Train Leaves the Station

I grew up in Boston and one of my first feelings of “independence” was riding the commuter rail by myself. The sound of trains anywhere in the world reminds me of my first few independent trips, walking to the train stop from our house, anxiously checking I was on the correct side of the tracks, boarding the train, paying for my ticket, and especially navigating South Station in Boston. 

April on the farm reminds me of catching a train for home out of South Station. Sometimes I was behind and had to quickly scan the ticker board for my train, rushing through the doors onto the platform. Sitting on the navy blue or dark purple vinyl seats there was always that moment of calm. I made the train, my body could settle and the train had not begun moving. Then the bell sounded and the air release from the train brakes marked our departure. 

With the patience of a grandmother, my train began our journey home. Slowly at first, slow in a way that reminded me of the weight of the train and what it takes to put all those cars into motion. April reminds me of that sensation: the pause, waiting for the train to start moving, then the slow start and steady building of momentum and speed.

We have taken on some projects this spring to try to keep our PRO (Pasture Raised Organic) Chicken in stock year round. From a logistics perspective this means we will have batches of chickens arriving every week starting at the end of April. Chicks spend three weeks in what we call the brooder where they have all the warmth and comfort they need until they are hardy enough to go to the field. Batches every week means we need more space for more baby chicks. So we have been expanding the brooder area, which involves some fancy coordination.

Batch 1 arrived almost four weeks ago, and they cozied into the old brooder, which is in the corner of where the new brooder will be. Batch 1 went to the field on Monday this week, with some kind sun and 50 degree weather. It is always the mark of spring when we tow the coops down the road from their winter storage spot to the field where the first batch will go. 

With batch 2 arriving on Wednesday we quickly took down the old brooder and started construction on the new brooder area. In the picture above, you can see the bedding from batch 1 to the right and some of the walls. To the left is the beginning of the new brooder area. Construction style is cheap and quick, with rough cut 2×4 lumber from Chad’s logging business, and used billboard tarps as a “roof.” The goal is to keep the drafts and vermin out. (Remember when the coons got in last year?) 

I have been deep into the research on how to build a brooder and what to use. There are folks who use insulated shipping containers or reefer trailer boxes. Some who use mobile brooders, some folks build a whole dedicated building. We considered all options and in the end we are going for using the infrastructure we already have. We are believers in reducing our consumption of resources whenever possible, and while it was luxurious to consider a dedicated building or insulated containers they were either difficult to find, or very resource intensive. Concrete and new building materials are expensive both in cost and resources. I am proud to be building our brooder on existing concrete, using lumber from the most conscientious logger I know (check out Reber Rock Draft Wood) and recycled materials like used billboard tarps.

Arriving at the train station just in time, we had the new brooder area (section 1) ready the night before batch 2 was due to arrive. Lewis and Lovett enthusiastically came down to the barn after dinner to help me turn on the heat lamps, spread bedding and do the final checks before the chicks arrived in the morning. There is something universally appealing about shoveling a fine substance like peat moss. So we shoveled and scooped and played in the fresh bedding and made sure the chicks would have a cozy welcome.

Next week I am headed to Indiana for a marketing workshop. The goal is to build some skills and confidence in making it easier for customers to find us. We have always relied on organic growth, word of mouth marketing, and chance. Just as it took time and commitment to learn to raise animals with care and respect, I am devoting the same energy to learning to spread the word about what we do and how you can get our products. I welcome all suggestions and encouragement:) Happy April.