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Locally Laid: How We Built a Plucky, Industry-changing Egg Farm - from Scratch
Locally Laid How We Built a Plucky Industrychanging Egg Farm from Scratch Author:Lucie B. Amundsen How a Midwestern family with no agriculture experience went from a few backyard chickens to a full-fledged farm?and discovered why local chicks are better. — When Lucie Amundsen had a rare night out with her husband, she never imagined what he?d tell her over dinner?that his dream was to quit his office job (with benefits!) and start a commercial... more »-scale pasture-raised egg farm. His entire agricultural experience consisted of raising five backyard hens, none of whom had yet laid a single egg.
To create this pastured poultry ranch, the couple scrambles to acquire nearly two thousand chickens?all named Lola. These hens, purchased commercially, arrive bereft of basic chicken-y instincts, such as the evening urge to roost. The newbie farmers also deal with their own shortcomings, making for a failed inspection and intense struggles to keep livestock alive (much less laying) during a brutal winter. But with a heavy dose of humor, they learn to negotiate the highly stressed no-man?s-land known as Middle Agriculture. Amundsen sees firsthand how these midsized farms, situated between small-scale operations and mammoth factory farms, are vital to rebuilding America?s local food system.
With an unexpected passion for this dubious enterprise, Amundsen shares a messy, wry, and entirely educational story of the unforeseen payoffs (and frequent pitfalls) of one couple?s ag adventure?and many, many hours spent wrangling chickens.« less