FREDERICKSBURG, Texas – A first-generation organic farmer is preparing the fields for increased production as more people continue to buy organic food. The owner of the Roam Ranch near Fredericksburg prides himself on his inherited birds, and about 350 of them are rare turkeys ready to eat this Thanksgiving.
Taylor Collins says she has created an oasis for her cattle, her family, and the surrounding community at Roam Ranch near Fredericksburg. He says the pandemic has highlighted the need to support what he and other small local farmers provide.
“We sold a lot more meat than we ever sold,” Collins said. “This year has really been an important year for pasture-raised organic and regenerative poultry systems, where consumers demand more of that supply.”
As hundreds of inherited turkeys surrounded him, Collins spoke about how much these birds return to their land to restore natural nutrients.
Advertisement
“These are ancient descendants of wild birds captured up to 5,000 years ago,” he said. “You have probably never had these birds. There are probably 300 million cross-bred industrial birds farmed in the United States. There are only 30,000 of these. “
Organic food prices are traditionally higher than conventional food prices. However, a study by MagnifyMoney found that the costs of conventional foods are rising faster than organic foods.
Still, the tide is turning. Even before the pandemic and supply chain problems, people were already leaning towards organic food.
A study by the Organic Trade Association showed that US sales of organic food in the last decade more than doubled. In 2020, sales reached more than $ 56 billion.
Collins, an advocate for land stewardship, says customers can have a say to help grow local organic farms.
Advertisement
“The consumer votes with their dollars for which agricultural system will prevail, and this is an agricultural system that heals the planet and nourishes our body,” he said.
Copyright 2021 by KSAT – All rights reserved.
.