My experience at Polyface Farms was incredibly rich and opened my eyes to the true potential of farming.
I hope to write more extensively on the experience, but in the meantime wanted to go ahead and share some interesting photos.
One of the Polyface interns, Jordan, shares the morning chores with the youngest working Salatin at Polyface farms, Travis.
Daniel, Joel's son, showed me the potential of the next generation in carrying on the farming tradition with strength, pride, knowledge, understanding, and an overall farm ethic. Daniel has operated his own part of the business, raising rabbits for meat, since he was 7 years old. As he dressed rabbits he described how all social movements begin with about 1% of the population considered "the fringe" who, after many years of hard work, influence another 9% of the population, and it is that combined 10% that then influences the world and the movement becomes mainstream. The effort to support locally produced foods is still in that fringe margin.
So this is what pastured poultry looks like and believe me, this makes conventional practices seem.....industrailized. These pens are moved every day so that the birds are on fresh grass, not living in their own excrement, and receiving fresh air and sunlight. And anyone who knows will tell you, happier birds make healthier birds, and healthier birds taste better. This system is so simple, yet so brilliant in its conception that I plan to devote much time to it in the future.
This is the egg mobile. That's right, even the layers are mobile so that the litter is spread around, and again, the birds are always on fresh grass. Neat huh.
Inside view of the egg mobile. The birds are of course free to come and go as they choose. Notice the slats to allow the droppings to fall to the grass below. The bins are where the birds lay their eggs.
These are cute little pigs. One day they will be delicious bacon, but in the meantime they will live sunny, happy lives. I'll describe the sustainable way that Polyface does this in the future.
This entry was posted on 6/21/2006 11:02 PM
COMMENTS
Wow! I just found this place with all the photos from polyface. I'm really enjoying it and now I will look at all the rest - as time permits that is! Happy travelling