Stratham sisters launch Magical free-range business
Sunday, June 29th, 2008Source: Portsmouth Herald News (Original Article)
Tucked between brown and pink cardboard cartons of eggs for sale at On the Vine Marketplace in Exeter sits a row of egg cartons with hand-drawn labels that feature two colorful chickens on either side of a large egg.
The label over the drawing, clearly written by a child’s hand, reads “Hannah and Sammy’s Magical Eggs.” From local free-range chickens of various breeds, the eggs have been a hot commodity at On the Vine ever since the marketplace opened in spring 2006.
“They’re extremely popular; people get mad when they’re not there,” said Abel Schultze, the store’s owner.
The enterprising egg farmers behind the magical eggs are none other than 11-year-old Hannah Merrill and her 9-year-old sister, Sammy Merrill, of Stratham. Their family, including their parents Nathan and Judy, grandparents Lorraine and John, and great-grandparents, own and operate The Stuart Farm in Stratham, a large working dairy farm. Grandmother Lorraine Merrill is the commissioner of the state Department of Agriculture.
Hannah and Sammy do all of the work for their egg business, from selecting, buying and taking care of the chickens to collecting, inspecting, packaging and distributing the eggs.
Growing up on a large farm, Hannah and Sammy have been around animals their entire lives.
“I first got chickens when I was (age) 2; five chickens, ” Hannah explained. “The yellow chicken out front, Buff, she’s the only one that’s survived. I really like chickens, so my mom got me 31 more.”
But whereas five chickens could supply eggs for the family, 31 chickens was a different story. Their mother Judy told Hannah she would have to find a way for those 31 chickens to earn their keep.
“They have to work to be able to live here,” Sammy said.
And so, as the chickens began producing eggs, Hannah and Sammy decided to start selling them. They supplied friends and family at first. But they still had more eggs. And so they ANZ Gold looked into how they might sell …continue reading