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Help the Thomas Family of Matteson, Illinois Recover from This Setback
The existential threat that avian flu poses for poultry farmers and beyond has hit home in the Chicago region's local food community and for Local Food Forum.
I learned over the past weekend that Kakadoodle Farm, located in Matteson in Chicago's South Suburbs, has lost its entire chicken flock to bird flu. It is a terrible blow for the owners, the Thomas family: They have been in the process of expanding their farming operations with financial partnership from The Conservation Fund non-profit, while running an online market that is a collaboration between Kakadoodle and a number of other regional farms and producers.
Moreover, Marty Thomas is a friend and subscriber to Local Food Forum.
The text from their GoFundMe page is reprinted below. Your donation of any size will help provide resources crucial to the farm's recovery.
Their story:
Dear Friends,
This is a post I never thought I’d have to write, and to be honest, it’s not easy for me to ask for help, but our farm has just lost our entire flock of nearly 3,000 hens to an outbreak of avian flu.
After much thought and encouragement from those who care about us, we’ve decided to start a GoFundMe to help us get through this difficult time.
The revenue from these chickens has been essential to our operations, supporting our family, our employees, and our mission to make chemical free food more accessible.
Our Story
We started with a dream of getting more local, chemical-free food to our community. After Marty survived non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma—a battle that strengthened our resolve to avoid the harmful chemicals—we dedicated our lives to farming differently.
Since our start, Kakadoodle has grown into a thriving online farmers’ market, delivering pasture-raised eggs, grass-finished beef, fresh greens, and more to families in our community. Each dozen eggs and every delivery represents a step toward a healthier future for our community and planet.
How You Can Help
First and foremost, we want to thank our customers and community for your overwhelming support during this time. The best way you can support us is by simply placing orders online at kakadoodle.com. This is a great way to help us bounce back strong once it's safe to start deliveries again. Your continued trust and loyalty are what keep us going, and we are so grateful. Our marketplace growth remains our top priority—so thank you, thank you.
For those that want to help financially, the funds from this campaign will help us:
Maintain our online marketplace, employees, and farm during the recovery.
Rebuild our flock when the quarantine is lifted in June.
Contribute towards the construction a new chicken coop designed to protect feed from wild birds - which most likely caused this outbreak.
Sharing this campaign with your friends, family, and networks can also help us reach others who believe in the importance of local, sustainable food systems.
What's Next?
We’re committed to using this setback as an opportunity to come back stronger. After the 150-day quarantine, we plan to move our new flock into a new high tunnel chicken coop—offering better protection for the hens while keeping their feed safe from wild birds. This coop will cost $60,000 and house 3,000 hens, ensuring their health and productivity for the future.
In the mean time, it has always been our ambition to help other local chicken farmers move their eggs through our marketplace. We are using this opportunity to kickstart that ambition, and ensure that our community continues to have access to local pasture-raised eggs, even through the quarantine period.
As our pastor reminded us last week, we can either ask, “Why me?” or “What’s next?” We’re choosing to focus on what’s next, and with your help, we can make it happen.
Thank You
To our customers and community: We understand that times are tough for everyone, and we truly appreciate any support, whether it’s a donation, a share, or just kind words of encouragement. Your overwhelming support during this difficult time means everything to us. With your help, we’ll not only recover but continue building a brighter, healthier future for our farm and our food system.
With gratitude,
Marty & MariKate
Kakadoodle