The Importance of Utilizing Every Cut of Chicken: A Key to Sustainable Farming and Business Growth

In uncertain times, local food systems provide a much needed sense of security. As a small family farm (who got our real start in 2020 when times were MORE than uncertain) we are resilient, adapt quickly to changes and keep nutritious food flowing to our local community even when global supply chains are strained. At our farm, we believe that every part of an animal has a purpose—and it’s essential for both the growth of our business and the sustainability of regenerative agriculture. As we continue to grow, we need your support in understanding why it’s crucial to purchase all cuts of chicken. 

Here’s the harsh reality: If we don’t sell every piece of the bird, we won’t be able to meet the demand for boneless breasts at a price that makes sense for our farm. This imbalance is not just a financial issue—it’s also a matter of sustainability and morality. 

The Balance Between Supply and Demand

When customers primarily purchase boneless breasts, it creates a surplus of other cuts, like drumsticks, thighs, and wings. Without buyers for these cuts, we are left with a freezer full of underutilized products that we simply can’t afford to produce & store. Have you seen the Atlantic City Electric bills lately? To keep our farm running efficiently, every part of the chicken must be sold and utilized.

If we don’t sell all parts of the chicken, we face a tough decision: Either we raise prices on boneless breasts tremendously to make up for the underutilized cuts, or we halt production growth, which ultimately impacts our business and ability to serve our growing community. 

Why It Matters: Supporting Regenerative Agriculture

Since our beginning here, we have always taken a strong stance on our approach to regenerative agriculture. & while you will see that term multiple times in this blog post, it is not meant to be used as a buzz word but instead to give you a better understanding of what our goal was first and foremost as farmers since the very start.

Supporting regenerative agriculture goes beyond just buying local—it’s about making mindful choices in how we use natural resources in every aspect of our lives. Every part of the chicken should be treated with respect and used to its fullest potential. By purchasing cuts like wings, thighs, and drumsticks, you’re helping to reduce food waste and ensuring that our farm can continue its growing in a way that makes sense for ourselves, our ground, our livestock & our customers. 

This type of localized food system can only work if we all do our part. 

The Financial Reality

Here’s how it works: Raising chickens requires time, resources, a whole lot of labor - & when we don’t sell every cut of the bird, the cost of raising meat chickens becomes harder to justify. Please remember that we are not one of the big whig monopolies that you see on the grocery store shelves who dominate the industry and have CREATED a system to put the little man at risk. These corporate giants have economies of scale, massive distribution networks, and years of building a system that sometimes seems (is) indestructible. Wondering where all of their less desirable cuts go? Your chicken nuggets, canned soups, processed deli meats, chicken sausages, pet food.

Blah blah blah - we all know the difference between our chicken and theirs at this point, right? My point is this - If we continue to sell boneless breasts at the current rate, we’ll have to nearly double the price to make up for the lost revenue from other cuts. That would make high-quality, local chicken less affordable for everyone—and that’s a scenario we want to avoid.

But when you choose to purchase the whole bird, or even opt for cuts like drumsticks or wings, you help create a more balanced, cost-effective production model. This keeps prices fair for all cuts, including the boneless breasts, and ensures we can keep producing chicken in a way that’s both financially sustainable and environmentally responsible - but also keeps our growing customer base happy.

How You Can Help

Here’s the simple truth: Your purchases matter. By choosing to buy a variety of chicken cuts, you’re helping us continue to grow our business in a way that supports the land, the animals, and our community. Whether it’s wings for your next BBQ, drumsticks for an easy dinner, or thighs for a delicious stew, every purchase makes a difference.

As a customer, you have the power to support our small family farm & local food system by being mindful of your choices and sharing this important message with others. We hope you’ll consider how every part of the chicken plays a role in our farm’s success and the sustainability of our business.

Thank you for your support, and for being a part of the solution to balanced growth as a small family farm.