Do people really pay THAT for your food? Why our pricing is different.

“Do people really pay THAT for a whole chicken?”

Well, yes, they do. But why? And how? Those are probably the real questions you’re asking. 

Believe it or not, most of our customers aren’t that much different from you. 

Some have fixed incomes. Most have a budget they follow. Some have young kids; others are empty nesters. Some get all their meat from us; others prioritize only a few items, like eggs or chicken. 

Many of them like to shop smarter: ordering more food less frequently, relying on multi-pack deals and subscribe and save to get the most value. 

But no matter how they shop, or what their financial circumstances are, all of them have one thing in common. 

They believe that our food is an investment: in their health, in their family, and in their community. It’s an investment that’s both short- and long-term: delivering immediate benefits in the meals they make each week, but also helping them stay healthy in the decades to come. 

So why do they believe that? What about our food is different? And why are they willing to set aside a significant portion of their monthly budget toward food from our farm? 

Reason #1: Our food is truly pasture-raised, grass-fed, non-GMO, and trustworthy. 

If you’re shopping around for a better food source, you’ve probably spent a lot of time reading labels or decoding phrases. And you’ve probably had the disheartening experience of investing in a product, or a company, that you thought was doing something the right way - only to find out that they were actually just putting a fancy spin on the same ol’ tactics. 

That’s called greenwashing, and it’s something we don’t do on our farm. 

Our customers value the peace of mind they get from our food. They don’t need to scrutinize what “pasture-raised” or “grass-fed” or “regenerative” means, because we explain exactly what they mean on our farm. We open up our farm to show you exactly what we’re doing and how (both in person and virtually). And we vet the vendors that we work with in the same way, too – visiting their farms, asking them direct questions about their practices, and communicating exactly how they’re producing their food with our customers. 

This frees our customers from the time and anxiety of worrying about whether their food actually meets their ideals or goals. They know it does - so they can just pick what they want and make it. 

Reason #2: Our food is more nutrient dense - and doesn’t have toxins you’re trying to avoid - because of our practices. 

Our animals are raised (and moved) 100% outdoors – except for the two-week window our chicks are in the brooder. And that means they’re getting diverse forage, exercise, fresh air, and sunshine. 

And that means better food for you. Our meat is more nutrient-dense because of the exercise and forage our animals are exposed to. It also means that it has better texture and fat quality. 

This is especially true when it comes to hogs and chickens. The poultry and pork you find at the store - even if it’s “organic”, “pastured”, etc. - has been raised in an indoor, enclosed space. For hogs, that’s a small concrete pad. For chickens, that’s an indoor barn. 

And do you know what that doesn’t mean for you? Natural vitamin D in your food, for one. Excellent flavor and texture from exercise and access to a variety of foods, for another. Higher quality meat from low-stress farming and butchering practices. 

Likewise, our grass-fed and grass-finished Southpoll cattle have a better omega-3 to omega-6 ratio, and less saturated fatty acids, because they never receive grain. 

We also don’t use pesticides on our fields, and our crop farmer (who grows feed for our hogs and chickens) doesn’t use pesticides to desiccate, or kill his crops more quickly for harvesting (unfortunately a common practice). And our animals don’t receive antibiotics. 

But even better, in my opinion? Our chickens and hogs also receive OGS (Organic Gut Solution) in their supplemental, non-GMO feed. The OGS binds to any toxins present, removing it through the animal’s digestive system, and ensuring that it doesn’t end up in your food. 

And the OGS also improves our pastures, too. Because we're improving our animals' gut health, they do a better job feeding our soil, creating more nutrient-dense and biologically active food for them - and therefore, more nutritious and healthy food for you in the long run. 

Reason #3: Our food directly supports multiple, local small farms and vendors - and keeps the community healthier, too. 

Our customers love knowing that they’re directly supporting our family of six and one part-time employee (who’s also our neighbor). 

But they also love knowing that they’re supporting one of the last independent dairies in Alamance County when they purchase Ran-Lew Dairy’s cream-top, low-pasteurized milk. Or a tenth-generation local mill when they purchase sprouted, 100% certified organic flour from Lindley Mills. Or small-batch, high-oleic and low-PUFA peanut butter from a small family store in Asheboro. 

In fact, our customers love that they can source a wide variety of local food that meets their ideals - all in one order. And that’s one of our main goals: to make the good food that you want more accessible. 

So yes, our food is more expensive. But it’s also much different than what you’ll find in the store - from your health, to the impact it makes in your community, to the quality of life our animals experience - and the food you’ll eat.