by Sabine Rhyne
March, 2015

Although it was a very cold morning, the sun shone brightly over the pastures of Bonvue Farm—which meant that the chickens in the translucent-fronted henhouse were warm and active. Brian McNeice keeps his chickens according to his principles: they eat well, are housed palatially, have plenty of gorgeous Vermont Land Trust pasture to work over, and even play well with others. That’s actually one way you can tell how chickens are kept: if they are bored, they peck on each other. “I make sure they have plenty of scratch grain, which I grind fresh every two days. That’s how they socialize,” explains Brian. In addition, he provides them with plenty of hay, which also entices them to peck, happily.

By Alex Gyori, General Manager
March, 2015

Not too long ago a good friend of mine, a long time Co-op shareholder, asked if we would be bringing in the new general manager six months or so before I leave my job here at the Co-op. That was mildly flattering to hear, his perception being how broad the responsibilities are for this position. My immediate reply was that the next person will need to come with well-developed skills and experience, requiring a much shorter break-in time. Still it was a perceptive question.