Our Hen Heroes say: “Think Spring!”

 

Jesus One of Our Intrepid Storm Troopers



The Country Hen Storm Troopers

 

 

Our Hen Heroes say: “Think Spring!”

 

 

In an effort to keep a light heart under all of this heavy snow, we have changed some of the lyrics to The Wizard of Oz’s  song Follow the Yellow Brick Road. Our modified version goes something like this:

Follow the white icy road. Follow the white icy road. Follow, follow, follow, follow, follow the white icy road. We’re off to see the blizzard, the wonderful blizzard of Awes! Shovels and snowplows and sand…Oh my!...Shovels and snow plows and sand…Oh my!

We can joke around a little now that the weather has started warming up a bit and the daylight is lasting a little longer each evening. Signs and hopes that spring is on the way and there is a light at the end of this winter tunnel. That song wasn’t so much fun a short while ago. What a winter it has been! Storm after storm, foot after foot of snow and day after day of below zero temperatures plagued us here at the farm for what felt like an eternity. We had record breaking accumulations, and record breaking low temperatures with wind chills well below zero to contend with. Our delivery trucks fuel lines froze up so they wouldn’t start, our furnace decided it needed a break (and not just to get a cup of coffee either) during the coldest stretch of super freeze February. Train cars filled with feed ingredients had to wait on the tracks until the trucks and drivers were done with snowplowing duties before they could be brought to our mill. The main activity for nearly everyone everyday has involved shoveling and snow removal added to the normal tasks and chores on the farm.

 When we heard we would not be able to drive during the state of emergency in effect for the first blizzard our hen heroes volunteered to stay on the farm to look after the hens, make sure they had everything they needed and make sure the parking lot got plowed and all the doors were shoveled out so everyone could get in after the emergency ended. These heroes made sure all of the loading docks were cleared and the feed trucks could get to all the barns. They kept watch to make sure the water lines didn’t freeze and the food supply to the hens never stopped. They spent the night in sleeping bags on cold, hard floors giving up all the comforts of their own homes to make sure the farm was in good hands. All of that was just for one storm. We have had piles and piles more since that first big Arctic blast and our heroes keep on battling this wicked winter with admirable dedication. We cannot express how much we appreciate their superhuman efforts.

Our hen heroes tackled every one of these storms and every mounting foot of snow with tireless determination. They have all truly gone above and beyond, staying as many hours as necessary, working in brutally cold temperatures to make sure operations kept running as smoothly as possible, keeping the hens safe, making sure the eggs made it from the barns to the packaging and then to the customers without missing a beat. We are all optimistically hoping the worst is behind us but our heroes remain ready to do what it takes if Mother Nature decides She’s not quite done just yet.