Interview with Polyface Summer Stewards...Part 2!

The Summer Stewardship Program of 2026 is nearing the end of the second month already! I chatted with stewards Carter Martin and Kai Wright to get their thoughts and perspectives on life here on Polyface farm!

Scattered throughout this interview are a few of Kai's great photos taken around the farm capturing glimpses of his time here this Summer-- which he has kindly shared with us all.

So, without further ado, let's hear from Carter and Kai!

Day in the life of.../Second Month Impressions?

Carter: "I have been impressed with the simple functionality of the farm. How so much good can be accomplished with relatively little. I have also been impressed with how hungry the public is for this refreshing view on farming."

Kai: "...I'd say a typical day goes something like this: Chores to begin the day of course. I usually am out of bed around 5:45 and dressed, ready to be down by 6:00. Depending on what I'm doing that week, I could be done by 7:00 or 7:30, but sometimes we don't get finished until after 8. Then I head up to get some breakfast (usually eggs and breakfast sausage, my favorite!). So far, the rest of the day up until evening chores is usually spent with several different apprentices on several tasks or projects. For example, today I helped switch out some nets by the pullets right after breakfast, worked on fixing a shoulder brace on the Feathernet with Asnake, and helped Chris chop multi-floral roses with mattocks. Around 3:30 or 4 is when we have been getting afternoon chores started. Today I helped with the broilers and eggs, but every day is different. After that I head to dinner! I would say my initial impression is that it isn't as much work as I'm used to at home (I know, everyone keeps telling me, "It'll come, it'll come"). I manage my family's homestead/farm, which was neglected for over a decade, so I was doing a ton of heavy clearing and cleaning. However, I have already seen the wisdom in slowly easing us into the harder work, because several stewards have gotten sick, so I do really appreciate that so I can let my body adjust better."

First Unexpected Thing?

Carter: "One of the things I surprised myself at, was killing chickens on a processing day. You might think me strange, but I have come to enjoy killing chickens. Before I came to Polyface I was very insecure about taking the life of an animal. I have helped to slaughtered chickens numerous times before coming here and I was barely able to stomach the process. I was originally taught to do it with methods that were more inhumane and difficult to stomach. Polyface processes chickens in one of the most efficient, and humane ways that I know of, while producing a very clean bird. Being taught these methods, as well as seeing more clearly the necessity of something to die so that I might live, has helped me to overcome a lot of the qualms I originally faced over this task. That being said, every time I set about the task, I realize anew the reality that I can only live (spiritually and physically) through the sacrifice of life." 

Kai: "This week we butchered three times. The evening before we were going to butcher the first day Daniel basically said we had enough experience on the kill floor, so it was time to lock in. The next day we achieved the benchmark of 200 birds per hour and 15 birds per man hour, getting slightly under 500 chickens killed before 11:00. That was really cool because it showed all of us what was actually possible in terms of the speed that we were capable of and, at least for me, gave me the drive to try to get faster and better at the whole process. It was a pretty amazing thing to see how, just with a little encouragement, everyone dialed it in and knocked it out. "

Most enjoyed task?

Carter: "I have learned to really enjoy moving broilers. Every morning we move the broilers during our first chores of the day. The goal is to move, feed, and water a row of ten shelters in 30 minutes. Completing that tasked with a few minutes to spare has brought me a lot of satisfaction."

Kai: "The thing I enjoyed the most was when we yeehawed some pigs into the corral from Flat Field. Almost everyone around joined in, helping keep the pigs from going places we didn't want them to go and push them down the road and into the corral. It was a lot of fun.

I really like working with the pigs. They are definitely my favorite animal, so if I get to do anything with them it's a good day for me. In my free time I've gone up the mountain to their paddocks and spent at least a good hour with them."

First Big Task?

Carter: "One of the bigger projects we just completed was a cattle corral for a new rental farm. I helped out with a lot of nailing boards and pounding posts. The most interesting part was learning how to set up an effective corral for managing cows. One of the unique factors about this corral compared to some other designs, is that the cattle chute is curved. Cattle like walking in circles. A curved chute helps to keep them calm."

Kai: "Recently we built a new corral at the Vinegar Hill property, a project I was involved in. I really liked being able to see the planning and thought that went into the design and placement of the corral, and seeing the project come together quickly was also really neat."

Interesting Visitors?

Carter: "One interesting visitor we've had around the farm recently is a young black bear. One evening around 8:30 I took a stroll up the mountain. I had walked approximately 2 miles from the main farm facilities up the mountain road. It was getting quite dark by that time, and I was contemplating how much furthur I would walk before turning around. Well, what do you know, I came around a sharp bend in the road and there, about 200 ft. in front of me, was a Black Bear! Now to me he looked pretty big. Being that I was on my own he was bound to look big. Your imagination does some funny things when you're by yourself. I really don't know how big he was. Probably just 200 lbs or so. I tell you what, I high-tailed it down the mountain pretty quick."