The International Poultry Expo kicks off today at the World Congress Center in downtown Atlanta. More than 25,000 people from 46 states and more than 110 countries attend. It is no surprise this expo is held in Atlanta every year. Georgia is the 4th largest poultry-producing region in the world, with 12,000 chicken houses and more than 40 processing plants in the state. Gainesville, Georgia, less than an hour north of downtown Atlanta, is the self-proclaimed Poultry Capital of the World. It's true. Just see the monument in the center of town, with the bronze rooster on top.
But here's the rub. Not one of the processing plants processes chickens from small, independent farmers. Not one of them is certified organic. Every chicken processed in the state of Georgia is from a large, industrial chicken house, and you know what that means. Antibiotics. Crowded conditions. No fresh air or grass or dirt. Any small-farm and/or organic chickens must be processed out of state. According to farmers with whom I've talked, the cost-of-entry into this business is too high and too difficult politically for independent processors.
And so, does "local" trump "organic"? As an Atlanta resident, chickens from Gainseville are raised a mere 50 miles from my home. Yet, . . . do I really want those chickens?
I cannot buy an organic chicken raised and processed in the Poultry Capital of the World or anywhere else in Georgia. What's wrong with this picture?
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5 comments:
I like your blog a lot! I drank the local organic "Kool-Aid" too, about two states north of you. I've added you to my blogroll, and I'll be back!
Gread blog! I look forward to catching up on the rest of the posts. We are sustainable "hobby farmers" trying to transition to the farm full time. We'd like to add pastured poultry and some other items to our existing produce mix. Would you be able to share the contact info. for Gum Creek Farms? I'd like to learn from others and ask some questions - especially around regulations. I'm reading a Joel Salatin book right now and it has gotten me interested in poultry - just unsure about all the regulation our state seems to be good at imposing on everything! Keep up the great work - Mike from Burns Best Farm.
Mike: I'll get back with you shortly with the Gum Creek contact info. Congrats on the success of your farm (www.burnsbestfarm.com). Maybe I can come by sometime and do a post on your experience. You are about 100 miles from me, which makes you in my FoodShed!
I'm enjoying Denise's blog. (www.homesteadblogger.com/burnsbestfarm/) --Pattie
MIke: You can email Gum Creek Farms at gumcreekfarms@bellsouth.net
ZThanks for the information. I have since learned that small producers can process 1000 birds per Georgia and 20,000 by USDA standards - per a producer listed on the pastured poultry website. However Georgia defers to the FDA (go figure)? I was advised to "fly under the radar". Anyway, glad we are in your foodshed! We sell mostly in the Metro area - Mainly at the Marietta Square Farmers Market, friends at church etc. it's just a better market than Chattanooga. We are going for Certified Naturally Grown status and should have an audit soon. By all means feel free to email us for a visit to the farm. Denise and our three small farm hands give a pretty good walking tour. We are having another "planting party" in April where we "bribe" friends of the farm to come work in exchange for a good pulled pork lunch and usually some form of payback during our season in berries or produce... We are adding 200 more blackberry plants - Triple Crown. I did notice that you are writing for Edible Atlanta as well. I think I'll pick up a copy next time I got to Whole foods it looks like a good publication. Thanks again, Food shed producer Burns
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