Land Basket - Changes for 2026 & Beyond

As many of you know, I’ve been finding my way forward since Cathy passed in January of 2025. Land Basket Farm was something we built together, with our hands, hearts, and a deep belief that food should be honest, nourishing, and rooted in care—for the land, for the animals, and for the people we feed.

This past year has been a season of reflection, and of resolve. I know what I don’t want to lose: you, the families who have trusted us with your food; the incredible people who make this farm run; and the community that has grown up around what Cathy and I started.

But change is coming. 

Chicken: The Heart of Our Farm

Our corn-and soy-free, Non GMO pasture-raised chicken will continue to be the cornerstone of Land Basket Farm. It’s what you come to us for, and it’s what we’re most proud of.

Going forward, we will raise only non-GMO, corn- and soy-free chicken, because we truly believe it is the cleanest, healthiest, and most responsibly raised poultry you can put on your table.

By focusing on one exceptional chicken program, we’ll also be able to keep better inventory and more stable pricing in 2026.

You’ll also notice chicken coming online a bit later in the season—Late May vs Early May. This change allows us to improve overall bird welfare.

Pork, Turkey, and Beef — Still Here, Just More Intentional

Our forest-raised pork remains part of the farm, and this year we’re working with a new, more local supplier of young pigs. We are excited.

Pork will transition to corn- and soy-free feed, producing a top shelf level pork product that will be hard to beat.  

To make sure more of you can get the cuts you love, we’ll be modifying bulk sales - fewer whole hogs and no more half hogs, so retail customers aren’t left empty-handed when they shop. We have not done this well.

Turkey is staying too—but in a different way. Rather than focusing almost entirely on Thanksgiving birds, we’re shifting toward being a more consistent source of year-round turkey: ground, breasts, winglets, and drumettes. Thanksgiving turkeys for 2026 are uncertain, and we encourage holiday customers to explore other farms for that specific need.

Our locally raised beef also remains. We’ll continue working with Sun Swept Farms and Kipland Ridge while we build our own grass-fed beef capacity here at Land Basket. As with pork, we’re making changes to bulk sales, so more beef is available for our retail customers.

One Hard Goodbye: Eggs

One of the hardest decisions has been to step away from eggs. Our laying flock will be sold this winter, and we won’t be offering pasture-raised eggs in 2026. If eggs have been part of your weekly routine with us, I encourage you to begin finding another local farm to fill that gap.

More ways to Shop

Starting January 17, 2026, the farm store will be open on Saturdays for both order pickup and in-store shopping. What used to be just a pickup spot is becoming a place you can walk through, browse, and connect with us.

Shipping in 2026.

We’re also adding regional 1–2 day shipping in 2026, giving many of our Knoxville & Jonesborough area customers another way to get their chicken.

Markets

We’ll continue at the Knoxville market in 2026, where Sharon will be representing Land Basket Farm.

We will no longer attend the Jonesborough market in 2026, though winter orders (January through April) will still be delivered there once a month.

This is a season of focus. Of choosing quality over quantity. Of protecting what makes this farm special so it can continue for years to come.

Thank you for your loyalty, your patience, and your trust. Cathy and I always believed this farm was about more than food—and because of you, it still is.

Farmer Kevin