A few days ago I went to the neighborhood of Ghent to pick up some chicken I ordered online. Full Quiver Farm is a local, family-run farm located in Suffolk - just 30 miles from where I live in Norfolk. Orders are placed through their website and once a month Scott Wilson drives in to the Norfolk/Virginia Beach area to drop off the orders at hostess homes located throughout the city. I ordered 4 chicken breast filets, a thigh pack with 6 chicken thighs and 1lb of Italian-style pork sausage. The grand total: $37.13, including taxes and delivery charge.
The Wilson family does everything the old-fashioned way on their farm: they use natural compost and manure instead of synthetic fertilizers; all the animals (chickens, cows, pigs, turkeys) are free-range meaning they pasture freely and aren't locked up in cages all day; no growth hormones are used to un-naturally fatten the animals; and they enjoy a natural diet: the chickens eat insects, grass and a natural feed mix, the cows are grass fed - not corn fed (which is not part of their natural diet!).
But the best (and most adorable) part of Full Quiver Farm? The Wilson Family! That's mom, dad, 3 boys and 6 girls! All the children play a large role in the running of the farm - just read their newsletter. Things can't get much more wholesome than that! So, even though the chicken was pretty pricey, I feel better spending that kind of money when I know I'm contributing to the livelihood of a family of ELEVEN. Jon and Kate move aside - you guys have nothing on the Wilson family!
I've yet to make anything with the chicken. Maybe I'll grill up two of the breast filets and make chicken soft tacos for dinner tonight... I do anticipate a more distinct "chicken flavor", as weird as that may sound. Like the chicken we caught and killed on my grandfather's farm in Vietnam - lean, not much meat, but had a very distinct (i.e. strong) chicken flavor compared to that stuff you get in the supermarkets. I'll let you know how it turns out :)
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