194. Micha Ide on Raising Meat Ethically in the Pacific Northwest

Today on the Thriving Farmer Podcast, we are hosting Micha Ide, Founder of Bright Ide Acres, located in Orting, Washington. Micha and her husband, Andrew, are a couple of California transplants who fell in love with farming in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. As both animal lovers and meat lovers, they decided to raise animals with compassionate care so they could enjoy the finest quality meat without guilt. The ethics of Bright Ide Acres are threefold - to give animals a high quality of life and humane death, to provide employees with a living wage and exceptional working environment, and to steward the land and protect the natural resources. They achieve this by rotating their animals on their pastures, providing them with fresh clean living space, nutritious greens and insects for their enjoyment, and allowing them to engage in their natural behaviors. Tune in today to hear all about how Micha and Andrew have built and operate their thriving ethical meat farm! You’ll hear: How Micha got involved with farming 1:23 Micha’s advice on an appropriate amount of time in an internship/training program before delving into a farming business 4:07 What the farm looked like in the first years 5:27 What the marketing looks like for Bright Ide Acres 10:00 Experience new hires have with animals 21:26 What the farm’s production systems are like 24:16 The kind of pens they use 28:57 Bright Ide’s composting system 29:59 The kinds of value adding they do 35:43 The kinds of halal meats they work with 40:02 Micha’s advice for a new or aspiring farmer 48:37 About the Guest: We're a couple of California transplants who fell in love with farming in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. As both animal lovers and meat lovers, we decided to raise animals with compassionate care so we could enjoy the finest quality meat without guilt. In 2017, we purchased 30 beautiful acres in the quaint town of Orting, WA near the base of Mt. Rainier. Our farm is on the traditional land of the Puyallup Tribe, and we recognize their continued presence and community in our region. We also acknowledge our roles as temporary stewards of this space. We are honored that our farm has been conserved by Washington Farmland Trust, and we strive to work in a way that will benefit and enhance the health of this land for generations to come.   Resources: Website: www.brightideacres.com  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brightideacres Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brightideacres/?hl=en The Thriving Farmer Podcast Team would like to thank our amazing sponsor! At AgriGro, we know that, in today’s modern agriculture, our efforts can deplete life or add life. When you look for ways to add life, it is sustainable and makes everything work better. As a result, you will experience enhanced plant and soil health for crops, gardens, and turf, as well as improved animal health and environment for livestock and wildlife. Our products are all-natural, easy to use, and friendly to the soil and the plant, as well as the grower. AgriGro’s® formulations deliver essential plant nutrition along with an advanced prebiotic concentrate, which significantly increases the multitude of beneficial native microbial species already residing in the production environment. Through these environmentally sound technologies, we’re adding life to crop production, livestock, home, turf, and wildlife markets. You don’t have to be dependent on crop production efforts that deplete life… Just Add Life with AgriGro®.