Northfield Area Poultry CSA Launch
Posted by Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin on March 17, 2008
Who we are
We are a group of Latino families who experimented growing free range chickens during 2007 right here in Northfield. Most of us have experience working in farms 
but needed to see how things work here, so we tried it last year with great success. We are now ready to start a small direct marketing operation raising chickens and want to do so in partnership with our customers through a share system similar to that of Community Supported Agriculture farms.
Where are we located
This year we are based out of 4597 315th St. W just north of Northfield off of Highway 3. Everyone who signs up for a share of our chickens or is interested in shares in the future is invited to visit the place where their chickens are being raised. We also invite those with children to come and participate in the process of growing healthy foods.
How we raise our chickens
We are committed to producing high quality meat at an affordable cost and in a natural and healthy way. This means that we raise our chickens outside (free 
range). We also plant certain foods (buck wheat, black beans, etc.) that they eat during the day either as mature grains or as tender plants (beans). We also feed them regular chicken feed to supplement their diet. As part of our commitment to sustainable agriculture, we do not use antibiotics or hormones of any kind. Instead we rely on local knowledge for natural medicines from our elders and other farmers in the community.
Why should you order from us
Our commitment to quality, affordable prices and sustainable methods for raising our chickens are the primary reasons we believe you should buy from us. The fact that we are local also ensures that your dollars stay in our community. As new migrants to this area, we offer you an opportunity to learn more about us by doing business with us. Our operation is reliable, we have invested in infrastructure to ensure that we can deliver what we promise, and we will process all of the birds at a certified food processing plant close to Northfield and keep them frozen until you pick them up. By working with us, you will also contribute to this community’s sustainability by supporting local food systems. Most importantly, you should choose us because you will get a fresh, naturally grown, high quality, and affordable product.
Our business meets criteria for social and environmental responsibility
In 2007, we took a trip to Fairmount, on the blue earth river basin in southern MN. We went there to pick up 450 hazelnut trees which are now planted where the chickens will be raised and on land next door where we will grow vegetables between rows. As we raise chickens, they will fertilize the hazelnuts, as the 
hazelnuts grow, they will provide shade for the birds in the future, four years from now, we should also start harvesting hazelnuts and chickens from the same land. Hazelnuts have root systems that can grow 12 feet down and expand over a 15 feet diameter. These characteristics make them one of the best options for soil protection, eliminating the need for tilling the soil, and over time, they will produce an equivalent biomass per acre to soybeans. Though Chub creek behind our land is one of the most polluted tributaries to the Cannon River, we can claim that we won’t be adding to this problem, and you as our customer, can feel proud to be part of a solution to farm run-off pollution.
How to Order
If you are and “end-user”, which means that you will be consuming the product yourself and want to order our chickens, please print and mail this order form to place an order for the 2008 delivery schedule. Remember, a chicken weights between 4 and 5 pounds, if you can, please order in multiples of these amounts for each delivery date.
To open order form, click here: on-line-order-form.pdf
Comments
2 Responses to “Northfield Area Poultry CSA Launch”Leave a comment, and if you'd like your own picture to show up next to your comments, go get a gravatar!
Reggi,
What a wonderful article that you wrote. I loved the pictures. Makes me anxious to see the new crop of hazelnuts bud and prosper this spring. And I just know this year’s new chickens will have a beautiful and full life on the farm in their secure and “picturesque” spread! I recommend you start them as soon as possible. Like I shared with Amy, we used to take delivery for our chicks by April 15th. We housed and fed them, all 100, in a metal stock tank, placed in a cozy corner of the basement, for a month or so. It was fun, effortless and odor-free! Besides, they are so cute and quiet, we hated to turn them out when it came time. It was ideal. They began laying in August, and matured wonderfully before it got too cold. God willing, it will be a very rewarding year 2008!
Helloooo over there! Looking forward to SPRING!
-Linda
Perhaps you have already thought of this, but you could ask Father Denny if you could advertize throught the parish bulletin. Also Just Foods in Northfield tries to focus on foods grown locally – you could contact them and ask them to market the chickens.