Farm Upgrades, Improvements, and Add-ons!

 

Every once in a while I like to do a newsletter/post about what has/is going on at the farm. Its always a good idea to stay transparent with customers about business practices, as well as to offer insight into how food is brought to the table! 

First off, let's talk about some things that are directly related to the eggs themselves....

Number one on the list would have to be feed. 

Some grain prices have recently risen significantly,  such as corn and wheat. This resulting price hike has risen overall feed prices significantly. Perhaps one of the main goals (really of any business) that I try to strive for is to keep overhead costs low so the price of eggs doesn't have to go up, which fortunately has been able to stay constant for the past 6 years (almost). However, I will warn you that egg prices may have to go up a bit this year if the price of grain continues to rise. For example, last year at this time, the layer feed was $0.185/lb. This year, it is $0.24/lb. 

However, there is some good news! Since the size of the farm is bigger than it was last year, there are some more opportunities that have opened up, allowing for quantity discounts. One example of this is the ability to get feed custom mixed! Before, the chickens would only eat 1500 lbs of feed every few months, which isn't enough to qualify for the custom mix threshold (1 ton); now, between them and the ducks, they use about 2000 lbs every 2 months. Custom mixing has now allowed a median price range (per pound of feed) of $0.20/lb. This ultimately turns out to be a win-win scenario because the chickens get a feed that is finely tuned to their needs, and it also keeps egg costs from rising for the customer! 

Another "new" addition to the farm would be a truck! If you've bought compost, you've probably seen it (pictured above). The farm truck has been extremely beneficial, whether that be hauling the feed, or offering bulk compost delivery. So again, a win-win scenario. And besides, its kind of fun to drive.....

While there has been lots of small "stuff" going on the past few months, like a website, egg carton labels, and the like, what is there to look forward to this year at Happy Hen Farms? 

Perhaps the biggest question that I've been getting the past month or so is, "what will happen to the farm when you go to college?" 

Well, everything is going to stay in place like it is! I am not leaving the area for college, so the opportunity to get eggs and vegetables will still be available year round! 

Speaking of vegetables...

Another 1/4 acre plot has been added this year for vegetable production! In total, there will be about 1/2 acre producing sweet corn, potatoes, peas, beans, tomatoes, peppers, and some other miscellaneous salad ingredients. The hope in adding this second plot is that the consistency of vegetable supply will be better than last year, that way there won't be waitlists for vegetables (fingers crossed)!

And lastly, new chicks are arriving this week! Some more details regarding those will be available next week, but I can tell you that the farm will be FULL of chickens! 

As always, if there is something that you would like to see more of in these posts, or even ideas of new/improved products that you may be interested in, feel free to leave a comment, or send me an email @ jshappyhenfarms@gmail.com.