I first met Pasturebird on Instagram, where I ogled their photos of glossy chickens basking in the sunlight, ranch dogs frolicking in the pasture, and weathered cowboy hats propped on pick-up truck dashboards. Were these stock photos? I wondered. In this cynical age of constant misleading marketing claims made by food brands, this glimpse of a pastoral idyll seemed too good to be true. Later, when I spoke with founder Paul Greive in preparation for this post, he confided that this is a common misconception. But no, the farm-fresh photos are all of actual Pasturebird animals and 100% authentic (Paul was gracious enough to allow me to share my favorites here). Pasturebird is one of the few true completely pastured poultry operations in the United States (the only one that ships nationwide!) and I’m delighted to introduce it to you today:

[bctt tweet=”So what are the reasons to be very, very excited about true pastured poultry?” username=”freshplanetflavor”]

Farmer Paul and I discussed the benefits of Pasturebird’s product from every angle:

• Truly pastured. The “free range” and “cage free” claims commonly used to advertise poultry often mean something other that you might expect. The definition of cage free leaves room for overcrowding in inhumane indoor conditions in which the chicken never experience sunlight or grass for the duration of their lives. In contrast, Pasturebird birds live outside, on green pasture, every hour of every day. 
• A natural diet and cruelty-free. Pasturebird animals eat their naturally omnivorous diet of seeds and insects, and are rotated to fresh pasture every day. They are never de-beaked (a common practice of conventional poultry operations to prevent the birds from damaging each other in over-crowded, stressful, “grow-house” conditions) so that they can forage for themselves in the grass.
• Antibiotic-free.  In the cramped, unsanitary confines of conventional poultry, disease can spread rampantly.  With as much as 70% of United States antibiotics administered to livestock¹, with much of that administered to poultry, the rise of antibiotic-resistant “super-bugs” is a reality², with some possibly transmittable to humans. Pasturebird is a truly antibiotic-free farm, rather than merely “antibiotic-free” by the misleading definition that other unscrupulous producers exploit³. 
• Nutritionally superior. Humane treatment of animals and  environmental considerations often motivate consumers to seek out pastured poultry, but increasingly, the practice is supported by nutritional studies. Pastured animal protein is now found to be higher in omega-3, cancer-fighting conjugated linoleic acid and vitamins⁴. 
• Regenerative, sustainable. As previously discussed, Pasturebird chickens are rotated to fresh pasture every day where they forage for seeds and insects and fertilize the soil. The land left behind rests for 90 days before the flock returns. By mimicking this eons-old grazing pattern, the quality of the soil is actually increased. Paul (pictured below) takes issue with the concept of “sustainability”, in the sense that sustainability implies no negative impact, yes, but also no positive impact. The result of regenerative agriculture tactics—such as rotating the birds—is soil improvement each year, and healthy, flavorful chicken available for purchase by conscious customers.

I became a Pasturebird affiliate (I’m proud to be an affiliate of a handful of brands that I fully support), so visit their online store to shop! I recommend the Farmer’s Stash… it’s a variety pack of whatever Paul is excited to offer at the moment, and a hassle-free way to sample an assortment of Pasturebird products.

Also, if you purchase with discount code FRESHFLAVOR sometime in the month of July you’ll get 15% off… this means if you purchase a subscription you’ll lock in this 15% off forever! Go do it. I’ll wait.

Now that you’re back, let me tell you I received some tasty chicken apple sausage, and loaded them up with my favorite toppings for a flavor bonanza to kick-start the day. Ingredients of the chicken apple sausage? Chicken, salt, apple granules, water, cinnamon, nutmeg, parsley, celery seed, onion powder, mace.

[bctt tweet=”This loaded sausage breakfast concept is endlessly versatile and customizable.” username=”freshplanetflavor”]

It can also easily be converted to a loaded sausage dinner by changing the toppings… Perhaps to be explored in a future blog post? 😉 In any case, if you’re in the DIY mood you can create this exactly with this recipe home-made sriracha without refined sugar, potassium sorbate, sodium bisulfite, and xantham gum. Or simply drizzle the loaded sausage breakfast with Huy Fong chili garlic sauce and have a great (pastured) day.