By
Shane Goodman Publisher/Editor
Ninety-five degree temperatures. A metal building
that housed sows and their litters. And a hot
water power washer. My task that summer was
to clean the manure, rotten feed and afterbirth
from hundreds of empty, soiled crates. If you
have ever washed your car with a spray nozzle,
you know how water can splash back at you. Imagine
that water combined with the aforementioned
items being sprayed in your face all day. And
that smell didn’t wash off. It was a shitty
job, but I was glad to have it.
As a young man working as a hired hand on a
rural Iowa farm, I didn’t expect to get the
easy jobs. Cleaning up hog poop pretty much
summed up what I did all day. But I appreciated
the money, and I had the opportunity to learn
the value of a hard day’s work from farmers
who dedicated their lives to it. Yes, I was
grateful for that shitty job, and so are the
people we feature in this week’s cover story
who work in manure, filth and blood to earn
their paychecks. After reading this article,
you may have a new outlook on your work environment.
CV
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