Pastured Poultry for Meat in Central Texas Report of the Local - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Pastured Poultry for Meat in Central Texas Report of the Local Meats W orking Group Presented to the Austin Sustainable Food Policy Board February 9, 2015 Presented by Sue Beckwith, City of Elgin and Erin Flynn, Green Gate Farms

Pastured Poultry for Meat in Central Texas Report of the Local Meats W orking Group Presented to the Austin Sustainable Food Policy Board February 9, 2015

Pastured Poultry for Meat in Central Texas Background Challenges Opportunities Action!

Background 2 pastured poultry farms; no organic 2007 Coyote Creek Organic Feed Mill opens in Elgin Estimated 2,000 birds/year for meat; 3,000 layers 40+ pastured poultry farms; 20 organic Estimated 31,000 birds/year for meat; 45,000 layers 2014 Confinement organic laying hens 220,000 City of Elgin holds 1 st Pastured Poultry Summit 50+ pastured poultry farms; 20 organic Estimated 92,000 birds/year for meat; 90,000 layers 2016 Confinement organic laying hens 400,000 Regional 2 nd Pastured Poultry Summit?

Challenges No inspected processing facilities Hidden cost of cheap chicken Unfavorable property taxes

Hidden Cost of Cheap Chicken Animals treated very badly Shades of Green Farm 4 lb chicken (2009) Labor justice poor pay, bad Chick $1.00 conditions Organic Feed $14.44 Environmentally $4.00 Processing unsustainable feed, grain Label, transportation $1.50 Negative nutritional & health impacts Labor $4.10 Total Hard Cost $25.10 $1.4B Texas agriculture subsidies in 2014 supports Infrastructure, utilities, ?? marketing cheap food

Unfavorable property taxes Farms pay lower property taxes Tax Bastrop County 20 acre Paid when they hold an Agricultural farm - Year Bill Valuation. 2006 $475 $475 An agricultural valuation is 2007 $2,700 $500 usually NOT available for: 2008 $500 $500 small farms including urban farms, 2009 $3,000 $500 organic and sustainable farms, 2010 $3,200 $500 new farms. 2011 $700 $700

Opportunities Growing industry Est. 70,000 to process 2015 Unmet demand for processing New facilities being built Dewberry Hills expanding New players entering Increasing consumer demand?

Action is Needed Educate consumers Conduct a regional food study What is the demand? 17 million people within 200 miles Support the pastured meat industry Fund annual poultry summit Elgin will host; partner Promote positive policy Join FARFA

Thank you for your support! Pastured Poultry for Meat in Central Texas, February 9, 2015 This presentation online at: ElginLocalFoodNetwork.org