by Melody Reynolds
A true New England family farm, Baffoni’s Poultry is a third generation poultry farm. The family works long hours and days to provide the public with the freshest poultry and eggs possible.
Donald Baffoni has a passion for his birds. “The well kept coops and care that is given to the birds during their life at the farm results in a better quality meat,” he states.
Chicks arrive at the farm at just a day old. These soon-to-be laying hens are housed in a two story, well-lit heated barn. The chicks move freely about racing from one side to the other as if playing a game of tag. A long feeder in the center provides an all-day buffet.
When the birds have fully feathered out they are moved to another barn to continue growing. In only 21 weeks from hatching, the birds are full grown and ready to start producing eggs. The Baffoni Farm collects and crates up about 360 dozen eggs a day. These eggs make their way to many restaurants, serving only local products and farmers markets.
In addition to the egg layers, Baffoni also raises and offers fresh chicken and turkey to their customers. The heavy breasted, fast growing birds arrive the same way as the egg layers and are housed in a separate barn. The birds are fed a vegetarian diet. This vegetarian recipe was created by the Baffoni family generations ago.
Between batches of birds, Baffoni power washes his barns to ensure the cleanest environment. The air is clean and fresh on the Baffoni farm.
The meat birds are processed in a updated stainless steel facility that Baffoni has invested in.
The live bird enters the facility through a dark tunnel used to eliminate flies from entering the processing plant. The large plant works in a circular motion so there is no chance of contamination. The lighting for this plant is entirely waterproof for the never ending wash down that follows each batch of birds. The birds make their way to the final cut table where custom dress orders are filled.
These USDA-approved conditions open up many new possibilities for the Baffoni family and local farmers. The facility can now process birds for other farms under a custom dress process. This gives other farmers a place to go and have their own birds processed and labeled so they can sell this meat to their customers. Baffoni’s investment will give smaller poultry farmers a value-added product and increase their bottom line.