07/13/2026
So as farmers, we’ve gotten pretty good at separating our emotions from animal husbandry. Life and death are simply part of the cycle we’ve chosen to be a part of. The best we can do is give every animal under our care a good life. Over the years we’ve humanely raised and processed meat chickens, lost laying hens unexpectedly, experienced bee hive collapse, weathered hurricanes that nearly put us under, dealt with our own health challenges, and spent thousands trying to save our barn cats. We don’t share those things looking for sympathy, we normally keep everything preeeeetty close to the chest. They’re just part of this life we chose.
All that said, today f**king hurt man.
This is Gustavo. She was the very first laying hen we had when we bought this property. Alongside her sister Pablo (yeah we name our chickens after drug lords), she raised an army of guinea fowl, laid more eggs than seemed possible, and somehow always managed to keep order in the chaos that is our flock. She was one of the OG’s who helped build this farm into what it is today.
We’ll miss her more than most people would probably understand, that psycho bird was essential to our operation!
As we buried her with a few blackberries, figs, a piece of bread, and clover (her favorite snacks), the skies FINALLY opened up and we got the soaking rain we’ve been desperately needing after weeks of drought. It felt like a movie.
The good news is that Pablo is still doing what she’s always done best: raising Gustavo’s daughters. The Gavrilla bloodline lives on, and if they’re anything like their mom, dad (Rafael Cara Quintero) and stepmom(Pablo Escobar), they’ll be taking over this cartel shortly.
Thanks for everything, Gus❤️❤️❤️
