Every year, we look at our systems and ask: How can we do this better? Better for the birds, the cattle, the hogs. Better for our family. Better for the folks who rely on our farm for real, nourishing food.

This year, we made some major upgrades to our pastured poultry setup — changes that reduce labor, improve consistency, and ultimately allow us to make pasture-raised chicken and turkey more accessible to families like yours. And honestly? We’re pretty dang excited about it.

What’s New on the Pasture

If you’ve driven by the farm recently, you’re going to begin spotting what look like giant 48-foot greenhouses gliding across the front pastures. These are our new mobile poultry shelters — or as we lovingly call them, “schooners.”

Each one is designed to move easily across the field each day, giving the birds fresh pasture while protecting them from predators, heat, and those classic Pacific Northwest spring storms. Thanks to solar-powered automation and smart design, the feed and water systems now run without us needing to step inside — which keeps stress low for the birds and labor lower for us.

Safety, Comfort & Fresh Grass Daily

We live in a beautiful area surrounded by salmon-bearing creeks, but that also means we share the skies with a healthy population of bald eagles and other predators. These new mobile houses offer protection from above and below while still allowing the birds to enjoy the sunshine, fresh air, and natural foraging they’re meant to have.

Plus, they offer shade in the summer and shelter in the rain — because no one likes being soggy or sunburned, including chickens.

The Brooder Got a Major Glow-Up

Where it really starts, though, is in the brooder — the place where baby chicks spend their first few weeks. This year, we upgraded to a climate-controlled system that mimics the warmth and safety of a mother hen, but at scale.

This new setup automatically manages feed, water, temperature, humidity, and airflow, so the chicks get a consistent environment to grow strong and healthy. Before this? We did all of it by hand. Measuring ammonia levels. Turning fans on and off. Hauling buckets of feed. Layering shavings to control moisture. It was intense, and not always precise.

Now, we can focus more on observation and care — instead of fighting the mechanics.

Why It Matters for You

So why are we telling you all this? Because it’s not just about fancy equipment.

It’s about creating a more sustainable food system — for us, and for you.

Last year, we were running on fumes. We hosted seven farm-to-table dinners, operated our on-farm poultry processing facility two to three days a week (while learning the ropes of managing employees for the first time), and still kept up with the daily care of our cattle and hogs. It was… a lot. And poultry? It was hands-down the most labor-intensive part of our operation.

We knew something had to change if we were going to keep raising food the way we believe in — without burning out.

These upgrades have streamlined our most demanding systems. They’ve given us breathing room. And they’ve opened the door to raising more food without sacrificing quality or our sanity.

They mean:

• We can raise more birds, more efficiently, with less physical strain.
• We can offer chicken at a more affordable price point.
• We can keep food consistent and available for the families who count on us.

We’ve always believed good food shouldn’t be a luxury item. And this year, thanks to these upgrades — and honestly, the lessons learned from a very full season in 2024 — we’re making that belief more real than ever before.