Greens and Beans

About Greens and Beans

Located in the heart of the Finger Lakes area of New York State, Greens and Beans is a vibrant small holding producing fruit, vegetables, wonderful mushrooms over two large vegetable gardens, and, of course eggs from their Animal Welfare Approved laying hens. The hens have daily access to green pasture and a wooded area in which they can forage for insects and seeds. Deborah and her partner first met at a dairy farm where they both were working. They moved to the Penn Yan area and set up Greens and Beans in 2010. “We offer high quality traditional varieties of fruits and vegetables, and raise healthy livestock in a manner that builds the soil, creates biodiversity, and nourishes our community,” she says. Greens and Beans have chosen a number of different chicken breeds to raise, including Sliver Laced Wyandot, Rhode Island Reds, and Speckled Sussex, to name a few, with a Dark Cornish and a Barred Rock roosters. Unlike most chicken producers, Deborah allows the hens to hatch and raise their chicks, and they have had an excellent hatchability rate, with some hens hatching 11 eggs from a 12 eggs setting. “We have found the hens go off into the woods to lay their eggs before they become broody and sit,” Deborah explains. She believes this is a true natural instinct and their chicks are much stronger and healthier because of it. “We have yet to have any health issues with any of our chickens,” she says. Predators, such as coyotes and hawks, are kept at bay by wire fencing. Deborah explains the reason they decided to become Animal Welfare Approved was because the program was a natural fit: “We took a look at the standards and realized our farming practices were so similar to what AWA wanted from their farmers and, naturally, being a free program was the icing on the cake,” she says. The couple has no plans to expand into other species “We are happy with our chickens and visitors to our farm enjoy seeing the poultry out ranging,” says Deborah. “The chickens fit very well into out farm and garden system.” Eggs from Greens and Beans’ pasture-raised hens are available through a CSA, where participants receive one dozen eggs per week, as well as at Branchport Farmers’ Market every Tuesday (seasonal). For up-to-date information on the farm, visit their website [LINK TO: http://greensandbeanscsa.com/Home_Page.html ] and Facebook page [LINK TO: https://www.facebook.com/GreensAndBeans ].