About Us
Meet The Farmers
When you pick up your order this month, take time to meet the patriarch of this family farm, the man in charge and the one that does all the hard work, Joe! He will be available to answer all of your questions about our local family farm.
Do you raise “happy chickens”?
We think so. Recent media spotlight has focused on the treatment of the livestock we eat. At Hollyhock Hill Farms our animals are never caged (we don’t even own cages) and allowed to roam in and out of their chicken coop in a more natural setting. The chickens are processed at an Amish USDA Certified facility in Central Illinois.
Are you certified organic?
At Hollyhock Hill Farms, we do not apply harmful pesticides or herbicides to any of our vegetables, nor do we feed our poultry antibiotics or hormones. “Certified Organic” is a federal certification we believe is not necessary to obtain. Healthy farming is a practice, not an expensive certification.
What do you feed your poultry?
We feed them all natural grain that contains no antibiotics, hormones or animal bi-products. They also eat the left-over produce (greens, pumpkins, squash, tomatoes etc..) as well as grass, weeds, bugs, worms, pebbles, rocks and even their own broken eggs!
Do you cage your animals?
No. Our turkeys and chickens are free-range. Daily, our animals wander feeding and resting along the way. During the day, the chickens and turkeys roam about together, at night they voluntarily return to our “chicken-coop” so they will not be eaten by the local predator population. The only time they are left in the “coop” during the day is when the weather is below zero.
How long are your eggs good?
Unlike supermarket eggs, our eggs have been laid within 7 days of the day you receive them, meaning they are just about as fresh as you can get!
The sell-by date (not expiration date) will be one month from the date they are laid and they are good for one month after that date. Example: An egg is laid on March 1 at HHF. The eggs are gathered, cleaned, candled and packaged on March 1. The “sell-by” date is April 1. They are good until at least May 1. Large egg farms may take one month to package the eggs, which then means the eggs are TWO months old on the sell-by date, or when you buy them at the store.
What does all this mean to you? You can be sure the eggs you order each month from Hollyhock Hill Farms are the freshest eggs available and will stay good for several months.