When you approach the poultry paddocks at Salvatierra Farms you might not notice how many chickens are hiding among the tall grasses and young hazelnut trees at first. And that’s by design.

On a warm afternoon in June, 1,500 7-week-old hens had come out to mill around — lured by feed and water stations — but many were hard to find.

“There’s an eagle that comes around here,” says Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin, the farmer and visionary behind the operation. “It has flown over a few times, and it just keeps going.”

Soon, he adds, the trees and other perennials will be tall enough to provide cover for the birds, but the grass will suffice in the meantime.