Poultry season has started at Clarke and Sons in Lennoxville. Having received the first batch of animals ordered earlier this week, the 18-week-old laying hens were ready to be picked up by numerous members of the community who ordered the birds through the store.
“It all started with turkeys,” explained store owner John Crease. “I remember when a friend of ours went to pick up some turkeys at a farm and invited me to drive down with him.” With many of his customers often mentioning their interest in purchasing turkeys, Crease picked up several boxes and brought them back to the store to try selling them. “As soon as they were in the store and people could see them, word spread around and they were gone almost right away,” explained Crease. With the first bird being sold over 40 years ago, Clarke and Sons has continued the business and sells poultry to this day, offering turkeys, chickens, ducks and many more.
Demand for poultry has never been higher for the store. Though the rush on gardening supplies which occurred in 2020 seems to have died down, Crease continues to be surprised by the number of people looking for poultry. “Before the pandemic, the number of orders were pretty much around the same level,” explained Crease, adding, “I would say the last two years that the demand has flattened out again, but at a much higher level than before.” Demand being certainly higher than before, as orders for the year have recently passed the halfway point just two weeks after release, a new feat for the store.
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