Pasture-Raised Poultry and Egg Cooperative Start Up

Charles Goudy, owner of Nelli Farm, with the Cascade Cooperative Farms’ National Poultry Equipment egg washer.

NABC is providing technical assistance and financial support for the formation of Cascade Cooperative Farms (CCF) and its effort to become a 521 designated agricultural co-op.

Thanks to generous grant funding from the King Conservation District (KCD) CCF will
begin washing, grading, sorting, packing, and selling eggs aggregated from its members in King and South Snohomish Counties in Spring 2017. In year two the cooperative’s goal is to begin aggregating and marketing pastured poultry.

The KCD funds allowed the cooperative to purchase an industrial egg washer, sorter, and packer manufactured by National Poultry Equipment. The remaining funds will go towards a refrigerated truck for both delivery and pickup of unwashed eggs from farmer members whose flocks meet the minimum size requirements.

Currently there is a huge demand for sustainably-raised eggs and poultry that is not being met by the individual producers in King and Snohomish Counties. CCF will increase the market share of its individual farmer members and provide incentive for start-up poultry enterprises.

NABC will provide assistance with developing a bulk feed purchasing program, with the goal of improving logistical efficiencies and reducing feed costs for CFF members.

For more information, please contact NABC Project Manager Luke Woodward at luke@agbizcenter.org.