Short Days :: Long Days

I know that I said a while back that I was back to blogging again, but then I sort of trickled off ... like I have done a lot lately. This time it wasn't because of a lack of desire to write, but rather because I've just been plain busy. Now that I have more mobility and one semi-working foot to go along with the good one I've been trying to do as much as possible ... although I do things more slowly than before because I'm not near full strength yet.

With that being said there has been a lot accomplished lately. As you can see from the picture above we made it through our second Farm Crawl which meant we spent a lot of time getting the farm prepared for hundreds of people. In fact in the week leading up to the Farm Crawl there was much cleaning done as well as even some fence building. Now we have a hi-tensile wire fence around the yard and for the first time in four years the animals don't have free and easy access to the yard ... on the downside there will be A LOT more mower gas used next year (even if it is another drought).

Of course the Downtown Des Moines Farmers' Market has continued (only one left) and we have begun taking in hogs for our whole and half customers. I'm very thankful for our whole/half customers and will admit that it is a lot of fun (and feels like a huge accomplishment) to take large groups of hogs into the processor all at once. I have another batch going in a couple of weeks and then we'll be down to our sow herd and pigs mostly between birth and 150 pounds ... a little less feed will be used at least for a short while.

And then most recently I was able to go up and help my uncle put the tarp on his 36' x 100' hoop house. His is for storing machinery, but it was nice to seen one in person and the building up close. It makes me want a hoop house for winter farrowing/growers even more than before. So ... I'm researching different brands, checking prices, and trying to figure out just where I could put a hoop house!

I hope everyone is getting much accomplished this fall ...

Building a Monopoly Style Monopoly

Lately I've been listening to podcasts while I'm driving to and from the farmers market, doctors appointments, and work. It seems like a slightly more profitable way to use that down time and I can usually find something encouraging to listen to. Most recently I stumbled across a podcast from Seth Godin. I had heard of him before through a variety of sources so I decided to give his new podcast (actually segments from a lecture) a try. So far so good ...

But, what struck me was this quote, "Every successful business has a monopoly ... has a monopoly on what it makes that someone else can't make the way they make it. That leaves out commodity businesses ..." (he also said that he was thankful for commodity businesses because they produce things that we all need) And, I really like this quote, "Brilliant entrepreneurship is around figuring out that thing that you can do that's in the marketplace that people are willing to cross the street to get. That people understand that this is the one and I need it."

The whole episode was interesting, but those were two keys that I took away and really made me think about the farm and marketing for the farm. To be blunt ... my prices are higher than those at the supermarket. Sometimes they are quite a bit higher and other times they are only slightly higher. But, what I realize and what my customers realize is that comparing our woodlot raised heritage breed meats with those that come in a frozen tube in the freezer case or on a styrofoam plate in the cooler aisle is not comparing two equal things. Sure, they are similar in the fact that they are both meat products ... and there are plenty of people that would argue with me saying that there is no difference between the two. But, when it comes down to it I'm not raising and selling a commodity ... I'm working to raise something, "that someone else can't make the way" I make it!

Another important thing to realize that even within my own "community" of farms (other farms doing something similar to mine) I have to offer something that encourages people to "cross the street to get". At the Downtown Des Moines Farmer's Market I'm one of multiple people raising pork, beef, lamb, and poultry products. So, the question I continually ask myself is how do I make the farm stand out? Of course I continually work to offer up great tasting meats, but what else can I do?

A couple of things that I've worked to focus on is building relationships (the market and things like the farm crawl are great for that) and raising rare or heritage breeds. I'd love to hear more thoughts on these topics, and you can be sure that I'll continue listening to the podcasts as long as they are released ...

An Open Letter to Uncle Loren

Over the past four years, since the very beginning of the farm, we have been helped by countless family members and friends. They have spent an incredible amount of time helping us get this dream off the ground and dealing with my crazy ideas and procrastinating ways. Our "farm angels" have helped us build a home, construct fences, move pigs around, fix equipment, find hay, make portable pens and buildings, and above all help us to survive the first four years without doing complete damage to our minds, bodies, and souls!

But, I want to take a moment today to send an open letter to my Uncle Loren. Some of you may know of him, but I'm convinced all of you should get to know him ... or someone like him. He is one of the many people that have helped out so much on this farm journey ...

When my feed auger wagon broke and my feeble attempts to fix it fell far short Uncle Loren showed up in the middle of the night to take it home to his shop to fix (after I called and said I was at my wits end). When the cattle had spent most of their time on the farm getting out of my horrible excuse for a fence Uncle Loren showed up with the equipment and the knowledge to get the fencing project started. When the pigs are boggling my mind he is always just a phone call away. When a tractor breaks down he has shown up with a loaner (sometimes a long-term loaner) to help me. When water lines and electrical lines needed to be run underground ... well ... you probably get the idea ...

My Uncle Loren has invested quite a bit of his time and himself into the farm. In fact just this week he spent almost two days building more fence, setting corner posts, smoothing ruts, and even moving and leveling a building that had been sitting haphazardly in the pasture for the past few months. When he left late Tuesday evening it hit me just how much he gives and how hard he works. The farm would not be where it is without the help of so many people! And, Uncle Loren is one of those people ...

Uncle Loren ... Thank you for the knowledge you share. Thank you for the work you give. Thank you for the time you so freely share with us. Thank you for the example that you are.

One of my many dreams is to have just a fraction of your farming knowledge. You remind me that farming is not just a set of physical movements, but rather an art. Uncle Loren ... you are an artist.