At Bee Lovely Farms, we raise a small, cherished group of animals with love and care, ensuring they are healthy, happy, and thriving. Our commitment to quality means providing them with the finest diet: lush, chemical-free green pastures, nutrient-rich non-GMO and soy-free organic grains (fermented in-house for optimal nutrition), and fresh, chemical-free non-GMO fruits and vegetables from our own gardens. We take your food seriously, delivering high-quality meats and eggs you can trust.
Our poultry holds a special place in our hearts. Every chick and poult is lovingly hatched and hand-raised, thriving on our vibrant pastures. For those animals destined to provide nourishment, we honor their sacrifice with deep gratitude, giving thanks to God for His abundant provision.
If you’ve ever taken home farm-fresh eggs, or visited a grocery store outside of the country, you may have been surprised to learn that eggs don’t necessarily need to be refrigerated. In fact, the United States is one of the few countries that promotes the washing and refrigeration of eggs.
A lot of customers ask us questions about our pastured eggs, so here, we answer a few common ones here.
Before a hen lays an egg, her body creates a protective layer called the “bloom” over the shell. The bloom protects the egg from any bacteria getting inside by sealing the 6,000-8,000 shell pores.
Large commercial egg producers spray their eggs with a chemical sanitizer (often bleach) before they package them, to reduce the risk of bacteria like salmonella contaminating the egg. When eggs are washed, the “bloom” is removed, leaving the egg pores open to potential new bacteria and chemicals used to wash the egg. Without that protective layer, it’s recommended that you refrigerate washed eggs at a temperature around 45 degrees to prevent any bacteria growth.
If eggs are left unwashed with the bloom intact, you can place them on your kitchen counter. Unwashed, room temperature eggs should keep for up to two months. For the freshest eggs, it’s recommended you consume unwashed eggs within two weeks. If you aren’t planning to eat your eggs for a while, we recommend refrigerating them. The cooler temperatures increase the shelf life, allowing eggs to stay fresh for up to three months.
The pastured eggs we sell in our store are unwashed, which means that the bloom is still intact and you can store them on your counter or in your refrigerator.
Whether you leave your farm-fresh eggs on the counter or in the refrigerator, fresh eggs that come from a farm will taste better than anything you can get at the grocery store.
In the United States, some washed commercial eggs look shiny and new, but the average egg in the grocery store can actually be up to 8 weeks old by the time you buy it (I’d look shiny and new, too, if I’d been sprayed with mineral oil!).
Our vibrant flock of laying hens and roosters features a diverse mix of breeds, including Leghorn, Barred Plymouth Rock, Easter Egger, Olive Egger, Ameraucana, Black Laced Wyandotte, Rhode Island Red, Silkie, Black Australorp, Bielefelder, and Cochin.
Our flock of heritage turkeys includes Royal Palm, Bourbon Red, Bronze, Narragansett, and Blue Slate.
We raise two exceptional breeds of meat chickens: the American Bresse and the Freedom Ranger.
Heritage meat chickens and commercial meat chickens differ significantly in genetics, growth, meat quality, and how they should be prepared. Heritage chickens are specific breeds developed for backyard or pasture-based conditions, growing slowly over 16 weeks or more, and are capable of living for 6 to 12 years. In contrast, commercial broilers, such as the Cornish Cross, are hybrid birds bred for rapid growth, reaching market weight in just 6 to 7 weeks. This accelerated growth is achieved through intensive selective breeding and confined housing, which can lead to health issues like heart failure and skeletal problems due to the strain of rapid muscle development.
Their meat is typically darker and more nutritious, with lower cholesterol and sodium levels, and they are raised on pasture with access to forage, which contributes to their distinct flavor profile. Commercial chickens, on the other hand, are fed processed feed and do not have the same opportunity to forage, leading to less flavorful meat.
Due to their muscular development and tougher fibers, heritage chickens require different cooking methods than commercial birds. They must be cooked low and slow—using techniques like braising, stewing, or roasting in a Dutch oven—to tenderize the meat properly. Cooking them quickly or at high heat results in tough, stringy meat. Commercial chickens, being more tender and less muscular, can be cooked quickly and are often fried, grilled, or roasted without the need for extended cooking times.
Heritage chickens are also capable of natural reproduction and can be bred at home, unlike commercial broilers, which are often genetically engineered to be unable to reproduce and rely on hatcheries for new stock. This makes heritage breeds more sustainable and resilient in the long term, reducing dependence on a few large poultry genetics companies. Despite their higher cost and longer raising time, heritage chickens are valued for their superior taste, welfare, and contribution to agricultural biodiversity
