Dean Dickel, co-owner of New Century Farm located in Shullsburg, Wisconsin, made a stop at a local Co-op on Earth Day in the spring of June 2007, and gave shoppers an opportunity to check out his fully converted bio-diesel delivery truck. Exploring alternative fuel sources as a means to minimize his carbon footprint isn’t unusual for Dean, who has been actively pursuing sustainable and organic agriculture on his farm since the mid 90s. He and his wife Mary both began careers as journalists (both of them reporters at the Dubuque Telegraph Herald).  They married in 1993 and began a part-time poultry business soon after.  They found that organic egg farming is a career they can feel good about while providing a valuable resource to the organic consumer community. They bought their current farm which includes roughly 317 acres total, in 1998, and have been farming full-time every since.

Managing the day-to-day operations on the farm with some help from their two children, Dean says they all play a role in the operation and he considers it an integrated system. The Dickels manage all of their own gathering, cleaning, inspecting, packaging and deliveries of the eggs in addition to addressing the sales and marketing needs of the company.

Several large, open barns house thousands of layer hens at New Century where pullets (baby chicks) are home-raised from one day old. Dean recognizes the benefits in cost and bird health by raising their own pullets, which he says helps to build a healthy immunity against common hen maladies. When the hens are ready to lay, nesting boxes lining the sides of the barn provide privacy and comfort for each hen to lay her eggs and the Dickel’s collect them from the boxes each day, normally in the afternoon. On the floor of the barns, chickens are free to mingle or move outside as per the organic requirement to provide access to the outdoors.

Purchasing raw organic ingredients, Dean roasts and mixes his own blend of organic feed, which provides a varied menu of soy, corn and other foods aimed at improving the overall taste of the egg. Birds are free to eat and drink water at their leisure and calcium-rich feed is also supplied at all times, allowing each bird to rely on her own instincts to take in as much as she feels is necessary.

Dean is currently preparing to build another barn for his operation and is looking forward to exploring alternative means of powering the new more innovative barn using either bio-based fuels or wind energy.

Currently, New Century Farm does not have a website.