Buxton Goats

This is Zack

Zack with his shy brother Jack

Buxton Ducks

Young ducks just put on pasture

Portable duck shelter

Electric netting allows the ducks to free range and be protected from predators

Rader

Its that time of year again and I'm returning to my usual summer job at Rader for the 8th year. I have my normal position as back dock superviser where I oversee the incoming fresh fruit, it's storage in the coolers, and baby sitting forklift drivers.

I'm starting three weeks before the season starts to prep the dock for harvest. Flats and lugs will be trucked in, washed and stacked; pallets sorted, repaired or hauled away, and stacked, cardboard hauled to other storage, and other general maintenance of the dock, coolers, trucks and forklifts.

Last year I bought a street bike and road it everyday to work putting on about 1200 miles. I saved a ton on gas and got some good exercise. Today I pulled my bike out of storage, pumped up the tires, and got all my gear ready to go. I look forward to my first ride of the year tomorrow morning.

Buxton Farm Turkeys

Buxton Farm Broilers

Restocking the brooder with 1200 new chicks

Chicks crawling over Mrs. Murphy's boots

nipple drinkers, they worked very well

1200 Cornish Cross chicks

Day old chicks, they're quite cute

Catching chicks to bring to pasture

Young chickens on pasture

30 chicken tractors in the Broiler Field

Catching birds for processing

400 birds caught and loaded

Ready for processing to begin

Polyface intern Ben working at the kill station

Mr. Murphy and Polyface apprentice Nathen ready to start

Mr. and Mrs Murphy and Polyface intern Amanda

QC table

The chickens necks are slit and they bleed out in the cones

The messy job

The chickens chill in these tanks for about three hours or until they're about 40 degrees

Freezers full of chicken

Composting the feathers, blood and guts. It's makes some of the best compost

Building chicken tractors

Field feed storage

Murphy family pictures

I arrived in Roanoke, VA May 1st

Reading to the Murphy children

Daniel

Mrs. Murphy and Ruthy returning with eggs

Thomas

The Murphy family

Rebekah

 Visiting Falling Spring Falls

Having fun in a tire show room

Peter

Thomas

Ruthie

Sammy

Daniel's 2nd birthday

I couldn't get out of wearing the party hat as the children insisted.

John Deer gear

My buddy Thomas

Soaking wet after a walk during a down pour

Mr. Murphy mowing the lawn

New mouse traps

Peter

Home from Virginia

Yesterday I arrived home after a month in Virginia at Buxton Farm with the Murphys (Buston is currently leased by Joel Salatin of Polyface Farm).
Because of some mechanical problems on the plane I ended up spending a night in Detroit and then flew into Memphis before headed back to Seattle.

I missed home, my family and friends here very much and am happy to be here again. I will still miss Virginia and the Murphy family. Thank you for putting up with me for a month and teaching me so much.

Over the next while I'll post some of the pictures I took during my stay. Here are a couple:

Joel Salatin and me

Mr. Murphy holding Peter, and me