Investing in Local Pasture-Raised Meat and Eggs

When people see our prices at Fat Apple Farm they sometimes ask, “Why does it cost so much?” We completely understand—if you buy a steak from us, it can be three times the price of what you would find at the grocery store.

The answer to the question is complicated, but the reasons cut to the very heart of who we are, why and how we farm, and how we produce excellent and healthful meat and eggs.

For us, the investment of our time, energy, and money in the WAY we raise our animals is totally worth it. We practice multi-species rotational grazing and regenerative agriculture—fancy words to describe a simple philosophy: we farm in the ways that are best for all ecosystems under our stewardship, from the mycorrhiza and bacteria in the soil to the humans that consume our products.

All of our cattle, sheep, and pigs are born and raised at Fat Apple. Which means that in addition to raising animals, we’re running a breeding operation. This is the “old” way to farm. It reduces stress on animals, and it allows us to improve our breeds over time with selective mating.

We allow our animals to graze and move frequently over the land, like their natural behaviors. This is good for their welfare and it is good for the land they inhabit. The animals provide natural disruption and fertilizer, improving the pasture and woodland ecologies and maximizing carbon sequestration. But this takes time and labor; every day our farmers are feeding our 1,200 animals, checking on and replenishing fresh water, and moving mobile fencing to keep animals moving over our 500 acres.

Our ruminants (cows and sheep) eat grass only. This requires moving them daily during the spring, summer, and fall so that they can eat the tops of the grasses, which are high in nutrients, but not graze so much as to damage the plant. We also must harvest hay in order to have enough grass to feed these amazing soil healers through the long Northeastern winters.

We also raise our pigs and chickens out on pasture, and rotate them regularly across the land. We feed them non-GMO grains that are grown 40 minutes away at Stone House Farm. This local connection is the best choice for our animals and supports our local economy. Using non-GMO grain is more expensive, but ensures that we're not supporting unnatural fertilizer and herbicide based agriculture.

When it comes time to harvest, we have to rely on other local businesses. Because we're a small farm, we can't afford to build our own processing center, and we don't have the volume to warrant discount pricing from local meat packers. But we value using local solutions, and we're lucky to have great options nearby. For instance, our sausages are made by Jack Peele of JACUTERIE, an award winning sausage maker. It costs more than other options, but it is partly why our sausages are so good!

And finally, we're committed to the welfare of not only our animals and land, but the people that work here. We provide housing, pay fair and livable wages, and help with health insurance.

To top it all off, we believe that all of the investments we make—in the animals, in the land and environment, in our local economy, and in our people—result in truly exceptional meat and eggs! Compare the vivid orange of the yolk of one of our chicken eggs to one from the grocery store. That color indicates a chicken that spends its days out scratching in the pasture eating grass and bugs, and therefore a more nutritious egg.

We'd love to be able to lower our prices, but to do so would require a different approach to farming, one that would violate our core principles, and also result in an inferior product. The prices you pay help us keep doing all of the above; we hope you find it worth it, we know we do!