We’re Spreading Our Wings With A New Chicken Producer.
If you know us, you know that at Hagberg’s, we don’t rest on our rump roast (so to speak). We’re always looking for fresh ideas and new sources that support our goal of providing fresh, local, delicious, and sustainable meats and eats to our loyal customers.
We are delighted and excited to announce that this week, we’re introducing to a new chicken provider – Pure Prairie Poultry. Pure Prairie Poultry is a company dedicated to “pure midwestern values” with farmers in Minnesota, Western Wisconsin, and Northern Iowa. The chicken is processed in Iowa not far from our premium beef provider.
The chickens are raised in a cage-free, climate-controlled barn environment for protection against viruses carried by wild birds, predators, and inclement weather. Chickens are free to roam the barn and have 24/7 access to nutritious feed and water. But that’s just for starters.
Here are a few more reasons why we’re making the switch to Pure Prairie Poultry:
- The chickens are raised by career farmers who have an ownership stake AND who really know chicken
- The chickens are raised incorporating sustainable farming practices
- Chickens are 100% air chilled (We’ll elaborate on this one later in the article)
- No antibiotics or hormones EVER
- 100% vegetarian fed
Most of these concepts are pretty clear and understandable, but for you meat nerds out there, we’re excited about the air-cooled process used by this provider.
“Air-Chilling” is cool! (See what we did there?)
After processing, the chicken meat must be cooled quickly and thoroughly to maintain food safety and wholesomeness.
Often, providers use a water-chilled method, where many chickens tumble together in the water/chemical bath. In the process, the birds can absorb over 10 percent of their body weight in water, adding unnecessary weight and diluting the chicken’s natural flavor.
At Pure Prairie Poultry, the chickens are cooled using frigid, circulating, purified air on a two-mile-long journey in our chilling room. This air-chilling method not only cuts down on wasteful water usage but also accomplishes the quick cooling of the chickens without adding water weight, making them more flavorful and tender.
We look forward to offering the exceptional chicken from Pure Prairie Poultry.
