Chicken day is the busiest at the farm.
That’s because once a month, poultry is ready for collection. It feels like the entire county descends on the farm for fresh chickens.
It’s not my farm, of course, but a local couple who rear pigs, cattle, sheep…and chickens.
Now, this post isn’t suitable for vegetarians. So if you are, feel free to skip the rest.
In a world were meat is produced and slaughtered on an industrial basis, this farm stands out.
The chickens are free to roam, are fed properly and – most importantly – are dispatched with grace.
When their time has come, they are driven to the nearest big town where the abattoir is.
And once they are there, the farmer hands them over, two by two.
She does that to minimize their stress.
If you’ve been to an industrial slaughterhouse (which I have, unfortunately), you’ll know how stressful and unpleasant that environment can be.
Not good for the chicken and not good for the person who will be eating the chicken.
So the farmer hands them over, two by two.
I’ll always remember this small fact, and the care and dedication it portrays, because the farmer put it in an email to me.
As she was pitching me on buying more poultry, she described how the chickens are raised. And how they are respectfully dispatched.
Handed over, two by two.
That image made me want to keep buying the chicken.
It’s one smart farmer who opens the kimono to tell us exactly what happens. In her emails and newsletter, she reveals the inside story of what it is like to farm, how she and her husband care for the animals, what their future plans are, how the weather has affected crops, and when lambing has started.
What a way to create a connection between farmer and plate!
So that made me think: what small but memorable detail can you think of about your business?
What little fact can you share that will imprint the value of what you do on your client’s memory?
How do you hand over your chickens?