Black-owned sustainable, biodynamic farm. The goal is to put more into the soil than they take out and make sure animals have good happy, and healthy lives. TunTum BlackHill does not use pesticides or artificial fertilizers, and all animals are heritage breeds– unlike commercial breeds, these animals will reflect either similar or identical to how animals would be in the wild. These take anywhere from twice as long to five times as long to reach maturity compared to commercial counterparts. Animals live on pasture for the majority of their lives.
“Commercial animals have been bred for generations to grow as large as possible as quickly as possible, which leads to many problems including but not limited to poor health, bad lives, less nutrition, and poor taste. 99.9% of chickens raised in the U.S. for meat (including most “organic”, “Free Range”, Pasture Raised”, and “Humanely raised”) are a bird called the Cornish Cross. These take just 5 weeks from hatching to processing. This rapid growth translates into a miserable existence for the birds.
My chickens on the other hand take a minimum of 15 weeks to grow out to maturity, and some of my breeds take as long as 32 weeks. These chickens are healthier, happier, and better tasting. My egg-laying chickens additionally get a third of their diet from grass and bugs on pasture while also receiving a custom mix of organic feed that is corn and soy free. My eggs are deep orange to red in color having amazing taste and texture.” -James Raymond
In the News
- James Raymond of TunTum BlackHill Farm (The Heavy Table, 2021)
