Q: What is heritage poultry?
A: Heritage poultry are traditional breeds which grow slowly and reproduce naturally. For this reason, they are disfavored by the commercial poultry industry. Heritage breeds are important because they help preserve biodiversity and food security. Heritage breeds which Ever Favor Farms has raised are Black Australorp chickens, Buff Orpington chickens, New Hampshire chickens, Blue Slate turkeys, and Bourbon Red turkeys. We plan to raise White Holland turkeys in 2023. For more information on heritage poultry, check out the Livestock Conservancy and the Good Shepherd Conservancy.
 
Q: What is pasture-raised?
A: Pasture-raised means raising animals outdoors on grass. Raising poultry on pasture (versus indoors) is more beneficial to the birds because it encourages them to engage in natural behaviors such as foraging and digging. The birds’ movement and activity actually makes their meat taste better! Pasture-raised meat is also better for you. It contains 15% higher collagen, 6% higher protein, and 1.3x more Vitamin E than non-pasture raised meat. (Source: Food Animal Concerns Trust)
 
Q: What are your humane practices?
A: Our practices are guided by the Five Freedoms developed by the United Kingdom’s Farm Animal Welfare Committee and adopted by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (“ASPCA”). The five freedoms are that domesticated animals should be free from: 1. Hunger and thirst, 2. Discomfort,
3. Pain and disease, 4. Fear and distress, and free to: 5. Express their natural behaviors

Q: Are you certified organic?
A: No. We follow organic practices, but have chosen not to become certified at this time. Certification is admirable, but involves time and cost which we cannot sustain as a new business. We also want to keep our prices reasonable and avoid passing on the costs of certification on to our customers.

Q: When are your products available?
A: We farm seasonally, but have fresh and/or frozen products in stock year-round.
 
Q: Do you process birds on-farm?
A: No. We use local USDA- or State-inspected processing facilities. 
   
Q: Do you ship or deliver?
A: Curbside pickup is available at the farm. We can deliver bulk/wholesale orders to the Chicago and Rockford areas. We do not ship product at this time.