Born from Experience. Driven by Health.
My history with poultry didn’t start with a trend; it started in childhood and was cemented during my first job in high school, where one of the skills I learned, was the meticulous work of processing birds. I had the land, the knowledge, and the ability—but it took a personal health shift to turn that capability into a mission.
More than a few years ago, after being prompted three times in a single week to look into the Paleo diet, I decided to do the research. I shifted my lifestyle and felt the results almost immediately. But that shift revealed a glaring problem: most food available in stores was fundamentally lacking. It didn’t have the nutrients, the flavor, or the integrity I now demanded for my own table. Chicken was only one aspect of the whole-food journey I was about to begin.
What started as a personal quest for better food quickly grew. First, I was raising birds for myself; then for friends; then for their friends. My entrepreneurial spirit, combined with a lifelong understanding of what makes a superior bird, became Mayborn Acres.
The name came to me one sunny April day while watching newborn lambs. I thought, ‘April born is good, but Mayborn would be better.’ Being born in May myself, it stuck. Today, Mayborn Acres represents a standard of poultry that exceeds anything you can find in a commercial aisle— It’s poultry raised to a personal standard, refined by a lifetime of experience, and delivered with the integrity your family or your restaurant deserves
Living the Pastured Life
At Mayborn Acres, we believe that the best-tasting food comes from a life lived well. We don’t raise birds in climate-controlled warehouses; we raise them under the wide-open South Dakota sky, while still protected from the elements and predators in chicken tractors(portable chicken coops).
We choose Freedom Rangers because they actually act like chickens. They are active, athletic, and curious—spending their days scratching the soil, foraging for bugs, and experiencing the outdoors. This activity is one of the secrets to the flavor. It results in the kind of chicken many of us remember from our grandparents’ tables: meat with real texture, rich color, and a depth of flavor that can’t be rushed.
This ‘pastured life’ applies to me just as much as the birds. From the arrival of the first chicks in March until our final harvest in October, my rhythm is tied to the land. Whether it’s a hundred degrees and windy or a cold South Dakota rain, the work remains the same. Every day, I manually move our field shelters to fresh, green grass. I sweat, I get wet, and I stay outside—because I know that there are no shortcuts to ethical, sustainable poultry.
We work with the seasons, not against them. By respecting the natural pace of the bird and the land, we produce something more than just a meal. We produce a legacy of quality you can see in the pasture and taste on your plate.
From Our Pasture to Your Table.
Whether you’re looking to feed your family the same high-standard poultry I feed mine, or you’re a chef looking for a partner who cares as much about the ingredient as you do about the dish, we’re ready to connect.”
“Mayborn Acres is proud to be a part of the South Dakota agricultural community. We aren’t interested in being the biggest poultry producer—just the best. By keeping our operation local and focused, we can maintain the transparency and quality that our neighbors and local chefs deserve.
maybornacres.com 