"Beyond Organic": Certified Naturally Raised

This sounds pretty impressive, doesn’t it? Well, here is what it means to me. (By the way, we intended for this to take effect before we start to really sell it to the public on a large scale.) Oh, and if you are interested, here is my stand on the issue of "Organic."

We do not currently feed organic grain, it is too expensive to use while we increase our numbers. We will consider it just for the turkeys for next year.

Cows, Sheep, and Goats eat only grass or hay, and they are supplemented with salt and mineral blocks and have fresh water within a ¼ mile. Water containers are cleaned at least every 2 weeks. The animals stay outside all year long, have shade trees available in the summer (with branches trimmed to be above 15 feet), and wind breaks in the winter.

Pigs are not ringed, they are encouraged to root and do “pig things.” They are fed on grass as well but are supplemented with grain. They have as a minimum a 3-sided or hoop house for each adult pig and adequate shelter for piglets. These shelters are well stocked with fresh straw and cleaned every two weeks. They are outside on pasture all year long and can interact with other pigs. They also have free choice access to all the yummy cow manure they want. Salt blocks are available and fresh water is within a ¼ mile; water containers are cleaned at least every 2 weeks.

Chickens have free choice layer mash, steam flaked corn, and Flax seed. They have free choice to be on pasture. In the winter they are housed in a coop where the hay is changed every two weeks, it is semi heated and they have fresh water, the container is cleaned very time it is filled. Also in the winter they have free choice to roam and feed outside inside and outside of the chicken yard. They are shut in at night. Roosts are provided as are shaving-lined nesting boxes. Eggs are collected at least once a day. Free choice oyster shells are available.

During the seasons other than winter, the chickens are moved daily in our “Chicken Tractors”—these are fenced-in areas that can be easily moved so as to allow free choice access to fresh grass, manure, bugs, worms, etc. Their food is supplemented with free choice feed and oyster shells just as they are in the winter. Clean water is provided in the same manner as in the winter.

We have recently become quite passionate about our chickens and ask you to read more about "pastured poultry."

Turkeys have free choice turkey grain, steam flaked corn and flax seed, they also are housed much the same way as the chickens are and have the same kind of “Turkey Tractor”. Clean water is provided and the containers cleaned every time they are filled.

As many of the animals and birds as possible are all in the same pastures. This provides companionship, safety, protection and inter species benefits (for instance, pigs eating cow manure stops the spread of the cows' internal parasites; chickens eating fly larvae from the manure helps reduce the number of horn flies).

Our Certification is not something that is issued by the USDA or the Certified Humane people or anyone else. It is not something that is purchased, it is not something that requires outside inspection, it is also not something that is vague, un-enforced, misunderstood, over used, not deserved. It is not meant to mislead for the purpose of increasing the price per pound, nor is it intended to make you think what you are buying something that you really aren’t.

It is our word, our reputation, our promise not only to the customer but more importantly to our animals. We invite questions and will give an honest answer, we invite call-ahead visitors and we welcome testimonials both good and bad.

We stand behind our word.

Craig and Sheryl Floyd