“Dust if you must, but there’s not much time,
With rivers to swim, and mountains to climb;
Music to hear, and books to read;
Friends to cherish, and life to lead.
 
Dust if you must, but the world’s out there
With the sun in your eyes, and the wind in your hair;
A flutter of snow, a shower of rain,
This day will not come around again.
 
Dust if you must, but bear in mind,
Old age will come and it’s not kind.
And when you go (and go you must)
You, yourself, will make more dust.”
 
Here go the young  puppies, swimming rivers and climbing mountains, no time to get clean 😊

#puppies #Maremma #freedom #dustifyoumust #poetry #farming #farmlife #pastured #eggs #muddy
--from the poem “Dust If You Must” by Rose Milligan
 
Photography by Haydn

Driving through the gates full speed, because otherwise we would sink :) - a wonderfully wet winter season.

We have won Champion award at the Sydney Royal Easter Show!
 
Thank you to all our customers for your support, you now know you are having the best eggs in NSW, and in ACT (after the 2018 Royal Canberra Poultry Show)!
 
A big Thank YOU to all our farm team, for the love and hard work we all know poultry farming requires.
 
Incredible support for rotational, sustainable farming, and pasture-based egg farming. Thank you #sydneyroyal_eastershow
 
#champions #eggs #pasturedeggs  #award #awardwinningeggs #thebesteggs

"Last night I dreamed of chickens,
there were chickens everywhere,
they were standing on my stomach,
they were nesting in my hair,
they were pecking at my pillow,
they were hopping on my head,
they were ruffling up their feathers
as they raced about my bed.

They were on the chairs and tables,
they were on the chandeliers,
they were roosting in the corners,
they were clucking in my ears,
there were chickens, chickens, chickens
for as far as I could see...
when I woke today, I noticed
there were eggs on top of me."

-- the poem "Last Night I Dreamed of Chickens" by Jack Prelutsky, From the book "Something BIG Has Been Here"

#livingthedream #poetry #chickens #eggs #freerange #chickenseverywhere #welovepoetry #dreams #dreamscometrue  #jackprelutsky #whatdreamsaremadeof

a.k.a. 'The Cavalry Charge' (you need the audio!). Having some fun at work today with the egg machine. #workisfun #workandplay #playatwork #funatwork #jumpingjoy #joy #egg #eggmachine #machinefails
--music from The Overture to Rossini's opera William Tell

Raising Maremma puppies is easy.
Sleeping in a pile and shifting for a comfortable position: the tough life of a puppy on Hilltops Free Range eggs farm.

#cuteness #sleep #puppies #sleepinginapile #cutepuppies #cutenessoverload #freerange #Maremmasheepdog #farmlife #toughlife

"Sowin' things an' growin' things, an' watchin' of 'em grow;
That's the game," my father said, an' father ought to know."

With sowing done for the winter, we praise the rains and watch our oats grow. Not letting the chickens near that paddock now, but they have done the fertilizing bit well.

From the book "Backblock Ballads and Later Verses", Wheat by C. J. Dennis

A serenade is a piece of music sung or played in the open air, typically by a man, to his beloved chickens. 😃

Here is our wonderful Ifu's serenade to the chickens.

NB to all skeptics: chickens have excellent hearing, which does not deteriorate with age. As they are very low in the food chain, they need to be able to hear predators early.

Hilltops Free range eggs farm is partnering with Hyatt Hotel Canberra for their program for "food, thoughtfully sourced and carefully served".

We are proud to support Hyatt Hotel's new year's resolution of being a leader in procuring sustainable food at a Global level. Together with the other Hyatt Hotel suppliers, we are proud to promote sustainable farming methods,  bring to their guests healthy products, and support the local economy.

You can now enjoy Hilltops Free Range eggs in the Breakfast specialties, Paleo breakfast, and the In Room Dining menu in Hyatt Hotel Canberra:

"I am excited about chickens", says Bill Gates. So are we!

Food for thought in Bill Gates's article on how chickens can solve the world's problems by eliminating malnutrition, empowering women and raising people out of poverty.