Phil and I belong to that finicky group of former vegetarians who are willing to consume chicken and fish, but generally shudder at the thought of eating a mammal. This has proven to be quite a predicament since we began our journey into locavorism. San Diego has good local sources of mammal meat, but until recently, I had been unable to locate a source of local chicken. The best I could find came from a farm in Fresno, which seemed close enough to eat, but far enough to warrant plenty of guilt.

When my sister called me from the Hillcrest Farmers’ Market a few weeks ago to tell me about a new vendor who was selling fresh chickens, I couldn’t believe my ears. She is a vegetarian, but being familiar with my chicken dilemma, she kindly offered to pick one up for me. Unfortunately I had just purchased a fresh chicken from Whole Foods, so I had to decline her offer.

The next week I went to the Hillcrest Farmers’ Market myself to search out the chicken vendor. Tucked in a remote corner of the market was the table for Womach Ranch Farms. Half a dozen fresh chickens sat in a large metal tub filled with ice. The farmer, Curtis Womach, told me that the chickens had been slaughtered the day before. The fresh birds were approximately 4 lbs and were priced at $20. They also had some larger frozen birds that were $25. At first I was uncomfortable with the price tag, but with the urging of one of their repeat customers who assured me it was “worth every penny”, I exchanged a crisp Andrew Jackson for a locally raised fresh chicken.

The next day I emailed Curtis with a handful of questions. He was extremely helpful, and provided all the information I was looking for.

Womach is fairly new to the chicken business. He began raising chickens after studying the book Holistic Management by Alan Savory, whose method uses animals in natural ways to improve the land. His chickens are raised naturally and sustainably, without hormones or antibiotics.

Womach Ranch Farm is located in Descanso, CA - 12 miles East of Alpine. Nestled in the mountains at 3500 ft, the farm is home to both chickens and goats. Womach intends to provide chicken year round, and is looking for a way to bring goat meat to the market as well.

The chickens are raised from one day old on a combination of fresh pasture and organic feed. Womach uses moveable pens, which allow the birds to peck and forage in fresh pasture everyday, while protecting them from predators. Their feed comes from the nearest organic feed mill, Modesto Milling, located in Modesto California. Womach says, “they have a great product that the animals do great on”. The feed is vegetarian and contains corn, soybean, rice protein, flaxseed, and about thirty other organic ingredients including kelp meal, diatomaceous earth, sea salt, and oils of oregano.

Womach is currently raising Cornish Cross chickens, which is the breed most Americans are used to eating. They are double breasted and fast growing, attaining market size in just six weeks. Unfortunately they are not broody, which means they cannot raise chicks. He would prefer to use heritage breeds, but as they are more expensive to raise, he would need to be sure there is enough customer demand.

Since a $20 chicken a felt like a big splurge, I was determined not to waste a bit of it. I roasted the chicken, removed the meat, and used the carcass to make 4 ½ quarts of Chicken broth, which I froze into ice cubes. I used the dark meat in several meals, and used the breasts plus 4 cups of the broth in a Chicken-Broccoli-Rice Casserole. I also used the broth as the base of my Thanksgiving gravy, and for extra flavor in my mashed potatoes - and I still have enough frozen broth on hand to last me the better part of a month.

Having satisfied both my belly and my conscience, I determined that Womach Ranch Chicken really is worth every penny. While it is more expensive than store bought chicken, it is far less expensive than dining out. I am definitely willing to pay a little more to support a farmer that I know, and whose practices I believe in. Besides, guilt free chicken just tastes better.

Womach Ranch Farm is currently selling chicken nearly every Sunday at the Hillcrest Farmers’ Market between 9:00am-1:00pm and has just added a second Sunday stop at the Solana Beach Farmers’ Market from 2:00pm-5:00pm.