Hi everyone! I am Farm-her Sarah, a first-generation farmer passionate about bringing you food that does right by animal and planet.
Absolutely no educational or practical experience in my first 30 years gave me any indication that I would become a farmer. I spent those years in the ocean surfing and paddling outrigger canoes!
But I also spent those years as part of a “dad joke” crazy family that created so many happy memories around food and wine. Because of this I developed a deep appreciation for the power food has to ignite the senses, bring people together, and inspire creation.
In my early 30’s I discovered Keto, and while I am NOT here to push any one way of eating on anyone, Keto led me down a path that forced me to question where my food came from. I had never done that before! Through listening to podcasts and reading books it dawned on me that the food I eat is only as healthy as the soil it came from! Taking that further, I saw the direct connection between our individual health and the health of the planet. Right now our soil is unhealthy and so are we.
Like any good amateur ‘armchair scholar,’ I dove even further into this subject and finally discovered the solution to all our problems. I discovered Regenerative Agriculture. Now in all honesty no ONE thing is the solution to the climate crisis we are in. That’s going to take multiple solutions from all areas of human creativity. But nature already has carbon sequestration nailed down.
Photosynthesis is the key and helping soil maximize that process through regenerative agriculture is a massive tool we have to help mitigate climate change going forward.
Currently we rely on an agricultural system that puts carbon and methane into the air by monocropping, tilling fields, and treating animals abhorrently. Furthermore, this system would fail if it was not held up by synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides. After everything I had learned in my ‘armchair’ I wanted to do everything I could to distance myself from this system. So when I moved up to Sonoma County in the summer of 2020 I began volunteering on three different Regenerative Farms.
One of these farms was Wise Acre Farm in Windsor. Three months prior I had landed at Charles Shultz Airport and upon picking me up my now husband whisked me over to Wise Acre Farm. He said I had to see this farm that sold eggs out of a vending machine! When we got there Farm-her Tiffany, and her husband Jason were walking down the driveway with goslings in hand… of course I had to ask Tiffany about what was going on here! Turns out she had been practicing regenerative agriculture on her farm since she bought it 3 years prior. Hook, line, and sinker. I was IN!
Over time Tiffany became a mentor to me and after a year of volunteering with her she asked me if I would be interested in starting a broiler program on Wise Acre Farm.
I saw this as an opportunity to practice exactly what I preached. My passion for the environment, animals, and the health of my community could be put into action. Thus Kaya Bird was born! I thank my birds every day for what they give to our planet and to us. They are my babies and I raise them with the life they absolutely deserve. When their big day comes I ensure that as little amount of suffering takes place. I savor their meat; it is so juicy and delicious, and I remember that they regenerated our soil and thank them again. I make sure not one part of them is wasted. Any bit that I do not use is sent back to the earth through compost, making our environment healthier and continuing the cycle of life.
I chose to honor the planet and to do that I had to (would only have done) honor my birds. But in doing so a funny thing happened. When I honored my birds, I directly honored the planet! It goes both ways. I am so humbled to be involved with an agricultural system that heals the planet by healing soil, gives animals the humane life they deserve, and brings the community mouthwatering food they can feel good about.