Feb 2012 newsletter - Hickmans Family Farms

2nd Annual Governor’s Easter Egg Roll
Governor Jan Brewer will select her favorite decorated egg for 2012 on April 7 & 8 at the Wigwam Resort from 8:00 - 11:00 am
There will also be:
• Easter egg hunts
• Easter egg crafts & activities
• Bunny hops
• Free prizes
• Inflatables
• All ages games
• Face painting
• Dance stage
• Story time and more!
HICKMANSEGGS.COM
As a journalism student, I never
live the same day twice. The
majority of the phone calls I make
result in a quick “click” or a simple
“no” and it’s a miracle when I
actually get through. When the
phone call I made resulted in a
“yes, let me transfer you,” I was
ecstatic to say the least. I spoke
with VP of Sales and Marketing,
Clint Hickman and was given the
rare opportunity for a private tour
and to write about my experience
at Hickman Farms. What began
as a business story assignment
turned into one of the most unique
experiences I could have ever
imagined.
Going into this, you should
know my only encounter with
chickens and eggs happen in the
supermarket and I may not have
paid as much attention in biology
as I should have. I head out in my
cowboy boots toting my camera
and notepad expecting to walk
into a red barn with dirt floors.
Needless to say, I was instantly
out of my element when we rolled
up to the front gate of Hickman
Farms in Maricopa on the Ak-Chin
Indian Reservation with enormous
white barns and a tire wash before
entering.
6515 S. Jackrabbit Trail
Buckeye, Arizona 85326
HickmansNEWS_0112.indd 2-3
2012
Does a Chicken Need a Rooster to Lay an Egg?
“We are proud of our operation
and want to share the experience
of what it is like to come on the
farm,” Clint said. “It would be on
a much larger scale, but our farms
are not the perfect set up for agrotourism. I’m happy to turn over
the reins of being editor for a fresh
perspective of just walking onto the
farm.”
Television interview footage on hickmanseggs.com
february
I was greeted by Daché Boston at
the front desk as my boots touched
the blue virucide beads in a tin tray.
After kindly being asked to don
a hairnet, lab coat and protective
booties, I was told I could go in.
Clint introduced me to Jerry Hall,
the complex supervisor who then
led me into a large packing facility.
My eyes instantly shot over to the
yellow and black machine that
was rapidly stacking boxes onto
palates. Jerry fondly referred to
the machine as “the Robot” and
walked me over to get a better look
from a higher platform. The robot
used suction to grip the boxes and
rotated in a circular pattern making
the work look effortless. The yellow
and black moving parts zoomed
past accompanied by the force of a
strong breeze that made me take a
step back.
“Careful on the steps down,” Jerry
said with caution. This was one of
many encounters I had during the
day in regard to safety.
I was led to the fifth barn where
I met Shane Jolicoeur, the
production manager at Maricopa.
We walked up to the second
level of the barn and he began
explaining a little history on the
barn and the farm itself. In all
honesty, I tuned out the second
we stepped onto the platform. My
jaw dropped. I had never seen so
many chickens before in my life
-- 224,000 to be exact, and each
one lays an egg every 26 hours. The
lighting along their cages made
the barn look infinite. Shane later
explained the barn is the length
of two football fields and climate
controlled all year long. The lights,
food, water, climate and egg
production are all monitored by a
computer 24 hours-a-day.
Shane and I walked closer to the
chickens and I was able to get a
better look at them. I’m not sure
what I expected the chickens to
look like, but they were gorgeous.
Perfectly white feathered coats
contrasted with vibrant beaks.
Shane held one as
he continued talking
about their schedule.
The lighting in the
barn is to reflect a
daily pattern and the
chickens are each
given a four hour nap
during the day from
2 p.m. to 6 p.m. for
extra rest. The lighting
schedule influences
their eggs size. I was
Author, Michelle Rivas pictured at her private tour of
Hickman Family Farms.
beginning to realize
how much they cared
the sustainability of the farm and
for the animals as he
what happens to all of the chicken
gently placed the chicken back in
waste I was able to smell as we
its cage.
pulled in.
“The Hickmans provide the best
“Everything we use goes back into
equipment,” Shane said. “We are
the manure,” he said with a laugh.
the only plant with robots and
“We have literally gone from trash
everything is geared toward the
getting picked up two to three
most efficient way of handling an
times a week to once every three
egg.”
weeks as a result of our recycling
We moved on following the stream program.”
of eggs to the washing area. If
robots weren’t enough of a surprise, The recycling program allows
recyclables to be sorted on the
the computer, laser system and
floor and categorized into paper,
fully-automatic washing system
pulp, Styrofoam and plastic,
took the cake. The eggs were lined
tremendously cutting down on
up and oriented by the machine
waste. As a recycling advocate, this
so they will ultimately point down
put a smile on my face.
into the egg carton. Each egg
goes through two washers with
“The industry is not what
sanitizing rinse and gets blown
most people believe,” Jerry said
dry. The laser scans the egg for
referencing the perception of a
any imperfections or additional
grandma gathering eggs from the
dirt where the eggs are sent back
yard. “It is evolved and modern.
through the process once more.
We take pride in what we do down
The eggs then undergo disinfection to every egg we put out the door.”
with a UV light and an electronic
Pride and safety are two constants
scale rates the eggs by size where
I encountered on every aspect of
they are sorted for packing by
the tour. The experience opened
Hickman workers. Smaller versions
my eyes to agriculture and the
of the robot perform tedious
unique partnership of modern
aspects of packing and the process
farming. And next time I reach for
is complete.
a dozen eggs at the supermarket,
I met with Jerry once again after
I can think back to my friends at
the tour was over to answer a few
Hickman farms and thank them
of my questions. Particularly about for such a wonderful experience.
2/2/12 6:33:27 PM
PJ’s and Eggs is a...
Scramble, USEGG, AZBread Company, Gus Balons, Hungry Fox, Chicken Noodle Cafe, Super Farm, Roberts Restaurant-Tucson,
Kiss the Cook, Good Egg-Tucson/Scottsdale, Over Easy, Matts Big Breakfast, Sue Ann’s Apple Pan-Prescott, Wigwam; patrons donated
another record breaker for Arizona Children’s Foundation.
Jodee, Funky and Jim at Scramble.
SMASH HIT Again!
Over Easy Arcadia Team.
Glenn wondering how to fit all Sue Ann’s Prescott-PJ’s in and stop and shop at the
outlets
Trinity Teacher, Molly Benally inspires her middle schoolers to help Arizona’s
children by sorting, counting, folding.
Jim-Ohio, Steve-Minnesota, Funky, Sharman, Jacinta-Chicago
Funky with Co-Owner, Clay at Scramble
Gus Balon’s 3 generations of ownerchicks.
Bliss, Brett, Lisa, Jordan and Billy Hickman at Matts
This little girl with her mom saved her babysitting earnings to
to buy PJs.
Team Good Egg Tucson-holding 120 pair of pjs!
See the live link at PJSANDEGGS.NET for each restaurant’s photos.
HickmansNEWS_0112.indd 4-5
Gertie Hickman always finds a table of friends-IN WICKENBURG at Chicken Noodle!
Let’s be friends on Facebook!
Tammy, Jessica and Funky at Wigwam.
2/2/12 6:33:30 PM