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!

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