New at the Co-op: Reed Farm

What distinguishes our beloved little network of food producers and farmers from large-scale agriculture and national supply chains? A lot, as it turns out! Keeping the local food system healthy and strong is a community effort woven from many threads. By supplying the same communities in which they also live, small farms are not only well-connected to their customers but also helping to boost the regional economy and increase access to fresh fare across store shelves. It is a continual work-in-progress and its responsibilities are shared by many, which is why we love when someone like Reed Farm comes along with a fresh, new idea built on values we can get behind!

A path forward for humane processing in Western Massachusetts

Previously, farmers across Western Massachusetts had no choice but to drive long distances to ethically and humanely process their chickens and turkeys. They were in dire need of a processing plant that was both local and could always be trusted to do the right thing. Seeing that the region had been underserved with humane poultry facilities, Peter Laznicka and his partner Rob Rollins founded Reed Farm in the spring of 2019 on three socially and environmentally sound principles:

• To produce safe, healthy poultry for wholesale customers while respecting the land with regenerative and sustainable practices
  
  
• To provide local farmers and backyard poultry raisers a humane and high-quality product close to home
  
  
• To eliminate the need to transport livestock over long distances, reducing stress on them and the environment

A positive impact on rural New England communities

The facility was approved by the town of Sunderland in late 2018 and officially opened just a few months later. While today they are still a young business, Reed Farm is growing quickly thanks to its support of other small farms, as well as its just and sensible approach to processing—a necessary part of all food systems far and wide, but one too commonly associated with controversial practices. Peter, Kat, and Rob have worked extremely hard to ensure our own local system has a compassionate means for farmers to process poultry with the same level of care and respect they put into raising them.

After just one year, the staff at Reed Farm have already cemented themselves as CISA local heroes. They sell their poultry to a number of local schools, restaurants, and retailers like our co-op. Their chickens and turkeys are all pastured seasonally and raised locally, which supports our region’s farms, rural economy, and the health and wellness of shoppers throughout our community.