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By Deborah Carl
LDS Volunteers Help Save Plant by Gathering Eggs
LAKE MILLS, WISCONSIN -- Firefighters saved 1.4 million chickens at
Creekwood Farms, but the egg processing plant was destroyed.
Volunteers were needed to help gather about 102,000 eggs before the
conveyor belt was repaired.
"This is wonderful," owner David Staples said of the outpouring of
support. Joseph Chapman, president of the Lake Mills branch of The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, gathered about 60
members from as far away as Janesville, Beaver Dam, Madison and
Stoughton. Maria Hernandez, whose husband Jose works at the farm,
organized 20 members from the Light of the World church.
The fire started in the egg processing facility which was connected
to nine chicken houses by a conveyor belt. Eggs were automatically
collected by the conveyor system and brought to the egg processing
facility. There they were washed, checked for cracks, weighted,
sorted and packed. All this was done by computerized machinery and
the eggs were not handled at all. During the fire the conveyor belt
was knocked over to prevent the fire from spreading to the other
buildings.
The fire caused more than $600,000 in damage but Staples plans to
rebuild in three to four months.
Source:
Egg plant work resumes after fire
Milwaukee WI Journal-Sentinel 14Apr01 D1
By Ana Caban: Journal Sentinel staff
Chickens stay on the job as volunteers help collect over 100,000 dozen eggs
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