Youth in Agriculture Catherine Lund-Molfese

Youth in Agriculture, by Brenda Brinkley

What animals are on your farm?

“We have two guard dogs, 10 sheep, 10 goats and 56 chickens. I like the goats the best because Timmy, our youngest goat, was born here. So I was with him the same day he was born, and he sort of bonded to me. He comes up and nuzzles my hands to be petted, so he’s my favorite.”

Describe your outdoor chores:

“There is feeding the chickens. If it rains, their feeder has to be dumped out or it will cause mold. The goats can’t have the chicken feed because it can kill them, even though they love it. We have a cattle panel fence around it. The chicken waterer we just set up with a heater for winter. Filling that up, putting their vitamin mix in. Up at the corral, there’s the sheep and goat waterers, which all get dumped out and refilled every other day. The goats will steadily be getting more and more grain because they’re supposed to slowly have a nutrient as it gets more into winter.”

How many eggs have you donated to the Kitchen in Springfield?

“5,598.”

What is The Kitchen?

“It’s a place that feeds people that don’t have food.”

How do you select the eggs and what do you have to do before they are distributed to The Kitchen?

“First you collect them. Then you soak them for 10 to 15 minutes. Then you have to rub each one gently. Then you put it in the carton. We have our own little sticker that says, ‘Trinity Hills-packaged by Catherine Lund,’ then I fill in the date. We put them in the fridge and somebody comes to pick them up. They usually bring their own crates and I help load them. For the grading, sometimes the hens crack the eggs in the nest by kicking them around. We give pretty much all of the eggs, except for the ones the hens have cracked.”

Do you ever sell eggs?

“We only sold eggs once, but we’re not going to do it anymore because we really want them all to go to The Kitchen now.”

What made you want to donate eggs to The Kitchen?

“It was my dad’s idea because they lay so many eggs. It’s at least two dozen a day, sometimes two and a half. So there’s too many. We have extra, so we can give them away. We don’t need the money and we like to do something good for other people.”

Which is the easiest animal to care for?

“Probably the sheep and the goats. All I have to do for them is fill up their waterers, because they find their own food out there. They really like the falling leaves. My dad said they’re like potato chips for them.”

Which animal is the most work and why?

“The chickens, because it’s food, water, winter, dumping out the water. The eggs take the longest of any job because you have to be so careful and there’s so many steps to the eggs.”

What would you like to be doing in 10 years?

“I thought about being a vet or a teacher.”

If you could only keep one type of animal, which would it be and why?

“I would probably keep the goats, because today’s picture of sheep are these big fluffy, white, friendly things. But our sheep are an ancient breed, like from the Bible when it talks about Jacob’s sheep. That’s why they’re named Jacob’s sheep and they are that kind of sheep. They can have up to six horns. They’re really shy, because as an ancient breed they have to be cautious of everything. So you can’t really touch them.”

Do you have any help with the chores?

“Not like ‘real’ help. Sometimes my 5-year-old sister and 2 1/2-year-old brother. Usually it’s just my little brother and he doesn’t help that much. He just thinks it’s fun to come along.”

How many siblings do you have?

“There’s seven of us counting the baby. My mom’s pregnant.”

What is your favorite part of living on a farm?

“We moved from Chicago, so we were used to having this little yard. It was really small. I just love the space and the view from the window.”

Why do you think it’s important for kids to know about farming?

“It’s a great way to learn. It’s always exciting. It’s going to be so exciting in the spring when all the sheep and goats have their babies.”

When you have questions about taking care of the animals, who do you ask?

“The internet. My dad bought maybe 10 books on sheep and goats. He had me read them all. I’ve helped with giving the animals shots and sometimes been mostly in charge of that, like telling my dad what to do with the shots because I’ve done all the research.”