The Hidden Link Between Your Food & the U.S. Postal Service

15/05/2025 14 min Episodio 112
The Hidden Link Between Your Food & the U.S. Postal Service

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Episode Synopsis

In this episode, your host, Dana DiPrima, dives into the surprising connection between your breakfast omelet and the U.S. Postal Service. Learn about the century-old tradition of shipping live chicks by mail, the challenges facing this practice today, and the potential consequences for small farmers, backyard chicken keepers, and our broader food system. From historical quirks to modern logistical nightmares, this episode explores how a few changes to the mail system could ripple across rural economies and hit our dinner plates.In This Episode, You'll Learn:The origins of shipping live chicks by mail in the U.S.How major hatcheries like Ideal Poultry, Murray McMurray, and Hoover's Hatchery keep this tradition aliveThe impact of recent USPS policy changes on small farms and hatcheriesThe challenges facing large-scale poultry producers like Tyson and Pilgrim’s PrideWhat the future might hold for this critical, but often overlooked, part of our food supply chainAdditional Resources:Find out how to support your chicken farmers and local egg producers at For Farmers MovementIf you have any stories that you would like to share about shipping challenges, please reach out here.