Colorado

[breezy]

Quote:
I have never eaten or cooked duck. Whats it like and whats your favorite way to cook it?

 

[Wifezilla]

You cook the breast just like steak. Season with a little Rosemary and red wine

 

[bustermommy]

breezy,

Are you doing roos or meaties or what?

 

[Urbansustainability]

We here at Denver Urban Homesteading are discussing with a local farmer the possibility of him slaughtering chickens for the public. He just bought equipment to process his own which we encouraged him to do. We are committed to fostering a local food chain and our market was developed for that purpose: to help local farmers bring their food to the public. We also host the monthly chicken swaps and the annual chicken coop tour.

The logistics are challenging, and partly because his equipment is an outdoor setup and only used occasionally and not every day all ready to go like an indoor facility.

So we don't know if it will be feasible for him to do it for the public. And since he cannot be as efficient without a facility, he would charge more for the work although we don't know what that amount would be at this time.

However, I know from my market that many customers would rather drive longer distances and spend more money on gasoline to save money on the price rather than chose the more local option. It is sometimes not logical when considering the cost in gasoline, time and pollution, but nevertheless it is real consumer behavior. I have had people in our market put down a [choose your food product] and tell me they can get it a a few cents cheaper at [name your chain grocery store].

I also know that many people are still wedded to the concept of industrial agriculture, and the indoor processing facilities are obviously more industrial than the outdoor setup this small farmer has, so some people will not want their chickens to be processed by the local farmer, even though the result is the same. Something about all that steel is reassuring to some children of industry, as we all are. Indeed, the Denver City Council is so reassured by industrial ag that at the same time they legalized ownership of chickens last month they also banned the slaughter of them, secure in the knowledge that we can get all the chicken meat we need from supermarkets and factory farms.

However, there would be some that would chose to support the local farm and thus we will continue to help the farmer evaluate this project. He is a really decent guy and I want him to do well.

 

[bustermommy]

I would be happy to bring my chickens to be processed when he is doing a batch of his own or has enough people coming to make it worth his while to heat up scaldiing equipment or whatever. Possibly he could have one day a month or something like that when he takes appointments from the public.

I personally would prefer somebody local (Denver metro). And would prefer a small farmer to a big industrial place as I want my chickens to be killed as humanely as I have cared for them for their lives.

 

[Sundari]

Larry up at Long Shadow Farm in Berthoud is currently raising and processing his own chickens. He's told me that whenever he has his equipment "fired up" he's more than happy to process a few extra birds for whoever might want to bring them up, and the price he quoted was exceptionally reasonable. http://kristinandlarry.blogspot.com/

Of course, Berthoud is still an hour's drive from Denver. When I put an ad on Craigslist just to see if there were folks closer by who could process birds, I did get a few responses. So, there are a few options right now. Hopefully in the future even more options will be developed.

 

[Mtn Margie]

On this topic of processing, is anyone thinking of getting meaties sometime soon? Care to split or thirds an order to make it cheaper for all? PM me if interested. I am near Boulder.

 

[bustermommy]

Quote:
Yes, Larry only charges $3.00/chicken, less if you help! Very reasonable. I just can't see driving an hour each way to get 1 roo done. Kristin was extremely nice when I emailed them and that could end up being where I go. But, it's just not very practical for 1-2 birds especially with gas the price it is.

When Breezy posted on Craigslist, it got removed. Would you mind sharing who responded to you, Sundari? It would be interesting if those responses include Urbansustainability's farmer.

 

[Sundari]

Here's what I got (this was back in February). I didn't do a lot of follow-up, so not sure of the cost and availability of these folks. In all honesty, I do think it will be difficult to find someone to process just one bird. Getting the equipment revved up, boiling the water, etc is quite a process. But, if you were able to get a group together, I'd bet you could make it happen.

Dan in Wheatridge says he can humanely process hens. 303-912-8824

Someone suggested Rocky Mountain Poultry in Nunn. 970-896-3006 [email protected]

Justin, who lives on a farm in the Littleton area. [email protected]

Someone suggested Hudson Lockers in Hudson, CO. 303-536-4777

 

[bustermommy]

Sundari, thank you so much for the info.

ETA: Long Shadow will do even 1 bird if you come when they are already doing a bunch. I thought that was reasonable. They will tell you dates ahead of time.