• frozen whole bird, in freeze-protected shrink bags, picked up at the farm or at a farmers’ market . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   $ 3.49/lb
  

• pre-orders for large numbers of birds or for times when we are out of stock 

           . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .contact us and $5/bird deposit is required

Pastured Organic Soy-Free Chicken (broilers)

Due to the extended growth time and extra volume of feed required, we raise a limited

       amount of these birds.  They must be pre-ordered with a deposit of $10/ bird.

  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  $4.75 /lb

Pastured Organic-Fed Eggs

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $4.00 /dozen

Pastured Lamb

Note:  We don't have a butcher yet, so we don't know our prices right now.  Please contact us if you are interested.

               whole lamb, you pick up at processor ........................................... $ /lb

                half lamb .............................................................................................. $/lb

                quarter lamb ........................................................................................ $ /lb

                ground lamb ........................................................................................ $ /lb

                leg of lamb ........................................................................................... $ /lb

                lamb roast ............................................................................................. $ /lb

                lamb chops ........................................................................................... $/lb

                other ..............................................................................................contact us for prices

• 1 lb of spinach
• 4 oz. cream cheese
• 4 oz. pepper jack cheese, shredded

Bring 1 inch of water to a boil, cook spinach in it until wilted.  Drain spinach and return to pot.  Add cream cheese and pepper jack cheese.  Cook over medium heat until melted.  It's not overly spicy, but it's got a little nip to it.

     Unlike ruminants, chickens cannot live on grass alone.  Besides what they can scrounge for themselves and the green grass, we offer plenty of organic, soy-free, GMO-free grain with an organic vitamin and mineral supplement, and kitchen fruit and vegetable scraps.

     Our hens and roosters run together, making fertile eggs, which many claim to offer health benefits.  No need to worry about our fertile eggs beginning to develop baby chickens- that takes many days of incubation at a constant warm temperature.  We gather eggs every day (twice a day in summer), wash them and promptly refrigerate them.  Blood spots occur only when the hen is stressed.  We strive hard to maintain a healthy, stress-free environment for our animals, so customers don’t need to worry about finding blood spots on French Prairie Farm eggs.

      Below you see the laying hens and roosters pecking on fresh grass.  The birds live on grass and are moved to a fresh spot of pasture every few days.  The manure is spread out that way, not concentrated in one area.  This allows a more natural, environmentally friendly habitat.  The grass gives elevated levels of CLA into the eggs.  For more information about why grass is best, please also visit our What is Pastured? and Nutritional Advantages pages. 

     Behind the chickens you see our portable electric netting which surrounds the area in which the birds live.  The netting has small enough divisions to keep the chickens inside the fence, and the height and electricity of the fence keeps predators out.  Due to the portable nature of this fence, it is easy for Gerald to pick up and move when it is time to open up a new section of fresh pasture.  The rotation of the poultry through the pasture spreads out the manure, encourages new plant growth by grazing then allowing to rest, and gives the chickens fresh tender grass instead of forcing them to eat only stalks if they were kept on the same patch of ground all the time.  The chickens also get fresh air and sunshine by living out in the open.

    To provide the need of more roosting space as the hens grew, Gerald purchased an old travel trailer which he and his dad repaired.  They then mounted posts horizontally across the trailer for roosting space, and hung nesting boxes.  The windows and skylight open for ventilation, and the birds have free access inside and out.  The enclosed structure provides protection from rain, sun, and wind, plus gives the hens a spot to roost at night. 

 The "Hen-nebago"

    To keep the manure from concentrating in one area, the “Hen-nebago” is moved frequently within the confines of the electric netting.  Then, the entire netting with Hen-nebago moves to another area of pasture, thus preventing over-grazing and manure build-up.  Unlike the commercial chicken houses that dot the Arkansas countryside which produce such foul odors that passing motorists can smell inside their vehicle from half a mile away, our chickens do not create air pollution.  Visitors may walk out among them and never notice any smells other than fresh air and green grass.

      Our hens lay eggs almost year-round, so grab a few dozen anytime you come to the farm or when you see us at a farmer's market! 

serves 4

1 lb of sugar snap peas

Chopped Cilantro and Lemon Balm, using as much as you would like or not like, and saving some larger un-chopped leaves for garnish

1 lemon

1-2 T of olive oil

salt and peper

1 whole chicken, roasted

3 T of olive oil for rubbing

1 cup of dry white wine

3 T of finely chopped rosemary

3 cloves of garlic, peeled and halved

First make sure you start with roasting the chicken.  The great thing about using a whole chicken is that you will have left over meat for other dishes. 

Pre-heat the oven to 425. Rub the chicken all over with olive oil and liberally salt and pepper the bird.  Add some of the dried or fresh rosemary and garlic into the cavity.

Put the chicken into a roasting pan just large enough to hold the chicken as you do not want to give the bird to much extra room.

Our wine into the oan adding the rest of the rosemary and garlic and bake for an hour until nicely browned.  Baste frequently with the juices in the pan.

When the Chicken has been roasted now you can start the peas

Put the olive oil in a skillet and heat to medium high

Zest one whole lemon with the zest ending up in the skillet and then squeeze the whole lemon into the skillet as well, letting the zest get fragrant and for the juice to sizzle.

Add salt and pepper to taste

Add the Peas and saute, then toward the end of the few minute saute add the lemon balm and cilantro. Be sure to not overcook this snappy peas as they would be great eaten raw as well!

To plate up put some of the chicken on a plate and then top with the sugar snap pea mixture, fresh cilantro and lemon balm,  and on the side slices of the gruyere cheese

1/2 sweet onion, chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

7 cups packed arugula, washed and dried

6 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper

1/4 lb Fontina cheese, sharp cheddar, or pepper jack - cut into 1/2" cubes

Preheat broiler (an optional step - read below).  Cook garlic and onion in olive oil in a 10" ovenproof skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally until golden.  Add arugula and cook until wilted, about 1-2 minutes.  Whisk together eggs, salt and pepper and pour over arugula in skillet and cook without disturbing over moderate heat until almost set, 5-6 minutes. Add cheese evenly and broil 4-5" from the broiler flame until eggs are just set and the cheese is melted, 1-2 minutes.   If you don't want to turn on the broiler, cover the fritatta for the first 6 minutes and then finish uncovered until the eggs are set.  

Directions:
Wash the chicken thoroughly under cold running water and pat dry. Smash the fresh herbs, garlic and salt in a mortar and pestle with the olive oil. Massage this mixture inside and out of the bird. Stuff the cavity with lemon or orange quarters. Place the chicken on a rack in a roasting pan with a half cup of water.  Cover with lots of fresh ground black pepper.

Cook the chicken uncovered in a preheated oven at 450 F for 15 minutes then cover and reduce heat to 275 F allowing approximately 15 minutes per pound. Cooking times will vary, please use a meat thermometer.

At 165 degrees F internal temperature, remove the chicken from the oven and let sit covered for 10 minutes before carving.

Real Chicken has a lean, juicy and a dense meat so it cooks much quicker than a typical chicken.

Wiggling a drumstick will not work as a test for doneness with this bird, cook according to the meat thermometer; do not overcook! It should be succulent and very delicious! The best chicken you ever ate!

2 t. fresh thyme or marjoram or basil
¼ c. plain yogurt or mayo
1 t. curry powder
1 t. garam masala

In bowl, combine peaches, chicken, peppers, and thyme – toss together. In separate small bowl or jar, combine yogurt/mayo, curry, and garam masala. Pour dressing over the chicken mixture and serve on top of fresh veggies, rice, or roll up in a tortilla, a leaf of lettuce or collards for a lovely burrito!

(from www.purpleatheart.com)

      The typical industrial supermarket chicken was designed to be raised in close confinement, fed medicated feed to help them cope with the stress.  Packed in like sardines and standing on their own filth, modern broiler houses have a stench that permeates the air all around them.  We gag when we drive by these on the roads, from even a quarter mile away.  Unlike the commercial chicken houses that dot the Arkansas countryside, our chickens do not create air pollution.  Visitors may walk out among them and never notice any smells other than fresh air and green grass.

     Above you see broilers pecking on fresh grass.  The birds live on grass and are moved to a fresh spot of pasture every few days.  The manure is spread out that way, not concentrated in one area.  This allows a more natural, environmentally-friendly habitat.  The grass gives elevated levels of CLA into the meat.  For more information about why grass is best, please also visit our What is Pastured? and Nutritional Advantages pages. 

    Unlike ruminants, chickens can not live on grass alone.  Besides what they can scrounge for themselves and the green grass, we offer plenty of organic, GMO-free grain with an organic vitamin and mineral supplement, and kitchen fruit and vegetable scraps.  For those who prefer their birds soy-free, we offer some of those as well.  They are priced higher because they take much longer to reach maturity, thus eating about 50% more feed.  Organic feed is not cheap, nor easy to acquire!

          In the foreground of this picture, you see a white fence.  This is our portable electric netting which surrounds the area in which the birds live.  The netting has small enough divisions to keep the chickens inside the fence, and the height and electricity of the fence keeps predators out.  Due to the portable nature of this fence, it is easy for Gerald to pick up and move when it is time to open up a new section of fresh pasture.  The rotation of the poultry through the pasture spreads out the manure, encourages new plant growth by grazing then allowing to rest, and gives the chickens fresh tender grass instead of forcing them to eat only stalks if they were kept on the same patch of ground all the time.  They also get fresh air and sunshine by living out in the open.

      This is our "chicken tractor" which Gerald and his dad Lewis built.  In the above picture, it is being used as a brooder for the tiny chicks.  The feed and water is in the front part, then heat lamps are behind the partition for warmth.  The chicks are free to go back and forth as needed.  The top is covered for wind and rain protection, as well as the sides of the rear section. When the chicks get old enough to leave the brooder, it is moved to the pasture, the electric netting goes up all around, and the chicken tractor becomes a shelter from rain and the midday sun with its sides removed.

      Our last batch of chicks have arrived (August 2009) and will be ready in October.  We have many customers who have already pre-ordered broilers (secured by a $5 deposit per bird) and our current batch will be ready for processing soon, then another batch in about 3 more weeks after.  We are close to selling out of that batch, so further orders will be reserved for the October processing.  We fill orders on a basis of who pre-ordered first.  Place your pre-orders now, as we will not raise more broilers (after this one finishes) until Spring.  We raise broilers only from Spring through early Fall, so be sure to order extra to stock up for the winter.  We will have a few left in the freezer, but it's best to pre-order to ensure you get as many as you need.  To pre-order, call us, email us, or visit with Gerald at one of the farmers’ markets (Ft. Smith Tuesday mornings, Greenwood Friday mornings) .  If you want soy-free chickens, you must specify that when you pre-order;  otherwise we will assume that you want our regular broilers.