This Beginning Farmer Needs a Website

Sometimes I feel guilty for doing it, but then I remember how much knowledge there is out there among those that read this blog. So, from time to time I blatantly ask for help and today is going to be one of those days where I need the help of those more in the know than I am.

Quite awhile ago I purchased the domain name www.stoneyfieldonline.com so that I would have it for when I was ready to add a website. At first I tried to use it as the URL address for this blog through some sort of pointing or something with GoDaddy/Blogger, but that seemed to slow things down so I canceled that. Now as a few more things are beginning to fall into place I'm really feeling the need for a true online home for Stoneyfield Farm and The Beginning Farmer blog.

That is where all of you smart computer people come in ... even though I'm young and thought I was somewhat computer savvy I have found that I can't really figure out this website thing. Right now I just want something very basic with a front page and contact information so that I can point people to the website (www.stoneyfieldonline.com) when they inquire about the farm, but I'm having a bit of trouble getting it setup so it works in a somewhat easy way.

I suppose that I should also mention that I have a Mac, but if need be I could access a PC to do the work. So, do any of you know what I need to do to get my website up and going? If you have some tips or suggestions or anything else just reply in the comments or click on the new e-mail link I made on the top right (that is one html thing I could figure out).

Top 6 Beginning Farming Links

Yesterday on the Epi-log I posted, "My Top 6 Favorite Farm Food Sites," for all of the readers. Today I thought I would post my Top 6 Beginning Farmer Sites. These are just some of the sites I like to check out for information, articles, and encouragement. I would love to hear what your favorite farming sites are also!

-National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service - ATTRA (Lots of good links to recent news, legislation, and publications to help farmers)

-Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education - SARE (The name says it all, but they also have links for educators, researchers, and consumers ... so it helps connect all groups)

-New Farm (They have changed their website up a bit and they don't seem to update as often with new articles, but they still have a ton of good information)

-American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (The place to be if you are interested in the importance of minor and heritage breeds ... and we probably all should be to some extent)

-Practical Farmers of Iowa (Of course this is very regional and they don't have a ton of written articles on their site, but it is a great resource for me as it helps connect me with other farmers in my area)

-Homesteading Today (Not totally farm related or even made for farmers, but they have good forums on cattle ... pigs ... gardening ... and just general topics full of knowledgeable people. Plus, good debate)

So, what are some of your top favorites?