Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
for heritage birds. But newcomers may need some help understanding why their cost is
higher than birds in the supermarket. Be sure they know:
That it takes the heritage-type breeds longer to mature and to reach a marketable
size
That egg production may not be as great from heritage breeds as it would be from
a caged layer-type breed
That commercial breeds are fed many antibiotics, while your birds are fed no an-
tibiotics and are allowed to forage (if in fact they are)
That buying heritage breeds is a good choice for the planet because it helps to
maintain a diverse gene pool and does not need to utilize great amounts of en-
ergy to maintain climate- and condition-controlled facilities
That local food boosts the local economy and is fresher and more healthful
That heritage birds just taste better, plain and simple
Host a Taste-Test Event
Even though the market for heritage poultry is surging in the twenty-first century, you'll
still have to convince some modern consumers that it's worthwhile purchasing your
product. Taste tests and farm trials, events where visitors sample different locally grown
foods and learn how they are raised and harvested, are wonderful ways to give the con-
sumer a chance to compare the flavor of the modern, commercial chicken with that of
heritage poultry.
Keep in mind that both birds must be cooked the same way at the same time so poten-
tial consumers can taste the true difference between the bland, fast-growing broiler and
the savory heritage bird. Remember that heritage breed meat may be firmer, a texture
some might consider tough, so be prepared to educate about the benefits of the raising
methods and why the meat is more firm and actually has texture.
If you can attract folks to an on-farm taste test, you shouldn't have any trouble selling
your product. Many young people have grown up eating tasteless chicken with flavor
contained only in the added coating or marinade. Once they have a mouthful of heritage-
breed meat, which matures at a rate that allows for a nice layer of flavor-filled fat to
develop, you will have no trouble marketing your birds. While this is especially true for
chickens, it is even more so for turkeys.
Eggs
When marketing eggs it's always a good idea to try not to compete with the grocery-
store market, but rather have a unique feature that makes your eggs special. If you're
