Candace Brown: The Heritage Chicken Lady

Candace Brown didn’t exactly think she was going to venture into Heritage Chicken Farming when she was searching for farmland south of Winnipeg a couple years ago. She’d grown up with chickens on a hobby farm and it was the yearning for that simpler, wholesome lifestyle that compelled her move back to rural life

What she didn’t expect was her little piece of heaven and backyard chicken dreams would eventually become Breezy Bird Farms.

Before the brand came to be, she just wanted chickens again. She didn’t care what the breed was just so long as she got eggs. She craved that morning stroll to the chicken pen, cracking her own farm eggs with the aroma of fresh ground coffee wafting in the kitchen, and free range birds for divine gourmet dinners – the perfect country life.

“When you throw a bale of straw in the pen and they start scratching, pecking, and sunbathing, it’s the best stress reliever you could have,” she admits. “I understand now why farmers who tend herds or flocks and work with them hands on, as naturally as possible, why that feels so rewarding. We all should do that at least once.”

She soon discovered a lot of people were online, searching for rare chickens like Black Copper Marans, English Orpingtons, Breda, Blue Isbar and Coronation Sussex to name a few. As it turned out there was a demand out there and very little supply.

She formed Breezy Bird Farms even though the venture was not something she actually set out to brand. She had enough previous experience with flocks that she felt confident she could manage a farm the way it should be done. And that philosophy would set the brand apart. “I really believe we are doing something differently in the way we keep our poultry,” she says. “Even though we have numerous breeds, we keep small flocks so the birds live a more natural lifestyle. They have the room to scratch, soak up sunlight so important to the quality of the bird and eggs. So when I started Breezy Farms that was my goal.”

Candace was already a successful businesswoman with a home cleaning company in Winnipeg as well as being a professional photographer and producer of her own soap line. She knew how to market the birds that she was so passionate about.

“I not only conserve and breed poultry but we breed towards breed standards and key points of the species as well.”

Breezy Bird Farms ships across Canada and in 2015 will be exporting to the U.S. “We have grown and I’m fortunate because there is a very good feeling in providing Heritage chickens to people who have come back to simpler food choices,” Candace says.

She did try her hand at the generic, grocery store breeds but soon decided they weren’t for her. “I just wasn’t enjoying them the same way. I can’t raise something I don’t enjoy. That may sound a bit strange but it’s why I got into heritage birds and I feel it’s why my clients keep coming back. “

She is always on the search for more and more exotic breeds. The process is expensive and the quarantine time could be several months but according to Candace, well worth it. This past October she imported the Mottled Ameraucana, a bird that lays blue eggs, and a breed she longed to have on the farm.

“Take for instance the Ayem Cemani, originally from Indonesia, is a very rare and endangered chicken and it’s completely black; black comb, feet, meat, eggs, and bones. And I have one!”

She reiterates that if you seek out these rare breeds to stock your backyard pens, it is a clear choice to conserve the species. “I really feel because of how common chicken has become in our everyday lives, the fact some breeds could even be on an endangered species list must seem prosperous. But this is what is happening. And at Breezy Farms we feel it’s important to not just be aware of current trends in natural foods and sustainable livestock management, but to proactively participate in preserving these birds we are ultimately dependent upon. I think I’ve become a bit of a conservationist,” she says with a quip. “I really like that I’m able to give back like that.”

The attention and care is also evident in the fact Breezy Bird Farms provides a sort of after-care philosophy to clientele. The quality of her birds is paramount but good customer service doesn’t just end with the sale. “This is more than just selling livestock to people,” she explains. “My clients will call if their birds are sick or other problems have arisen they didn’t anticipate.”

She is also regarded for fielding inquiries from non clients on how to start up their own heritage farm and she doesn’t mind passing along valuable knowledge. “Of course I hope they buy from me in the future but it still comes down to spreading some of that happiness and good will around.”

And she has some knowledge to spread. Connecting with buyers was half the battle and required some thinking outside the box. Candace opened her own forum that has grown into a national meeting place for people seeking to purchase heritage birds or start their own farm. And her client base continues to grow. “You have to remember, I’m mostly selling to people who just want backyard birds. They want some diversity and color in their flock. There are some really beautiful breeds out there.”

You can browse the birds available for sale on the Breezy Farms website, a feature Candace takes great pride in. “I’ve heard stories from clients who went to buy a particular chicken breed, only to find out they’re not what they’re getting. So, at Breezy Bird Farms, our clients know that if they’re buying Japanese Silkies then that is what they’re purchasing.”

So for those seeking an alternate poultry choice, the heritage bird is a delicacy that has to be savored. The meat is more succulent and robust. “It’s more than just dinner but rather a gourmet feast,” Candace says. “But if you’re going to try these birds as an alternative, you have to learn how to cook them properly. It’s a different culinary experience, but I promise more rewarding because it’s eating more responsibly.”

Candace quickly points out Breezy Bird Farms is not a meat processor. “I’ve been asked to process chickens but I’m not in this to mass market. I enjoy raising and selling the birds and keeping it simple. I like the backyard chicken and don’t want to loose sight of why I created Breezy Bird Farms and why I enjoy what I do so much.”

For more information visit www.breezyfarms.ca

Cam Patterson – Canadian Meat Business