Perdue "all Natural" chicken??

pfal6

So what is the verdict on this? Has it been discussed here? I know that the term 'all natural" is basically meaningless.I was just in BJ's Wholesale Club this past weekend and saw the new line. I usually buy the all natural chicken from Trader Joe's that is around 4.99/lb. The Perdue chicken is definitely less although I can't remember the exact price. We have chickens here from a local farmer but honestly I can't afford 5.50/lb for whole chickens. I am just wondering what you ladies think. A quick google search is coming up with mixed results.

CharlottesWeb

It means nothing. Those chickens are still crowded into poultry houses, fed antibiotic laced GMO grain and walk around in their own filth all day. Perdue, Tyson, store brand...it's all the same.

I see you're in MA. Are you refering to Silvermine prices? You can do a little better than her prices. One thing to keep in mind is that her chickens are fed organic grain which will bump up the price significantly. I know of a few other sources for chicken if you're interested. Less than the $4.99 per pound you are currently paying. Although it is (and always is in MA) a whole bird.

pfal6

CharlottesWeb:

It means nothing. Those chickens are still crowded into poultry houses, fed antibiotic laced GMO grain and walk around in their own filth all day. Perdue, Tyson, store brand...it's all the same.

I see you're in MA. Are you refering to Silvermine prices? You can do a little better than her prices. One thing to keep in mind is that her chickens are fed organic grain which will bump up the price significantly. I know of a few other sources for chicken if you're interested. Less than the $4.99 per pound you are currently paying. Although it is (and always is in MA) a whole bird.

 

I knew it was too good to be true with the Perdue. Yes, I am in fact talking about Silvermine! I would love any recommendations you can give me. I am also looking to buy beef as well. What do you know about the farm in Shrewsbury? I can't remember the name, but it's on route 140 near the center of town. I am really trying hard to research some local farms. Esp. since all we have is a Trader Joe's near us.

 

Thanks for any help !!!

CharlottesWeb

You should check out Mass Local Food (masslocalfood.org). We have a pick up location in Worcester at Briarwood retirement center, which is very close to you. Think of it like an online farmers market. We have many different farmers participate with their products. All kinds of meats (beef, lamb, pork, goat and humanely raised veal), lots of cheeses, honey, syrup, baked goods, homemade teas, fruits and veggies (in season), coffee, soaps, laundry detergent, grains(flours, barley, cornmeal etc.), eggs, jams.....really almost all the basics except milk. We are working very diligently to try and get Sidehill Farm yogurt. It's awesome!

So what happens is; orders open once per month, you log on and check out the local farmers have to offer that month and order what you want. Orders stay open for 10 days, during that time you can add or delete whatever you like. Once orders close, what is in your cart is yours. Then you pick up on the first Friday of the month. We have lots of members who do their monthly shopping with us.

Seriously I LOVE this orginization. I used to drive around to a bunch of different farms to get what I needed and now I don't have to. If you want to see what's available you can go to the webpage and click on "shop" and then go to the complete list of products. It changes all the time. In the next few months there will be a bevy of veggies.

For chicken....that's going to be a little tough for you right now. Most farmers process their last batch of chickens in late fall. And chickens sell FAST. In fact most farmers will put out an order sheet in the early spring and they sell out before the chickens are even grown. But, when the time comes, there's Open Meadow Farm in Lunenburg, Caledonia Farm in Barre, Pete and Jen's Backyard Birds in Concord ($$$), Maple Heights Farm in Westminster. There are some really strict and stupid laws in this state surrounding the processing of poultry, so for the most part you do need to drive to the farm and get your birds. With the exception of Open Meadow Farm, who drive to Vermont to get their birds processed in a USDA facility so they can sell through Mass Local Food. I buy my birds from Walpole Valley Farm in NH and I buy in bulk. He's very reasonable, and his operation is top notch. So it's worth the trip.

Open Meadow and Maple Heights Farm are both farmers for Mass Local Food. I've seen both of their farms and feel very good about buying their product. I only buy from Walpole Valley because he has preorder forms (Open Meadow and Maple Heights do not) and I like knowing I can plan certainly on getting X amount of birds to see us through the winter.

Sorry for such a long post. I'm very committed to helping change our food system. and I'm very involved with the co-op. I do their facebook page, work on their Producers Standards committee and am starting the bookkeeping.

I hope this helps. Please let me know if I you have any other questions.

SuperGreen

CharlottesWeb:

It means nothing. Those chickens are still crowded into poultry houses, fed antibiotic laced GMO grain and walk around in their own filth all day. Perdue, Tyson, store brand...it's all the same.

Yup, she's right.