Farmer in Focus: Brad Eberly from
Canowindra Farms

When the Eberly family took over Canowindra Farms in July of 2020 from another local farmer, they brought years of farming and market experience with them.  

The family has been involved in marketing fresh baked goods and veggies for over 25 years, and Brad Eberly says he jumped at the opportunity to purchase Canowindra Farms when it came up.

“Our family enjoys marketing farm raised products and dealing personally with customers who have become our good friends,” said Brad.

“I have been growing poultry since being at home with my Dad, so the option to purchase Canowindra Farms and sell our own pasture-raised chicken was simply a perfect fit!”

The farm runs around 600 Cobb chickens at a time, and they bring in young chicks on a regular basis to make sure there are always chickens growing on the property. Cobb are a breed that are known to be incredibly efficient at converting food they eat into edible muscle tissue, making them more sustainable and cost-effective than other breeds.

Canowindra Farms pride themselves on offering pasture-fed free-range chickens that are free from hormones and other nasty additives. Brad says the secret to their chooks is becoming familiar with how the chickens are raised and making sure they are as healthy as possible.

“Our chickens are raised in a natural outdoor setting and are free to roam in small paddocks. This combined with no added chemicals or hormones makes for a delightful tasting platter to set on the table for your family,” said Brad.

“We personally hand-select each chook that we sell. By having a personal relationship with our customers and knowing their needs, we can select the best products to keep them happy week after week.”

So, what does Brad look out for when he hand-selects chickens for market?

“We take a look at things like their size, making sure they’re in good health and are well-developed,” Brad explained.

“You start to get a good eye for it after a few years. The important bit is ensuring they’re a proper size – not too big and not too little.”

Since his family has been attending the Capital Region Farmers Market, Brad has noticed that most of the people who attend take a real interest in what they’re eating, and they like to get to know the farmers who raise and produce the products they buy.

“Getting to know the many folks that come to the Market has been a delightful journey for us. While the past year has had many challenges, one thing remained constant – people still want to feed their families safe food that is of a high quality,” said Brad.

“We have been blessed with the dedicated support of our customers. In the coming months, we hope to introduce a greater variety of whole chook products that are easy to pop on the grill. This will make for easy prep time and still provide a greater tasting dinner.” If you’re interested in buying delicious pasture-raised free-range chicken without any added chemicals or hormones, keep an eye out for the Eberly family at our next Market.