Unless The Lord... Magazine

Oaks of Mamre Farm David & Lori Crank Hempstead, Tx
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Where we are & What we do We operate a small (25 acres) family farm a little northeast of Hempstead (about 50 miles northwest of downtown Houston, Texas, out U.S. highway 290). Our primary product is pastured poultry: meat chickens, turkeys, Pekin ducks, pastured eggs, and even a few geese. We offer our farm products to folks living in the greater Houston area - in downtown Houston through farmer's markets, and to communities on the north side of Houston, on up as far as Bryan/College Station. Meat Chickens & Turkeys Our chickens and turkeys are lean but tender - the best tasting chicken you are ever likely to have! And they are also very good for your health. Pastured poultry are usually higher in omega-3 fatty acids and lower in saturated fat - as a result of having access to grass and bugs and plenty of exercise. Their feed is certified organic, non-GMO, and the pastures they graze in have probably never been treated with herbicides, pesticides, or chemical fertilizers. We process all of our own poultry here at our own farm processing center, taking great care and avoiding use of chemicals in processing. Pastured Eggs We maintain a variety of kinds of egg laying hens out on pasture. Most are brown egg layers, but we also have Auracana hens that lay blue/green eggs. All are fed only certified organic non-GMO feed.	Pastured Chickens, Eggs, Turkeys, Ducks, Geese, Goats				What do we mean by "Pastured"? "Pastured" chickens are what we used to call "free-range" - until the USDA defined "free-range" to mean merely "access to the outdoors", which was interpreted by industrial farm organic producers as raising chickens in huge confinement houses and opening small doors to a small yard for a few weeks of their lives if the weather was good. So when we say "pastured chickens" we mean chickens who have spent all but the first few weeks of their lives living outdoors on pasture. They spend their day foraging and eating, taking dust baths, sunning themselves - enjoying the happy chicken life outdoors (but with portable shelters to retreat to in times of rain or for shade). The Name: Oaks of Mamre Farm This name comes from the Bible in the book of Genesis. It was a place that Abraham lived fro a time. The most significant event that happened there was in Genesis 18, when "the Lord appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre". This was a remarkable instance of God appearing and speaking to man, and bringing a message that Sarah would bear a child at about 90 years of age! When Sarah laughed at this assertion, the response from God was , "Is anything too difficult for the Lord?" This was also the near the place where Sarah and Abraham were eventually buried.
	OUR PRINCIPLES Natural Food A natural diet (appropriate to each species) without hormones, antibiotics, other medications, appetite stimulants or other chemicals. Our poultry feed consists of certified organic - non-GMO - ingredients (grains, legumes). The land also provides plenty of grass and leaves to meet the requirements of the goats, and grass and bugs for the poultry. Sustainable Agriculture Agriculture with environmental concern - taking care not to pollute or wear out the land. We do not use any chemical fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides on our farm. Humane Treatment Concern for the welfare of our animals. Allowing chickens to be chickens and goats to be goats. Providing a healthy outdoor environment with grass, sunshine, fresh air, opportunity to exercise, and plenty of room to grow without overcrowding. A Fair Price Producing healthy food this way is more expensive, and we do have to make a profit. Yet we try to make our food as available to lower income folks as possible by not charging the highest price the market will bear.
	The Farmers

	We are David and Lori Crank and are assisted by our two youngest children (of six), Sarah & Christianna. We have been operating this farm since 2000.
How To Contact Us *David Crank,* email: jdavidcrank@gmail.com Phone: (979) 826-9812 Mailing Address: Oaks of Mamre Farm 27959 Mellman Road, Hempstead, TX 77445					We chose this name as God had also worked wondrously in our lives, providing more children when we thought no more were possible, making it possible for us to purchase this place and build our own home with our own hands, debt free, etc. It has been a place where many "impossibilities" have proved possible for us, and where we have drawn near to God. (And it does also have a lot of oak trees!).
The Whole Family (as it was in late 2009) (Including spouses of children and grandchildren)
					Our Ministry: Unless the Lord ... Magazine