WellsTavernFarm’s Weblog

It has gotten dramatically easier to obtain Wells Tavern Farm brown and tinted eggs in the local area! 

Not only are they available at the farm, and they have been available in Greenfield at the Guiding Star Farmer’s Market on Tuesday afternoons from 3-6 on Chapman Street (excepting the two weeks when I was sick, or this week when I was in the labor and delivery unit of the hospital being evaluated), but now, our eggs are available (in somewhat limited supply– first come first served) at McCusker’s Market, across from the Iron Bridge and Bridge of Flowers on the Buckland side of Shelburne Falls.

These eggs are, as always, produced from hens that are free-ranging, antibiotic-free, hormone-free, who forage on pesticide-free grass, worms, etc… and eat locally produced (Souther Vermont) grains that contain no animal by-products or creepy ingredients.

• Hooray for the Hens!  Eat your eggs today!
• Currently, supplying our eggs are Buff Orpingtons, a few Australorps, a Delaware, and Americaunas (the tinted eggs — green to blue in color).

We have a batch of Rhode Island Red Chicks that should start to lay in the mid-fall, and add to the brown egg producers as well.

We have hatched out our last baby turkeys for the season, and back in the chicken department, we have acquired the last of the baby chicks that we will raise for the year — we have 25 barnyard mix chicks that we boought from a family in Barre, MA about a month ago, a more recent acquisition of Brahama chicks (very heavy birds — meat and egg producing) and more of my favorites — 25 Buff Orpingtons!  These babies should start laying between Halloween and Thanksgiving.

This morning on my commute to the public radio station (work) I was very surprised to see gas prices had risen again, since yesterday. Yesterday morning the lowest grade gasoline was $4.09 and 9/10 a gallon… this morning everything had risen to $4.13 and 9/10 — and at the Mobil Station across the street – gas was $4.16, again for the lowest grade.

Is it time to eat local?  Shipping food here, shipping food there… all trips supporting these outrageous gas prices.

So, I promised that on another day, I would discuss the ingredients and foods that our chickens are consuming. It is pretty simple:  during the day, they scratch and peck at worms, grasses,  bugs, etc, all of the natural little things that live in the ground and pasture. In addition, they eat a mixture of scratch: corn and oats.  For the entree each day, they eat Poulin chicken feed. Poulin is a Vermont family run business, that does not add creepy and scary ingredients to their feeds — plus they are more or less LOCAL — thus decreasing the food miles that the chickens are using. Do you really want to know what is in the chicken feed? Well, for one, there are no by-products of other animals (a popular first or second ingredient in many chicken feeds), and there are no medications, no hormones, no icky things that we would not naturally consume ourselves.

Here they are: the Ingredients:
Grain products, plant protein products, processed grain by-products, calcium carbonate, omega 3 supplement, monocalcium phosphate, vegetable oil, sodium bicarbonate, salt, saccharomyces cerevisiae (the technical name for Brewer’s Yeast), choline chloride (a an organic compound and a quaternary ammonium salt), forage products, DL methionine (an essential amino acid), magnesium oxide, zinc oxide, mineral oil, magnesium potassium sulfate, iron carbonate, vitamin E, niacin, manganous oxide, copper sulfate, pantothenic acid, vitamin B-12, vitamin A, folic acid, vitamin D, riboflavin, biotin, sodium selenite, pyridoxine HCL (basically vitamin B6: it balances of sodium and potassium and promotes red blood cell production), vitamin K, cobalt carbonate, calcium iodate, thiamine.

There, that wasn’t so scary, was it?  No, the feed is not organic. If it were, we would need to charge about $5 a dozen for our eggs. Not only do I think that price structure is unfeasible in our current economic climate, but I also believe that the grain that we are using is perfectly safe and healthy.

Personally, we would LOVE to use all organic products for our animals, and eat all organic foods for our family — but right now, it isn’t in the cards. Consider us the next best thing.

Rest assured that the hens are healthy and happy — they eat their vitamins and minerals, roam around and play in the dirt (take dirt baths) and lay some of the tastiest and most beautiful eggs out there. Try some today.  Stop by the farm, or visit us at the Farmers Market at 401 Chapman Street, Greenfield, MA 01301, Tuesday from 3 to 6 — at the Guiding Star Grange Farmers Market.

Eat local, buy fresh.

Every Tuesday from 3 to 6, we have set up our little table and sold fresh brown and tinted eggs from healthy happy hens, at the farmer’s market about five miles from our farm.  Our eggs are free range and truly local!

There are lots of hugely talented local craftepeople and artistsrepresented at the market, as well as other farmers offering started vegatables and flower garden plants.  Last week there were more vendors there than ever before — there was handmade soap from Ashfield, a local farmer from Ashfield selling organic eggs (ours are not organic anymore… but that is a post for another day) knitted goods, children’s clothing, slate paintings, watercolors, dressed-up canvas tote bags, and jewelry.  There were even little cactus plant babies for sale!

We sold a lot of eggs last week — many, many thanks to everyone who bought eggs.  And HELLO to all of the folks who took business cards and promised to buy eggs next week.

It is a great opportunity to talk to producers and learn about the food that you are consuming, and the plants that you intend to grow, and the artwork that is created by locals, depicting local scenes. Buying local means the products are fresher, and you keep your money in the local economy. Are you watching your food miles?

The Guiding Star Grange Farmers Market anticipates more local vendors next week, and is offering a great family day of free events on Tuesday the 17th of June. Stop  by on your way home from work and pick up fresh local asparagus. tomatoes, rhubard, preserves, eggs, and much more as the growing season progresses.

****Special event****

June 17th Family Day

Guiding Star Grange Farmer’s Market

401 Chapman Street, Greenfield, MA 01301


Hula Hoops by Shenandoah + Bracelets by Barbara

FREE: Face painting and Plant-a-seed for kids 3-6pm
FREE: Karen’s Dance Studio demonstration 4:30-5:30pm

Space available at no charge to farmers, artisans and crafters; Call Ruth at 773-7466 or email ruthieh@comcast.net