Susie Hass, Ayrshire’s wholesale manager, answered questions about the farm in an e-mail interview with loudounextra.com staff writer Charity Corkey.
Q Can you tell us a little bit about Ayrshire Farm?
A Ayrshire is a certified organic . . . farm raising rare-breed livestock that we have for sale at the Home Farm Store in Middleburg and [that] is served at the Hunter’s Head Tavern in Upperville.
Tell us about the living conditions of the turkeys on your farm and how those conditions might differ from those at other farms.
Along with being certified organic, Ayrshire is certified humane by Humane Farm Animal Care. We ensure that all animals live stress-free, [receive] adequate space per animal, have access to the outside and have plenty of food and water.
How many turkeys do you raise each year, and are they a large part of the farm’s business?
This year we raised around 500. [They are] a large part for the holidays. We are raising beef and pork throughout the year.
How do the turkeys behave?
They are very inquisitive and for the most part friendly.
What’s the most difficult thing about working with turkeys?
They are very fragile when they are young and unfortunately an easy target for predators. We subscribe to a program to mitigate the instances of predator attacks, using non-lethal methods called “predator friendly.”
How many turkeys does the farm typically sell around the Thanksgiving holiday?
We have sold almost all of our birds. The Home Farm Store will have some available for walk-ins Thanksgiving week.
According to the farm’s Web site, your turkeys range in price from $135 (10 to 12 lbs.) to $180 (18 to 20 lbs.). A fresh turkey (16 to 20 lbs.) sold in the grocery store could go for less than $30. Are you worried about being able to sell your products in this time of belt-tightening?
There is always that concern; however, we have been able to sell these. We did not increase our pricing from last year.
Washington Post: Putting the Life in Livestock And Flavor in the Holidays
Posted: November 27, 2008 by Certified Humane
Susie Hass, Ayrshire’s wholesale manager, answered questions about the farm in an e-mail interview with loudounextra.com staff writer Charity Corkey.
Q Can you tell us a little bit about Ayrshire Farm?
A Ayrshire is a certified organic . . . farm raising rare-breed livestock that we have for sale at the Home Farm Store in Middleburg and [that] is served at the Hunter’s Head Tavern in Upperville.
Tell us about the living conditions of the turkeys on your farm and how those conditions might differ from those at other farms.
Along with being certified organic, Ayrshire is certified humane by Humane Farm Animal Care. We ensure that all animals live stress-free, [receive] adequate space per animal, have access to the outside and have plenty of food and water.
How many turkeys do you raise each year, and are they a large part of the farm’s business?
This year we raised around 500. [They are] a large part for the holidays. We are raising beef and pork throughout the year.
How do the turkeys behave?
They are very inquisitive and for the most part friendly.
What’s the most difficult thing about working with turkeys?
They are very fragile when they are young and unfortunately an easy target for predators. We subscribe to a program to mitigate the instances of predator attacks, using non-lethal methods called “predator friendly.”
How many turkeys does the farm typically sell around the Thanksgiving holiday?
We have sold almost all of our birds. The Home Farm Store will have some available for walk-ins Thanksgiving week.
According to the farm’s Web site, your turkeys range in price from $135 (10 to 12 lbs.) to $180 (18 to 20 lbs.). A fresh turkey (16 to 20 lbs.) sold in the grocery store could go for less than $30. Are you worried about being able to sell your products in this time of belt-tightening?
There is always that concern; however, we have been able to sell these. We did not increase our pricing from last year.
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