Feed Continued from Page 11
together using a computer system that measures the batches. “Operators put in a unique code that identifies a specific product,” such as the chicken feed used by Farrell, he said. Once the production team checks that everything is right, the ingredients go through a mixer. The powdery blends are then mixed with steam and other elements to bond the ingredients together. “The gelatin and starches make it digest- ible to the animal,” Douglas said. Then, with the blend heated to around 180 degrees, “that mash gets squeezed through a mill that has holes and a knife on the end, so it’s pushed through and getting cut into uniform pieces,” he said. Afterward, the feed goes into a cooler that sucks out the moisture. Finally, it is put on a conveyor belt that carries the feed into bulk tanks or to smaller sacks depending on the batch. “It’s a lot more than going out with a handful of corn and letting the chickens fend for themselves,” Zappetini said. The company’s approach can raise the price on some of the feeds. Farrell said he found cheaper feed elsewhere, but decid- ed to stick with Bar ALE’s organic feed. “What you feed the chickens dictates
Joel Douglas and Matt Zappetini, left, handle operations at the mill. At right, Scott Farrell uses Bar ALE feed in raising backyard chickens with his family.
what the eggs look like,” Farrell said. Together with his wife Rayna and sons Carter, age 5, and Jeremiah, age 2, Farrell keeps roughly 50 chickens in a field behind his house in El Sobrante. “It’s turned into a full-blown thing,” he said. The family has used Bar ALE’s organic chicken feed from the beginning, and they have no plans to stop.
“We have never had any issues with sick chickens or anything,” Farrell said. “We’ve only had success. That’s why we continue to use it.” For Davis and others at Bar ALE, sup- plying feed that allows families such as the Farrells to raise healthy chickens has made the years of work and innovation worth it. “I’m most proud of the quality products
and the long-term relationships and trust we have built over generations,” Davis said. “It takes time to build that reputation and loyalty.” (Caleb Hampton is an assistant editor for Ag Alert. He may be contacted at champton@cfbf.com. This story is adapted from his article that appears in the September/October 2023 issue of California Bountiful ® magazine.)
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12 Ag Alert October 4, 2023
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