A couple of weeks ago Sal and I went for our first visit to Grassy Ridge Farm in Reigelwood. We had been wanting to stop by before just to check it out, but that particular weekend we had a specific purpose: chicken breasts.
For the past few months, all the chicken we've eaten has been the whole, roasted variety. Our ritual is usually to pick up a frozen chicken from Grassy Ridge at the Saturday market, put it in the fridge and roast it with whatever vegetables are in season that week. We use the leftover chicken for soup or sandwiches, and boil the bones for stock. It's been a lovely way to eat chicken, but it gets a little monotonous. So when Marie at G.R. invited us to come to the farm on the day of the kill to get the chickens before they were frozen, we were more than willing.
We pre-ordered 6 chickens, and made sure we showed up after the slaughter. I'm all about knowing where my food comes from, and have witnessed my fair share of animal slaughters before, but I opted out this time. When we got there around 1:00, Marie and her family had our fresh chickens cleaned and packaged for us, which left us some time to wander around the farm and meet some of the brothers and sisters of our dinner.
In case you were wondering, the chickens (and therefore the eggs) at Grassy Ridge are about as free-range as you get. When we drove up, they were roaming all over the road, into the wood, across the fields, and well, pretty much everywhere. Tommy and Marie move the roosting houses every so often, so the chickens have a fresh grazing area, and their waste fertilizes different parts of the fields. Compare that with most large scale egg producers: even those that call themselves "free-range" technically only have to provide a couple of weeks of access to the outdoors for their chickens, who are often corralled into a crowded hen house and never even realize they can go outside (chickens really aren't that bright, really). So as far as chicken lives go, the Grassy Ridge birds have it made.
Since Grassy Ridge also sells pork products, we got to see some pigs and piglets as well. If you have ever met a piglet in person, you know how completely adorable they are...which does make it a little harder to eat them, in my book. I actually stopped eating pork about 15 years ago when my dad decided to bring home a pig to raise and eat. It's not like I was ignorant about where pork came from, it's just that it became a little too personal for me. Never name your dinner.
But I digress. Visiting Grassy Ridge was a fabulous way to spend the day, and we hope to visit again. Tommy and Marie are caring, responsible farmers who look after their layers and livestock like doting parents. As for the main point of our visit, we brought home our fresh chickens and my neighbor and I cut them up into parts to freeze separately. Finally we've got the option for grilled chicken breasts, chicken wings and my fave: chicken and dumplings. Ahh, the simple pleasures in the life of a locavore.
