Cedar Meadow Farm Newsletter
February, 2006
Welcome to our website. Cedar Meadow Farm, LLC is a new farm located in Ledyard Connecticut. We have been poultry hobbiests for several years and decided it was time we shared our good food with other families. We offer direct to consumer poultry products, including chicken pullets (these are live young hens), broilers, turkeys, and fresh eggs. Remember, we are small and just starting up. As such, supplies of our products will be limited. Please be patient and let us know what products you are interested in. Complete order forms and price lists will be available on our website shortly. In the meantime, please read about what we are doing and why you should consider changing the way you shop for food...
We look forward to doing business with you.
Wishing you health and happiness,
Brian and Julia Cronin
HOW OUR ANIMALS ARE RAISED DIFFERENTLY
Unlike commercial farms, our turkeys and broilers spend most of their lives out on pasture. Keeping poultry in this manner is not a new idea to animal husbandry. In fact, it is a step back in time to the way our forefathers cared for their land and livestock. Our turkeys and broilers live outside in portable pens where they are able to derive much of their nourishment the way nature intended it ~ by eating fresh leafy greens and insects. Every day, their pen is moved to a new site where they can enjoy a clean environment and fresh food. This style of animal husbandry is often called "pastured poultry". We welcome you to visit the following sites to learn more about pastured poultry and the health advantages to both you and the animals.
http://www.eatwild.com/basics.html
http://home.rica.net/phelbert/chickens/
http://www.westonaprice.org/farming/pasturedpoultry.html
Our layer hens are housed in their own coops and are free to roam a large enclosed yard at will. Though they are invited to meander around the farm, the presence of predators necessitate that they stay in a protected area much of the time. Though this sounds like the logical, humane way to raise chickens, you would be surprised at how the industry treats its animals. We encourage you to take a peek at these websites to learn more about how our model is different and better for you AND the chickens.
http://www.acornorganic.org/pdf/poultryeggsprofile.pdf
http://www.motherearthnews.com/eggs/testing#free
Our pigs have several small grassy pastures through which to roam. We never feed our pigs silage, fermented garbage, or feeds containing the remnants of other animals. Instead, they enjoy many vegetables grown here on the farm. Meat from pasture raised animals has a different flavor and nutritional profile than meat that comes directly from the feedlot. Please read this interesting article from Mother Earth News to learn more.
http://www.motherearthnews.com/library/2002_April_May/Pasture_Perfect
A FOCUS ON HERITAGE BREEDING
Today’s commercial farms rely on breeds that aren’t always well suited to an open environment such as ours. At Cedar Meadow, we believe it is our responsibility to ensure the future of those breeds that were once a familiar and commonplace sight across the New England Landscape. As such, we will be utilizing Tamworth Hogs as our sole source for pork. Our turkeys are heritage breeds as well: Slate Blues and Bourbon Reds. We also raise small numbers of Eastern Wild Turkeys. We are in the process of converting all of our layer flocks to Dominiques and Non-Commercial strains of Rhode Island Reds and White Leghorns.
Because of their genetic profile, heritage breed animals tend to grow at a much slower rate then their commercial cousins. Though this requires a greater investment in both time and money, we think you will agree it is well worth it!
We are advocates on the movement to help save our history. Please take a moment to visit these heritage breeding sites so you too can understand how important these animals are.
You will immediately notice a difference when you compare our products to those you find at the supermarket. Our eggs have a fuller, darker yolk than store bought varieties and the taste just can’t be beat! Our meats are tender, juicy, and have a much richer flavor. Pastured Poultry and Pork also provide a healthier product. An egg from a pastured hen has 30 percent more vitamin E and cholesterol-fighting Omega-3 fatty acids than the kind you buy in the supermarket.[1] Additionally, eggs from free-range hens contain significantly more folic acid and vitamin B12[2]. Meat from pigs on pasture is leaner and has more flavor.
In addition to better taste and healthier food, you can take pride in knowing that you are preserving a part of America’s past. By supporting our farm, you are helping to keep heritage breeds flourishing and centuries-old traditions alive and well!