By: Layne Kafsky
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| Chris Kafsky starts his morning by driving to his farm before beginning his day’s work. A typical workday for Kafsky begins around 7 a.m., starting with a cup of coffee before he heads to the farm. |
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After arriving at his farm Kafsky opens the farm gates as he begins tending to his animals. "My favorite time to be at the farm is early in the morning when the sun is peaking out from behind the trees and everything starts to brighten up," Kafsky said. |
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Kafsky feeds his chickens after opening the farm for the day. “The chickens always make me laugh because they’re always excited to see people arrive at the farm. Most people get scared when they run up to them, but they’re really friendly and are usually just looking for food,” Kafsky said. |
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Kafsky collects eggs from the chicken coop after feeding his chickens. Kafsky said he fills an average of five cartons of eggs each week. |
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| Kafsky checks on his beehives after collecting eggs from the chicken coop. “There’s not much I need to do when I check the bees. I usually just look for activity like seeing them fly around to make sure the hives are still there,” Kafsky said. |
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| Kafsky checks his garden to see what has sprouted and what is ready to be picked. His garden includes both an outdoor area and a greenhouse filled with a variety of vegetables. |
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| Kafsky picks the ripe vegetables from his garden before tending to his bison. “I try to pick any ripe vegetables early in the morning because animals like rabbits sometimes like to snack on them,” Kafsky said. |
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| Kafsky loads hay and feed into his 4x4 before driving across the property to feed his bison. The bison live in a separate pasture, making the farm vehicle the easiest way for Kafsky to transport food and supplies to them. |
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| Kafsky opens the gate to the bison pasture before driving his 4x4 into the field. The bison are kept in a separate fenced pasture, so Kafsky must open and close the gate each time he enters to feed and care for them. |
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| Kafsky closes the gate behind him after entering the bison pasture. Because of the bison's size and strength, Kafsky always makes sure the gate is securely closed before tending to the animals to ensure that none escape the pasture. |
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| Kafsky surveys the bison pasture after entering the field. “The first thing I do is make sure every bison is here and that none of them look sick or injured,” Kafsky said. |
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Kafsky spreads hay across the pasture for the bison to graze on. “The bison love hay, so I always make sure they have plenty to eat,” Kafsky said.
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Kafsky reaches out to one of his bison while checking on the herd in the pasture. “The bison have gotten used to seeing me every day, so they are usually calm when I’m around,” Kafsky said.
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| Kafsky drives his 4x4 toward the gate as the bison follow alongside him. “They usually follow me when I leave because they know I’m the one who brings their food,” Kafsky said. |
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Kafsky secures the pasture gate before leaving the bison enclosure. Before heading home, Kafsky makes one final check to ensure the bison have enough food, water and everything they need for the evening.
Kafsky inspects a birdhouse he recently built on the farm before leaving for the evening. “I like adding things like birdhouses around the property because it gives wildlife a place to nest and makes the farm feel even more alive,” Kafsky said. |
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Kafsky walks back to his truck after finishing the day's work on the farm. After spending the day caring for his animals and tending the property, Kafsky heads home to prepare for another early morning. |
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Kafsky closes the farm gate to secure the property before heading home for the evening. Locking the farm gates is one of the final tasks in Kafsky's daily routine and helps keep his animals safe overnight. |
