Rooted in Resilience: Will Your Pastured Poultry Plan Hold Up in the Real Market or Get Put Out to Pasture?

This interactive session invites growers at every stage to examine their pastured poultry plans through practical discussion, shared problem-solving, and real examples from the field. Participants will bring their own assumptions, challenges, and questions, and together we will test them against the realities of raising, processing, and selling poultry in the Northeast. The workshop draws from Steadfast Farms’ experience as a pastured poultry producer, Connecticut’s only USDA-inspected, Certified Humane for Animal Welfare Approved by AGW, and USDA Organic poultry slaughter and processing facility, along with our transition toward raising our own certified organic flock in 2026.

Rather than presenting a single production model, the session guides attendees through the factors that shape different flock plans: breed choices, land and equipment constraints, labor expectations, organic compliance, processing access, scheduling, and market fit. Through group prompts and scenario-based exercises, we will compare what farmers expect to happen with what typically occurs in real operations. Participants will explore cost drivers, opportunities for value-added products, and common pitfalls that cause promising ventures to stall.

The emphasis is on developing resilient, adaptable systems that can withstand market conditions, seasonal challenges, and organic standards. By the end, growers will leave with clearer decision pathways, more realistic expectations, and a stronger framework for designing flocks that align with their values, capacity, and long-term goals.