American Heritage Berkshire pigs are mid-sized, weighing around 200 pounds at market weight, and standing knee-high. The pigs at Blackbird Farm live in a ½ acre wooded lot, with sheds for shelter, and plenty of room to run and play. On our tour they also seemed to be enjoying a game of hide and seek with us- a few of the younger pigs hid in the trees, darting out now and then to come almost close enough for us to touch them.

photo by Ellen Slattery

Ann Marie believes in allowing her animals to live in a natural environment, treating them humanely, and with respect. Yes, many of these animals will end up at the Blackbird Farm farm stand, or at a local restaurant. That is more reason to “let them live a nice, happy life.” Happy pigs and cows produce better meat, but there is more to it than that; it is a matter of conscience.

The cows, pigs, and chickens on Blackbird Farm deserve to be treated well. All animals deserve to be treated well, but Ann Marie is very clear about the rarity of this philosophy. There is a distinct frustration in her voice when talking about the living conditions for animals of industrial farming.

“A lot of these big farms keep their chickens indoors, with artificial lights. Normally, chickens go through stages, like molting, where they are not laying eggs.” Keeping them in a controlled environment for their entire life eliminates these cycles, allowing for greater production. This might make economic sense, but it doesn’t make ethical sense to Ann Marie. “I just tell my restaurants that I won’t have eggs for a couple of weeks.”

Photo by JWessel Photography

This same quality of life ethic applies to the Blackbird Farm cows. “We have 42 cows, but they’re not all here.” To ensure that the cows have plenty of space to graze, some of them live on rented pasture in other parts of Rhode Island. Even though they are not all at Blackbird Farm, they are all “Rhode Island raised.” When you buy meat from Blackbird Farm, it is guaranteed to be born and bred in Rhode Island, and it is also guaranteed to be 100% heritage Black Angus Cattle. In fact, Ann Marie follows the processing so closely that she can tell you exactly where your steak comes from.

Out in the pasture, a dozen cows graze under the blue skies of late spring. A dense thicket of pine, oak, and maple frames the field. From within the trees, a bull is keeping his eye on us. As we walk back along the gravel and dirt road, I ask Ann Marie if she feels successful. “You’re out in the fresh air, in nature. It is a lot of hard work, and it has taken years to be noticed for that work. But at the end of the day, I can open a beer and watch the sunset. There is nowhere else I would want to be.”

We are proud to work with Blackbird Farm. Our breakfast sandwiches at Ellie’s are made with eggs, sausage, and bacon all from Blackbird, and we are always excited to get Blackbird beef at Gracie’s. It seems pretty normal to us to work with local farmers and producers, but an afternoon on the farm helps us remember how special that working relationship really is.

The post Blackbird Farm – Field Trip first appeared on Gracie's Providence.

The post Blackbird Farm – Field Trip appeared first on Gracie's Providence.

photo by David Dadekian

Ann Marie Bouthillette began working with animals when she was three years old. Her childhood included showing livestock, active participation in the Future Farmers of America, and learning as much as she could about working on a farm. It is only natural that she now runs Blackbird Farm in Smithfield, Rhode Island.

Ann Marie, with her family, raises Black Angus Cattle, Rhode Island Reds (the state bird of Rhode Island), and American Heritage Berkshire Pigs. The work, and love, she gives to the farm comes through very clearly in the quality and taste of the beef, pork, and eggs that we get from her. This is one of the reasons we love working with her so much!

photo by David Dadekian

Ann Marie knows a lot about animal nutrition, biology, and life stages, but the secret to her success with these farm animals is to “let them live a nice, happy life.” Part of the “nice, happy life” is recognizing different stages in the production cycle. Her chickens, for instance, lay a lot fewer eggs while they are molting. She plans accordingly, making sure to inform her customers that the supply of eggs will be limited for a few weeks.

Blackbird Farm is not a big farm; they focus on quality over quantity. The farm is 200 acres, with 50 head of cattle, and a small number of pigs and chickens. The result of this, however, is personal attention to each animal, and the capability to track each cut of meat from the time it leaves the farm until it is served in a restaurant.

The Ellie’s and Gracie’s team will be taking a field trip to Blackbird Farm soon, and we promise to tell you all about it. In the meantime, you can enjoy Rhode Island Red eggs and American Heritage Berkshire bacon on the Ellie’s breakfast sandwiches, or buy your own at the Blackbird Farm Farmstand at 660 Douglas Pike in Smithfield, Rhode Island.

photo courtesy of Blackbird Farm

The post Blackbird Farm first appeared on Gracie's Providence.

The post Blackbird Farm appeared first on Gracie's Providence.