Event

Hands-On Farm Slaughter: Poultry

After decades of a slow growing disconnect from our sources of sustenance, we're awakening to the a new reality and looking for ways to plug back into the cycle of food raised on farms before ending up on our plates. The most significant experience in this journey is the moment when you participate in the humane slaughter of an animal. It hits a hard reset on your appreciation for the exchange of life for life from the animals that sustain us.

Join Adam Danforth, James Beard Award-winning butcher and author, for the humane slaughter of chickens and ducks at the farm Boulder Lamb. Participants will be walked through the entire process, from stun to cooler, focusing on reverence for the animals while gaining a deeper understanding of the methods employed to get the most out of the resultant carcass. This workshop will offer hands-on opportunities for those interested.

Following the workshop will be a lunch provided on-site at the farm. Participants have the option of staying for an afternoon butchery demonstration (separate fee required). Transportation to and from the farm needs to be arranged by participants. Whole carcasses of the animals processed will be available to take home.

About the organizers:

Adam Danforth is the James Beard and IACP award-winning author of two books, published by Storey Publishing, about slaughtering and butchering livestock. He teaches workshops and lectures nationwide for venues such as Stone Barns Center for Agriculture. Adam lives in Ashland, OR.

Boulder Lamb is run by Clint and MaryKay Buckner. Sheep farming runs deep in their family tradition, with six generations of ranchers running flocks from Vermont to Idaho for over 130 years. Boulder Lamb breeds Columbia/Rambouillet ewes with a Suffolk or Hampshire buck, the product of which is a mild and tender lamb. Their entire flock free ranges on grass and alfalfa from fields in North Boulder County and Monte Vista, and the flock is never given steroids, feed antibiotics, or growth hormones for weight gain.