Almost 11 years in the past, WATTPoultry.com printed a short information merchandise about how Nationwide Soccer League (NFL) participant Von Miller had ambitions placing his poultry science diploma from Texas A&M College (TAMU) to make use of and having his personal poultry firm.
However on the time, I’m unsure how severely individuals took him. On the time, he stated he had bought 38 chickens, which is way fewer than many yard poultry farmers’ flocks.
The emergence of Greener Pastures Hen
This week, I discovered simply how severe Miller was a couple of second profession within the poultry business. He put his cash the place his mouth was.
I seen on the TAMU Division of Poultry Science LinkedIn web page, Miller had simply minimize the ribbon on the processing plant of Greener Pastures Hen, a firm of which he’s the proprietor. He’s joined by Greener Pastures workers and representatives of TAMU within the footage.
The LinkedIn publish, partly, learn: “Von Miller is understood to have two nice passions in life – soccer and hen. Greener Pastures Hen displays Von’s dedication to producing a humane and sustainable product. “On April twenty sixth, Dr. Audrey McElroy, Dr. Morgan Farnell, and Dr. Gregory Archer attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating Greener Pastures Hen’s opening of a brand new processing facility in Elgin, TX. The ability is the primary USDA natural poultry processing facility in Texas representing a measure of development for not solely Greener Pastures Hen however the poultry business as an entire.”
Oddly sufficient, I by no means noticed a press launch in regards to the opening of the plant. When you take into account that Miller, previously a Denver Bronco and Los Angeles Ram and present Buffalo Invoice, has had a stellar skilled soccer profession that features being an eight-time Professional Bowl choice and the Most worthy participant (MVP) of Tremendous Bowl 50, you’ll suppose the curiosity in his poultry could be excessive and Miller would need to extremely put it up for sale.
However perhaps he doesn’t must.
Von Miller’s poultry philosophy
Miller’s firm does have a web site, which presents the next description of Greener Pastures Hen: “The Greener Pastures staff combines experience in natural agriculture, poultry science, and livestock diet, in addition to a few years of expertise engaged on the behind-the-scenes infrastructure concerned in provide chain administration, the pure meals sector, and the hospitality and retail fields. We’re dedicated to bringing you the highest-quality, most moral and reasonably priced natural pasture-raised hen doable.”
And based on the web site, Greener Pastures Hen presents “classic-style complete birds” and choose cuts that embrace each bone-in and boneless, in addition to with or with out the pores and skin.
Curious to know extra, I discovered a YouTube video the place he confirmed former Nationwide Basketball Affiliation (NBA) participant Nate Robinson his farming operation. The video is about 4 years previous, however it confirmed that Miller is certainly enthusiastic about it.
Miller and Greener Pastures Hen CEO Cameron Molberg, a fellow TAMU alumnus, take Robinson by the farming operation, exhibiting him the barns that additionally give the birds outside entry. A few of his former TAMU professors additionally stopped by.
Miller, within the video, stated he didn’t desire a hen operation the place birds had been crowded and getting sick with illness. He touted the corporate’s “humanely-raised,” “pasture-raised,” and “non-GMO” hen merchandise.
Von MillerTexas A&M College Division of Poultry Science | LinkedIn
And whereas Miller is likely to be biased, he says the way in which these chickens are raised interprets into a greater tasting product.
“I believe {that a} completely satisfied chicken tastes completely totally different than a chicken that’s stressed,” he stated.
In a lightweight second within the video, Miller explains a technique wherein he doesn’t trigger stress to the birds. Robinson requested him if chasing after chickens helped him grow to be such a profitable defensive participant on the gridiron. The 2 aren’t associated, Miller stated.
“The factor is, after I’m chasing a hen, its about being affected person. When I’m on the soccer area, I’m simply attempting to get from level A to level B as quick as doable, however right here on the farm I’m just a little extra light,” he stated.
