Fellsmere, Fla.—Crazy Hart Ranch raises
happy poultry for their eggs and meat. The birds have access to sunshine,
grass, and edible bugs along with their hormone-free, antibiotic-free food. The
5-acre ranch raises chickens, turkeys and ducks. I met owner Linda Hart recently
during the Viva 500 Farm Tour event organized by the Slow Food Gold & Treasure Coastchapter.
Hart
said her ranch was the first in Florida to get a license to raise and sell pastured
poultry. A dozen or so people were on the tour of her ranch.
She
said homeopathic doctors say farm chicken eggs are low in cholesterol and are
high in vitamins. Hart added that people who are allergic to chicken eggs can
usually eat duck eggs without problems.
 |
| Farmer Linda Hart in outdoor turkey pen at Crazy Hart Ranch, Fellsmere, Fla. |
The
turkey pen, at the back of the ranch, was full of lively birds. “Those two are
wild animals. They joined the flock two years ago,” Hart said, pointing at two
brown colored hens. She said she didn’t mind because they kept the gene pool
diverse.
There
was a field of ducks further back on the ranch. All the birds were free range
animals with all their flight feathers yet none had ever flown away according
to Hart. They laid their eggs in the early morning making collection easier
than the eggs from chickens that lay two to three times a day.
 |
| Free-range duck eggs at Crazy Hart Ranch, Fellsmere, Fla. |
Her
pastured chickens were on 10-acre piece of property, a few miles from the ranch,
where they got plenty of access to sunshine, grass and juicy bugs. “We go to a
feed mill in Samsula and have our feed ground fresh and custom mixed to our
specs with no antibiotics, hormones, roxarsone, or animal byproducts,” said Hart.
Crazy
Hart Ranch sells eggs under the “For Pet Consumption Only” label, and some meat
Turkeys, at area markets in the Ft. Pierce and Vero Beach area. To find out more
you can go to her website at http://www.crazyhartranch.com/ or call her at 772-913-0036
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