Before anyone overreacts and gets their underwear in a knot, I still believe in freedom of choice. If someone wants to pay more for a label, they should have that option. I will continue to purchase conventional.

But I wonder how many of those who feel good about buying organic, cage-free chicken meat because of how they are raised fully understand the potential price the chickens and taxpayers might pay.

A Georgia-based organic operation recently learned that they were entitled to $2.2 million dollars to compensate them for the loss of 160,000 chickens to bald eagle attacks.

The compensation will come from the USDA’s Farm Service Administration (FSA) using your and my tax dollars.

In 2010, this poultry grower expanded its production business to include pasture-raised organic chickens. They claimed they were raised in a humane, sustainable environment.

Humane, sustainable; touchy feely words to the millennials and others.

Seeing 160,000 chickens killed by bald eagles does not equate to humane, sustainable environment in my old brain.

To quote the fifth-generation owner: “We are proud to be a working farm committed to doing what is right for the land and our animals…”

Let’s see here. He is fifth-generation, so the farm/ranch (3,200 acres) has been around a long, long time. The decision was made in 2010 to expand to include organic, pasture-raised chickens and since then 160,000 have died. I can only guess who made that “proud” decision to do what is right for the animals.

The FSA has funds set aside for livestock deaths and destruction by federally protected species such as the 80 bald eagles who set up camp when they saw easy pickings and destroyed 30 percent of the farm’s organic chickens, despite efforts to divert the bald eagles from the area using tarps and loud noise among other efforts that would not harm the eagles.

160,000 chickens; $2.2 million U.S. taxpayer dollars.

Heck of a price to feel good.

The ugly side of organic, natural and cage-free

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