Lately, it seems that the topic of raising the food that we eat organically has become a popular, but highly split discussion. Due to social media and its portrayal in the news, non-organic farming seems to be getting a bad rep. A decent amount of people feel that the organic farming is so drastically different than organic, that by in comparison the chickens are treated inhumanly. As an individual who has not grown up on a far, I have become very interested in finding out  what the real difference between the two types of chicken raising. So when my Agriculture class took a field trip to Georgie Cartanza’s organic poultry farm on Saturday, August, 7th, I saw this as my chance to see for myself. Upon arrival at the farm, Mrs. Cartanza walked us through the specifics of poultry farming. Although there are many similarities between traditional and organic farms, such as how their buildings are set up, the main differences aren’t actually that important. Apparently Cartanza has been given certain restrictions and requirements by her bosses, such as requiring  the chicks to have the option of spending a certain amount of time outside and providing them with toys (a bully box and a ramp) to play with. Another difference is that the chicks must be fed strictly feed that has never come in contact with either pesticides or antibiotics. This may seem like a chickens paradise, but according to Georgie Cartanza, some of these requirements don’t necessarily benefit the chicks. Being able to walk out in the open can actually expose the chicks to a great risk of avian diseases. All in all, the organic poultry farm was very enjoyable because I was able to to see it’s layout and interact with the day old chicks. From a personal viewpoint, it seems that organic poultry farming is just an alternative way of raising chicks, more so than being better than tradition poultry farming. This experience was very beneficial to my search for the truth of the depiction of Agriculture in the United States.

For our first field trip, our class went to an organic poultry farm. It was very interesting and exciting to be able to go around this farm and have a hands on tour with the lady who runs it, Ms. Georgie. She showed us a lot of different things that made her poultry farm different and unique to many others. One of her biggest things technology why’s that helps her run her farm are the big computer operated boxes that are located just inside the chicken house, and these boxes all Ms. Georgie to control every single aspect in the house from how hot or cold it is, to how much food and water the chickens drink, to even vents and windows. With this technology this allows her to run a massive chicken farm with only one person because she is able to do everything electronically and does not have to do it by hand. Before coming on this field trip I never knew how many chickens were actually kept inside one house and I was amazed to see how many there actually were once we walked inside the house. Ms.Georgie treated her animals very well and made sure they are always as happy as possible and gave them everything they need, even access to the outside even though many birds don’t go outside anyway, as well as enrichment toys which I thought was pretty cool.

It is a truly rare experience to encounter someone in life that inspires you. I have been to many states, I have seen some great wonders in this country but a visit to Georgie Cortanza’s organic poultry farm places high on my list of lifechanging opportunities. I have always dreamed of being a farmer, merging my love for animals, wildlife, and a hard day’s work, however, I didn’t grow up in an agricultural family and believed that being a rancher in Montana was far out of reach for me. Many posts will discuss the countless information Georgie showed us but perhaps for me, the story about an average woman following a dream stood out to me. Not only did Georgie embark on the journey into poultry farming as a woman having not grown up in a farming family, but she continues to be an inspirational figure in Delaware agriculture and beyond. Despite the intimidating initial investment, Georgie stuck to her goals where she now manages four flocks of about 156,000 chickens a year equal to 5.5 million pounds of meat, feeding families all over. Georgie became the first and only American to receive the Nufeld scholarship where she traveled to numerous countries including Brazil and New Zeland. She continues to use modern-day approaches to poultry farming and extension outreach to help improve the public’s perceptions about the poultry industry.

Getting to go visit a local poultry farm in person was an awesome experience. Learning about all the ways chicken farmers have been able to create a better product though healthy and efficient ways was a very eye-opening experience especially with all the negative news and social media surrounding the field recently. Being able to see first hand how the chickens are cared for and hear an actual farmers side of the story could really clear up a lot of misconceptions anyone might have. For me, the opportunity to go see what kind of techniques are used and the work being done was great because it gave me a greater insight into not only what that avenue of life might entail but also where my food comes from.

Going to the Poultry Farm was truly eye opening experience for me. Personally when I think of poultry farming I just thought of farming chickens when really there is much more than that, especially when it comes to organic chicken farming. I would have never thought about the how they couldn’t use rodenticides or insecticides on these farms because honestly I didn’t think that it would effect the chicken that much. Something that really amazed me was when Mrs.Cartanza was talking about how when she opens the doors for the chickens to go outside and not a lot of them do. But, that makes me happy to think that the chickens are just as or more happy in the chicken houses. Another thing I found very interesting was the size comparison from chickens in 1957 to chickens today and it’s crazy to think that genetics and a few other improvements did all that. But, those are the types of animal improvements we need to make to be able to feed are ever growing population. I just want to say thank you to Mrs.Cartanza for a very informal trip.

Georgie Cartanza welcomed the class to her Organic Poultry Farm in Little Creek, Delaware; ran under Perdue’s organic branch Coleman Natural Foods. She has been raising broilers for almost 15 years now and has seen how the organic sector has changed throughout the years. What does organic chicken mean? The United States Department of Agriculture declares poultry organic if it is GMO and hormone-free, has access to the outdoors with enrichment toys and shade, plus has significant space in the chicken house with access to natural sunlight. These environmental requirements were all set and pushed for by the consumer in order to provide chickens with a “happy” lifespan since the number one questions consumers ask about their food is if it is humanly produced. However, many of these requirements may or may not be the best option for the health and safety of the chickens. Biosecurity is a top priority for any food system. Chickens having open access to the outside affect the biosecurity of the chickens. Pests, predators, and diseases have a higher chance of affecting the flock.  In a few years, Georgie will have to plant tall grasses, trees, and other natural plants to provide shade for the outside pasture to meet updated organic standards. While the tall grasses can be planted in front of the house fans to help control air quality, the trees could attract predators and welcome other vectors of disease. As Georgie best puts it: raising chickens is a balancing act between consumer wants and what is best for the chicken.  It is very clear how much she cares and loves for the chickens and wants the best all-around.