Certified Organic Meat
Important consideration when ordering meat
- We do not have much freezer storage capability here. Please take this into account when placing your order for chicken and turkey and fresh frozen pork. You will need to pick up your meat on the slaughter date or one day after. There is more flexibility with pork smoked meat as it is not ready at the same time as the fresh frozen pork.
- Below are cultural reasons why our meat is some of the best tasting that you will encounter. Except for the hams and bacons, which are not certified organic due to the fact that the smokehouse has not pursued certification, all of our pork, chicken, turkey, and eggs are certified organic by Baystate Organic Certifiers. Our beef from Jersey steers is not certified organic because the initial stock came from a conventional farm.
Animal Care
- All our animals are fed certified organic grain and make use of as much range as is possible, for their health and for maximum farm fertility. Our birds live in movable shelters and are moved to new range approximately 6 times per week. Our pigs move to a new spacious free range paddock approximately every two weeks.
- We have an active fertility plan for our pastures similar to our vegetable production areas which includes (along with animal rotations) mineralization and foliar applications of biological inoculants. The end product is a highly fertile soil with pasture grasses of high nutritional content.
- For the second year we will be feeding our pigs whey from our neighbors' certified organic cheese operation.
- This year we are sprouting grains for our laying chickens (year round) and beefers (over winter).
- Young chicks and poults start life in the barn under brooder lights where they are daily fed vinegar in their water (for gut health), sprouts (vitamins), fresh soil (for gut health) and kelp (packed with minerals) along with their starter grains and free choice minerals from Agri-Dynamics
- Laying hens have free access to kelp and oyster shell (for strong shell development) free choice. They are totally free ranged from October - April, sleeping at night in our permanent chicken house, and live in movable pens on pasture from April - October.
- Meat chickens and turkeys have free choice access to kelp throughout their lives.
Eggs
We have limited quantities of eggs from our Leghorn and Golden Red Comet hens at $6.00/dozen. The best way to become an egg customer is to commit to a weekly purchase with us.
Young Layers
We are constantly being asked for young layers. We will raise these young birds through the difficult brooding stage. They will be available at 8 weeks at $15 each (early May), 9-12 weeks at $20 and 13 - 16 weeks at $25. We will be offering a mix of Golden Red Comets, white Leghorns, Barred Rocks, White Rocks and Black Australorps. Call or email early (January or February) if breed choice is important to you.
Meat Chickens - SOLD OUT
We raise Kosher Kings, a barred rock/meat cross that performs well on fresh grass. Meat chickens average 6+ lbs and will cost $5.75/lb if you order 1-9 birds or $5.25/lb if you purchase 10 or more birds.
Due to a state regulatory technicality, our chickens and turkeys are certified organic if you buy them before slaughter, but not after. There are no processing plants licensed for resale of birds in Massachusetts, therefore consumers must purchase the birds live so we can have them processed at a licensed custom plant on your behalf. We are totally comfortable with the cleanliness, efficiency, and humane technique used by our licensed processing plant and stand completely behind their work. You end up with a cleaned, whole, bagged bird (with giblets and neck). Chickens are available for pick up on Sunday, August 5 and Sunday, October 21.
Pork
Many Hands Organic Farm is proud to be one of only 2 certified organic pork producers in Massachusetts. The other folks are our neighbors at Misty Brook Farm in Hardwick from whom we buy our piglets.
This year we will be raising hogs for a September/October slaughter date. They will be slaughtered at Adams Farm, a USDA and organically certified processing facility. We sell our pork by the pound. For purchases totaling 50 lbs or more, subtract $.75/lb.
Available Items
- Pork chops, country style ribs, and ground pork come in approximately 1 lb packages and cost $7.75/lb.
- Roasts and spare ribs will weigh about 3 - 4 lbs each and cost $7.75/lb.
- Breakfast sausage comes in approximately 1 lb packages and costs $8.50/lb.
- Kielbasa links made with organic spices in approximately one lb packages at $10.00/lb
- Naturally smoked and cured hams (approximately 4-6 lbs. bone in) and sliced bacon (in one lb. packages) smoked and cured at VT Smoke and Cure in Barre, VT at $12.50/lb. This process is not certified organic, but is done without nitrates and with only natural spices and processes.
Restaurants and Food Markets
Many Hands is seeking partnerships with restaurants, co-ops and other food markets for pork sales. Please contact us to discuss your specific needs.
Lard
We make our lard with the fat back and leaf lard from our pigs or from pigs from Misty Brook Farm. We render it on our wood cook stove. We will have lard available year round.
Lard costs $20.00/quart. We sell it locally and also ship frozen lard in recycled quart containers, packed in insulated boxes sized to contain 1 to 4 quarts. We charge $5.00 for the box and shipping supplies plus FedEx or USPS shipping fees.
Turkeys - SOLD OUT
We will be raising broad breasted white turkeys in 2012. Turkeys are delicate, especially as youngsters, and we treat them with the utmost care -- which includes heightened attention to hygiene and low stocking numbers in the movable pens. Choose between a hen (approx. 14-18 lbs) or a tom (approx. 22-28 lbs) when placing your order. The turkeys will cost $5.00/lb and will be available to pick up on November 20. In 2011 we heard two things - "the best turkey I ever ate" and "it cooked faster than ever before". We are still trying to figure out why the second was true.
Beef
Not certified organic, our steer calves are culls from milking operations. Though they come from a conventional farm, their handling is completely organic after that time. We slaughter at 18 months after they have ranged on pasture for five seasons and received sustainably raised hay from Caledonia Farm over the winter. They have free choice minerals from Agri-Dynamics. We will have approximately 200 pounds of meat available at $6.50/lb and will offer ground beef and stew beef as cuts.
Please feel free to use this order form to order your meat!