Cooking with your children is a valuable way to form a bond that can create memories for a lifetime. But cooking presents dangers to little helpers. These tips are good reminders to ensure you and your little ones have an enjoyable experience by your side and develop habits that support food safety and fun with food:

• Start small! Things like letting them stir ingredients in a bowl or holding onto the tongs as you guide them to placing the chicken on the grill can be fun.
• Remember, how you communicate with kids while they are completing the task makes the experience. Be encouraging and offer support and guidance to boost their confidence.
• Be a narrator. Describe all sense when cooking with kids. They can easily catch onto “using a sharp knife to cut our hot chicken breast” or “let’s put the chicken on the grill near the hot flame.”
• Keep your cool. Cooking with kids can get crazy if they decide to do their own thing. Having ingredients prepared and cooking a familiar recipe can help with the chaos, but if you lose it, let them know why you got upset when they dumped half the salt container into the slow cooker.
• Print the recipe. If phones and tablets work for you, cool. We love being a part of digital work. We also know spills and drops happen, and having the recipe on paper can protect screens and electronics.
• We are taking this opportunity to remind everyone about food safety. Teach kids to use meat thermometers, note the appearance and smell of meat before cooking, and check the label info like a use-by date. We want to make sure the food we are cooking is safe to eat!
• Install safety latches on all cabinets and cupboards with contents that could pose risks to children.
• Keep spices out of children’s reach. Many are toxic.
• Keep aluminum foil, waxed paper, and plastic wrap dispensers away from children. The serrated edges on the boxes can cut little fingers.
• Use backburners whenever possible. Some of the most common accidents occur when a child reaches up and grabs a pot or pan, spilling the hot contents over himself. When it’s necessary to use the front burners, turn all pot handles toward the back so they are not as easy to reach.
• Be careful to open a hot oven door when a child is standing by. They may try to touch the inside of the door or may get a face full of very hot air.
• Never leave sharp implements, including knives, where little hands can grab them.
• Unplug all small appliances when not in use and store them out of reach.

Find more great tips on happykidskitchen.com!

Let’s talk about easy lunches for kids. Chicken may not be your first thought when you think of kid lunches, but what about breaded chicken nuggets and chicken tender wraps? We kid-tested these lunches and immediately got all the “mmmmm”s and “I want more” after the first couple of bites. Spoiler alert: it’s all HEALTHY, and the adults loved it too.
So here are four recipes that will bring you lunchbox success! We even dropped some recommendations at the end for different lunch sides.

1. HEALTHY CHICKEN NUGGETS

What about a chicken nugget is healthy? Well, we withheld salty breading and oil for deep-frying. We lightly tossed our cut-up pieces of organic chicken breast in a breadcrumb mix we made ourselves for peak crispiness. When we tested this, these kiddos didn’t even use dipping sauce because they were so excited to eat them!

2. CHICKEN HASH BROWNS WITH BASIL

Lulu picked her favorite ingredients for us (especially the basil), and her dad knew hash browns would be a perfect way to use breakfast leftovers and make a lunch to look forward to.

3. CHICKEN TENDER WRAPS

You cannot go wrong here if you are in a pinch for time. Grab your favorite veggies to stuff in these wraps. It is hard for picky eaters to notice veggies when the chicken has so much flavor!

4. TOASTED C.L.T. (CHICKEN LETTUCE TOMATO) SANDWICH

This sandwich may sound like a big-kid/adult lunch, and it is, BUT the kids will absolutely love it all, from the toasty bread to the juicy tomato and chicken.

DON’T KNOW WHAT TO PACK AS A SIDE IN THESE LUNCHES? HERE ARE SOME IDEAS!

The NEXTY Awards recognize the most progressive, impactful, and trustworthy products in the natural products industry. Farmer Focus is excited to announce that two of its newest pre-seasoned products have been nominated for NEXTY Awards.

Due to inflation, 94% of consumers plan to maintain or increase the number of meals they eat at home. Our pre-seasoned line is made to help home chefs break up mealtime monotony with easy-to-make, healthy, clean, and chef-inspired flavors at home. Take a look below for a sneak peek at our newest products coming to stores in late 2022!

NOMINATED AS BEST NEW ORGANIC OR REGENERATIVE PRODUCT

HONEY JALAPEÑO PARTY WINGS

The perfect balance of spicy and sweet, these Honey Jalapeño Wings elevate any home cook’s meal, whether on the grill or broiled in the oven.

NOMINATED AS BEST NEW MEAT, DAIRY, OR ANIMAL-BASED PRODUCT

BLACK GARLIC GINGER BONELESS SKINLESS CHICKEN THIGHS

The earthiness of black garlic matches perfectly with the fresh burst of ginger to deliver a chicken thigh dish like no other, an allergen-free teriyaki alternative for all.

LASTEST FARMER FOCUS BONELESS SKINLESS CHICKEN BREAST PRE-SEASONED PRODUCT

CARIBBEAN JERK BONELESS SKINLESS CHICKEN BREAST

This island-inspired recipe blends spicy chili peppers with cinnamon and thyme to provide an organic, allergen-free, and easy-to-cook dish that will turn any meal into a vacation.

Whole Chickens are so in right now. If are in need of chicken breast, thighs, drumsticks, or more for meals this week, then getting a whole chicken can be an easy way to get everything you need with one purchase. We are bringing you three of our favorite whole chicken recipes, so you can be prepared to make lunch, dinner, and/or leftovers exciting!

If you know exactly how you want to season your chicken or pack leftovers, we will leave this quick cooking recommendation for baking and grilling a whole chicken right here. If you need some cooking inspiration, keep reading!

We’ve all experienced food differently in the last two years. Some of it might have been positive: more family meals at home; starting a first backyard or patio veggie garden; or heck, maybe you became an InstaPot sensation on TikTok. But much of what we experienced has been a little rough:  store shelves and cases without our favorite brands; higher prices for the food we do buy; or needing to tap into food banks or SNAP to keep our families fed.

While there is no “wave a wand” and make it all better solution to the challenges that the pandemic, supply chain disruptions, and now war has caused, there is reason for optimism that we as a country will move out of this. It will take many hands, certainly those of the people who grow and make our food, but also improved public policy to incentivize a food system that comes back online even more healthy, sustainable, and equitable.

On June 1st, the USDA announced a new framework to drive us in those directions. While the framework covers many areas of the supply chains that collectively deliver nutrition security in the US, there are a few areas that we at Farmer Focus are particularly excited to see.

On The Farm

This program puts $300 million towards helping more farmers transition to organic farming and calls out the climate and environmental benefits of that transition. Farmer Focus gave input into the program, and we were thrilled to see that some of our recommendations made it, including funding farmer-to-farmer mentoring programs. We’ve seen firsthand what happens when farmers stop competing and start raising each other up by sharing information to make their operations more efficient, sustainable, and equitable for all. We believe farmers should get paid for all their work – including their work as educators and mentors.

Processing

Moving from the farm to food processing, there are significant potential gains in increased development and training of workers to create safer processing facilities. One of the core tenets of Farmer Focus’ culture has always been worker safety, which is reflected in our COVID response and our continued safety milestones, recently celebrating 5 Million Man Hours without a lost workday injury.  

In addition to worker safety concerns in traditional meat and poultry processing, the USDA and administration continue to recognize that a lack of competition can create problematic bottlenecks for farmers and ranchers while limiting consumer choice. We saw this during the pandemic, with meat shortages and farmers unable to process their herds and flocks. In the USDA framework, there’s funding for a new loan program to help small and medium processors expand their operations, focus investments on improving their waste and water management, and modernize equipment for food safety.

Farmer Focus applauds the USDA’s efforts and celebrates all of the people who grow, make, distribute and prepare our food, from fields to grocery stores or restaurants. We believe the future of food for our families is more healthy and nutrient-dense food that benefits both people and our planet.

Matthew Dillon, Chief Sustainability Officer

At Farmer Focus, we celebrate Small Businesses every day. If you’ve bought Farmer Focus organic chicken, you have celebrated that too.  

As we approach small business Saturday, we wanted to highlight how a simple package of Farmer Focus organic chicken allows small business owners and their communities to thrive.  

Fair Pay for Farmers

Our partner farmers report making 25-30% more with us than competitors. That means they can invest in more supportive technology and equipment for their farms. It also means that our farmers can contribute more to the communities in which they live. That support of the community is essential to ensuring that farms survive and thrive for generations.

Traceability to Farmers

Every package of Farmer Focus chicken includes a Farm ID so that you can trace your chicken back to the farmer who raised it. At Farmer Focus, we believe trust in claims starts with knowing the people behind your food. 

WHAT TO IGNORE AND WHAT TO LOOK FOR

Clearing Up Claims Confusion

Even the most well intentioned shopper can have a hard time sifting through all of the different claims on packages in the grocery store meat case. “All Natural,” “free-range,” “fresh,” and “farm-raised” all sound good, but what do they truly mean, and how can you be sure they are verified?

CLAIM TO IGNORE: “CAGE-FREE”

A company who puts a “Cage-Free” claim on a package of chicken is misleading their customers.

In the chicken industry, there are two kinds of chickens: layers and broilers. Layers produce eggs, and broilers produce meat. Some companies keep layer hens in cages to streamline the collection of eggs, which is not a humane way to care for birds. But no companies cage their broiler chickens – it’s costly and impractical. The absence of cages does not mean free-range, and these “Cage-Free” broiler chickens can still be kept in high-density houses—which isn’t much different from a cage anyway.  

CLAIM TO IGNORE: “FARM-RAISED”

Similar to “Cage-Free,” this is another way that companies try to differentiate themselves…even though they are no different. All broiler chickens are raised on farms. What actually matters are the certifications a brand carries that speak to the practices on those farms—especially certifications that are subject to third party auditors.

CLAIM TO IGNORE: “ALL-NATURAL”

Some companies will use the claim “All-Natural” on their chicken, but this chicken can still include a lot of things that aren’t natural at all.

“All-Natural” is used to describe products that don’t include added synthetic ingredients (such as artificial colors, MSG, preservatives, etc.), this doesn’t necessarily mean the production methods are entirely natural. “All-Natural” doesn’t rule out the use of a method called “plumping”, which refers to the use of a saline injection that might include ingredients like lemon juice, broth, or sugar (ingredients also considered “All-Natural”). Check the ingredients list, and find sodium content on the Nutrition Information panel.

Additionally, animal by-products, antibiotics, and fillers can still be fed to “All Natural” chickens.

This “All Natural” claim is not only a misleading claim for meat products, but for all food products. Synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and genetically modified plants are still considered “All Natural”. Look for the USDA Organic, non-GMO, or certified naturally grown labels if you’re trying to stay closer to nature.

click here for FDA comments on the use of “All-Natural” on labels.

CLAIM TO IGNORE: “RAISED WITHOUT ADDED HORMONES” OR “NO STEROIDS”

Many chicken companies make the claim “RAISED WITHOUT ADDED HORMONES!” or “NO STEROIDS” on their chicken packages. More than 75% of consumers think there are added hormones or steroids present in most chicken meat—but the use of hormones and steroids in poultry and pork was banned by the USDA in the 1950s. That is why we never have—and never will—add this claim on our packages, and why you might ask yourself why a company would add this misleading claim to theirs.

Hormones can still legally be added to beef—claims of no hormones in these products certainly DO make a difference in the production methods.

CLAIM TO IGNORE: “FRESH”

In the meat industry, “Fresh” refers to items that have never been frozen below 26°F (-3°C). Meat products are frozen to this degree for long-distance shipping or meal kit delivery. “Fresh” is not an indication of product quality, just the temperature it’s been kept.

CLAIM TO LOOK FOR: USDA ORGANIC LOGO

The USDA Organic certification is an official accreditation granted by the Secretary of Agriculture to businesses that submit an application, demonstrate sufficient expertise in organic farming and handling, and comply with the appropriate guidelines. Products with the USDA Organic logo displayed on their packaging or label have been produced without synthetic chemicals, on land that has not been exposed to those chemicals. for 3 years previous.

As it pertains to broiler chickens, the USDA Organic certification means they’re raised without antibiotics and that they have clean, dry bedding in their houses and outdoor access to encourage natural behaviors.

CLAIM TO LOOK FOR: THIRD-PARTY HUMANE CERTIFICATIONS

When “Free-Range” appears on a chicken product label, many folks picture the chickens roaming free in a green pasture… but legally it just means they have access to the outside.

Even the USDA Organic certification sets no specific standards for the size of the outdoor area, the size of the door leading between inside and outside, or the amount of time the birds spend outdoors.

Certified Humane and Global Animal Partnership standards outline minimum measures for each of those aspects—to ensure the birds have access to fresh air and room to run.

Other humane/animal welfare labels to look for:

For more information about humane/animal welfare claims,
The Animal Welfare Institute is a great resource!

CLAIM TO LOOK FOR: “NO ANTIBIOTICS EVER”

There’s been a lot of buzz about antibiotics used in animal products, and whether or not ABF (antibiotic-free) meat is the same as Organic. To clear things up a bit, Organic meat is always raised without antibiotics, but ABF meat isn’t always Organic. Just like all chickens are birds, but not all birds are chickens.

To add to the confusion, some companies might inject eggs with antibiotics and sell them to Organic producers, because Organic standards are only enforced the day after the chickens hatch. If the use of antibiotics is your most pressing concern, look for the “No Antibiotics Ever” claim.

If a flock requires antibiotics (it’s humane to care for sick birds), it’s then sold as conventional chicken—even if it was intended to be raised Organically. Luckily, SVO has never had to administer antibiotics to a sick flock, because our farmers have never had a sick flock!

CLAIM TO LOOK FOR: “100% FARMER OWNED”

Most poultry growers don’t own the birds they raise, and conventional business models create competition between farmers by using a ‘tournament system’ for compensation.

At SVO, our farmer partners own the chickens and the feed up until they are full grown, at which point we purchase them at a premium price per pound. We treat our farmers with respect and dignity, and pay them fairly, because we believe in and value the work they do.

The benefits of going Organic reach so much farther than our individual health interests. Including environmental sustainability and animal welfare, Organic farming practices provide real benefits for the hard-working people who put food on our plates.

HEALTHIER WORK ENVIRONMENT:

Conventional non-Organic farming sprays hundreds of thousands of gallons of pesticides and herbicides on their crops each year—and farmers/laborers are experiencing the consequences of long-term exposure.

The Organic Center, with funding from the UNFI Foundation, synthesized 129 research studies from around the world that looked at the impacts of synthetic pesticides on the health of farm-workers and farm communities. The EPA estimates that agricultural workers and others who handle pesticides suffer between 1,800 and 3,000 preventable exposures per year. While some symptoms are immediate (skin irritation or respiratory problems) longer term exposure can be devastating (cancer, poor reproductive health, and neurodegenerative disorders).

As part of the EPA’s Conventional Reduced Risk Pesticide Program, several agrochemicals that have been linked to brain damage and water contamination are up for review: chlorpyrifos-methyl, dicrotophos, dimethoate, ethoprop, profenofos, terbufos and tribufos.

EarthJustice’s Sustainable Food & Farming program puts people on the ground to fight for healthier working environments for farmers and farm laborers. In this video as part of the Growing Change series (published 2016), Jim Cochran tells the story of why he made the pioneering choice to go Organic in the 90’s, and how his strawberry farming operation has evolved to provide care for his employees and their families.https://www.youtube.com/embed/WKR1jLgDhjw?wmode=opaque&enablejsapi=1

Every person working the land—from farmers to farm laborers—deserve the same access to safe working environment as the rest of us. After all, they are the folks responsible for making sure we’re fed.

MORE PROFITABLE PER ACRE:

Selling organic is profitable—22-35% more profitable than conventional farming, according to a comprehensive study by Washington State University. Researchers David W. Crowder and John P. Reganold gathered data from 44 studies of 55 crops grown on 5 five continents spanning 40 years—in an attempt to prove the economic competitiveness of Organic farming vs. conventional.

The study found costs between running an organic and conventional farm are roughly even. Organic farmers don’t have to buy expensive synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, but they do spend more on labor costs (we call it reinvesting in the community through job creation and stability). So what gives organic producers the extra bump? They get a higher price when selling certified Organic crops. This “premium” is around 30% and has stayed roughly the same over four decades.

HEALTHY CHICKENS MAKE FOR HAPPY FARMERS:

So how do chickens factor into Organic agriculture?

Growing chickens on Organic feed creates a need for Organic crops. Most chicken feed includes a blend of soy and corn meal—which make up 171.4 million acres of cropland in America. Only tiny fractions of those crops are grown Organically, but the rising demand for certified Organic food and products is creating opportunities for more and more farms to switch over.

We really enjoy growing these chickens for SVO because of the healthier environment. I also feel its healthier for us as growers to be free of all the chemicals and additives that were used in the [conventional] chicken. These organic chickens are definitely happier 🙂 and healthier, which makes it fun to grow them.

-Elsie Cline, Pine Grove Farm

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When it comes to the health and welfare of our fellow humans, it’s worth considering what ways going Organic is worth the investment. Click the links in this post as a starting point for further reading, and search out more reasons why going Organic is better for farmers.

At Farmer Focus we don’t just say we empower family farmers, we do it. That’s why we recently submitted comments to the USDA on the actions we believe are needed to support independent farmers.   

The Farmer Focus business model gives farmers ownership and empowers them to make better choices for their animals, farms, and the environment. Today we serve over 70 family farmers and we have more than 100 farms on our waiting list. Farmers want to farm with us because we do business differently. We may have farmers waiting to join our team, but we will not wait to promote and protect their interests.   

1. Independent Farmers Need Independent Suppliers

We believe farmer ownership of feed and birds purchased from independent suppliers is essential to fair competition. Most chicken farmers today don’t even own the birds or the feed on their farms, those things are supplied to them by large “integrators” who control the entire supply chain from start to finish. This offers farmers little to no control over the quality of bird or feed they receive, two of the most important inputs in raising healthy birds.  

Independent hatcheries and feed mills that supply farmers are becoming less common; this is a problem for smaller farmers as it drives up grain costs and makes it increasingly hard for them to secure eggs from hatcheries.    

We support USDA policy that supports more competition in farm inputs and relieves the financial burden of loss of choice for small farmers.  

2. Fair Pay

The Farmer Focus business model provides clear and transparent payment terms. We do this so that all of our farmers know their commitment and understand the risk vs. reward. Due to our unique business model, our farmers report that they make between 25-35% more farming with us than competitors. In a traditional model, farmers would compete against one another flock after flock for pay. In that model, someone wins, and many lose.   

Farmer Focus built a system that allows our farmers to work together, driving innovation and supporting our farmers’ desire to raise the best chicken possible. One of the largest burdens for our farmers is the entry cost to ownership. Due to our unique and organic model, it’s harder for our farmers to secure lending from banks and the USDA. We support legislation that would ease the entry-level burden for small farmers and provide USDA support for research on alternative farm models like ours.   

Like every business, recruitment and retention of employees in agriculture present challenges. It takes over 500 employees for us to support our current farm families. To further support our farming model, we need to meet our workforce needs in rural areas. Farmer Focus supports the policy that further develops USDA loans for housing in rural, low-moderate income communities. Additionally, we believe that USDA support for further training agriculture workers can have an oversized impact in these rural communities. We believe USDA support for programs that provide access to leadership training and management development in agriculture is direct support for farmers.

3. Sustainability & Transparency

We also believe the future of farming is sustainable. Protecting the environment means protecting our farmers’ ability to farm. That’s why we practice enhanced animal welfare on farms, reduce waste in our production facility through water and waste recycling, and are developing climate resiliency through new technologies. Our goal is to become a net carbon sink, using less carbon than we emit as we grow.  

We support USDA policy that helps grow organic grain production on US farms. There is currently a 2-year downtime for farms switching to organic with no financial support during that down period. Supporting organic grain production in the US is essential to cutting the carbon footprint of imported grains.  

At Farmer Focus we offer transparency in every package of chicken through our Farm ID system that allows you to trace your product back to the farmer that raised it. We support label clarifications from the USDA on labeling such as “Product of the USA” and “Family Farms”. We are working to build a company that can be trusted by farmers, customers, and the stores that carry our products. Those looking to use loose label guidelines to deceive are doing so at the expense of independent farmers.   

To view our USDA comments in full and learn more, visit: https://www.regulations.gov/comment/AMS-TM-21-0058-0443 

Corwin Heatwole, Founding Farmer & Chairman

USDA Organic is one of the many certifications with standards that include animal welfare practices.
These are some of the ways going Organic can help provide a healthier and more natural living environment for chickens.

NOT ADMINISTERED ANTIBIOTICS:

“Antibiotic-free” (ABF), is a package claim showing up in grocery store meat cases more frequently these days—what gives?

When animals are treated with the same antibiotics that are used in human medicines, bacteria like salmonella and E.coli can build a resistance to these ‘medically-important” antibiotics—making it harder to treat humans who do become infected.

Getting ahead of the possibility for these “superbugs” to build stronger resistance to human medicines is on the minds of many.

Clearly, antibiotic use in animal agriculture is huge, and as the FDA and CDC and WHO all agree, much of it is unnecessary. Data collection is important. But, because resistant bugs quickly adapt, we can’t afford to wait for data to take action to reduce antibiotic use wherever possible.

– William T. Grant
Foundation Distinguished Fellow
Food Systems and Public Health
at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health

Organic farming is on the front lines of this movement by prohibiting the use of antibiotics in livestock. If animals require antibiotics, they’ll be separated from the rest of the group and treated (it’s humane to care for sick animals)—but they will not be sold as Organic. However, farmers and organizations have worked together to better understand how to keep their flocks from getting sick in the first place. It’s not a simple task, and it requires farmers to take great care of their operations (like keeping the houses at a low density, replacing the bedding between each flock, giving access to the outdoors), but these extra steps result in an overall healthier and happier living environment for the birds.

STRONGER IMMUNE RESPONSE:

Feeding flocks an Organic diet might be a contributing factor to why these birds are able to fight off disease without the use of antibiotics.

A comprehensive study published by the British Journal of Nutrition in 2010 gave insight to a measured difference between chickens fed Organic or conventional feed. It was observed that Organically fed chickens have lower body weights, higher immune reactivity, and stronger catch-up growth after infections.

When talking about these two together (Organic and antibiotic-free), it’s important to note that Organic always means antibiotic-free, but antibiotic-free doesn’t always mean Organic. Just like all chickens are birds, but not all birds are chickens.

MORE ACTIVE AND PLAYFUL:

While conventional chicken houses are low-lit with LED lights and sealed shut, the USDA Organic standards call for year-round sunlight through windows along the side of the houses, and regular access to pasture. It’s not hard to understand how outdoors and sunlight might play a role in encouraging active and playful behavior for any animal.

Pleasant Hill Poultry has moved their operation to Organic after conventional farming for 30 years. They’ve noted some big differences in flock behavior after converting their chicken houses to meet Organic standards:

I can see a huge difference between the characteristics of organic vs conventional birds. The organic birds are much more alert and playful. They seem to play more and are generally more active. They also seem to really enjoy spending time outside when the weather is applicable. I believe it’s a combination of a healthy diet and a quality living environment.

– Farmer Jason, Pleasant Hill Poultry

INCREASED OVERALL HEALTH:

These are some of the ways going Organic can help support a healthier quality of life for everyone involved. Living in houses that are clean, with access to fresh air and sunlight, high-quality feed and high-quality care makes a difference in the lives of chickens, and their human caretakers. It’s a win-win-win-win in our book.

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When it comes to the health and welfare of farm animals, it’s worth considering what ways going Organic is worth the investment. Click the links in this post as a starting point for further reading, and search out more reasons why going Organic is better for the birds.