Frozen Stuff ...

Marion County's largest NAPA and Knoxville's best Farm and Home store were closed for the holiday today (it's the only NAPA and only Farm store ... and I work there). That meant I had the whole windy day to work outside on the farm and hopefully catch up on projects that I have been slow to finish. I had a rather long list, but realistically I had a couple of things that I wanted/needed to finish up today. But, most of all I was excited to do chores in the daylight because I was beginning to forget what that was like.

So, as soon as I went out I started feeding pigs and getting ready to water the cows and then everyone else. Yesterday I had brought the hoses in to thaw (after breaking the plastic threads off of one) so I was set ... or at least I thought I was set. I hooked up the one good hose to the hydrant and then hooked up my "back-up" hose to the good hose. I went and put the end into the cattle tank and turned on the hydrant ... nothing! After some investigation I found that for the first time ever my hydrant was frozen ... crazy!

I brought both hoses back inside just to be safe and then attacked the hydrant with boiling water. It worked right away and I ran in (literally) to get the hoses and set everything back up. This time when I turned on the water I could hear it flowing, but my heart sank as I also saw the water flowing out of my "back-up" hose like a sprinkler all the way down the line. On a positive note if I need a soaker hose for the garden next year I have one ...

Did I mention that Knoxville's best Farm and Home store was closed for the holiday? Well ... it was! And, Walmart didn't have any hoses out (not a surprise). All of this led me to the church to borrow a hose which I promptly took back to the farm and hooked up ready to go ... oh wait ... that hose is frozen as well. I guess that shouldn't surprise me because I'm pretty sure I was the last one to use the hose way back in August when I was filling up water balloons.

Anyways ... to close up this long story ... I took that hose inside and let it thaw out (there was a lot of ice in there). And, instead of finishing up the chores in daylight ... I watered the livestock in the dark just as usual. Moral of the story? Have good hoses ... nice ... thick ... metal ended hoses! Drain them very well, and if your water hydrant is frozen try boiling water first. If that doesn't work, my all knowing (I'm serious he knows everything!) uncle told me to pile up straw around it and light it on fire. That would have been so cool ... but it was a bit windy ;)

Mistakes ...

Tomorrow is the first day of 2011 which means that I've had this blog floating around for the past four plus years. In those years I have transitioned from book reading to farm buying and finally to kinda farming. But, one thing that has been consistent over all of those years is the fact that I have made mistakes. I made mistakes in my planning, I made mistakes in my early decisions, I made mistakes in my initial farm ventures, and I've made plenty of mistakes after moving to the farm and trying to ramp things up.

They say you are supposed to learn from your mistakes and I guess that is what I've been trying today. I'm beginning to feel like I should write a book about my mistakes and the lessons I've learned because it seems like the mistakes/lessons grow by multiples of ten! And, I'm beginning to think that sometimes it takes a few repeat mistakes before I figure the lesson out ... Here are some lessons that I've learned that were in my mind tonight as I was working outside ::

1. When you've never farmed before there are lots of little things that you would never think about. After a couple years in I'm still finding those little things and I count on finding them as long as I farm ... it's an unpredictable game.
2. You have to have shoulders like a rain coat so that things will just roll off of you. There are ups and there are downs ... and when you start from scratch there will be plenty of downs.
3. Slow down. I don't like slow, but you need to slow down regardless ... unless you have enough capital to just force things along.
4. Cold weather just plain stinks ... period ... end of story.
5. Don't paint yourself in a corner ... that means a lot of things at different times, but I think it's an important lesson!

So, there are just a few of the lessons that I was thinking about tonight as I was outside in the wind (those 60º temps are long gone by the way). One of these days I should write down all of those lessons ... all of those little things that never even crossed my mind as I was reading all my farming books and dreaming. Maybe ... maybe I'll just write a book ... I always wanted to be a writer when I was a kid, just like I always wanted to be a farmer ...

Make Hay When the Sun Shines ...

The old saying says that you have to make hay when the sun shines. I've decided that another good saying would be, "When January is coming, pound in fence posts when the temperature hits 60º and the ground is soft!" So ... since the all of those factors were the case this evening I spent the night outside with my headlamp and post driver. Here it is almost January and I find myself still preparing for winter ... it's not something I'm happy about, but it is reality so I'm taking it as it comes.

What I'm trying to finish up is the winter area for the pigs. I have the hut for them ... I have the straw for them ... I have the spot picked out ... I don't have the fence done quite yet. But, I will have it done soon and then hopefully everything will come together quickly. The place I have for them is north of my shed and I'm going to place some tin along the west and north sides of the fence and of course they will have the hut to go inside that will have straw bedding. It should work out this year for the few pigs I have and then I'll see what happens next year.

Not much on the farm is very permanent and this new pen I'm building fits into that "not very" category. I'm just finding that most of the time I'm not quite sure exactly where I want something on the farm, so it is best to keep things simple and then just change it up if I don't like it. It may take a little more work in the beginning because I'm always putting up ... tearing down ... and putting up again, but I think in the future it will make the farm better suited for me and the way I want to farm.

For the time being though ... I'll just take all the 50º plus days I can get!

Snow :: Mush :: Ice

The title says it all. Before Christmas the snow came. It wasn't a lot of snow, but it was enough to give the state a white Christmas and frustrate me (I really was hoping for a no snow winter). Now there are warmer temperatures and there is rain in the forecast (that will create the always exciting mush). And then by this weekend things are forecasted to cool down again and that will turn the mush back into ice (actually ... of the three choices I prefer this one the most). All of this is rather irrelevant in the whole scheme of the farm, but it does keep chores interesting and makes me wish that I would have made it a bigger priority to get chains for the tractor this year!

Last winter I pretty much got anything stuck that could get stuck and I decided that it wouldn't be a good idea to head into another winter without tractor chains. But, as the summer went along and I was never able to find any in the sweet spot of my price range (read inexpensive, but still high quality) I now find myself in a sloppy position with no chains. This isn't the end of the world though and just means I need to take precautions. One thing I do in if I have want to take the tractor down to the woods or something like that is put a bale on the 3-point spear so that I bit more weight on the back end. It's not the best solution, but it does help some.

The big thing that is going through my mind right now though is the farmer's market season. Last year I did my first market and while it was a good experience for learning it didn't quite make enough sales wise because it was not very well attended. This year I won't have much more product during the market season than I did last year, but by the time fall comes around I should have more hogs ready to go, a crop of lamb, and maybe a steer (possibly poultry as well). That could mean as many as 18 hogs that would need to be sold, potentially 30 lambs, and some beef. I'm afraid that without making any more customer contacts at a market this summer I will have a tough time selling out in the fall/winter.

Any thoughts on the upcoming market season? I'm open for suggestions ...

Forcefully Positive ...

When I was a kid my farm was the hardwood floor of my bedroom floor in town. The boards made the perfect rows for my tractors and harvesting equipment and the bottom track for the closet door always became the cattle feed trough. It was a ready made farm and I think I was a pretty good bedroom farmer. I'm pretty sure that I spent countless hours with the rug rolled up in my bedroom farming and dreaming! But, now that I'm a grown up farmer the reality of the farm isn't quite as romantic as that farm on my bedroom floor ... for one thing I don't have box full of tractors and implements!

When things got tough on my bedroom farm I could just box everything up and call it a day. On my grown up farm I'm not able to pack up and move on to the next game ... and sometimes I dwell on that. So tonight I'm forcing myself to come up with three positive things on the farm right now. Three things that I can look at and feel good about ... hopefully I'm not up all night thinking!

1. Even though the days are going to get colder and I'm pretty sure there will be more snow there is one positive that I can hold onto. Since it is now officially winter the days will begin growing instead of shrinking! According to this calendar I should gain 45 minutes of daylight between the January 1st and 31st. Despite the cold and snow that I know will come over the next month the extra daylight is something I can get excited about! If I'm wrong about this ... well just don't tell me and let me live in my dream ...
2. Despite the rogue sheep that keep getting out (although with some extra posts they seem to be staying closer to home) I'm pretty pleased with the way they have been adjusting to the farm and handling the winter weather. There haven't been any super snow storms yet or week long cold snaps, but the wind has blown and it has gotten pretty frigid. It just seems like they sheep flock up and hang-out when the weather gets bad ... and they are doing well. I'm hoping this apparent hardiness is something that sticks with them throughout the winter and carries on into the lambing season. That would be just very nice thank you very much ...
3. I have hay and straw and I think maybe ... possibly ... hopefully I have enough. I know that I have enough straw on the farm now to last the winter (although I'm not really set-up to use it yet) and with 47 plus bales of hay on the farm I'm thinking it might be enough. Honestly I'm not quite sure how much hay I will need, but I have enough hay for the initial bales I purchased to get through December and then the 47 bales I just purchased to make it until grass shows up. They're heavy and tightly wrapped bales and I think they will be enough, but with the sheep now and the uncertainties of winter weather I guess I'll just have to see how it lasts. On the whole though I'm glad to have it and relieved. Last winter it was a constant search and battle for hay ... hopefully that will not be the case this year.

There ... I did it ... three positives from the farm! Now I just need to keep those in the front of my mind and just tackle everything else as it comes ...

The Future of Forestry ... Or Farming

"How will the legend of the age of trees

Feel, when the last tree falls in England?

When the concrete spreads and the town conquers

The country’s heart..."

Oddly enough this is not the first time that I have mentioned a poem on my blog (I actually love poetry when my mood is right). In fact not only have I shared poetry more than once, but this is even the second time I've referenced "The Future of Forestry" by C.S. Lewis. I encourage you to read the poem ... and then read it again ... and maybe one more time for posterity, because I'm not sure if a poem can sink in the first or second time through. For some reason this poem has been on my mind lately and I'm not exactly sure why, but I do have a few thoughts ::

• While I'm not very convinced that the last tree will ever fall in England (or anywhere for that matter), or that the country will be covered with concrete from shore to shore I do get the concept. I understand what Mr. Lewis was getting at. I think I've mentioned this before, but my mom spent 36 years teaching grade school in Waterloo, IA. The same Waterloo, IA that is surrounded by farms in every direction, is the home of multiple John Deere factories, and holds a yearly event called Cattle Congress! But, as the years progressed in her teaching career her students lost the connection to the farm, and even basic knowledge of the farm. My old toy tractors became her teaching tools! It isn't so much the reality of farms going away that is scary, but rather the connection with them.
• In the middle of the poem the students are asking, "What was a chestnut?" and "What was Autumn?" Think of those questions in farm terms ... Is it possible that we could get to a point where children would ask, "Where does bacon come from?" or "What is a farm?" The story of the farm needs to be told. The Farm Bureau is saying that the farm story is needs to be told and local farmers all over the country are saying the story needs to be told. That is probably one major thing both the small-scale/local/natural/direct-marketing farmers and the large-scale industrial agriculture farmers can agree on.
• But really, I think the reason I ended up on this poem again is because the farm kind of has me down lately. I feel like I'm getting knocked backwards more than I am even taking baby steps forwards and it frustrates me. And so with my farming heart in that state I ended up on a poem about forests and concrete and England ... and for some reason I was a little renewed and a little more excited about the farm. But, I still don't know what it's all going to look like in six months ...

I guess what I'm really trying to say is that you should read the poem. I don't know if I understand it very well (I think I know what I get out of it at this moment though), but I really enjoy it and I've been reading it a lot. And, I'll ask a similar question to the one I asked after I mentioned this poem for the first time back in February of 2009. What are you reading now? More specifically, are you reading anything that is energizing your passion for the farm?

(As for a farm update ... I'm still messing around with my tractor that has battery/generator/shorting issues ... hopefully sometime I can tell you what the real problem is)

Different Day :: Same Story

Saturday and Sunday were both very similar days. Both days included work at my town job (Saturday at NAPA and Sunday at church), and both days included trips down the road to pick up straw and unloading hay at the farm. The good news is that I now have 47 more bales of hay sitting out in front of the winter lot and that makes me very much relieved! Also, in between unloading the hay I was able to make three trips to bring back the large round bales of straw ... only 5 more to go! I have a sneaky suspicion that I'll have more straw than I need, but I'm not going to complain about that because I'm sure I'll find a use for it. It wasn't all perfect though ... I seem to be having some battery issues with the tractor. Meaning ... the battery died while the tractor was running ... which kind of was no fun! I'll have to look into it ...

All my time on the tractor and doing chores outside did give me plenty of time to think, and today I thought about trucks. Just in my 1.5 mile trips back and forth to get the straw I saw a lot of pick-up trucks sitting in driveways and along the road (deer season). I've decided that I live in some sort of epi-center of trucks. The farmers have them, high school kids have them, and even guys in town that use the truck bed of their truck twice a year have them! I ... I have no truck, but that doesn't mean I'm not trying to find one!

With all the trucks around here you'd think I would be able to get my hands on one that meets all my requirements, but alas I've had no luck. I have an app on my phone that alerts me anytime a 3/4 ton truck is posted on Craigslist in the area (the good ones are always a long ways away) and I check the classifieds for the area all the time. But, I'm just not able to find the right one. I guess I'll just have to be patient ... and wait ... for the right truck ;) But, patience isn't always one of my strong points.

Tractors With Cabs ...

Some tractors have climate controlled cabs (heat, a/c, radio, and all that good stuff). My tractor as the beautiful winter air for cab. But, I'm not complaining because I'm just plain glad to have a working tractor at all (even though my PTO is out ... AGAIN!). This morning I was making 1.5 mile trips to pick up some big round bales of straw that I bought. The temperature wasn't very bad and the trip there was actually pretty comfortable, but the return trip with the west wind blowing caused me to hunch up and retreat into my hood like a turtle. My toes were cold though because I wasn't smart enough to put on warm socks!

The good news is that I was able to bring over some more of the straw bales that I purchased for deep bedding (although the deep bedding areas aren't exactly ready yet) and there are now 29 more big round bales of hay on the farm. I'm expecting a few more loads of hay tomorrow and then I think (and hope) there will be enough hay for the winter. I have purchased a lot more hay than I did last year and with all the money I've spent I really really really hope I don't have to buy any more.

My hay purchases this year bring into extreme focus the high costs of starting a grass-fed beef herd. With about a two year turn-around from the time a calf is born until it is processed there is a lot of purchased feed that is needed for both the calf and the cow of course ... and the bull has to be factored in as well because he likes to eat in the winter I'm finding. In the future I would like to be able to make my own hay on farm, but that wasn't possible this year and even if I put up my own hay I have to factor in my labor and equipment prices. In hindsight I'm thinking buying the cattle right at the beginning of the farm wasn't the best plan of attack ...

Another Wednesday ...

Today was another Wednesday ... which means another very busy day. Although, this morning when I was dropping off some parts at one of my favorite stops, the woman who works in the office asked me how I was doing. I responded, "Oh you know ... just another Tuesday". After I said that she informed me that it was actually Wednesday ... the busy day. I don't know if I walked out of the shop glad that it was another day further along in the week than I thought it was, or if I was a little depressed because I really had no clue what day it was. Honestly though, with the new job in town and chores in the dark all the days really seem to blend together.

On the farm things are not going exactly as pleased. I might have 11 Katahdin sheep available if you're interested (and that includes the ram). One thing You should know ... five wires of electric won't keep these rogue sheep in :( I think I'm going to have to order some electric netting from the farm store where I work. I was planning on getting some next spring anyways, but was really hoping to hold off until then. Does anyone have any experience with the electric netting? Any tips or thoughts? I'm almost 100% sure I'll be going with the Gallagher because of the store discount I receive, but I'm open to all thoughts!

I'm hoping everything will come together this week and on Saturday and Sunday I will receive 4 loads of hay totaling 44 large round bales. I was supposed to be getting them about three weeks ago, but it would just never work out. Hopefully this will be the weekend. It will be such a relief to have them here, because I can't tell You how often I think about the fact that I need them while I'm out driving around and seeing hay on other people's farms. I would love to be able to make a little of my own hay next year, but we will have to see how things shake out.

As you can see it is just a little disjointed around the farm right now. I don't expect that to change anytime soon though ;) So, I'll just keep pressing on! It was nice to drop-off a nice load of pork and beef though at the Iowa Food Coop on Monday. Even though I'm not able to make a drop-off at the normal time and talk to other producers and customers it is nice to see some fruit from my labor!

The Blizzard Wins ...

I hate to say it, but the blizzard beat me this time and now the cold is trying to rub it in my face. This wasn't a super duper blizzard with an impact that lasts for days, but it was enough snow and wind and drifting to throughly beat me and catch me close to totally unprepared. And now, as if to add insult to injury, the cold is coming behind it with lows expected below zero overnight tonight before it warms up again as the week goes on.

If you have been following the resurgence of my blog lately you will recall that in my last post I was writing about the first official day of winter and how I still had time to get my winter pig area finished up. Well, I had the cold temperatures part correct, but I guess I failed to account for snow and more before the cold arrived. Honestly I haven't been keeping up on the weather much, and with a limited internet connection at the farm and no TV I wasn't really expecting that kind of storm ... everyone else probably was ;)

It does make me think though ... about those first settlers coming to Iowa to start out from scratch. The pioneers! How crazy is it to think of the lives the lived here and the weather that they had to deal with on a day to day business. I've been calling my farming style "Pioneer Farming" because of the way I'm trying to work this farm out of the blank slate that was this 40 acres when I bought it and because of my interest in heritage breeds. But, when it comes to the true pioneer adventure ... well, my adventure pales in comparison ... I mean I at least have a five day forecast ;)

Winter Pig Area ...

Technically it is not winter until December, 21st. Which means I still have plenty of time to get my "winter" pig area done! The only problem of course is that technical winter and the realities of winter don't always meet up on the same day. The forecast that has lows at -2ºF this coming week means that winter is probably already here no matter what the calendar says. But, I'm sticking with the 21st and hoping to have everything squared away by then ... at least that is the plan for now.

There is good news though. The good news is that I think I finally have a plan for my winter pig area. In fact it is a plan for now and a plan for growth in the future. One thing that I have learned over the past two winters on the farm with pigs is that they aren't particularly interested in roaming around a lot in the winter. Basically they like to huddle up somewhere warm, eat, and drink. With that knowledge in hand I realized that the winter area did not need to be an extravagantly large area, but rather a nice place for them to stay warm and dry.

So, what I've come up with is a location on the north side of my shed. I have moved in my 8'x16' portable hut for the grower pigs and I'm starting to get the fence up on the outside (subscribe to my Twitter account if you want a glimpse into my farming life). I chose this location because it is a high point and will stay drain well in the freeze and thaw of a southern Iowa winter and because it fits in with a larger idea that I had today.

There is a part of me that would like to experiment with a yearly paddock rotation with some of the breeding stock instead of having them in the woods. Basically I'd like to include a crop rotation into the paddock rotation. It's something to try at least, and with that in mind I decided that this was a good area to build some smaller winter pig lots where I can eventually put an automatic waterer. I'll have two separate winter pens with the water in the fence line. Then in the summer I can open a gate to the larger pasture area and the pigs will have access to those same waterers I use in the winter.

That's my idea at least ... right now I'm just focusing on putting in fence posts and making a secure area for the pigs. Remember ... I only need to have it done by December, 21st in order to beat winter ;)

Fighting (For?) the Farm ...

I came to a realization today as I was driving around in my little NAPA minivan delivering parts to fix the broken cars of the world. That realization was that sometimes I get frustrated and most often it is the farm that frustrates me. When I get back to the farm after 6:15 PM on most nights (and much later each Sunday, Wednesday, and some Tuesdays) I often feel overwhelmed by the chores that need to be done ... let alone the things that I would like or need to do in order to keep the farm running somewhat smoothly (things like fixing fence, adding water systems, finding a place for the pigs to live this winter). Please understand that I don't say this to complain because I realize my plate is no more full than the next person and I have so much more to be thankful for, but I do often wonder if I'm "Fighting the Farm" or "Fighting For the Farm" if you get what I mean.

There are many times when I look around the farm (lately it's pretty dark when that happens) and the thought pops into my mind, "I could sell the pigs, sell the cattle, sell the sheep, sell most of the equipment, and just keep a few chickens to laugh at (and a pig to kick ... name that movie). Then when I came home from town I could walk into the house and "relax". It all seems very easy actually ... just liquidate it all and chalk it up to one of my grand adventures and passing fancies. Then I would no longer have to be "Fighting the Farm". And I wonder, should I even be "Fighting the Farm"? Is it worth it? Is it the right course for me? Is it even worth doing?

On the other hand there are times when I realize that I am "Fighting For the Farm". Most of these times don't happen while I'm outside in my cold weather clothes and a headlamp fixing an electric fence that the sheep decided wasn't good enough and feeding the pigs in the dark. My "Fighting For the Farm" moments usually happen when I'm making a delivery to customers in Des Moines, taking a couple hogs to the processor, or thinking about the future of the farm.

The difficulty and the goal is to have more "Fighting For" moments than "Fighting" moments. I've decided this can happen in a couple of different ways. The most obvious way is to focus on what is possible and what I can accomplish ...

**I started writing this post a couple weeks ago and never finished it. As I was working on a post for today I came across this one and as I read over it I thought it would be a good idea to just post it as is ... I'm not sure that I really completed my thoughts on it or that I can draw them to a close right now, but it is a fairly accurate snapshot of my mind ... at least on that particular night. So ... I'll post it ... it's kind of like my full disclosure post ... to show that I get frustrated with the farm, and still press on ;)

Frozen ...

Last night was one of the coldest on the farm this season. I'm not sure exactly how cold it was, but I know it was in the single digits ... And, I know it was cold because the hose was frozen tonight when I went to water the animals! I thought I had done a good enough job draining the hose last night, but I guess that I either had a pocket of water in the second hose (because the first in the chain of hoses was flowing fine) or I was a little too slow in draining it and it froze up around the end before I got that far. I guess it doesn't really matter why it froze ... because it was froze and I had to work around that issue!

Since the hose was frozen I had to go with the back-up plan which included a couple of 5 gallon buckets and a walking back and forth me! Even by brining the hose into the house it wouldn't thaw out in time and I needed to get water to the animals so buckets it was. The thing about using buckets is that roughly ten gallons at a time isn't enough for the cows. They can have that all gone by the time I get back so for the first 10 or 20 trips (I made a lot of trips) it was just getting enough there for them to drink. It is nice to see that they have a nice system worked out for getting water though. Basically it goes from biggest to smallest with the sheep all hanging out together until it is just the littlest calves at the water tank.

The good news on the frozen hose front is that it is supposed to warm up the next couple of days, so I'll get that all taken care of and be back in business! I just need to make sure I'm staying on top of things and getting it all drained out. In completely and totally unrelated news I think I am finally ready to make the jump into the world of trucks!

In the past I have written about wanting or thinking about getting a truck many times, and each time there is usually someone who is surprised that I've been farming without a truck for this long. Well, I'm not sure if I want to farm without one any longer and I'm ready to get rid of the Expedition and step into a truck ... a cheap truck ... an inexpensive truck ... a reasonably priced truck ... You know ... one closer to $3,000 than $5,000!

I do have a couple requirements though. It needs to be a 3/4 ton truck and it needs to be four wheel drive. Other than that I'm pretty open. Ideally it would be a long bed and an extended cab, but I don't think that is going to happen in my price range. So, what are your thoughts on a truck that will be for the farm and for my daily driver. If you could only have one (long bed or extended cab) what would you choose? I would love your input ... and if you have one for sale let me know ;)

The Best Case vs. The Reality

It's interesting ... last night when I was watering the cows they were just going nuts jostling each other and trying to get at the water. Tonight ... I called them over ... they looked at the water and then walked away! Oh well, I filled them up and it's not super cold so hopefully I just have to break a skim of ice in the morning and then they'll get their fill for the day. The pigs on the other hand are being a bit more difficult ... they like to tip over anything that isn't attached to the ground or a post and then they'll try to tip those things over too!

The comments in yesterdays post had me thinking today. They had me thinking about the best case scenario versus the reality of the farm. The suggestions in the comments are the best case scenario. It would be the absolute best to install an energy frost free waterer. In fact I have even been researching it and have picked out a Cobett waterer. In order to install that waterer I would need to trench in a line and tie it in to the main water line from the road. Of course to do that I would need to dig a deep hole for the waterer and a bigger hole where the connection to the main line would be. I would also need to have some gravel delivered or pick some up to put around the waterer ... and I'd need to get a plumber out here to help me because I have a lot to learn along those lines!

In order to do all that I would have to order the waterer (not a big deal because they are made relatively close by). Then I would need to get a trencher out here (also not a major deal because I can borrow one from the farm store where I work for no charge). After that I would need to dig the big holes (I could dig them by hand or go through the expense of renting or hiring an excavator). Finally it would all need to be hooked up, installed, and the gravel placed around the waterer.

The waterer would cost around $650 or so I'm thinking. I have no idea how much the gravel and 200 feet or so of water line would cost, but I know that it wouldn't be a deal breaker. Things do get tricky though once I start thinking about the cost of the excavator, but even that isn't insurmountable. Nope ... the real problem is time! My time is very limited and that's why I don't see the installation of the waterer a real possibility now even if it's what I want and it is the best solution.

I had also hoped to install an heated pig drink at the same time which would require some concrete, more trenching, more water line, and of course electricity out to the location (and the shed because it's along the way). On the flip side ... if I go with my temporary plan for the cattle, sheep, and pigs it would entail one galvanized tank with drinks for the pigs, one bigger tank for the cattle and sheep, and of course the heaters and extension cords. That will probably cost over $500 as well! And, after this winter it would still be my hope to do the more permanent option.

So, there is the dilemma ... the best case is obvious and even not a ton more in the expense department when you compare the two. But, the reality is that doing that job takes time and time is something that must be prioritized on my farm. The general chores need to come first and sometimes (especially with a couple of town jobs and short days) that doesn't leave time for the best case. I'm going to try to make the reality work out as best as possible though!

Winter :: Livestock :: Water

Today wasn't so bad weather wise (it would have been great if I would have had the day off of the farm). The temps got up near 40ºF and there wasn't much wind to speak of. It appears that the 10 rogue sheep decided to enjoy the fine day as well ... I can tell by the nice white hair they leave behind on the wires as the make their way back and forth! Oh well, I'll have to figure out something with them ... but right now it is not one of my top priorities.

This evenings chores were pretty uneventful, although the cattle were a little pushy around the water tanks as I was filling them. The pigs were as well and it brought into clear focus that I need to figure out something for winter watering now that I have a greater number of livestock on the farm. I had grand dreams of installing an energy free water system for the cattle and the sheep as well as a permanent heated waterer for the pigs. But, it is December 2nd and I don't see that happening this year even though I want it very badly!

So, now I'm onto plan B ... or C ... or D ... or whatever I'm at! I have an idea for the pigs ... I could get a galvanized tank waterer with a hog drink on each side and put a heater (or two because the only two drink ones at work are 6 or 8 feet long) in it. Then I could put it on the dividing fence between my sows/boar and the growers. I would still have to stretch a hose out a long ways to fill it, but I wouldn't have to do that as often. The downsides of course are the expense of buying the tank and heaters and the electricity needed to run it! But, the upside is the time savings ... I'm seriously considering this option.

The cattle and sheep ... I guess that option is similar as well. Like I said, going this route wasn't my first option, but for the time available to get things set-up and considering the time savings throughout the winter I think it is my best option.

First Day of December

Today was Wednesday, which means it was one of my busier days of the week because I have both town jobs in full force on Wednesdays and I don't make it back to the farm until very late ... which means late night chores. I will say that there is a little something I enjoy about the crisp air of a dark December night even if it makes chores a little more interesting. Tonight included the basics of taking care of the animals and checking up on them. Since I'm not around very much during the daylight I do try to take the four-wheeler out each not and get a good idea of how everyone is faring. Tonight that meant waking the sheep up ;)

Speaking of the sheep, there was a question about what my thoughts are now that they have been on the farm for a while. While I wish I had a better answer I think I have to be honest and just say I'm not quite sure yet. They came onto the farm late in the growing season for my mostly warm season grasses so I didn't get to graze them very long and see how they would fit into the rotation. Also, there are about 10 of them that don't mind disregarding my interior (portable or semi-permanent) fences. They never really caused a problem getting out, but I can see where some electric netting may come in handy next year. On the plus side they are fun to watch and I love the flocking instincts of the Katahadins! I'm hoping their addition will also be a plus in marketing and adding diversity to the products.

As I mentioned on Twitter today (check out my Twitter feed) I was listening to the Nature's Harmony Farm podcast again today ... specifically the one about "The Death of a Farm" (I blogged about it awhile ago). This is the second or third time I've listened to this interview and I believe it is both discouraging and encouraging at the same time. It is always hard to hear about someone having to quit almost exactly what you're trying to start, but I think you can also learn and grow from those experiences as well. I'm hoping to grow and not be discouraged!

Don't forget ... You too can support Crooked Gap Farm no matter where you are in the country (or world) by ordering a Crooked Gap Farm t-shirt. There are two options available and I hear they make great Christmas gifts ;) Just drop me an e-mail if you would like to place an order.

Flurries ...

Today was the first hint of snow in on Crooked Gap Farm. In this case it was just flurries, but as I drove around delivery parts and then doing chores in the evening they were a constant reminder of what is coming. I will say though that I have voted for only a small amount of snow this winter! We have been pretty hard the past couple of years on the farm and I could go for a little less winter trouble .... It would be nice not to get trucks and tractors stuck ... It would be nice to ease up on the cold and wind ... It would be nice to not make huge piles of snow ... It would be nice, but I'm not holding my breath

On my lunch break today I headed to pick up 2 tons of pig feed. It's great that there is a feed store willing to grind and mix the ration that we want without any animal byproducts or antibiotics, but it sure is getting difficult to hand over the money. Todays bill was about $7.21 per bag! That is almost $2 a bag higher than in the early summer and it causes me to pause a bit every time I feed the pigs. Picking up the feed means hooking up the stock trailer and loading in the feed bag by bag ... then back at the farm I have to unload it. Tonight I just backed the trailer into the shed I'll unload it into the bulk feeder when I have more time.

In the evening (in the dark) I had the usual chores. I fed and watered the pigs. I watered and checked on the sheep and cattle, and then after I had the tractor plugged in for a couple hours I took a big round bale of hay in for them. I have to say that the hay is getting eaten up faster than I had hoped. Thankfully I have 44 more bales coming later this week and next. It will be a chore to unload, but it will be great to have!

As I drive around I have a lot of time to think and listen to podcasts. I'm making my way through all the Nature's Harmony Farm podcasts again and looking for other things that interest me (6 hours in minivan can wear on you). And, as I mentioned, I've been thinking. Today it was about trucks (probably because I had to pull the trailer to get feed). I'm getting closer and closer to the point where I think I want to ditch the SUV and get a truck. There are so many times when it would come on handy ... I can't even count them there are so many!

Until next time ...

Crooked Gap Farm Becomes Fashionable

As you may know (if you read the sparse postings on this blog lately) I'm looking at taking some big steps trying to expand both the size and marketing of the farm. So many of you were very supportive and threw out a lot of ideas on how to expand and raise a little capital going forward for the expansion, and I'm making my way through those e-mails now! One suggestion (and something I've wanted to do for awhile) was some Crooked Gap Farm t-shirts. This is a way for our customers (thank you all so much!!!) to show their Crooked Gap pride and for those of you who aren't close enough to be a customer it is an opportunity to support the farm ... and add a cool t-shirt to your wardrobe if I do say so myself ;)

Right now there will be two t-shirt options available. The first choice is the "Pioneer Farming" t-shirt. This shirt is "smoke" in color and has the phrase "Pioneer Farming" on the front with the pronunciation and a definition stating :: "See Crooked Gap Farm". "Pioneer Farming" is a fun little phrase that I started to use when describing the farm because of the way this farm was started from scratch ... plus it's a good conversation starter.

The second shirt available is the Crooked Gap Farm "Where a Pig is a Pig" shirt. This t-shirt comes in a color called "Caribbean Blue" and has the state of Iowa with the farm location along with the phrase "Where a Pig is a Pig". This fun shirt states the plain fact ... on this farm a pig is allowed to be a pig in the pasture, in the mud, and all around!

Both shirts will cost $20 each plus shipping and handling. I will be ordering them soon and keeping them "in stock" as it were, but I would love to have an idea of interest and a general amount of sizes I should order. If you would like to place an order just send me an
e-mail with the shirt(s) you would like and the sizes.

**FYI :: The dotted lines are not part of the shirt, just part of the design site ... And, you can click on the pictures for a larger image of the design.**

NHF Podcast ... "Death of a Farm"

Thank you to all of you have taken time to comment and e-mail over the past couple weeks. I am taking time to filter everything through my mind, but want to say that I'm thankful for the encouragement and ideas. Hopefully I'll find the time to respond and share some of the things that are processing through my head soon! In the meantime though here is something interesting ...

Many of you may already know that Nature's Harmony Farm has stopped doing their blog, but have begun doing podcasts. I have been listening to them lately when there is time while I'm driving around and they have been pretty interesting. But, for me their latest podcast was very interesting ... especially in light of my latest post and thoughts about the farm. You can find it on iTunes or download it from this link.

In the latest podcast Tim and Liz interview Rebecca Thistlethwaite of TLC Ranch in California about her farm experiences and the end of the farm (after 6 years of life). In some ways it was almost depressing to listen to the interview and hear about the struggles and realities they faced as they tried to make the farm go and grow. On the other hand it is important to hear all the sides of the story ... especially when you're thinking about pushing forward. It will eat up a bit more than an hour of your time, but I think it is worth a listen.

I would love to hear your thoughts!

Help! :: Crooked Gap Farm

Dear Crooked Gap Farm Friend,

One of the major commitments of Crooked Gap Farm is to the customers and the people that have been an encouragement along the way. Because of that, we are looking for your advice and input. We are passionate about providing healthy and delicious meats by raising animals the way they were created to be made. This means that the cattle are grassfed and raised on pasture. It means that the pigs have their babies outdoors, and that they have a chance to root and be a pig. It means that the chickens can roam the pastures and clean-up after the cattle. I am very appreciative of our customers and friends who value these commitments and ideals!

Late this summer, however, we encountered a change that made the things that were starting to seem known about our farm unknown. My full time job of 6+ years at the church became a 20 hour a week job. In order to fill in some of the financial gap, I took on an additional 40 hours in the NAPA department at the farm store. This gave me 60 hours of town work plus the work on the farm.

Because of the changes in my job, not only are finances tighter than they were before, but I also have less time to take care of the livestock, maintain the farm, and cut firewood for the house. Plus, it is important to keep the family sane as well! Finding time to take care of everything has already become a challenge, and I know those challenges will continue as winter comes on and the days become shorter.

The first thought is that this is the time to back away from the farm and sell off the livestock. To maintain at the level we are at is not profitable enough considering the limited time that I have on the farm right now.

On the other hand, having my job at church cut to 20 hours gives me an opportunity to take a risk that might sound a bit crazy considering our situation ... to jump in to the farm completely and to grow and expand it. That expansion would mean buying in more animals over the winter and spring to have more available during the market season, including pork, beef, lamb, and poultry.

If that is going to happen though I’m going to have to think outside of the box. I’m going to have to be more creative and try and build some operating capital to fund the expansion and the extra feed and facility costs over the winter.

This all leads of course to my “big ask”. In one sense, I’m asking for your thoughts as customers on the direction of Crooked Gap Farm at this time. If the farm is going to continue, it is going to need the support of all of you who have supported it through its beginning stages. Would you like to see us stick around and grow? Would you like to purchase grassfed lamb and pastured chicken along with the pork and beef you may have already purchased from us? If that is the case, let me know.

And, another part of the “big ask” is would you help me think of ways to raise some of the capital needed to grow? Maybe you would be interested putting a down payment on a half hog, lamb, or chickens. Maybe you would like to reserve first crack at the limited amount of grassfed Dexter beef that will be available later this fall and next year. Maybe you have an outside of the box idea that could help the farm. Whatever it is, I would love to hear your thoughts!

One thing that you could do right now though is spread the word about Crooked Gap Farm if you have enjoyed our heritage breed meats. Please feel free to share this letter or our contact information with any friends or family that may be interested in our farm. We will have more pork and eggs available this fall and hopefully some ground beef if we can clear out some of our very limited freezer space (hint, hint). Our customers are the best advertisement we could have, and we would greatly appreciate your help.

So, there it is ... the current situation of Crooked Gap Farm in a very small nutshell. I want to thank you all for the support you have given over the past couple of years and all the encouragement that I have heard. This past summer was a summer of learning and growth on the farm. Even with all of the challenges I can look back and see progress, and that would not have been possible without you. If you would like to come out to the farm and see what is going on, please feel free to contact me and set up a visit. I would love to share our passion and vision with you in person!

Ethan Book

Crooked Gap Farm