Strategies for Building Regional Markets for Pastured Poultry Growers

Project Overview

FW06-020
Project Type: Farmer/Rancher
Funds awarded in 2006: $11,360.00
Projected End Date: 12/31/2006
Region: Western
State: Washington
Principal Investigator:
Jamie Henneman
Email
Lazy Lightning Ranch

Commodities

  • Animals: poultry

Practices

  • Animal Production: grazing - continuous, free-range
  • Education and Training: on-farm/ranch research, participatory research
  • Farm Business Management: community-supported agriculture

    Proposal summary:

    This project is designed to create new and expanded markets for pastured poultry products in northeast Washington. These opportunities will include on-farm and farmers markets, community supported agriculture and institutional, restaurant and wholesale options. The effort will include educational materials for these outlets on the value of pastured poultry products and ways to develop marketing plans and take advantage of various distribution channels. The program will be used to help start-up producers generate pre-production sales to help them jump-start their operations. The effort will provide a model for promotion, education and distribution that can be adapted to any region. The project team notes that feeding chickens on grass cuts down on feed expenses and improves the quality of the product. The ultimate goal is to meet the consumer demand for poultry that is free of antibiotics and hormones and has been raised in a more humane way using sustainable practices.

    Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or SARE.