Intern Jon: A Trip to Our Poultry Farm

On Tuesday afternoon, Devora and Robert took Matt (the other intern) and I (Jon Cohen) on a field trip up to Lancaster, Pennsylvania to visit the Amish farms where KOL Foods buys its chickens. Both farms were so lovely; embodying a lifestyle that was so simple and so serene. The first farmer, Farmer Amos, showed us his free range chickens. The chicks are kept inside an enclosed area, known as a brooder, to be kept warm and safe while they are babies.  Once they are a few weeks old, they move to an open field under the protection of a donkey, to roam free as they please. On the second farm, we met Farmer David, who showed us his chickens and produce. The chickens are kept in large, moveable, fenced-in pens that lay out on the pasture, so that the chickens can eat grass and grain. The fenced-in area protects the chickens from being attacked by predators such as a foxes or hawks. There is plenty of room for the chickens to roam around, and they appear to enjoy themselves, especially compared to the Tyson and Purdue chickens found in PETA videos.

What struck me was that despite the fact Farmer Amos and Farmer David and I grew up with very different backgrounds and cultures, the three of us share something common, something that is very important to both of us. We all care very deeply about how our food is raised and processed.  Farmer Amos expressed his disgust for the stories he heard of factory farmed chickens from a Purdue plant. Similarly, Farmer David mentioned how he couldn’t imagine using the same tactics as the larger agribusinesses. When it came to growing his produce, David described how he conserves water through the use of drip irrigation because his water supply is limited to the water he pumps from the nearby creek. Also, he said he wouldn’t trust factory- farmed meat, “you don’t know what’s in it.” David, Amos, and I share a love for the environment even though their connection to the environment is very different from mine. Their methods of agriculture are necessary for the success and health of their respective farms - whereas for me, there is a disconnect between myself and the impact I place upon the environment from my own lifestyle. It’s clear that Farmer Amos and Farmer David love their animals and love their farm.   I wish I could say the same for many of the agribusinesses in America.