A SusanvilleStuff Feature
by Hannah Tangeman
Throughout the summer SusanvilleStuff will be presenting an up-close look at the faces you’ll find at our local farmer’s market.
Ethan Williams, a very hands on farmer, is eleven years of age making him our youngest vendor. He is the caretaker of 78 hens – Araucana which lay green eggs, Leghorns of your traditional white eggs, and Winedotts and Astralops who produce favored brown eggs.
Don’t let Ethan’s age fool you, he mixes his own feed daily of corn, wheat, barley, and oats to make sure his chickens don’t receive soy or antibiotics in their ration.
Ethan’s hens range out in Standish in a vintage chicken coop once inhabited by McClelland birds of years past. His chickens enter and leave at their free will as no fence or doors inhibit their roamings. They venture near the driveway scooping up green shoots of grass.
Ethan looks for their eggs; that they kindly lay, in wooden nests and other appealing broody spots.
Some of the hens were reared from small day old chicks by Ethan, as well as a bunch he adopted from the Meadows who were glad to find such a good home for their birds. He feeds, waters and gathers eggs daily, as well as watches their antics in the farm yard.
The other two Williams Brothers were initially part of the project but they have moved on to larger 4-H animals leaving Ethan at the helm. He also notes he was the brother who always got up early to go the the farmers market leaving them sleeping in their beds. He is saving up for sports equipment and educational needs so he is very motivated in his industrious nature.
Ethan Williams, in his lively banter, will gladly tell you his eggs are fresh, local, and ready for your plate at the farmers market this Saturday and he can be reached at 530-251-7782 for special orders or other questions.
