My ticket to Polyface

[The Storyteller]

A friend of mine (a former Polyface farm apprentice who lives close to me) has had a difficult time in Oklahoma due to last year's heat and drought and a fire the burned 2/3 of his ranch. Well, an opportunity came up he couldn't resist. One of Joel Salatin's rental farms has become available and Joel invited him and his wife to take it over. He couldn't pass it up, so he is moving back to Virginia first part of February.

This last weekend I was at their place visiting and buying some of his poultry equipment, including 3 broiler pens and his eggmobile, when he told me about another of his opportunities. Seems Joel has asked my friend to become his one on one tour guide for Polyface. Joel and his son Daniel used to conduct these, but have become just too busy. Because my friend is so knowledgeable and such an excellent speaker and very enthusiastic, Salatin asked him to take over the tours.

Now, this isn't your typical day jaunt with a bunch of folks. This is a one on one, hands on, behind the scene tour of Polyface. My friend invited my wife and I to come out for a visit this spring, and he will give me one of these tours FREE of charge!

So, I'm jazzed! I have been a huge Salatin fan for a long time, and have enormous respect for what he has done for the sustainable ag movement. This is my chance to learn about his system up close and personal. I know I'm not likely to learn a lot in a single day, but I'm hoping to get some ideas and inspiration. Then maybe spend a week or so with my friend helping him at his new place, doing things the Salatin way. Then come home and apply what we have learned.

Add to that our new eggmobile and we may just make a go at this farming thing.

[puglogic]

Totally jealous, Storyteller! How fun!!!

[iris lily]

That's interesting. What is it that you need to learn?

Also, who are you selling all of these eggs to, and what is your method of distribution?

[Suzanne]

Oh wow! Please post pictures!!

[lhamo]

Sooooooo jealous....

Hope you enjoy your tour and learn a lot.

lhamo

[The Storyteller]

Thanks, all. Iris, I don't know exactly what I expect to learn, I just know I learn a lot just from looking at my friend's setup every time I visit. I learned 10 things just by walking through his eggmobile before I bought it.

Great strides have been made in sustainable farming, just as in organic gardening. There are conferences on the subject yearly where new information is shared. It's not just about going back to the old ways, but rather going as if farming had never become industrialized and laced with chemicals. Joel Salatin is on the forefront of that movement, a true pioneer.

As to whom I'm going to sell the eggs to, I don't know. But a contract came up just two weeks ago for pastured egg production. Had I been ready, I could have stepped right in. I will likely start with the farmers market and go from there, then hope next time something like that comes up I'll be ready. My biggest competitor has 500 hens and 200 ducks, but they are raised in a confinement (albeit cage free) setting. Eggs from pastured poultry are far superior in both look and taste to anything in confinement. Plus, the marketing is so easy. Just real pictures of my chickens living like they live will set me apart. That's my hope, anyway.

I'm also selling pastured meat birds at my market. We are starting with 150 in March. I'll do a thread on that experience, as well. I will be the ONLY person at the market selling that product.