Harold Weaver is a Mennonite farmer who lives with his wife and six children in Fleetwood, Pennsylvania. The children help feed the goats and cows, as well as the horses that pull the buggies the family uses for transportation. Weaver used to sell calves for veal, but when the market disappeared, he signed a contract with Handsome Brook Farm and started caring for a flock of 5,500 egg-laying hens. Three years later, the children also pitch in to feed the chickens and gather eggs.
Started in 2007 on a small farm in upstate New York, Handsome Brook set out on a mission to sell organic, pasture-raised eggs that were better for people, chickens, and the environment. Its network now includes 75 farms across 10 states, from New York and Pennsylvania to Arkansas and Oklahoma — and at least 80 percent of those farms are run by Amish and Mennonite families like the Weavers. (These communities, which vary greatly in practices and beliefs, are collectively referred to as “plain.”)
“It’s been really great working with these communities and learning about their lifestyles,” Handsome Brook CEO Jordan Czeizler said. “It has also been one of…
