The Chickens of One Earth Farm

Like Sir John Sebright or Mrs. Nettie Metcalf before us, our interests lean towards “what could be” rather than “what was.” We are not preoccupied with preserving the purity of a breed or creating in form and feather an exact interpretation of a breed standard. These things are the mainstay of the heritage breeder and competitive show folk - and rightly so. Rather, we strive to create beautiful fowl that produce lots of eggs and meat in a free range organic system of management. Our selection perimeters also include longevity, disease resistance, calm temperaments, and cold-hardiness. But our primary goal is to maintain genetic diversity and utility in birds whose beauty will inspire another generation of breeders.

Nothing says diversified family farm like a flock of free range hens. Indeed, many old time farmers wax poetic at the site of our flock, recalling the day when every farm had a flock of chickens. Of course where they expect to see a rhode island red they see a chantecler, and where they expect to see a plymouth rock they see a french marans. The players have changed, but the game is the same – lots of nutritious, delicious food and hours upon hours of entertainment and inspiration at very little cost.

There are few things more near and dear to me than the bantams here at One Earth Farm. If there is any joy to be had in a cabbage worm, any excitement brewing on a gloomy cold November morning, or any beauty to be found in a steaming pile of dung these little soldiers are quick to point it out to you. A brooding bantam hen is more Zen master than any who might proclaim themselves to be, and a crowing bantam cock can school you in a single morning in ways that “The Six Pillars of Self Esteem” can never. It is often said that bantams are “the flowers of the poultry garden,” but here at One Earth Farm they are the flowers, the vegetables, and the soil itself. They feed the mind, body, and spirit like few things can. If you have any doubt, I’d urge you to keep a small flock of your own for a year or two and see for yourself if life wasn’t made a little sweeter for having them.