons. For starters, we believe in farming with integrity and treating all of our animals well. This doesn’t mean meeting minimum standards for care – it means exceeding them, and coming up with new and innovative ways to improve our processes. Secondly, it all ties back into our holistic approach. We use methods like this to work toward regenerative outcomes on the farm. Here’s a quick example: the chickens peck at the ground while eating clover, grasses and insects, and this natural irrigation is good for the soil. They also leave compost behind, as all species do. We move the shelters throughout the week so they always have access to fresh, lush grasses and are pecking away at new areas on the pasture. Our cattle use the same fields at different times throughout the season, leaving plenty of compost and adding their own irrigation, and the animals benefit from each other while also contributing to the health of the land and local ecosystems. It’s a relationship that is good for both species, our farm and the ecosystems around us. (Here’s another video about that relationship.) It also makes for a tender, delicious product with incredible flavour—if you haven’t tried it in previous years, we hope you will this summer!
Shop in stores and online soon
We expect this year’s pasture-raised chicken to be available by the second week of June. We’ll have it in stores and online—keep an eye on our social media pages to stay informed or ask a VG Meats butcher next time you’re in store! This product will be available as long as supplies last—we recommend shopping early or buying in bulk if it’s something you look forward to each summer. We know it’s a customer favourite and we look forward to sharing it with you soon! Thanks for reading and if you have any questions, please contact us. Our team is always glad to hear from you.
