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Cushman ladies run an eggciting local ag
business! |
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April 27, 2017 |
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By Kristi
Kellogg
Boundary County Farm Bureau
Women's Committee Chair |
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| Katie,
Avery and Peyton Cushman, proprietors
and operators of the Cushman Egg Company
and Cushman Hatchery. |
The Boundary County Farm Bureau is proud to
showcase three young business women this week.
Katie, Peyton, and Avery Cushman make up Cushman
Egg Company and Cushman Hatchery.
“When we first thought of having our own
business, we already had chickens that were easy
to take care of, so we thought we would get more
and sell the eggs,” the young ladies said in
unison.
So the girls took over all the chores associated
with the chickens right down to mixing their own
feed. That first business soon expanded to
include hatching their eggs and selling the
chicks when Avery, age 7, received an incubator
for Christmas.
They researched all about how to hatch eggs,
from maintaining proper temperature and humidity
to turning the eggs, which they take turns doing
five times a day. The eggs are cleaned and
sterilized before being placed in the incubator.
At certain times they candle the eggs and remove
the unviable ones. Cushman Hatchery has now
expanded to include four incubators.
Along with the work it takes to care for their
flock, the girls have to conduct their business
just like everyone else does.
Avery, as chairman, is usually in charge of
promotions. She makes calls to local stores,
like Moose Valley Farms and Carter Country Farm
& Feed, to arrange for the chicks to be
purchased. Peyton, age 10, and the treasurer,
showed off her books, with all of the expenses
and profits recorded.
There was even a board with the agenda from
their last board meeting!
The trio touched on so many experiences, from
their 4-H Vet Science group studying different
stages of deformed chicks to weather related
issues with eggs to sexing the new chicks.
When asked what she has learned, the secretary
Katie, age 11, said “lazy now is harder later,”
a saying of her dad’s that she has found to be
true.
It was amazing to see how much dedication these
girls have to their business. They will be
strong advocates for farming now and in the
future! |
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