Things are humming at WDF. This week instead of a topical post I thought I’d just show you what we’ve been up to. We’re looking forward to a future when we can open up the farm to tours again to show you this first hand, but in the meantime I’ll try to keep it as real as possible with a few photos of what we’ve been working on.

Concrete just out of the chute and into our forms. We’re building a foundation for a new bin to hold organic chicken feed.

Loading the van for a trip to the metal recycler. We had about 500 lbs of the aluminum siding and trim from the old trailers we repurposed for movable pasture shade shelters for turkeys.

Plumbing the propane lines to the newest chicken brooder to keep our little chicks warm during their first days out of their eggs.

Wired up all the controls for fans, heaters, lights, and feeders for the brooder. Finished repairing and reinforcing the roof and ceiling. This salvaged trailer came to us after someone crashed it into a low bridge, so the roof needed a lot of help to make it rain-tight again.

One more brooder remaining to be built. Once we get a few warmer days we’ll paint the one on the left.

Spending time with the chicks is an important part of my day. I try to reserve some time just sitting among the chickens or watching the cattle graze. It is best when I avoid having a goal while doing it. I let the animals set the agenda. Today the chicks were insistent on pecking my pants and boots and scrambling up my legs only to topple over again.

Note the first feathers beginning to grow out of the baby fuzz. Two more weeks and these guys will be feathered out enough to head to pasture!

Despite the chilly nights, the plants are just itching to take off.