Missouri Life September 2023

THREE CHICKS & CO. At first glance, the farmstead of Three Chicks and Co., near Gower, looks like any other small farm along Bigham Road. Chickens free-ranging in pastures, red chicken coop, and the two-story farm home built in the early 1900s give the appearance of a peaceful, slow-paced operation. In actuality, the site is the location for a busy chicken- and-egg operation run by three schoolgirls. The sister trio behind Three Chicks & Co. sell fresh, pas ture-raised chickens and their eggs. These chicks, as their motto suggests, “explore entrepreneurship through hands-on discovery” by raising chickens for fresh, pas ture-raised eggs and meat. Audrey (15), Gwendolyn (10), and Erma (9) are all members of 4-H. They enjoy homegrown food and shar ing the fruits of their labor with others. Audrey plans to follow in the footsteps of her parents, uncle, and aunts by joining FFA when she becomes a freshman at East Buchanan High School this fall. The father of this fam ily of five, Paul, always dreamed of living and working on a farm. Mom Laura grew up on a farm. For Paul and Laura, empowering their daughters to learn all aspects of farming, from growing livestock to marketing and selling a product, allows them to stay true to the tradition of farming in their own unique way. Pasture-raised meat birds are grown from late spring through the summer months by pre-order only. With the assistance of their parents, the Evans girls raise and pro cess meat birds right on their farm. Their pasture-raised, laying flock provides eggs year-round. “I like learning how to harvest the chickens, learning the parts of the birds,” says Gwen, the middle sister. Erma enjoys taking photos while doing daily chores. The oldest,

The three entrepreneurial sisters of Three Chicks & Co. are, from left, Gwen, Audrey, and Erma Evans. The girls raise chickens so they can sell eggs and meat from the red barn on their family’s farm.

Audrey, says her favorite aspect is creating marketing content for the business and working with customers. The girls took the next step in their business by for mally establishing Three Chicks & Co. LLC in April. With resources and consulting from University of Missouri Extension and Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development Authority, Three Chicks & Co. has developed and grown the business. From daily chores to harvest day to creating content for social media pages to record-keeping, the undertaking is a family affair. “Creating an opportunity to balance our tasks at hand, we needed a seasonal life skill learning opportunity that fits our busy schedule.” Laura says. “Although our foun dations have been meat and eggs, we wanted to develop a business that is versatile to meet the girls’ interests.”

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Bigham Rd., Gower, Facebook.com/three.chicks.and.co

EVANS FAMILY

35 / SEPTEMBER 2023