A new company, Cooks Venture, has opened up shop in Northwest Arkansas and what it is selling is more than just a product or service; it is a new way of thinking about America’s food supply, and in particular, how we raise poultry.
Cooks Venture was founded by Matthew Wadiak, the cofounder and former COO of the food delivery service Blue Apron, and is based in Decatur, Arkansas. The company got its start by purchasing the land and facilities of Crystal Lake Farms in northwest Arkansas. That purchase included 800 acres of farmland and about 70 structures and processing plants in Jay and Talequah, Oklahoma as reported by the Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette.
As the poultry business in LeFlore County changes, the new ways of doing business that Cooks Venture is bringing to the area look very interesting.
They have different plans for land use and for how they will work with growers. Starting with ideas rooted in “regenerative agriculture“, Cooks Venture hopes to build soil health and organic matter, thereby increasing, among other things, the amount of carbon in the soil.
Currently, Cooks Venture is focusing on poultry. They will be growing what they call slow-grow chickens that are pasture-raised with unrestricted access to the outdoors. These birds grow 30-40% slower than other modern breeds. In addition to growing their own birds, independent growers have been recruited to grow birds for Cooks Venture. Cooks Venture will be paying these growers double the average base pay and will be rewarding them for making changes to their operations. Albeit, pricier than the typical chicken, at about five dollars per pound, the company promises better tasting and healthier food.
Cooks Venture officially launched on March 19, 2019 and will be doing both online and in-store sales later this year, although the website has began to take pre-orders. With poultry as a starting point and they have plans for cattle, pigs, grains, and vegetables down the road.
Regenerative Agriculture is a fascinating concept and has potential benefits for both the consumer and the earth. While company materials don’t specifically mention plans for how to deal with their poultry waste, it is interesting to speculate how their system, if adopted in the Lake Wister watershed, could benefit both local farmers by allowing them to make more money and Lake Wister by reducing the amount of nutrients that find their way from poultry production to our rivers and lakes.
#Growingcleanwater