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MR: You know the words you never say that I'm dying to hear? (Kristen: What?)
(Kristen: Oh...roll? We're rolling?) MR: Typically it's action. It would be nice to hear.
(Kristen: And action.)
(Kristen: Uh okay - action!) MR: There ya go. Hello, welcome to Dirty Updates, it's me Mike Rowe.
It's another episode of C.R.A.P. technically and according to the white board
'Don't be Chicken' is the title of this particular show and many of you familiar
with Dirty Jobs will now know precisely
what i'm going to be talking about. Actually maybe you don't, maybe some of
you think I'll be talking about the turkey episode or maybe
some are going to think I am talking about the...uh
oh the thing we did in Coyote, Texas that involved the turning chickens into compost
but no.
We're going to talk specifically laying
hens today because my good friend Clint Hickman
invited us out in two thousand eight to take a look at a hen laying operation and
it was an extraordinary thing
for Clint to do.
I will show you why.
It's a very sophisticated operation. They have out here in ah...
Arizona. (Clint: They're having a nice little ride...) That's Clint. (Clint: And ride on this big long conveyor belt all the way to the plant.)
(Video Mike: I see so...lots of little conveyor belts all leading into this...)
Hmmm yes.
That's why I've done so well as a serious journalist. I know when to ask the extra hard questions.
Here's the point. (Video Mike: That's their poo?) (Clint: That's their poo Mike. The poo lands on the conveyor belt...) MR: I have to ask that too. (Video Mike: Where's the poo go?) (Clint: You're about to find out.)
MR: Yes, I am about to find out.
Here's the thing
guys like
Clint have partners. In this case his partners uh... are his brothers
and they were
opposed
profoundly
opposed
to the idea of inviting a
television crew
to their operation. Do you know why Kristen? (Kristen: No?)
MR: I'll tell you why
because
farmers, in particular guys who do what Clint does very rarely get portrayed
fairly on television.
Almost never, ever, ever, ever, ever
ever, ever, ever happens almost never.
And so
Clint was a fan of the show, and he is very proud of his operation, but his brothers were
like look just don't do it. Don't do it. Every time uh... camera crew comes
out here we wind up
taking it right in the neck and uh...
and so they were hesitant and reticence but we nevertheless showed up and uh...
make a long story short Clint is doing great.
The piece was great.
Everybody was really really pleasantly surprised and I'm happy to say that Dirty
Jobs...you know
gave
gave Hickman Farms
a really fair shake. I mean it wasn't a straight-out love letter, we show the
operation exactly as it was. You know that there's controversy and all of this
stuff. The Humane Society has stuff to say about the size of
cages and all. That was really the news the big big way
back in two thousand eight...but uh
my relationship with Clint
actually turned into something really cool because he introduced me to another
guy called
Chad
and Chad Gregory
runs the United Egg Producers and as it turns out that put the whole
conversation in place
that led to me
uh... speaking on behalf of United Egg Producers and we formed this whole
really cool
thing, this idea that turned into
a P.R. campaign called Profoundly Disconnected and I wound up going to the
FFA and
a lot of good things happen anyhow uh... Clint is checking in ah..."Hey Mike
great to hear from you
uh...
as you recall when you came out to visit we had just built our liquid egg plant
uh... now entirely a new farm has been built across the street. A large feed mill along the
railroad tracks where all those coyotes used to live." I remember that.
"Your visit that day, I
included a story that was never filmed."
He goes on said some things I'm not going to read.
Uh..".After watching the camera crew, that Dave Barsky lead, tell Mike
to go "get stuffed" and not be willing to drive into the airport that night I
volunteer to drive." Truth is the boys weren't in a condition to drive.
uh... "You'll recall a fairly deep conversation we had as I drove you
to the Phoenix Airport.
I told him my personal feelings that farmers are either misunderstood or not understood
at all anymore. Mike was willing to meet with our industry group United Egg Producers
the rest is history."
It is and then he says some very nice things that are simply
too kind
too...too complimentary for me to read out loud. It, it would sound Kristen...
it would sound forced.
If I really read all the things Clint Hickman
said about me. So I won't.
(Kristen: Okay...)
(Kristen: you owe him a beer apparently.) MR: He does say "P.S.
and Mike still owes me a beer."
As you can see.
Right down there.
So anyhow that's how Clint is doing and the reason I wrote "Don't be a Chicken" up here
is because I am telling you
we call
maybe forty or fifty operations like Clint's and they all said no absolutely no
way but he trusted Dirty Jobs. We did right by him he did right by us and then
later we did right by each other.
Isn't it great
when
people don't screw you over.
I love that.
Uh...he sent me this shirt, I'm going to sign it and I'm going to send it to you and I'm going to do the same with this hat. Uhm...
and you're going to bid on it, hopefully over at eBay and the money we raise goes to The mikeroweWORKS
Foundations to pay for
scholarships in the trades, many of which benefit kids going into the
agriculture industry. See how it
all...comes around Kristen? A
virtuous
cycle.
Circle is good too. (Kristen: Circle...cycle.)
MR: If it were a circle
I guess...see but then...
you can't have a virtuous square. I mean
(Kristen: Chicken and the egg really.)
MR: What about a virtuous parallelogram?
Or say a rumbas?
Is there no virtue in a rumbas? (Kristen: Trapezoid.)
MR: Trapezoid is good...look at you, your Clitten geometric references. It's
not bad for home schooled.
Anyway let's review - Clint Hickman, good man, good friend, great episode of Dirty Jobs.
One brave son of gun
and makes a fine shirt as well. I am going to
sign them as soon as Kristen says cut, we'll send them out
to you as soon as you over bid.
Kristen have I missed anything?
(Kristen: No but I will tell you it is a little surreal to hear your voice
come from
my computer and in front of me at the same time.) MR: Really? What's it like for you?
Is it exciting? (Kristen: Yeah.) MR: That's not my voice by the way.
That's Clint.
Why do these things keep opening?
Dag gone it. "How does your computer do compared to your people?
Lucy doesn't ask for a whole bunch.
Like some oil. Break fluid.
But she can't put eggs..."
Say he can't put eggs in her ***? (Kristen: Package.)
MR: He wouldn't have said.
Anyhow...
(Kristen: Anyhow it's just occasionally it's...kind of surreal. ) MR: Yeah.
Yep, that's what we shoot for
occasional surreality.
Do you know what this music means? We're out of time. (Kristen: Alright.)
MR: "Maybe my boxes are going to omelet lovers."
Boy he laughs really high.
I can't laugh that high.
(Kristen: Eight minutes, we should probably hit cut.)
(Kristen: Alright. Cut!)