June 30, 2014 1:45 pm • Bill Daley Chicago Tribune “Pasture-raised eggs”: Do you look for that description when shopping? Fewer than 1 in 4 respondents looked for that phrase, according to a poll of 670 Americans conducted in May for Vital Farms, an Austin, Texas-based company that describes itself as the “only national supplier of …

Many years ago I learned that the best defense is a good offense… When I started the program, there were producers who would say they would not be on our program because our standards weren’t high enough… I would ask, “What standards specifically are you referring to?”  They would not respond.  The reason they would …

White Oak Pastures, a 1000-acre farm in Early County, Georgia, was founded by James Edward Harris in 1866 following his Civil War service as a Captain. He and the 100 sharecroppers who worked on the farm raised crops, cows and pigs. Every Saturday, a cow and several pigs were harvested to feed his family and …

In 2007, Matt O’Hayer and his wife, Catherine, founded Vital Farms with a small plot of farmland, 20 laying hens and a bucket of good intentions. Their mission: to bring high quality, ethically produced eggs to the table through the humane treatment of their hens through the Pasture-Raised farming method. Animal welfare and the humane …

Alan Zuschlag wasn’t always a shepherd.  Alan grew up a typical suburban kid and his father was the local veterinarian.  Growing up, Alan didn’t think to follow in his father’s footsteps in animal care.  But, when this self described “frustrated yuppie” decided to leave the Washington DC rat-race and look for greener pastures, his father’s …