The arbitrary date of fall has not yet come but we can feel it in the air; the change of seasons is here. There are many signs, long sleeve layers are scattered around the farm, the morning dew is cold on my feet and the last batch of chicks is settled in the brooder. I can see it in the animals and kids (can we just lump them together?). There is that bounce and energy as new weather brings opportunity. “When will the snow come again?” they ask.
We processed chickens this week and I’m proud to say we are now fully stocked on all chicken cuts! It has been a struggle to keep up this summer, thank you for your patience. Our stellar helper Otis Wekin has begun his transition back to school. He has had soccer practice in the mornings and has still hitched a ride or biked to the farm every morning, done chores and made it to soccer practice by 7:30am! We appreciate your effort Otis. Since Otis could not help with our Monday cleaning/chick moving extravaganza, we were lucky to have help from Suzie Dudas all the way from Jupiter, FL. Suzie left her farm in a friend’s RV and has been traveling and learning from other farms all along the way from Florida. Sounds like an amazing road trip. She helped Lovett, Lewis and me clean the coops and bring the chicks out to the field.
Having a farmer help for a few days is like having your partner babysit. Suzie knew all the right questions to ask, when to chime in and when to plug away, and her cheery smile and friendly energy made the two days go by in a flash. Thank you for your help Suzie.
On Wednesday, Lewis, Lovett and I picked up the last batch of chicks at the post office. They love to help get the chicks, watch them peck and cheep from their boxes and then help me unload the chicks. The chicks always have such vigorous energy when they are transferred from the cramped shipping boxes to the vast plains of peat in the brooder. We call it the “zoomies” because the chicks zoom around like crazy, chasing shadows, or each other and you have to walk very slowly because they might just run under your foot! Sometimes we lie down and let the chicks climb all over us, we have to be careful because there are so many…but you can’t help but giggle.
It is a strange sensation to remember that it was just three weeks ago, during our last chicken processing day, that Racey and I drove to Middlebury for her surgery. She is now back to doing chick chores in the morning and feeling fully recovered from the surgery. Thank you for all the well wishes and thoughts as we chart our course through our medical decisions.
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