On Sale This Week: Turkey + Chicken Bone Broth & Half Chicken

Why We Do Pasture Raised Chicken Without the Gimmicks

written by

Mike Dougherty

posted on

May 18, 2025

Like any business, we pay close attention to what other farms and companies selling regeneratively raised meat directly to consumers are doing, especially their marketing.

I’ll admit, some of the offers out there make me uneasy.

“Free bacon for life!” “Get 25% off your first four orders!” “Get a free freezer!”

Every time I see one of those promotions, my mental calculator starts running. How can that possibly add up? My gut instinct always says this isn’t something we want to do. However, when everyone else seems to be doing it, I sometimes wonder if we are missing out on an opportunity.

Learning from Other Regenerative Farms

A few months ago, I spent a couple of days off the farm to attend a course in the U.S. hosted by a farm we’ve followed closely since 2019. They are much further along in their direct-to-consumer meat business. They are growing quickly and have solved many of the challenges farms our size face.

It was a fantastic opportunity to learn from their experiences, tour their operation, and meet other passionate farmers from across the country. Everyone there was diving headfirst into this business with the same energy and curiosity.

One of the main topics covered was customer acquisition strategies, including advertising, subscription programs, and paid promotions. I went into this part of the course curious but skeptical. After all, the success of our business depends on how many people find us and choose to buy our products.

Growing Without Paid Advertising

We feel incredibly grateful to have grown to this point with an advertising budget of essentially $0. The only exception was a few experimental Facebook ads back in 2019.

I believe that happened for a few key reasons:

  1. Good timing: We were ready for growth in early 2020, just as people began thinking more deeply about where their food comes from.
  2.  Active communication: From 2020 to 2023, we stayed consistent on social media and through our newsletter.
  3.  Amazing customers: You have shared our story, our mission, and our products with your friends and family. That word-of-mouth support         means everything.
  4. Before the course, I had one big question: Should we start advertising or offer incentives to attract new customers? Have we maxed out the word-of-mouth approach?

The short answer is no. Here is why…

Why We’re Not Offering Flashy Deals or “Free” Products

The biggest reason is cost. Paid advertising and giveaway programs always come at a price, and that cost eventually reaches you, the customer.

Our course hosts explained that customer acquisition costs, such as ads, influencer partnerships, and “free” products, must be built into pricing models. Those enticing deals are not truly free. The money has to come from somewhere.

As a result, we would rather keep our pasture-raised meats fairly priced and transparent. We do not want to inflate our prices just to fund promotions that mainly benefit first-time buyers.

Sustainable Growth Matters

Running and expanding a regenerative farm business is complex. We raise animals, work with butchers, manage storage, and handle distribution. Growing too fast could compromise the care and attention that define what we do.

Because of that, we are committed to steady, sustainable growth. This approach maintains quality, supports our team and partner farms, and allows us to deliver the best possible food to you.

Unlike typical e-commerce products, pasture-raised proteins are not widgets. Many business strategies that work in other industries simply do not fit farming. Margins are tight, and supply depends on animals, soil health, and weather, not algorithms.

Staying True to Our Values

Some might say we are missing a business opportunity. Maybe. However, we would rather keep our prices as low as possible, maintain exceptional quality, and build a business that supports our family, team, partner farms, and loyal customers, past, present, and future.

We will continue to grow organically, through authentic connections and word of mouth, instead of relying on gimmicks or “too good to be true” offers. In the long run, this approach feels more honest and sustainable.

To everyone who has followed our journey, purchased our products, and shared our story, thank you. Your support allows us to keep doing what we love: raising healthy animals on regenerative pastures and delivering ethically raised meat you can trust. It might be a slower and more complex way to grow, but it is the right way for us. In return, it brings you the most value and integrity possible.

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Wild Meadows Farm Ltd.

  • 394265 Concession 2
    Durham (West Grey), ON N0G 1R0
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