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From Family Flock to Homegrown Food

David Korten, author of the Great Turning, and Co-Founder of "Yes" magazine, relates the significance of how choic

From Family Flock to Homegrown Food

Island Grown Initiative (IGI), a not-for-profit, is helping local backyard farmers on Martha's Vineyard feed their families.

In this trial run of IGI's Mobile Poultry Processing Trailer, three flock owners bring their birds to a neutral site to be humanely and cleanly processed into food for their families. In regulatory language, this is a 'custom only' event, ie: not for sale. IGI's trained team handles the process to ensure quality control. The growers participate in the processing and in the end, take their own dressed birds home for bagging.

In the 'Pack in Pack out' process - each family is also responsible for the removal of compostables, back to their property for proper composting. The equipment is cleaned and sanitized between flocks. In total, seventy-eight cornish rock hens are humanely handled and safely processed. Now, three backyard farmers have their own food in their own freezers for their own families.

Island Grown Initiative, a local food, culture and agriculture organization, joins local growers, the local Brazilian community and island restaurants in an effor