We're ready with our first batch of kukus! It's super exciting to see them beautifully packaged in their official bags, with our branded stickers on them. We deep freeze them for several days before dispatch as a measure to ensure absolute safety in the cold chain, and actually freezing chicken is an excellent way to preserve flavour. We've sent a batch up to the artisan food store greenspoon and also working with individual lodges and camps to supply them. We can't wait for the feedback - please let us know what you think.
Why it matters to know your farmer
Without wanting to sound nostalgic, back in the day, everyone knew their local farmer. Today, the world revolves around convenience, and speed, and this has come at a price - many of us don't know where our food is coming from, not to mention who is rearing the meat we eat. We're starting to see a sea change around this subject, and it's very exciting. People are wanting to reconnect with the source of their food, buy locally, support their own economy and build a relationship with food that means the life of the animal now matters.
I'm Farmer Max, and I got into chicken farming recently, but very deliberately. After a sojourn in South Africa where I learnt the ropes about farming chickens, I returned to Kenya to put into practice everything I had been taught. My wife Jules and I live with our two children (third on the way), dogs, ducks, rabbits, cow, horses AND chickens, in the shadow of Mt Kenya. It's an area of the country that gets abundant sunshine and rainfall, blue skies are the norm for us. As soon as I returned from South Africa, I ordered our first batch of chickens and set about building their beautiful mobile pens. The pens are on wheels, so every morning we pull them (by hand) just a short distance so that the chickens (or kukus as we call them here) have fresh pasture, insects and soil on which to roam for the day. I check on them a couple of times a day in between working on other projects on the farm. Our kids - Evy and Myla - are both fascinated by the kukus and love hitching a ride with me in the morning as I go out to check on them. Whilst broilers aren't the prettiest of chickens, they do have excellent meat and here on our farm we are very focussed on giving them a happy, humane life before they become a delicious meal on our customers' tables!!