Miguel

 

THE COUNTRY HEN BARN WORKER

 

Collecting eggs sounds like a simple job right? It is quite a bit more involved than people might imagine. Collecting and sorting eggs are just one of the many important tasks The Country Hen Barn Worker does. Let’s think on the age-old philosophical question; “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?” Well, here at TCH we may only sell eggs, but the chicken always comes first. Caring for the chickens has always been top priority for our farmers who proudly call themselves Barn Workers. TCH Barn Workers provide and maintain an environment that promotes high standards of animal welfare, stringently effective biosecurity and superior quality of life for our hens.

TCH Farmers typically have very unique qualifications of character, personality and manner which make them well-suited to meeting the needs of the hens, including nurturing attitudes, a conscientious disposition, compassion, empathy, consideration and dependability. Experienced and well-seasoned Barn Workers cultivate relationships with their hens and the flock as a whole that afford them a profound depth of familiarity. This allows them to instinctively know when all is well, or when something might be wrong, or when the chickens are in need of something just by listening to the hens sounds and observing their behavior.

            As true professionals, our Barn Workers never rely on mere observation alone to be certain that all is well with the hens. The Barn Workers vigilantly check the feed, the water, air temperature and quality, they check on condition of the litter the hens dust bathe in, keep the hens’ living space clean and free from any hazards. Our Barn Workers can tell you how much food the hens are eating on any given day, how much water they are drinking and whether or not they are maintaining healthy weights. Everything is monitored and measured to be certain the hens are well cared for.  The structures housing the chickens and the equipment around them are all inspected daily for any needs of maintenance or repairs and then the egg collecting begins. At TCH, the chickens really do come first and our dedicated Barn Workers make the hens’ needs top priority.    

Visiting The Farm

VISITING THE FARM

In previous blog articles I have featured stories about our little town of Hubbardston, our farm, our founder George Bass and general information about the incredibly dedicated people who work on this farm to let you know how much pride everyone takes in producing the most exceptional Omega3 - enriched organic eggs. We also take a great deal of gratification in producing the safest product possible. The genuine delight we all feel about every aspect of our farm inspires the desire to share the incredible experience with our customers. When you have something this good to crow about, you can’t help but want to show it off a little. We used to do just that. There was a time when we could welcome visitors to come to the farm to see the hens, experience the beauty of farm life for a little while and buy eggs right from the front door. Sadly, in 2010 it was necessary to discontinue this open invitation practice of hosting visitors in order to be in compliance with USDA biosecurity regulations designed to protect our birds and the people who love to eat their eggs. Check out these links for excellent descriptions of biosecurity:

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/birdbiosecurity/biosecurity/basicsprotect.htm

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/publications/animal_health/2011/ProtectYourBirdFromAI_Eng.pdf

The USDA and APHIS websites give a great explanation of biosecurity, why it is necessary, and what restrictions are required to keep the hens from being exposed to dangerous diseases. Keeping the hens safer from diseases also keeps people who love their eggs safer from diseases. Our standards of operation meet and in many cases exceed the requirements to be in compliance with all the USDA regulations regarding Biosecurity. Believe me, there are pages and pages of protocols that need to be adhered to and documented. A great deal of the quality testing and documentation that is also required to comply with biosecurity standards were already being practiced at TCH voluntarily since 1988, well before the USDA standards were established and adopted in 2010. It was all part of our commitment to quality. We did not have to make many changes at all to be in compliance with the biosecurity testing protocols.  We had to make a few regrettable changes to the way business was done here to be in compliance with regard to visitors on the farm. The saddest change for the farm to contend with was the necessary restriction of visitors from coming onto the property. Back in the day the parking lot outside would be overflowing with vehicles lined up on Saturdays to visit and to buy our delicious fresh eggs. School children were once able to take educational tours to see how the eggs were packaged and to visit with the hens. Now the only way for our customers to experience this great place is through a virtual tour you can take on our website www.countryhen.com. Anyone who wants to interact with us or “visit” us indirectly can join us on our Facebook page, drop us an e-mail or give us a call on the phone (please note our office hours are Monday – Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.)

The Country Hen Farm Sales are still available (off farm property) at Country Trails located at 45 Gardner Road (route 68) in Hubbardston, MA. Their hours change seasonally so please call ahead for their hours and egg availability (978) 928-4472.

 

 

 

 

 

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.

My New Family

 

 

My New Country Hen Family

If someone had told me when I was young that one day I would work on an honest to goodness farm, I would have laughed out loud. Most kids dream of growing up to have sophisticated and spectacular careers that would allow them to wear respected uniforms, attractive clothing and spectacular outfits like Astronauts, Professional Athletes, Rock Stars, and Actors with careers that would bring fame and fortune. Some dream of noble and heroic careers as Firefighters, Doctors, Police Officers, Soldiers and Leaders of their communities that would bring respect and glory in the public eye.

The kids that do grow up to work in those “dream” fields usually learn that attaining, maintaining and being successful at such careers is a lot harder than they’d thought it would be and the cool outfits often weigh on them in more ways and much more heavily than they’d expected. I didn’t know many kids (if any at all) who’d ever dreamed of growing up to work on a farm.

I had a lot of misconceptions about farms in my youth and could not have imagined how people could be happy toiling away in flannel shirts, bib overalls or dungarees and rubber boots. (Does anyone think this is stylish work attire?) There could be no fame and fortune, no glamour, glory or public esteem. So what could possibly be appealing about working on a farm? Why would anyone want to do that kind of work? The answers surprised me, and I would never have believed it unless I’d experienced it myself. There is a lot that can be said about the many various rewards that come from taking pride in what you do. Not just taking pride, but genuinely feeling proud of honest work making the most exceptional quality available to as many people as possible.

 Working on a farm is not a career so much as it is a lifestyle. Getting a job here was more like being adopted into a warm and welcoming family than it was like being hired to perform tasks.  I still have moments when I think “This can’t be real, I must be dreaming.” The people who work on this farm are genuine, honest to a fault, wholesome, hard-working, practical, conscientious, polite, thoughtful, caring, down-to-Earth humans who exemplify the very definition of the word “humane” with every breath they take. These are intrepid and innovative people of integrity who work with what they have and find a way to make that do whatever needs to be done.

The environment is calm, soothing and serene as you listen to the chickens chirring their contentment like a lullaby accompanied by the thrumming chug-chug-chugging sounds of the mill making their favorite food. Everyone works together as a team, each offering their own expertise and their individual strengths, each supporting and being supported by the others and keenly aware of how it all meshes together. We do not get to wear the really cool outfits, as a matter of fact our busiest workers wear nothing at all (except feathers) but the appeal for me of working on this farm cannot be measured in monetary gain, in fame or fortune or public esteem. It cannot be defined in words, it can only be experienced. I truly wish that everyone could experience the pride and contentment that is to be found working with such great co-workers whether they wear flannel or feathers in an environment that is the closest thing to what I consider to be Utopia anyone can hope to find.



Starting from scratch...A trip back through time.

George Bass Founder of The Country Hen

with a few of the girls

 

STARTING FROM SCRATCH

A TRIP BACK THROUGH TIME….

In the beginning George Bass envisioned a new concept of a farm that would be a haven for healthy hens to produce healthy eggs for humans. George was primarily interested in the human health aspect of the egg when he first started The Country Hen.  His interest in the health aspects and organic farming arose when George learned of the deadly nature of pesticides first hand. George learned the sad, hard lesson after a gardener and acquaintance of his named Alfonso died of accidental poisoning from pesticides used in the vegetable gardens. George learned these dangerous pesticides and herbicides were commonly used by the commercial agricultural industry growing crops used in feed for chickens. George also knew that toxins consumed by birds would become concentrated in the yolks of their eggs. George became dedicated to the ideal of starting a farm that produced eggs containing no dangerous pesticides or herbicides.

George purchased our little chicken farm located in Hubbardston, Massachusetts from the former farmers, Mr. & Mrs. Maitland Hill. The farm at that time was a modest, tiny property consisting of just a few buildings. One barn served multipurpose as hen house, production packaging, and business office all crammed under one roof. One farmhand by the name of Scott White came as a bonus with the purchase of the property. Scott was the Fire Chief of Hubbardston’s Volunteer Fire Department at the time.  The very first thing George insisted upon was getting rid of all cages so the hens could roam about freely. Imagine what any business office in any industry would be like with loose hens running about all over the place! The four employees (including George) didn’t seem to mind in the least.

The most modern technology in the “office” here at that time consisted of little more than a telephone and electricity, not much in the way of modern conveniences to work with. Everything was about as primitive as it could be. George’s first desk was a re-purposed wooden door on two oil barrels. The old saying “Great oak trees start as tiny acorns” comes to mind as I revisit this history with you.

George’s next step toward bringing his ideal farm into being was to research and develop the best organic feed possible. Here is where another old time favorite quote comes to mind; “If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.” George wanted the feed done right and so he brought in the mill and worked diligently with a team of nutritionists specializing in human nutrition and poultry nutrition. We began making our proprietary formula of organic feed right here on our farm. Scott became second in command and in charge of running the mill.

George knew all of the benefits that come with direct natural sunlight and so he insisted that new Thermopane windows be installed. Scott helped build all the new benches, he installed our beautiful windows, and took care of the mill. Once this was all in place, the first of the chickens arrived and Scott became their caretaker as well. 

            Truth be told, it wasn’t all as simple as that.  There was a great deal of work involved in each of those improvements made to benefit our beloved hens. Those improvements took a lot of time, manpower and money to bring them into being.  Why would anyone go to all that trouble? The answer is simple. All of this was done to create the safest and most comfortable, biosecure living environment for the hens. The results speak for themselves. Country Hen eggs are great tasting, loaded with Omega 3s, and packed with nutritious vitamins and minerals. They might just be nature’s most perfect source of protein. We all take a lot of pride in our exceptional eggs and all that we do to nurture our healthy hens. George’s tireless efforts were a most admirable labor of love and a model worth continuing.

 

Where Can I Find The Country Hen Farm?

 

An Overview of Our Farm

The aerial photo of our humble little farm shows what we look like from above. Our farm is quaint and charming, ringed by a cradle of green trees surrounded by the neighboring homes in a tiny little town so steeped in history and tradition that it is like traveling back through time itself. As you are driving on Route 68 you’ll want to keep your eyes open because if you blink you might miss seeing the town center, which consists of not much more than a couple steeple churches, a gas station/convenience store combination and the post office that boasts 3 parking spots in front! There are no buildings higher than a couple of stories tall with the exception of the steeples on the churches. No high-rise buildings, strip-malls, shopping centers, or other signs of “city” to be found in Hubbardston. It is simply rustic and rural and beautiful.

The People of this town are polite, friendly country folk that greet you with a pleasant smile, a friendly “hello” or an acknowledging nod of the head as you walk by. They are some of the most courteous and well-mannered people you might ever meet. While it is probably a bad idea to ask a passerby for directions in the city, you can do so in Hubbardston any time without any trepidation whatsoever. People in Hubbardston are very used to giving directions, probably because anyone who is not from here is usually here because they have gotten lost on their way to somewhere else. Hubbardston is most definitely not what anyone would call a tourist hot-spot.

I have told you about our little town as the first step in our journey together to delve inside The Country Hen farm to learn everything there is to learn about us, about our hens, and about our exceptional eggs.  My next blog entry will introduce some of the history of our farm, our Founder, George Bass and how The Country Hen came to be such a big part of this little town.

Welcome To The Country Hen Blog!

By MJ Bell

Welcome friends and neighbors to The Country Hen farm and blog.  We call our company TCH for short.  My name is Mary Jane or MJ and I will be the main blogger and your guide.  That’s me in the picture wearing a Halloween costume and my trademark ear to ear smile.  We also intend to have several guest bloggers, feathered and non-feathered alike.   I am so excited to be able to tell you all about our organic farm, our humane farming practices, our eggcellent employees and, of course, our eggceptional and highly nutritious eggs.  

Through this blog, we are inviting you into our farm to get to know us first hand, accurately and directly. We love to hear from our customers!  We will be posting facts about our farm, answers to customer questions, opinions and viewpoints that relate to all aspects of organic eggs and humane farming, recipes, our latest Farm News, and many other topics pertaining to The Country Hen.

Whether you enjoy The Country Hen Organic, Omega-3 eggs because you value high quality nutrition, humane care of our feathered friends, or sustainable and responsible stewardship in farming, we welcome you to join in. Let us answer your questions or simply share your thoughts. The Country Hen family takes pride in raising the happiest, healthiest hens around that produce the very best Omega-3 enriched eggs.

Don’t want to blog? Your can also e-mail; customer.service@countryhen.com or give us a call at (978) 928-5333 Mondays – Fridays 9am-5pm eastern time.

Thank you for visiting our blog.