In support of Six Senses core values of sustainability and respect for the environment, Six Senses Yao Noi has launched an organic chicken farm.
In January the resort purchased 200 young laying hens and as of April 2014 the farm now provides guests with fresh eggs daily. By June, it is estimated that the chickens will supply the resort with all their eggs.
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Jim Driskell, senior chef de cuisine at The Dining Room, the resort’s organic European cuisine restaurant, in conjunction with Khun Pim, the resort’s full time sustainability and recycling expert, developed the organic chicken farm from initial planning to implementation. Chef Jim had substantial experience from his time working in the United States, Chile and Japan at several world renowned farms to table restaurants.
The opportunity to create the chicken farm within the resort is a point of pride for both Chef Jim and Khun Pim. Due to the great care in developing the organic farm, a tour of the facility has become one of the top guest experiences.
Eating healthy, nutritious meals is essential to prevent chronic disease, premature aging and provide balanced nutritional requirements. Free-range organic chickens eating a healthy, natural diet pass on the benefits in the form of clean, healthy and low cholesterol eggs, unlike chicken eggs from cage farming which should be restricted in any diet.
Six Senses Yao Noi chickens are fed organic agricultural kitchen by-products including carrot pulp, vegetable trimmings, organic rice bran and E.M. which is an effective microorganism solution. No chemicals are used, nor purchased chicken food. Organic free range chicken eggs contain 1/3 less cholesterol, ¼ less saturated fat, more vitamins and two times more omega 3 fatty acids when compared to eggs from caged chickens.
The chickens are the happiest chickens anyone will ever see. They have their own sound music system and the resort has built them a workout facility similar to a children’s playground which is called The Chicken Gym. The wooden structure is a multi-level installation with terracing steps for exercise sessions. Koh Yao Noi’s famous animal doctor Khun Ead, a lifelong lover of all animals and qualified veterinarian, regularly inspects the chickens to ensure optimal, health conditions and provides advice pertinent to the special conditions on the island.
By eating pure organic matter, chickens significantly reduce the overall waste of the resort. Six Senses Yao Noi is aggressively working towards Zero Waste. The use of organic eggs also contributes to the resorts efforts to reduce carbon emissions. The chicken farm is 1,315 feet (400 metres) from the kitchen. In modern day society most of the eggs normally travel hundreds of miles from farm to warehouse to supermarket to end user. Another positive side product is the chicken manure which is a rich organic fertilizer used in the resort’s organic vegetable gardens.
Six Senses Yao Noi is located on a small island in Phang Nga Bay, Thailand. Natural vegetation and lush landscaping provide privacy between its 55 elevated Pool Villa accommodations. It is part of Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas, a hotel and spa management company comprised of nine resorts and 28 spas under the brand names Six Senses, Evason and Six Senses Spa.
We realise not every resort will be up for managing 200 chickens, but tell us about what successful farm-to-table measures you have implemented in the Comments section below. Or send your story through to news@ehotelier.net.
