A rare chance to learn about small-scale organic chicken production

On Thursday, May 30th, beginning and aspiring farmers from central Illinois to Spain took advantage of a beautiful spring day to tour Schoeneweiss Farms in Rockford, IL at a Farmers Rising CRAFT event. Schoeneweiss Farms is one of only five USDA-certified organic, slaughter-eligible poultry producers in Illinois. The Farm is owned by Angela and Christopher Schoeneweiss, a pair of farmers with a simple yet powerful mission to produce chicken that tastes like chicken. ​

Angela and Christopher began their farm journey in 2019, driven by a calling to transform their use and relationship with their surrounding land. Their calling originally led them to start with 35 chickens and has since developed into an operation with 400 chickens and another 200 - 400 turkeys. Schoeneweiss Farms' whole broilers and parted-out chicken and turkey products can be found on the online distribution platform Barn 2 Door and at the Edgebrook Farmers Market in Rockford, IL. While they originally decided to go organic to take advantage of market opportunities, they have remained organic out of a deep commitment to humane livestock treatment and increasing access to healthy meat options.

After cultivating a sense of community with field day participants, Angela and Christopher dove deep into every aspect of their operation including, but not limited to, their poultry’s breed characteristics and choices, coop design and construction, methods for brooding chicks, protecting flocks from disease and predators, feeding patterns and material sourcing, navigating markets and customer relationships, as well as selling local farm products through the Illinois Equitable Access Towards Sustainable Systems (IL-EATS) program. Throughout the comprehensive deep dive, participants asked thought-provoking questions, shared how they approached various aspects of chicken production on their farms, and diligently took notes when Angela and Christopher offered advice on navigating procedures and compliance for USDA organic certification.

We are grateful for Schoeneweiss Farms’ openness and generosity in letting field day participants freely explore and inquire. And thank you farmers across northern Illinois, as well as sustainable ag-curious folks, for joining us, sharing farm insights & experiences, and building community!

This program would not be possible without our partnership with the Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP). ​

The next CRAFT event is scheduled for June 22nd, and is in collaboration with the Savanna Institute - Agroforestry in Illinois: Juneberry Tasting & Farm Tour at Fields Restored. The tour will showcase silvopasturing, windbreaks, alley cropping, riparian buffers, and tasting a favorite tree at the Fields Restored farm: the Juneberry. 

You can register for Agroforestry in Illinois: Juneberry Tasting & Farm Tour at Fields Restored, and all other Farmers Rising CRAFT events, here.