Blog Post
5 Chicks and a Farmer
Sylvia Pond • Oct 01, 2019
A small farm near New Hamburg producing pasture raised chicken, turkey, pork and beef.
Well if the name didn’t give it away, here is your introduction to John and Sarah Moylan along with their four daughters who operate 5 Chicks and a Farmer
near New Hamburg, Ontario.
It was a busy morning on the farm (I’m pretty sure every morning is a busy one when it comes to farming), when I came to visit with John and tour the farm. This was the first time I had heard of the term pasture raised when it came to farming livestock. Although that term isn’t clearly defined (as per Google), I loved what it meant for the farming practices and the benefits it provides here at 5 Chicks and A Farmer.
The gist of it is that …“One of the cornerstones of pasturing is rotational grazing. This involves moving the livestock around a pasture while restricting them to small areas at a time rather than giving them access to a large area at one time. This allows the forage to grow to near maturity before being grazed which maximizes the amount of forage production and root growth creating huge benefits for soil health.”
At 5 Chicks and A Farmer they raise a variety of livestock. Chickens, turkeys, pigs and cattle and even some crops.
I don’t know why but I seem to always gravitate to pigs when they are around. I think they are so cute!
And then I met the chicks!
Day old chicks from Frey’s Hatchery is St Jacobs are delivered to 5 Chicks and A Farmer where they are then kept in an enclosed brooder that keeps them warn and safe for 3-4 weeks before they are moved out to the pasture.
You can purchase whole chickens frozen in the winter and fresh ones in the summer months as well as a variety of other chicken cuts. However, if you’d rather have someone make the chicken for you, check out The Wooden Boat, I hear their "Hot Honey Fried Chicken" is amazing! YouTube Video Here
Ready to shop and try some for yourself? Here is the link to their easy to use online store: https://www.localline.ca/5-chicks-and-a-farmer
The first item I challenged myself to cook from 5 Chicks and a Farmer was a blade roast. Having never cooked this type of roast before I decided to use my moderate culinary knowledge and cook it with a lot of moisture. I used a pressure cooker with carrots and onions and stock.
This made the meat nice and tender so I could pull it apart and mix it into a stir fry type skillet!
Up next! Delicious chicken thighs!
A simple sear and then baked to finish cooking was a perfect lunch with a plate of greens. I am telling you this was some of the best chicken I have ever had!
As usual we finish off each blog with the Q&A portion from the farmer himself, John.
1. Tell me what a typical day looks like for you?
Most days I get started by 630-7 with my chores-that’s feed and water the the chicks in the brooders, move/feed chickens in the field, feed turkeys, pigs and cattle and move as required. I usually try to get into the house for breakfast with kids and wife Sarah before she goes to work. After that it depends on the day. I will either do cleanup, fixing etc around the farm or maybe spend some time on desk work etc. Making calls or connecting with customers. If it’s a delivery day I load up orders and deliver them. On the days that I am processing chickens I catch them either after dark at night or before light in the morning. They are much more calm and easier to catch and load at that time rather than in daylight.
2. What do you want people to know about farming and/or what you do?
I think it’s good for people to have a connection to their food, as in know the farmer, know how it is raised and know that the way it is raised will determine the quality of it in terms of flavour and nutritional value—that is a big one. I think if people know that food raised in certain ways will provide more nutrition and that more nutrition will mean better health, they will put more thought into how they spend their food dollars.
3. What do you love most about being a farmer?
Being able to spend more time and have more involvement with my family…hands down.
4. If you weren’t a farmer what would you be doing?
I worked as a civil engineer in construction management so probably that.
5. Describe what your favourite meal looks like?
Something hearty with lots of flavour. I like casseroles, meatloaf, and that kind of thing.
Follow 5 Chicks and a Farmer on Social!
Did you know that Lentils grow in Ontario?! Well you do now! I only learned about Ontario Lentils this past summer when I met the fine folks from Lau tea da Lentils !
Did you know that Lentils grow in Ontario?! Well you do now! I only learned about Ontario Lentils this past summer when I met the fine folks from Lau tea da Lentils !
I don’t know how many times I bugged Trevor (farmer and owner of Herrle’s) to have me for a visit at the store and farm but we finally made it happen! I mean, I have shopped there many times and I don’t think I have gone one summer without enjoying at least a few cobs of Herrle’s famous corn so I wanted to make sure I got to feature this wonderful destination on this blog.
Four generations after Cedardale Farm was established great-grandson Tim Barrie operates it as Barrier’s Asparagus and Country Market . As you may have guessed they grow asparagus, and they do so much more too!
When Borealis Grille & Bar posted a contest on Instagram for a day trip to YU Ranch , I jumped at the opportunity to enter given my already blooming farm project. As you may have guessed by this blog post existing, I was one of the winners! Yay! A group of us met early on a Monday morning and all got a bus for the one-hour ride to the ranch. Upon arrival we were greeted with the smell of meat being smoked and a plate of beef being passed around for sampling, paired with a cold Wellington Beer. Now if that isn’t the best way to start a Monday, I don’t know what is!
It was a beautiful Tuesday morning at the St Jacobs Market . I was walking around doing my groceries when I noticed an incredible display of lettuce. A voice called out to me “Hey! Have you ever tried my lettuce?”. That’s the day I first met Amanda (aka my Lettuce Lady) from Chilligo Creek Farm . We chatted about her farm and I purchased a bag of her mixed greens to take home. I made a salad that day for lunch, and of course took a photo, tagging and connecting with the farm on Instagram. The lettuce was SO good, flavourful, fresh and there was so much of it! That’s when I started bugging Amanda to let me visit and see what her farm is all about!
If you are from Waterloo Region you have likely heard of Martin’s Family Fruit Farm. Their farm, processing facility, and store can be found just on the other side of the St Jacobs Market.
It all started here for me, my journey into the local farm and food community. The wonderful family at Vibrant Farms were the first to welcome me for a tour and visit to their farm near Baden, On.
Yup that’s me. In the middle there on my momma’s lap. I had a happy family, food in my belly and was motoring around since I learned to run before learning to walk. Reality however was a little different. Times were hard for my parents. The food stamps we were allotted as a family didn’t get us much, especially when you went to the store and all you saw were empty shelves. The beginning of my food journey was quite minimal. Most of the traditional Polish recipes require the most basic ingredients. Most often we ate things like potatoes with buttermilk, pierogies, soft boiled eggs, goulash. My family was lucky to have connections to extended family who lived on farms and occasionally gave us goose, chicken and fresh eggs and milk. There was a lot of political unrest and although my parents worked to provide for us, eventually they made the decision to leave Poland.
If you follow me on social media, you may have noticed many recent posts and stories of my visits to local farms. As someone who is passionate about food and community, I have become more and more interested in learning about farming and sustainable agriculture. It’s become important for me to know where and who my food comes from, while also enjoying as much local food as possible! I want to eat food that grows here, that’s raised here, and whose producers are ethically aligned with environmental sustainability. Eating something out of boxes that have been sitting on a shelf or buying produce that has been travelling cross country on a truck isn’t ideal for me.
Sometimes I travel for work. Sometimes far. Sometimes near. Hotels are great. Secure. Nice amenities. No clean up. But lately I have been loving booking with AirBnb! Last week for a little trip to Toronto I think I stayed at the cutest BNB in the city!! This place had charm. With lights strung in the main room, vintage furniture filled with vinyl and cool art work and posters that filled the walls. I felt at home as soon as I checked in. It only made sense to take out my camera and photograph this lovely space.