At the end of a no-outlet, one-lane gravel road about an hour southeast of Louisville, people who are serious about learning where their food comes from can make a very real connection.

At RiverSong Farm, run by decidedly non-traditional farmers (Tom Scanlan is on a break from “the maw of industry” and partner Sarah Fauber comes from a retail grocery background), chickens roam free until it’s their time to become part of the food supply. In a sincere effort to help consumers understand what it means to bring a chicken from the farm yard to the table, Tom and Sarah lead Chicken Dinner Workshops. Their happy, drug and cage-free birds destined for diners’ tables don’t spring fully formed onto plates as frozen thighs and drumsticks. They are carried by participants from the coop to the killing tree where they meet a quick and as humane as possible (we are talking about killing here) end by beheading. Then they’re scalded, chilled, plucked and cleaned before going home with guests in a cooler.

This experience isn’t for everyone. Many meat-eaters prefer their meat to arrive chilled, portioned and wrapped. But for the growing number of people who aren’t satisfied with that anonymity, this workshop, for a surprisingly low price of $10 offers an up close and very personal look at where meat comes from. (Surely they’ll realize soon that’s a crazy cost and raise their price)

I joined a workshop last weekend as part of my commitment as a new omnivore to eating meat mindfully, and though it was, to be honest, incredibly difficult, I have nothing but praise for Tom and Sarah. Without talking down to us, they explained quietly and in clear language exactly what we would be doing. They demonstrated the correct way to kill the bird and warned us about the flopping (yes, it’s true, chickens do flop around when their head is cut off). They walked us through each step and then, in a manner that respected the varying emotions present, asked if we were ready.

For those of us that needed support, they stood close by, ready to lend a hand if needed, but clearly expecting that we’d do it ourselves — after all, that’s why we had come. Once we were all at the processing and cleaning stage they made their way to each of us, giving pointers on how to accomplish the task of transforming an animal into meat through water and a knife. Their teaching style was more like a friend helping out than an instructor. They’d learned themselves watching videos online, so there was no sense I sometimes have of being an ignorant city-dweller around farmers who seemingly know everything about the natural world.

Before long we all had a chicken in our cooler, ready to go home and be part of a dinner that week. Many of us may have memories of grandparents or great-grandparents killing chickens for dinner, so in a way, connecting with our food also forged a new connection to those family members and the lives they led.

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If you go:
To find out when the next workshop is, join the farm’s Facebook page. Currently, the next workshop is July 31.
Bring an apron and wear clothes and shoes you don’t mind staining.
Make sure your knife is freshly sharpened.
Take plenty of water and be sure to wear sunscreen. There’s not a lot of shade.
Bring some cash for Sarah’s pound cake. It may seem strange to want to eat after this process, but several of us found ourselves ravenous after, and the cake is delicious.

Find directions here or call (502) 422-2069

Story and photos by Dana McMahan
More photos here.

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Tags: Bluegrass, Chicken, Community, Connection, Events, Farm, Farming, Food, Learning, Louisville, People, Workshop

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