Starting July 24th, 2024, all whole chicken orders will be $5 per pound. This is an increase from $4 per pound. All pre-orders before this date will be honored at $4 per pound. Let’s talk about it!

Chris and I researched the market and ran numbers on our inputs like packaging, non-GMO chicken feed, and pine chip shavings for chicks. We didn’t bother adding equipment (though we were aware of the cost) because of how much we invested in it from the start. Our focus was “How much does it cost us to pasture-raise one non-GMO chicken per pound?

We also wanted to be at a price point that locals would buy. We do not have time to travel over an hour to farmers markets where people buy at higher price points. We knew you would LOVE it, but may not have been used to buying chicken like how we buy local beef and pork, so we needed to get you to try it. We came into the market at the cheapest price per pound for whole chickens in the Valley. We sell out of chicken every flock and have been working on plans to scale to the point of stocking our freezer with pasture-raised chicken for the winter and yours. Now that we have been doing this for a year, we now know we are losing money at $4 per pound.

Here are the things we didn’t factor into our price: ice for butcher days, electricity from all of our freezer and cooling space, and branded product labels. We also had to ask ourselves “Is it worth it”. The goal has always been to sell enough to feed our family. The demand is high and we have greatly enjoyed supplying local chicken to our community, but the math just doesn’t shake out for profit. If we sold a 4.5lb chicken and $4/lb, and we only raise 40 chickens at a time, we barely make $100 per flock. We don’t include all the time and work it takes to humanely butcher and package these chickens. We have also added more ventilation and fans to keep our flocks comfortable this summer, so our equipment costs have increased. As first-generation farmers, we recognized quickly this is not sustainable/viable for our farm.

We were going to put our price increase into effect starting in the 2025 season, however, with a strong end to the season ahead, we know we need to maintain the integrity of our family and homestead, so we decided it was best to make the change now. We are still providing recipes and how-to resources to our customers. We also provide flower discounts and treats like herb plants and liver treats exclusively to our chicken customers. And at $5 per pound, we still hit the market in the valley as one of the best “bangs for your buck”.

So don’t wait! It is in popular demand; order pasture-raised nonGMO chicken today! We will have chicken at the Strasburg Farmer’s Market and Mount Jackson Farmers Market as well. Contact us via social media with your order or order directly from our website where you pick the month you’re interested in having chicken. Order fresh or frozen whole chickens for August, September, or October. We also provide options to pick your size (Small 3-4lbs, Medium 4-5lbs, Large 5+lbs). See our availability below:

August- 20 chickens left

Sept- 33 chickens left

October 33 chickens left

And a teaser… we are getting ready to explore selling chicken in parts. It will always be more economical to purchase a whole chicken and cut it up, but we just wanted to let you know!

Thank you for your continued support as we feed our community with great food!

-Ashley