Commonly Asked Questions
Q. Where did you get your coops?
A. We use Hen Gear coops. Joe has started to compile all the equipment he uses on the farm on our "Equipment We Love" page. You will find links to all the coops we use (in addition to other equipment). There is also a code for a discount off your order. Here is a video about the coops we use (click here).
Q. How can I purchase wholesale from Joe's Farm?
A. We work with all size farms and would love to connect with you and see how we can help meet your needs. We are excited to offer our pallet program and are taking orders for our 2025 Season. If you would like to learn more, please email info@joesfarm.us and we will send you a packet with details.
Q. How do you sell direct to consumer?
A. We have both an onsite Farm Store and regional shipping program. Our Farm Store is self-serve. This has worked great for us as it allows us a wider option of hours without needing a full-time staff member. Last spring, we started using Kiosk Buddy on a wall mounted kiosk (iPad). This connects to our Square account and allows us to accept credit and debit cards. It has worked well for us and our customers appreciate the option to use a card. We also have a cash box on the wall for cash and check and a scan code for our Venmo.
Q. Where do you get your chicks?
A. We work with a larger hatchery called Keith Smith Hatchery. Joe helps line up other farms to get chicks from Keith Smith Hatchery. If you are interested in chicks from Keith Smith Hatchery, please reach out to us at info@joesfarm.us with your address, dates you would like chicks, and the amount of chicks you would like. After we have that information Joe can see if your location is near a current route for the chicks delivery truck.
Q. Where do you get your feed?
A. We use several different feed mills. For our corn and soy free feed we use New Country Organics. For our nonGMO feed we use a local mill called Community Mills, Kalmbach Feed, and Kraut Creek Feeds.
Q. Do you use a USDA processor?
A. Yes! We do not have our own processing facility currently and utilize several area USDA processing facilities. This allows us to be able to wholesale nationwide.
Q. I have questions on how you scaled your business, can I connect with Joe?
A. Yes! Joe has several options for ways to connect with him (and with our Farm Manager, Justin). These can all be found on our "Connect with Joe" page. We also have several YouTube videos showing our farm and operations. A lot of questions can be answered by watching our farm tours (Heifer USA) and (Breaking New Roots).
Q. Do you raise broilers for other farms?
A. Yes, we do! We offer wholesale options for all sizes of farms. We have some large farms we produce for and are launching a new pallet program for the 2024 Season. This will allow us to have smaller minimums (500 birds) for farms looking to outsource some (or all) of their broilers. We have attached a flyer for our pallet program if you are interested!
Q. Are you hiring?
A. We are not currently hiring, however, that may change as our operations are seasonal. If you are interested in submitting your information to our job interest list, please use the following link to our Google form. (https://surveyheart.com/form/67f92769fa6fac248a124c9b)
Q. What does your brooder look like?
A. This is an older video (we will be updating soon) but here is look inside our brooder set up. Click here for that video on YouTube.
Q. How do you move your large coops?
A. Our large coops, we originally moved on the side using a telephone poll for support. Here is a link to our video showing how we have our set up for moving those extra large coops. Now we have found a system with chains (video coming soon).
Q. What egg washing system do you use?
A. We no longer raise laying hens and sold our washing station, however, here is a video walk-through for what that system looked like. We had a refurbished National Poultry Equipment model 5.
Q. Have you used any grants or outside funding?
A. No, we have not used any federal or state grants or any other funding. We would recommend you contact your local agriculture department or state for information on what programs might be available.