(WFRV) – Nothing is better than farm-fresh food in the state of Wisconsin. And it takes a huge amount of effort to run a farm, especially under the baking sun in the summer.
Nancy Kellner, the owner of Kellner Back Acre Garden, says one of the most important tasks on a hot and humid day is “Trying to keep everyone hydrated. Making sure water is very important for the birds and animals.”
At the poultry farm, a typical day consists of feeding the animals, gathering eggs, and processing the eggs for local grocery stores.
Temperatures are cooler inside where the chickens are kept, but outside, the heat detected on just the vehicles they drive around is scorching. And when those temperatures get hot outside, production changes.
Kellner says, “Chickens don’t like the heat, so that’s when production drops.”
The heat makes the job harder, but summer thunderstorms can bring extra work.
“The feed has to stay in the barn because if it gets wet it gets moldy, so those are extra jobs you have to do because of weather”
It’s a tough summer job, battling the heat on the farm, but it can also be an ‘eggcelent’ job benefiting the community.
The Department of Veterans Affairs sends volunteers that come and help Nancy in the grueling weather conditions.
Richard Verheyen is one of those volunteers from Denmark Post 6705. He says they “Come out [to the farm] 1 or 2 times a week to help Nancy get caught up to provide the freshest food, farm to table, for her customers. In return, she donates to some of the community involvement we have.”
William Wright, another volunteer from Denmark Post 6705 takes pride in their work. “We work hard, but we also get the benefits of working with Nancy and bringing back good products to veteran’s and members of our community that could really benefit”
The sense of community, pride and determination has put this farm is in the running for the title of….
“I’m a poultry farmer and I have the toughest summer job.” – Nancy Kellner
