Buster
Lovin' The Homestead
A friend of mine who was a former Polyface Farm apprentices 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 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 to become his one on one tour guide for Polyface. Joel and Daniel used to conduct these, but have become just too busy. Because my friend is so knowledgable 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 that normally costs $500 to $1,000 a pop. 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.
Oh, and here is the eggmobile I bought. It housed 400 hens last summer. It has an automatic water system that supplies water inside and out fed by two 50 gallon drums, feeders, feed storage for up 600 pounds of feed, and 60 nest boxes. The floor is slated and covered in chicken wire so the manure falls through to the pasture below. You park it, open the doors to let them out in the morning and close it up at night, move it as needed for new pasture. I pick it up this coming weekend.
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 to become his one on one tour guide for Polyface. Joel and Daniel used to conduct these, but have become just too busy. Because my friend is so knowledgable 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 that normally costs $500 to $1,000 a pop. 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.
Oh, and here is the eggmobile I bought. It housed 400 hens last summer. It has an automatic water system that supplies water inside and out fed by two 50 gallon drums, feeders, feed storage for up 600 pounds of feed, and 60 nest boxes. The floor is slated and covered in chicken wire so the manure falls through to the pasture below. You park it, open the doors to let them out in the morning and close it up at night, move it as needed for new pasture. I pick it up this coming weekend.
