City Chicks from the Intervale

Nicole Dehne, farmer of City Chicks, has been raising organic chickens and turkeys down in the Intervale for us this summer.

Nicole's daughter, Stella, with the chickens. Photo by Shayne Lynn.

The birds are certified organic and local – a rarity in our meat case where we typically don’t have enough of a supply to satisfy demand.

City Chicks chicken out on pasture. Photo by Shayne Lynn.

The important distinction between local chickens and certified organic local chickens is in the type of feed the chickens get. Unlike pastured cows which can be entirely grass-fed, pastured chickens still need grain to round out their dietary requirements. Grain usually accounts for 80-95% of a chicken’s calories. Farmers feed a grain-based mix consisting mostly of corn and soy. Certified organic birds are fed organic grain, meaning that the corn and soy in that feed can’t be genetically modified (GMO). As currently over 90% of the soy and 80% of the corn grown in the United States is genetically modified, it’s expected all non-organic birds are fed GMO grain. 

Photo by Shayne Lynn.

We've currently got City Chicks chicken in our Meat department and we'll have organic turkeys by Thanksgiving!

One of the neat things about local food is our opportunity to see it for ourselves. If you want to meet your meat, or just say 'hi' to some good looking chickens and turkeys, we’re taking a farm tour down to the Intervale on Sunday, October 9 from 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. Sign up by emailing me!