April 16th, 2021
Meet Farmer Brady, a True Grass Farms collaborator, chicken wrangler AND FEED Delivery Driver! While Green Star Farm is between harvests, we will have Brady’s chickens available via our online storefront. He’s been embedded at the ranch for about a year and helps with the cattle operation while raising chickens to feed the community at large. Being a driver for FEED means that he gets to see this delightfully short distribution chain from pullet to porch when he drops off orders with customers. That’s the full circle of our hyper-local food system folks!
Brady pasture raises his Imperial Reds for their larger size, averaging about 5lbs, which means higher fat content and richer flavors! And good news for all you homesteaders out there - more dark meat means a much more nutrient rich bone broth! These birds are on pasture 24/7 and their supplemental feed is certified organic. You'll notice they have a slightly higher price point that Green Star Chickens, but this is relative to their hunky size!
.:: New West Sonoma County Hub ::.
You may remember the announcement from a few newsletters back that Green Valley Community Farm's produce CSA has been cancelled this year due toprolonged severe drought conditions plaguing the West Coast. As they move forward with a lovely water-conscious strawberry and cut-flower CSA program, Green Valley Farm + Mill has offered up space on the front porch of their on-site Marketplace for FEED Bin pickups. We hope this can help ease the loss of their CSA program this year. And that's what FEED Sonoma is here for - to galvanize farmer collaboration to support farmers.
The Green Valley Farm + Mill pickup location is ready to receive orders this coming week, with Wednesday delivery, open from sunrise to sunset. Please note, if you're ordering perishables (especially on hot summer days), boxes will be in the shade on the porch, but not in the fridge. And bring back your boxes when you pickup and they'll store 'em for our reuse. To learn more about this new hub and others, check out our Delivery Locations.
.:: Bay Area Rancher's Co-op Takes the Reins ::.
Check out Made Local Magazine's recent feature on Bar-C Cooperative, an incredible feat of trailblazing in the Northern California Ranching community. "Rampant consolidation has left over 85% of the meat industry in the hands of just four companies." Learn more about how they're carving their own path here.
From Our Producers :: Field Notes
Longer Table Farm
It's official! They've composted the name "Blue Leg Farms" and are now "Longer Table Farm." The name embodies their deepest ideals; When you have more than you need, build a longer table, not a higher fence.
It's still them, growing the same quality produce as they have been and will continue to. Same faces, new name, and a few exciting additions...
Along with the name change, they're bringing Gina on as co-owner (and life partner), adding a cut flower program, and growing their value-added product line!
Why the rebrand? Will has been itching to update the farm name ever since he decided to step away from raising chickens. Though iconic, the bold chicken foot logo quickly became an old story that he found himself explaining over and over. With the advent of bringing Gina on as co-owner, it seemed a natural time to mark the occasion with a new name.
– Will, Gina, Dylan & the Longer Table crew
Photo by Sarah Davis