Almost every supermarket in the country has at least one freezer dedicated to frozen chicken, and a sizable portion of the fresh meat case devoted to chicken breasts, thighs, or whole birds. However, the amount of chicken with all the current buzzwords — organic, antibiotic-free, locally grown — is a small percentage of the chicken sold at large retailers, if it’s available at all. Those consumers who want chicken that’s a little outside of the conventional product may have to look elsewhere. Fortunately for them, small processors are stepping up to meet the need.
Located in Lagrange, Ind., Gunthorp Farms raises, processes and distributes pork, chicken, duck and turkey from its 200-acre farm. Owner Greg Gunthorp says that his animals are never given antibiotics, hormones, growth promotants or animal by-products. His chickens are also pasture-raised, which is a relative rarity in the poultry industry.