TBF 006 :: 10 Books for the Beginning Farmer, Farm Updates, and a Hard Lesson Learned

Over the years I've received quite a few e-mails from people wanting to pick my pea-sized farming brain. Usually when that happens I have two thoughts run through my mind ... #1 :: Have they ever read any of my blog posts, I even know what I'm doing half the time! #2 :: Don't farm ... it's not worth it! Thought number one is true no matter what ... and thought number two is something I only half mean. It's not that I want to discourage people from farming, but rather I think it is important to spend a lot of time considering what it really means to be a farmer. With all of that being said, I do love hearing from people that stumble on to the blog and want to ask a question.

On today's show I take some time to answer an e-mail from Patrick who asked one of the questions that I receive most often, "What books and websites would you suggest reading?" As an avid reader this is an easy question for me to answer. The biggest problem that I have when I think about this answer is whittling the list down a little bit to a manageable size. So, what I've done is come up with my "10 Books a Beginning Farmer Should Read". It should be noted that these books are coming from my livestock based background.

In no particular order here are my 10 favorites ... for the moment. I have also included links for each book if you are interested in purchasing them. These links are affiliate links, so if you are interested in one of the books and enjoy the show it does support the show a little.

• You Can Farm: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Start & Succeed in a Farming Enterprise by Joel Salatin (The very first farming book that I read ... and I've since read it more than once) -The Beginning Farmer blogs about Joel Salatin

• All Flesh is Grass: Pleasures and Promises of Pasture Farming by Gene Logsdon (A passionate call to pasture based agriculture) -The Beginning Farmer blogs about "All Flesh is Grass"

• The Contrary Farmer by Gene Logsdon (The yeoman farmer does not have to be a thing of the past) -The Beginning Farmer blogs about Gene Logsdon

• The Unsettling of America: Culture and Agriculture by Wendell Berry (A great book for the person interested in the "culture" of agriculture) -The Beginning Farmer blogs about Wendell Berry

• The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan (Maybe controversial depending on your views, but I did take a lot away from it) -The Beginning Farmer blogs about "The Omnivore's Dilemma"

• Making Your Small Farm Profitable by Ron Macher (The nuts and bolts of beginning a farm) -The Beginning Farmer blogs about "Making Your Small Farm Profitable"

• Comeback Farms by Greg Judy (One book that I wish I would have read before I began farming) -The Beginning Farmer blogs about "Comeback Farms"

• Dirt Hog by Kelly Klober (Lots of knowledge ... maybe read this one after the next one on the list) -The Beginning Farmer blogs about "Dirt Hog"

• Small-Scale Pig Raising by Dirk Van Loon (Recommended by Walter Jeffries of Sugar Mountain Farm, that is enough of a reason to read it if you ask me) -The Beginning Farmer blogs about "Small-Scale Pig Raising"

• A Bountiful Harvest: The Midwestern Farm Photographs of Pete Wettach, 1925-1965 by Leslie A. Loveless (A book that I pick up when I need to be encouraged in my farming ventures)

Finally, this weeks "Hard Lesson Learned" has to do with that old adage ... "Don't always believe what you read." I'm not saying that all of those great authors I mentioned are wrong, but what I am saying is that all things don't work in all places and it probably would have been better if I would have tried to get some real world experience rather than just armchair experience!

As always, thank you so much to all of you who have taken the time to subscribe and listen to the show each week. I hope that I'm growing as a podcast producer and that as time goes along the show just gets better and better. If you do enjoy the show don't forget that you can subscribe on iTunes (by clicking this link or the image on the left) or on the Stitcher App on your smartphone. For those of you that have taken the time to leave a review on iTunes ... thank you, thank you, thank you! It is so very encouraging to know that people are listening and enjoying the show!

I would love to hear your questions, show ideas, or comments about the show. Feel free to shoot me an e-mail! As always you can follow along with The Beginning Farmer and Crooked Gap Farm by checking out these links ...

• Crooked Gap Farm
• Crooked Gap Farm on Facebook
• Crooked Gap Farm on Twitter

TBF Show 006 :: Play in a New Window | Right Click to Download

(if you are interested in the music in this episode check out my brother's record label, Historic Records)

The Sheer Ecstasy of Being a Lunatic Farmer :: Chapter 3 Book Report

Yes, I'm a book bouncer! My reading is dictated by my whim of the moment and last night my whim was  pushing me to Joel Salatin's latest book, "The Sheer Ecstasy of Being a Lunatic Farmer". Chapter three is titled, "Small is Okay" and it was an interesting contrast to the article I just read about the importance of beef and pork exports in the coming year. The article talked about how the rising feed costs were going to make things difficult for farmers in the coming year, but that they could find some financial security if the export of meat remained strong. As I read through Mr. Salatin's chapter on small farms I saw a very different picture of financial security for farmers. In fact he strongly suggested that exportation was the wrong direction for the farmers and the countries involved!

I think that this is the first chapter in the book where the "lunatic" part of the title really starts to come out. Just think about how often you hear someone say that it is not the job of the United States to feed the world ... that doesn't happen very often! He is not saying that because of some sort of U.S. first mentality, but rather from the point-of-view that other countries (even developing countries) can produce the food that they need to feed the people in their own country. That is a pretty huge departure from the commonly held beliefs of the farmers, consumers, and politicians here in the U.S.

Here is a quote from the book that helps him express his point-of-view (this is something that a governmental official from Belarussia shared with Mr. Salatin) ::

"The day the foreign aid was deposited in our bank, every hotel filled up with U.S. corporate salesmen from machinery companies to seed to chemical companies. All that money was spent on things we did not need, things we could not fix, things we could not afford to put fuel in. If we had know about your kind of farming, we could have put in water systems, fence systems, and gone to a pasture-based system and fed our people and had enough left over for export."

It is an interesting quote and very interesting topic to consider. Often times I think Iowans (myself included) see ourselves and our farms as necessary for the survival of the world. I mean we play a huge role in feeding the world right? Our farms are some of the most efficient and highest producing ever seen right (my farm is not included in that)? But, Mr. Salatin sees things from a different angle ... he sees the possibility of farmers all of the world producing food for their local communities ... and he sees lots and lots of farmers!

I would love to hear your thoughts on this subject. It is a topic that seems to boggle my mind!

"The Accidental Farmers" :: Chapter 7 Book Report

This chapter, titled "Farming's Dark Side," is in my opinion probably the best and most important chapter of Tim Young's new book. Not that I haven't found nuggets in the other chapters, but rather that this is the most unique chapter (I feel) in the book. There are other books out there that will tell you about management intensive grazing, the benefits of chickens following cows, and even the values behind certain farm choices. But, I'm not sure that I've read a farming book yet (and I've read quite a few) that takes such an open and honest look at the "dark side" of farming. Mr. Young holds nothing back and writes about the realities he has had to face on the farm. You may disagree with his practices or think you would have done something differently, but I think you should respect his honesty, openness, and they way he sticks with his values.

As I have mentioned I think that this side of the farming life is one that has been missing from the books that I've read ... although I don't think it would fit in every book. Most of the time the "dark side" you read about in books, articles, or from the mouths of other farmers is that it just isn't possible to make a living on the farm. I guess I should say that more specifically it is very difficult to make a living on the farm unless you can hit on the right factors (rented land, owned land, right markets, marketing ability, etc.). But, what Mr. Young has done is opened up his farm I guess you could say to the daily reality of making the transition to the farm ... or just farming in general.

The "dark side" of farming has been one of the most difficult things for me. I have a bad tendency to get easily frustrated over a situation and just feel absolutely defeated. And, I'm sure I don't even want people to tell me how many times I have said that I was going to or had to quit the farm. I'll never forget the walk back to the house after the tractor just died (stuck motor because of lack of lubrication due to a clogged oil sump and a non-working oil gauge/light) and the conversation with my dad. I just wanted to be done! The frustration and realization that I just lost a substantial amount of money in a now dead tractor was just crippling! And that is just one of the stories ...

I think it is a great thing that Mr. Young has decided to pull back the curtain as it were (as he has done on his blog/podcast) and show the whole picture. If nothing else ... it's worth getting the book to read this chapter. Just to know what it's like and that the troubles happen to other people too!

"The Accidental Farmers" :: Chapter 6 Book Report

I feel fairly confident in saying that I'm a big picture sort of thinker. I am much better at looking at things from the wide angle view instead of focusing in on the details ... although I do need to get better at the details because they are just as important as the big picture! But, that is all to say that I completely understand what Tim Young is writing about in chapter six, "Reviving the Prairie". When I walked over what is now Crooked Gap Farm for the very first time it was covered with tall prairie grasses and just seemed too good to be true ... once I had been on the farm for one season and the tall grasses had disappeared thanks to grazing and hay making I saw the reality of what I was working with. I saw that the farm needed some reviving!

Mr. Young shares his personal experiences and mistakes (I appreciate knowing others make mistakes!) with building a diversified livestock where the animals do the work of restoring the soil and ultimately the farm. In this chapter I think you'll find a very brief overview of management intensive grazing, and plenty of proof that it can be done. I do wonder though if Mr. Young has considered changing to multiple moves each day instead of just once a day? I've written about ultra high stock density grazing before and it is something that really intrigues me. For part of last summer I was making at least two moves a day I thought it was very beneficial. One downside for them at Nature's Harmony Farm though I think is the fact that their perimeter fence is not electric. That means they have to set up an independent paddock for each move where I have a little easier time with it because my entire perimeter is electric and I can easily tie into it.

As far as my use of high density grazing this coming season I think I'm going to be doing two moves again. My current job situation makes any more than that impossible, but a move before work in the morning and then again when I get off well give me two moves and should provide some of the benefits of a "mob". I'll just try to get all my paddocks set up in the evening. The rub of course will be the sheep ... I still haven't figured out how I'm going to graze them yet (with the cows or separately).

All in all this was a good chapter with lots to think about, but it is the next chapter that I'm really looking forward to ... "Farming's Dark Side".

"The Accidental Farmers" :: Chapter 5 Book Report

Because the city of Knoxville kindly suggested (through a phone call and letter) that I remove my chickens from town (I sent them down to my dad's farm) they were not the first farm animals to make an appearance on the farm. It was in fact a group of pigs that showed up on the land and began "the farm" three years ago so I can easily relate to the experiences of Tim and Liz Young and their pig fun. In fact their runaway pig story hits a little too close to home for me. Except in my case it was a full grown sow and it took me weeks to catch her (on the neighbors farm)! Yep ... the pigs have provided plenty of learning opportunities for me ... and I think I almost love them the most of all the livestock on the farm!

As you may expect Mr. Young covers all the basics in this chapter about how pigs just love to be pigs and get out in the pastures and woods rooting to their little hearts content. He writes about the difficulties and set-backs experienced by farrowing outdoors and trusting a pig to do their pig-level best to farrow and raise a great litter (as an aside ... Walter Jeffries of Sugar Mountain Farm always has a lot of good things to say on this topic). And, of course he hits on the topic of castration and why they don't do castration on their farm. I believe I mentioned in a previous comment or post that I'm on the fence when it comes to the castration camp. On one had I can see where they are coming from, on another hand I have the hog farmers in my family talking about boar taint, and then on yet another hand I question my ability right now to have separate paddocks for the boar growers and the gilt growers. Needless to say I think I have a lot of reading and researching to do on that subject.

But, the thing from this chapter that really hit home with me the most is their progression through the various breeds of swine on their farm. I believe they started out with Berkshire and then added the Ossabaw Island pigs (which I REALLY would like to have if anyone nearby would like to share) and have now even moved to Large Blacks. What I can appreciate about Mr. Young's discussion of this topic is that I've experienced the exact same thing as I search for the perfect pigs (and cattle, chickens, sheep, etc.) for the farm. Right now I have a Hereford sow, two Tamworth sows, two Berkshire sows, and two Berkshire/Tamworth sows. My current boar is also a Hereford even though I only have one Hereford sow. I guess you could say that I'm in the experimenting stage!

It is not only with the pigs thought that I'm considering and reconsidering the breeds that I have chosen. Lately I've been wondering if the Dexter is the right direction for me to go with the cattle ... But, I think that is a post for another day!

If you would like a taste of "The Accidental Farmers" and specifically this chapter you can read a sample  here (you'll see a link for chapter five).

"The Accidental Farmers" :: Chapter 4 Book Report

If you would allow me to use a bit of a pun right now I would like to say that chapter four of Tim Young's new book really gets to the "meat" of the values behind their farm. I thought of that one right away ... I promise! But, really this chapter is about why they have decided to focus on meats at Nature's Harmony Farm instead of going with a CSA or market garden and I would have to say that I agree with at least one of their most basic premises ... that eating meat is just part of who they are and they like it! That is probably one of the biggest reasons I went the route of a livestock farm. Because I just love to eat meat ... especially more than vegetables, but I realize I need to work on that.

This chapter is an interesting one to read though especially after Monday's post on the topic of "propaganda". I think (according to the dictionary definition of the word propaganda) that this chapter could be labeled propaganda. Now as I say that please don't think I disagree with the way they are choosing to raise their animals, just understand that I'm just looking at the definitions of propaganda and seeing that Mr. Young is using ideas, facts, and information to promote his cause. At the same time I'm sure there are other farmers out there that would read this chapter and say that he is focusing on rumor and allegations. I don't think that is necessarily the case ... I'm just saying it that if some conventional farming advocates got their hands on this chapter they may like to disagree with Mr. Young. Which I think he would have no problem with ... at least that is what I think.

What I can appreciate about a chapter like this one is that it allows you to see the thought process that formed their values and farming purpose. But, what really jumped out at me is the real disconnect that he writes about having with his food prior to beginning the farm. Obviously I grew up in very agriculturally minded state and had family members out on the farm, so even though I wasn't a "farm kid" I had a connection. Even as a young boy I knew about confinement houses, feed lots, and things of that nature. Although I did not wonder whether it was a good idea to raise pigs inside on cement I at least knew where the pork on the grill was coming from.

I what a deeper look at this chapter does for me is make me realize how important my individual farm story is ... and how important the story is of Nature's Harmony Farm ... and every other farm out there. And that is truly what I love about my farm. I love the fact that because of the farm I have a chance to tell the story and share with other people the beauty of cows and pigs and chickens and sheep and people out living and enjoying and soaking it all in (I like to use the word and)!!!

While I may not agree with everything in this chapter (and others may not even agree with this chapter existing in book like this), I do appreciate the way that it makes me think and remember the story that I and other farmers have to tell. I love to tell a story ... any story actually ... especially ones I'm passionate about!

"The Accidental Farmers" :: Chapter 3 Book Report

Chapter three in Tim Young's new book is titled "The Accidental Farmers", but I think it could easily have been titled "Why We Farm". As you make your way through this chapter (and the previous ones) you begin to see the picture behind Nature's Harmony Farm and how the ended up in the place they did ... which is with a farm out in the country raising animals exactly how they believe they should be raised. But, this chapter specifically, more so than the previous three, gets into a lot of the reasoning behind their farming values and goals. I think you can almost see the wheels turning in Mr. and Mrs. Young's heads as you read through this chapter! In fact when you make it to page 59 you will find a list that details some of their "reasons" for the farm (I'll let you pick up a copy to check out that list if you'd like).

The one recurring thought that I had though as I read this chapter is how does a farmer balance the financial needs of the farm/family with the vital farm values and goals that they have. On one hand this chapter is about the realization that the farm is not a way to profit (in the way that someone coming from a corporate background would see it), but also that the farm needs to make a profit and not wear everyone out along the way. It seems like a tight wire act to balance those to needs ... the need to have a farm that is built around your values and the need to make a living. I am not suggesting that the two don't go together, but I am suggesting that there is a fine line and you have to keep that all in mind as you work through your farm life.

I will also say that as I read through this book it seems like I have a hundred questions after finishing each chapter. I think that is a good thing because it makes me think about my values, my farm, and the way I go about everything, but at the same time it makes me wish I could have a couple days with Mr. Young to swap stories and gather information from a more business oriented mind than I have! I do appreciate that about a book though ... I think it is a good thing when a book makes you have more questions than when you started with because that means it is causing you to think and look at things from different angles. I know things like that help me on my farm!

"The Accidental Farmers" :: Chapter 2 Book Report

Chapter two of Tim Young's new book, "The Accidental Farmers" delves deeper into their transition from the crazy city life that they lived before to the new life on the farm. In most ways I cannot relate to their experiences because even though I have for the most part only lived in town or at least within a community of people (I did spend two years working at a boarding school in the country), I have always been fairly connected to the country and in some small way the farming life. For me the move to the country was really just a culmination of my life dreams. Ever since I was a young kind I've always wanted to live in the country or out in wild as it were (there was a time when I wanted to be a park ranger). Even though I couldn't relate on many levels I did appreciate Mr. Young's honesty about just where they were coming from and why they felt led to leave.

What I can relate to is the optimistic picture he had of the farm when he was looking at it for the first time. Even though it was really just 70 plus acres of weeds and brush he looked at it and pictured what was possible. I often (even in the midst of frustration and doubt) look out over my farm and picture just what it could be. I picture the pastures thriving, the set-up perfect, the woods teeming with life, and me out there taking care of it all. I suppose if you can't see that then you shouldn't be out there trying to heal the land.

That's just my 20 second review ...for what it's worth

The Sheer Ecstasy of Being a Lunatic Farmer :: Chapter 2 Book Report

The second chapter of Joel Salatin's latest book is titled, "Grass Farmer" and it is another one of those passion topics for him. It's easy to understand why because the soil and the grass (and the sun) are the basis of any farm like Mr. Salatin's. In this chapter he gives a great overview of the importance of grass and the basics of grass farming. You can tell that he has changed his grazing management over time and has now moved to more of tall grass mob grazing system as opposed to the managed intensive grazing he practiced when he wrote "Salad Bar Beef". Of course it's all some sort of managed grazing.

If you've read anything on the subject of mob grazing before he hits all the main points in an overview sort of way ... grass being a mirror image above and below ground, the use of grazing management that mimics nature, the importance of keeping your nutrients and water on your farm, and things like that. But, the thing that I really took away from this chapter is fact that I love the location of my house.

I used to drive around the Iowa countryside and wonder what exactly got into a person's head that they decided to build a nice house in the middle of a corn field ... with no trees in sight. It just seemed like it would be so awful to live out in the middle of the corn field with nothing exciting to look at except for the dirt and the corn/soybeans. I just thought it seemed weird to have a beautiful and expensive new house in the middle of nothing.

Then of course I chose the top of a hill with no trees for the location for my house! When the house was being built I always envisioned where the trees would be and what they would look like when the were mature shade trees all around the house and barnyard. Then I lived here for awhile and something crazy happened ... I decided I wasn't crazy about a ton of trees. In fact I really liked not having them blocking my view of the pasture! There was just something beautiful about looking out at the grass and the livestock doing their thing.

As I said yesterday my soil is not where I want it to be or need it to be and my grass is the same way. But, this encourages me. It encourages me that eventually I'll be able to look out (with a couple trees around the yard ... not blocking my view) to a grass land that sustains a variety of livestock and wildlife ... just like a few hundred years ago in this same location.

The Sheer Ecstasy of Being a Lunatic Farmer :: Chapter 1 Book Report

It's been awhile since I've taken the time to do a book report, but I've been wanting to make the time as I pick my way through Joel Salatin's latest book, "The Sheer Ecstasy of Being a Lunatic Farmer". I know that you're not supposed to judge a book by the cover (or the title in this case), but if you were going to do that I think the title alone would be enough to interest you in this book. Really ... who wouldn't want to enjoy the life of a "Lunatic Farmer"!

Before I get to the first chapter let me just quickly mention something from the introduction. Mr. Salatin shares a little story about a time where he was trying to get a load of sawdust for the farm. He relates that all was well until the man delivering the load realized just who he would be delivering to and then he backed out because he said that Polyface Farm was cruel to it's animals by not giving hormones or grain and making them live outside. I have no reason to doubt this really happened and all I can say is ... WOW!!! Now, one to chapter one ...

The first chapter of this book is titled, "Growing Soil". If you have read any other books by Mr. Salatin you will recognize some of the same stories, but I think there is a reason for this. He is passionate about the soil being the basis for all that a farm is and can be so we expresses that every chance he gets. At least that is what I take away from it.

It's always encouraging for me to read success stories like this when it comes to rehabilitating the ground. From the stories Mr. Salatin relates his ground was very bad when the family purchased it and now it is like a completely different farm. I don't think my farm is anywhere near what he had to deal with (and that's good because he had a head start from the help of his dad's farming practices), but I know that my soil is not where I want it to be so it is always good to read about the possibilities.

As always his keys are adding carbons to your soil, keeping your nutrients (manure) on your farm, letting the animals work for you, using perennials to grow soil health, and recognizing what soil really is. Healthy soil is packed full of living and moving and breathing organisms that all play a part in creating a healthy farm. If we take the time to key in on the importance of this then we will understand just how important a farm full of living and breathing dirt really is!

Comeback Farms :: Chapters 22-23 Book Report

Now we are getting down to the nitty gritty ... the stuff that really has me excited as I read through this book for the second time. In chapter 22 Greg Judy introduces the idea of "Holistic Planned Grazing." And, this is where things get exciting! In think it is important that before we go any further here we define the word "Holistic" as Mr. Judy is using it (because I have a feeling it is one of those words with multiple definitions). He writes, "The term 'Holistic' as used here means that we are managing for the health of everything. Holistic management focuses on the importance of working in sync with nature to mimic natural processes." Later he writes, "Every action and decision you make has an effect on everything in your operation."

Mr. Judy particularly focuses the operation/work of Ian Mitchell-Innes who is a South African rancher he works 14,000 acres and uses Holistic Planned Grazing to manage his farms. He grazes 4,000 to 6,000 head of cattle per day on a 100 acre paddock! Did you catch that ... 4,000 to 6,000 head and 100 acre paddocks ... that blew me away and think this is the point where I would have said, "This can't work for me," if I hadn't continued reading on. Mr. Mitchell-Innes has seen his ranch improve endlessly through his management system that focuses on using the livestock to improve everything. Oh, and Mr. Judy also is quick to point out that all the improvements that Mr. Mitchell-Innes has made on his land has come without the use of lime and fertilizer. You just have to read the chapter to get the rest, but if you can't tell ... I think it's great!

In chapter 23 Mr. Judy answers the question of how this high density grazing thing can work with numbers fewer than say ... 4,000. He has been doing mob grazing (another phrase you will see a lot) with 50 to 250 head of cattle and believes that it will work on numbers smaller than that, and I tend to agree. When he was writing this book he was mobbing up his cattle herds in densities between 100,000 and 500,000 pounds liveweight per acre and he writes the results were "dramatic". The main issue and difference between this mob grazing and Management Intensive Grazing that he used to be doing was that in the MiG system they were focusing on keeping the grass young and grazed before it went to seed. With the mob grazing they allow the grass to get older and by doing so let the root system fully rejuvenate so that as the season progress the grass can handle the weather changes better.

I could go on and on! But, I would just suggest at this point you pick up the book and read for yourself. I for one can't wait to get my cattle mobbed up once the grass starts to take hold and get growing. The benefits seem endless ...

Comeback Farms :: Chapters 7-11 Book Report

I have to admit that while I'm writing my book report for chapters 7-11 I'm actually reading chapter 26! Needless to say, I'm really flying through this book and I'm really enjoying it. I've combined these chapters together in a bigger chunk because only a couple of them really hit home with me. Not that it's not good information, but rather it is stuff that doesn't exactly fit my situation ... or it's just a funny story (as is the case with chapter 9 about the rodeo cattle). For example, chapter 7 deals with Greg Judy's shift from stocker cattle to dry cows. It makes sense because their nutritional requirements are lower, but with a lack of cattle experience I don't really want to learn on other peoples dry cows. If you have the experience then I suggest you think about it!

Chapter 8 is a great read because in this chapter Mr. Judy shares a lot of the equipment (and brands) that he uses. After reading though it I was feeling pretty good about most of my purchases because he strongly recommended Stafix fece chargers (have one), O'Briens geared reels (have three), O'Briens tread in posts (have lots), and Powerflex posts (not sure how many I have, but I have them). While I haven't had as much experience with other products out there like he has I would have no problem recommending all of those names above. And, it was really nice to see him share about the equipment he uses because that is one thing I'm always wondering when I read a book or an article.

Chapters 10 and 11 gave me quite a bit to think about ... for the future. These two chapters covered leases, both losing leases and keeping leases. His previous book, "No Risk Ranching," goes deeper into the leasing issue, but these two chapters did enough to get me thinking about the idea. I feel like if I had a bit more livestock knowledge going into this farm deal I would have been much better off going the leased route (and probably would have regardless of my knowledge), but I also think leasing could be something I look at in the future.

One thing that keeps popping in my mind when I read about that low cost leased ground that he is always talking about is this ... CRP ground. I don't know what it is like anywhere else, but around here there is a lot of marginal pasture ground or bad pasture ground that has just been placed in CRP (Conservation Reserve Program) and most of the time I can't compete with those payments. I guess when it comes time to look for leased land I just need to start contacting land owners and see if they have it in the program or not!

Comeback Farms :: Chapters 4-6 Book Report

In chapter four Greg Judy talks a lot about the importance of using purchased hay to rebuild your pastures. He uses a bale un-roller that he pulls behind his truck to spread out the hay and the nutrients (along with seeds). There is also a good picture and a nice description of us bale un-roller in this chapter ... if I was handy it looks like it would be pretty easy to build. I'm still trying to wrap my mind the whole bale un-rolling process and how it would work in the winter and the muddy times on our farm, but I do love the idea. Another thing I have questions about is if there is much hay wasted on the ground ... although I'm guessing Mr. Judy has enough cattle to clean up quite a bit each day instead of just laying down on it. One last thing from this chapter ... I sure wish I could by grass hay for $15-20 a bale like he mentions! Grass hay around here is $45 (for pretty bad stuff) and up. Of course all hay is at a premium this year because of the weather.

I can sum up chapter five in just a few words. When there is a drought don't graze your grass to the ground. In Mr. Judy's words, "Resist Opening Gates During Drought" (that is the chapter title). This is a reminder that I've seen in quite a few places and I think it is sinking in for me. Hopefully we don't have a drought any time soon and hopefully if we do I remember the good advice! The problem with opening the gates he writes is that you are giving up on your grass and hurting it not just for that season, but in the future as well.

Controlled burning is the topic of the sixth chapter and I have to admit that this is something I will probably never mess with. We don't have a lot of acreage right now, our house is in the middle of it, and there is plenty of conflicting opinions out there on the merits of controlled burning. Mr. Judy has burned in the past, but he writes that he has changed his mind recently because of the harm that it can do above ground and below ground. I guess burning can damage the roots all the way down to three feet.

If you read this book (and I think you should) you will find that Mr. Judy shares a lot of stories throughout. I love that personal touch because it makes him seem like a grazing human instead of a grazing superman! Although he is light years ahead of me he still is learning and making mistakes.

Dirt Hog :: Chapter 8 Book Report

This chapter is the last in Kelly Klober's book, "Dirt Hog" and it kind of serves as a summation of the book and encouragement to get out there and raise hogs on the range again. I appreciate what he had to say about the 21st century range producer, "Yours is the business of not exactly reinventing the wheel, but rather of redefining hog production for a new day and a new role in agriculture." As I have become more and more immersed in the "un-conventional" agriculutral world I am seeing so many great examples of guys that are doing exactly that ... they aren't reinventing anything, but they are gathering knowledge from generations of hog production to make it work in their own environment and farm goals.

I think the most important thing to keep in mind when you are producing hogs outdoors is that you don't have to produce for the markets that every else is producing for and you don't have to play the game of super high numbers. I like the analogy that Mr. Klober uses ... three sows a year producing two litters of 8 pigs each would give you 48 bucher hogs. Take those 48 buchers and make them into whole hog sausage sold somewhere between $2.00 and $2.50 per pound could give you between $14,000 and $17,000. Of course you have to sell that sausage, but it is about thinking differently.

Finally, Mr. Klober hits us with one of the most important points of this whole book. Hogs need to be a part of the complete picture, not the entire picture itself. In an agricultural world that has recently built itself upon the ideas of specialization and big size the idea of a completely diversified farm is being lost. But, the farmers that I have had the opportunity to meet over the past year or so that seem to be enjoying life the most and farming in line with their family and farm goals are the ones that haven't thrown all their eggs in one basket. They are the guys that don't have the biggest and the latest and greatest, but they are able to weather the ups and downs and enjoy what they are doing.

If you are interested in taking pigs outside and letting them live and grow on the grass then I would recommend "Dirt Hog" to you. It is not a book for a complete beginner as far as the "nuts and blots" of pig farming go, but it is a great starting point for the experienced and beginner alike.

Dirt Hog :: Chapter 7 Book Report

"Anyone who is serious about outdoor production should focus on breaking the pattern of dependence on the practices and products that have cast such a shadow over animal agriculture of late. You cannot make a silk purse from a sow's ear, nor can you create quality pork out of a stress-laden and severely driven confinement situation." That is what Kelly Klober had to say in the opening paragraphs of chapter seven (Herd Health) in his book "Dirt Hog". It may not be a popular statement in some circles (each to their own and stuff), but I think it is very thought provoking and even a bit insightful.

In this chapter Mr. Klober tackles many issues related to swine herd health and what a hog farmer should know how to do, but I thought that it was interesting (and encouraging) that he began the chapter by discussing the overall (almost holistic) benefits of raising hogs outdoors and like people used to. He is not opposed to advancements in medical care or knowledge, but he it does seem to think that those needs can be greatly lowered when you take the pigs outside again. I tend to agree and experienced many of those same things with our first batch, and was also able to see it on other farms through the recent online farm tours that I was able to watch.

I should also point out that Mr. Klober seemst to think the middle of the road (yet natural) way of production is best. He writes that he is not sold on "organic" yet (although he doesn't define it so much), but part of that is because he wonders how "organic" acres of cropland can be in the Midwest. Also, he cites the lack of availability of feed as an issue. I agree those are both points to ponder, but it doesn't write off organic.

That discussion is not all this chapter is about though. I found a lot of good information in the sections on necessary skills (castrations, injections, taking temperatures, processing baby pigs, and knowing when to call a vet), simple restraints, health care supplies (having them in one place and close by), and what to think about and watchout for through the life of a pig on the farm. All in all, I think a book expanding on the basic ideas in this chapter would be worth its weight in gold (and gold is pretty pricey now).

Dirt Hog :: Chapter 6 Book Report

Really I should have probably titled this post, "The Exchange of Knowledge". But, since I want to make it easy to find my chapter reports I left the "Plain Jane" title up there. This chapter really was a good chapter though ... especially from the standpoint of encouragement. The author, Kelly Klober, dealt specifically with the marketing of the dirt hog in everything from direct to to the consumer to seed stock. I say that it was encouraging though because Mr. Klober was very upbeat about the opportunities out there for the outdoor producer. Just don't go to this chapter looking for specifics because it is just one section of an entire book ... the ins and outs of marketing dirt hogs could cover a book in and of itself.

Anyways, the reason I thought, "The Exchange of Knowledge", would be a good blog post title is because that is what popped into my mind when I was reading one of the little vignettes in this chapter. This particular one dealt with a few of Mr. Klober's reflections from some of the first hog sales he attended and how the youngsters (as he was at the time) tried to pick out a gilt that would suit their goals. The words painted a neat picture of the time and place, but there was a single question lingering in my mind...

Where am I going to learn to have an eye for "just the right gilt" such as the one that he was developing at the time with the help of his family and neighbors? I believe the ideal path for a beginning farmer, similar to me in background, would be to pull up stakes and just apprentice at a farm for a year or so. Of course you would want to work with someone that is farming as you would like to farm, but the main think would just be to gain as much of that "art" that an experienced farmer has.

Of course that "ideal" situation of aprenticeship is much more difficult when you have a wife and three kids to support. Because of my family (and I wouldn't take this journey without them) we have decided the best way to learn is to do, and then pick up as much "old timer" information as we can along the way.

I may have mentioned this before, but I think it is a perfect example of what I'm talking about. Last year we bought my dad's family a subscription to "Countryside Magazine". After reading a few issues he commented on how some of the how-to articles were doing things the hard way, or that they took so many trials and errors to get to and end that he could have told them about. My thought was, "This is exactly what I'm talking about!" Of course they took a long time to solve a problem that an old farmer could have done in a jiffy, but that is because there isn't enough knowledge being transfered...

Anyone have the magic bullet to help keep the knowledge surrounding the "art" of farming alive?

 

Dirt Hog :: Chapter 5 Book Report

Chapter five of Kelly Klober's book, "Dirt Hog" deals with the ins and outs of pig feed and the feeding of pigs. The chapter is appropriately titled "Feeds and Feeding" and includes a good deal of information on different types of feeds and feeding plans from everything from the lactating sow to the growing pig. One quote that I particularly enjoyed from this chapter went like this, "I would also challenge the argument that farmland is now to valuable to be used for mere livestock production. Poppycock!" This book of course was copywrited in 2007 so it may have been written an bit before our latest commodity price hikes, but despite that I think it is a very valuable quote (although we must remember that commodity prices didn't stay at those highs.

Mr. Klober goes on to enumerate why he believes that raising livestock on "valuable land" is still a viable practice, but I think I could some it up in just one sentence. The basic idea is that yes you can create a lot of commodity crops on good land and you can grow a lot of pork in a confinement building, but when you add in all of the handling/infrastrucure/input costs you might not come out ahead. I obviously haven't run the numbers on this and don't have a clue what those numbers would be like if I did run them, but I do think there is something to be said about having livestock add to the nutrients of the soil on the farm.

But, back to the feeds and feeding parts of this chapter. Here are some tidbits that I really found useful:

• With 15-20 finishing hogs per acre you can save between 800 and 1,000 pounds of grain and 500 pounds of protein by having them on pasture.
• Good pasture access should be considered a plus for lactating sows and they probably should be kept on their regular ration so they maintain the best condition during lactation.
• "About 10% of a growing hog's nutritional needs can be met by good legume pasturage."
• Mr. Klober likes to use a 14% to 15% protein ration for growing hogs on pasture no matter their weight.
• One acre of corn that is "hogged down" can support 10-15 hogs to butcher weight assuming that they have enough mineral, protein, and water.

These are just a few things from the chapter that really jumped out at me. I must admit that I am pretty interested in the idea of "hogging down" some corn. Especially if it is open pollinated corn!

Dirt Hog :: Chapter 4 Book Report

Sorry for those of you that are bored with "pig talk", but I have some catching up to do because while I'm writing a chapter three report I'm actually reading chapter six! Plus, as I make my way through this book there are lots of things flying through my head about how I want to run our farm and why I want to do things the way we are and are going to do them. This book is full of information ... some that is helpful ... some that is above my head ... and some that is great for beginners and more than beginners alike.

Chapter four is really about swine herd maintenance and covers everything from health to breeding and more. One of the first things that this chapter covers is how to keep track of animals and keep their information in order. It was interesting to read his thoughts on this because I had just seen someone's system that they used. He talked about the pros and cons of ear tags and notching and the importance of having an information card to go with each sow and litter. As we get deeper into the world of pigs this is something that I'm going to have to tackle.

Another section in this chapter that I really liked was the part about outdoor farrowing. It appears that the author farrows out on the "range" in huts spaced about 100 to 150 feet apart. His system is to check on the sows that are close to farrowing first thing in the morning and then once more in the evening. Other than that he says that he just has to rely on the genetic selections that they have made. I love to hear about how people are making outdoor farrowing work because I believe that it is a system that can and does work.

Beyond those two topics it his long chapter is full of tons of information. If you haven't noticed yet ... I like this book quite a bit. I believe it is a good book for a beginner like myself to read. It doesn't have everything you need to know, but it is full of great information. Plus, it is really getting me excited about range hogs!

Dirt Hog :: Chapter 3 Book Report

Wow, I just realized that I'm reading chapter six in "Dirt Hog", but I have only written two chapter book reports. I have some catching up to do. But, that is okay because it seems like lately this has become the "Beginning Pig Farmer" blog. Really, that hasn't become our main focus ... rather it is just what I happen to be reading about a lot lately. I will admit though that after going through our first batch of pigs that I am beginning to think that they are the ideal animal for a beginning farmer like myself to start out with. Of course you can always go with chickens because of the low overhead, but if larger livestock is your goal pigs are a great way to start out.

Now, back to the book report ... Chapter three deals with selection of your pigs (covering everything from feeder pigs to gilts and sows to boars) and even has some general information about the different breeds out there. I have to admit that this chapter was a little overwhelming because was so much information and I once again realized how much of an art it is to be a very good livestock farmer. But, I did appreciate everything in the chapter even if it will take years for me to learn by trial and error.

As an aside, another thing that has popped into my mind as I'm writing this is that Kelly Klober (the author) seems to have a vast amount of knowledge when it comes to pigs. Much of that knowledge, I'm sure, has come from being around people that know the art of a selecting and raising a high quality swine herd. It is great to be able to have it written down in a book, but I will say that I wish I had a mentor like him around to show me and help me as I muck my way through the pig world!

Mr. Klober goes into great detail on some of the things that you need to look for when selecting pigs, especially pigs destined to become "range hogs". One area that he talks about being very important are the feet and legs. Those legs are going to be very important for a pig that will be outside and have the need and chance to move around. In a confinement setting it is not as big of an issue, so some breeding has taken away a good leg on each corner of the pig.

He even writes about the type of tail to look for when selecting. Mr. Klober says that large tail with the base well up on the body can be a good indicator of ham size and carcass length. This is the kind of knowledge that I'm talking about!

The chapter covers a lot of other information (too much to write about today) and then ends up with a short description of various breeds within the three major categories that he talks about a lot through out the book ... White Breeds, Red Breeds, and Black Breeds. It was nice to see the Hereford breed mentioned though because that is one that we are looking at closely now.

 

Dirt Hog :: Chapter 2 Book Report

Wow, it has been a long time since I have done a chapter book report on the blog. It isn't that I haven't been reading lately, rather it is just that I have been reading books that I didn't feel the urge to report on after each chapter. But, now I have picked up "Dirt Hog" by Kelly Klober again and I wanted to share some thoughts after each chapter. You might think it weird that I'm starting out with chapter two, but in reality I already did a report for chapter one ... way back on May 14, 2008! You can take the link to check out my thoughts from way back when.

Chapter two is a looooong (70 pages or so) chapter titled, "Housing and Fencing", and probably should be broken down into a couple of reports because there is a lot to think about in this book. One thing that I am finding is that even though I know that I won't be employing every concept this book is making me excited about pigs ... plus, there is the fact that we just took five to the locker so they are on the brain.

The very beginning of this chapter actually doesn't start out with the nuts of bolts of housing and fencing, but rather a short discussion of getting started. One sentence really piqued my interest ... "I am a firm believer in doing all your early farming on paper." I totally get what Mr. Klober is saying here because he goes on to talk about six things that you really need to look at, but one thing that I am continuing to learn is that at sometime you just need to jump.

For quite awhile I farmed on paper. I read books, I talked with people, I did research, and I wrote stuff down. I learned a lot! I studied a lot! And, when the rubber met (and is still meeting) the road I found that there is so much that you can only learn by doing. So, there are my thoughts on that...

Much of the next portion of the chapter deals with farm layout in relation to range hogs. I believe many of the set-ups that this book is talking about are more permanent than I'm going to focus on, but there is a lot of good information on fencing, watering, and feeding. Also, there is a good bit of information on electric fencing.

So, there you go. We'll call that part one of my chapter two book report...