For Steve and Tammy Alger, raising grass and grain fed chickens, sheep and goats is just a small part of their beautifully simple way of life. Steve and Tammy married 23 years ago, moved to Southwest Missouri from Illinois 15 years ago, and now have ten children together: Jennifer, Emily, Amanda, David, Joshua, Rebekah, Samara, James, Hannah and Paul (all are pictured above except David, Jennifer and Emily).
The family lives just north of Miller on a 65 acre farm. They raise much of the food eaten on their 12-person kitchen table. But also, each year they sell all-natural eggs, chickens, goats and sheep in an ever-growing market for organic and naturally grown products. Some of their customers are as far away as St. Louis. Several of the Alger daughters make whole wheat (home-ground) bread as well.
The “pasture poultry” herd is taken care of as a family affair. The first batch of chicks come in March and will be ready to dress out eight weeks later. The chickens are raised on floorless pens and are moved across the open grassy pastures everyday so they can get sunshine and fresh air along with plenty of grass and their grain ration for the day. Tammy said, “The difference between our grass and grain fed chickens and the ones you’ll buy at the store is unbelievable. You can absolutely taste the difference. It’s incredible.”
In late March to mid-April the family expects lambs and kids. The same practices are considered for the four-legged animals as for the chickens. They are in the sunny pastures with plenty of grass to ensure their health and production standards.
Steve said, “We want to sell a good product, but we don’t want it so expensive that only doctors and lawyers can afford to be our customers. We really want the average American to be able to obtain and enjoy our better, quality meat.”
The Alger's goal is “to raise healthy food as affordably as possible.”
Steve mentioned that grass-fed animals are higher in omega-3 fatty acids as opposed to omega-6 fatty acids of grain fed animals. Most Americans are deficient in omega-3 fatty acids, so the Alger meats are not only better tasting—they’re better for you as well.
“We don’t use any chemicals on our animals,” added Tammy. The family worms their herds with garlic and the grain rations for the chickens are custom made, not pre-bagged from the feed store. The feed includes milo, oats, fish meal, roasted soybeans and alfalfa meal along with a supplement called nutrabalancer.
The family uses a very precise and systematic intensive grazing system—utilizing to the fullest their 65-acre farm. They will be acquiring a few more acres this spring as well. They rotate their milk cow along with the goats and sheep from pasture to pasture with the chickens following behind them eating whatever is left. The Cornish-cross birds are meat birds, and the family raises about 600 broilers each year.
The sheep were initially cross-bred wool sheep, but the Alger’s are moving away from wool animals and wanting to raise primarily meat animals. They currently have 18 goats and one buck as well as eight ewes, three lambs and one ram. In the future, the Alger family would also like to move into the beef cattle industry. One of their sons recently bought his first two heifers.
In the fast paced, chemically and artificially-bound society we live in today, this family has found a more simple, healthy and tastier way of life, which truly is fresh.
