My husband, son, and I had the pleasure of meeting Jerry Kamphuis and his wife Nancy of Country Lane Farms over this past weekend. They graciously gave us a tour of their impressive chicken farm! We learned a lot about their farm operations and how they create a very healthy low-stress environment for their chickens.
Come and learn what sets Country Lane Farms apart, and how you can support their Farm-to-Table Business. Let’s go!
Please tell us about Country Lane Farms. How long has your farm been running for, and what do you specialize in? Every farm has a food philosophy, too. What is yours?
Our goal is to provide our customers with healthy products that are reasonably priced and taste great. The chicken has a great flavor, and all we use when cooking is salt and pepper.
We don’t use any antibiotics or animal products OR chemicals. We have been raising great chickens since 1984.
Country Lane Farms in Alberta, Canada.
How have you seen the chicken and farm industry change over the past 20+ years and how are you different from other commercial farms these days?
That’s the problem…the industry hasn’t changed much. We decided to raise antibiotic-free chicken in the early 1990’s and did all the research on our own…zero help from the industry. Now they say they are trying to catch up.
We raise our chickens longer than the industry to get a good-sized roasting bird about 7 lbs., to our customers, however we raise them slower…meaning we never overfeed the birds.
We also give our chicken LOTS of room…about 2x’s as much as what is normal on commercial farms.
Country Lane Farms in AB, Canada.
Let’s talk about chickens and their genetic changes over the years that have occurred within the industry. Can you explain to our readers how long big industry farms take to get their chickens to full weight and how you differ? Plus, why it is better to not have your chickens grow so quickly?
The chickens have been bred over the years to get a high-yielding meat bird. We are different in how we raise them in that we restrict their feeding as well as supplementing with the highest quality of minerals and vitamins. By restricting their feed we can ensure they don’t grow too fast which causes leg problems. We monitor air quality and have designed our barn with high ceilings to get the best air quality.
The best nutrition, as well as lots of room with controlled temperature, ensures a high quality bird.
Do you offer any other food products people can purchase?
We have sourced a high-quality salmon as well as beef…both farmed with the same standards and philosophy we have for our chickens. We also have honey from the The Honey Mill which again, is the highest quality. We will ONLY provide the best quality of products for our customers.
Salmon Fish Fillet
How can people order your farm products? As you are a direct “farm-to-family- style” business, some people may not be aware how easy it is to order and pick up from your business in Calgary. Can you share how the sales process goes?
Anyone can buy directly from us. All that is required is for the customer to set up an account on our web- site. We don’t take any financial information as customers only pay when they pick up their order.
Once their account is set up, they can choose the delivery locations/time that is most convenient for them and place their order. There is no minimum- order requirement, but we do offer discounts for bulk orders.
We, the farmers, are at EVERY delivery so customers can interact directly with the farmer!
Whole Chicken from Country Lane Farm
Last question, we saw you have an open-door policy where people in the community as well as clients can come and bring their families to see your farm operation in action. Do you have any annual farm events at this time? And, how would a person go about planning a visit to your farm?
Anyone is welcome to come see our farm. All they need to do is call and set up an appointment. We used to do regular large-farms tours but prefer the one-on-one interaction with our customers.
Jerry at Country Lane Farms in AB, Canada
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To connect with Country Lane Farms, please visit their website: http://www.countrylanefarms.com/
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Healthy Dine Out, Menu Showcase: Click here.
Thank you, Jerry and Nancy! Truly, we came away from our Country Lane Farms tour feeling well educated! We value that you raise your chickens using high-quality vitamins and organic minerals, which support and maintain the optimum health and growth of your birds.
