An Afternoon of Work at Stoneyfield

Well, since our town decided that I shouldn't have five chickens on my property I decided to make a quick trip down to the farm yesterday. I had to dismantle the the nest boxes (buckets), grab the feed/oyster shell/grit, gather up the hens, and load everything up into the back of the Expedition. You can scroll down to yesterdays post to see a picture of the chickens new digs. They are just fine, but I don't think they will be as warm (and it is going to be very cold for the next couple days). Since I had a reason to go down I planned on doing a few other things that also needed to be done.

First of all I met my dad in town at the farm store to pick up 6 cattle panels to upgrade a little section of fence with the impending arrival of our bull, Hershey. The entire front lot (about 2 acres) is surrounded by cattle panels except for this one little section that just had the very old worn down woven wire/barbed wire fence. Considering our heifer Vicki can jump that fence at will we didn't want to see what would happen when there was a bull on one side and cows in heat on the other side! So, I dropped a bit of money and we headed to the farm (with a short interlude to pull the mailman out of the ditch).

At the farm I set up the new chicken pen (corner of a shed that had been used for puppies) and mixed up a bunch of feed for my dad. They should be good to go for awhile and I don't feel so bad about bringing the chickens down because at least they will get some eggs! In fact I think everyone (Dad, Stepmom, and brother) are excited about them ... except for my sister.

Despite the cold air and the wind it was pretty easy to put up the panels. In fact we were able to drive in a few t-posts with no problem. After we had the panels set up we set about cutting out the bull calves from the herd in order to wean them. Now, I have heard lots of great things about Dexters ... but, on Thursday I really experienced one. In the morning my dad put out the hay in a small pen we have in the corner of the front lot and then called the cows up (they do come when you call). They all walked in and started eating while my dad broke open the water tanks ... then, six of the girls must have received the memo because they just decided to walk out! So, when I showed up there were just three cows/heifers in there with the four boys. Showing our cattle sorting prowess we both walked into the little pen and I announced that I was going to sort the bull calves over to one side. Just as I said that the bull calves did exactly that! Dad opened the gate ... the girls walked out ... we were done and we were speechless!

This weekend is going to be very cold and while they have some good wind breaks out in the pasture the bull calves in the small pen for the time being had none. With that in mind we build a barricade of hay bales around one corner and put up some old panels around it to keep them from eating all of the hay. I think the boys will be as snug as a bug in a rug ... or at least as Dexters in a corner of hay.

It was nice to get out there and do some work that I had been meaning to do. It is just more difficult because it is such a long drive. After the afternoon of work and being informed that we couldn't keep our chickens we are all the more ready to make a move ... hopefully soon!

**I hope you enjoy the pictures of our cattle. From top to bottom: 1.) Ginger with her face all up in the camera; 2.) Vicki, who is staring to look very pregnant; 3.) Ginger looking longingly at her calf in the pen; 4.) The boys eating by their hay wall**

What, You Don't Like My Chickens!

"As part of the City's "Comprehensive Clean-Up Program," city staff inspected property located in Knoxville at @%#$ North Seventh. It was determined that a violation(s) of City Code exists. More specifically, the violation(s) include the following listed items. These numbered items may be referenced to the coordinating numbered code sections on the attached page.

The City has recently received a complaint about this property: There is a violation of Section 9-6B-2:Farm animals are not allowed in the City. Please make other arrangements for them."

So, that is the letter I received in the mail yesterday (along with a phone call on Wednesday). The letter goes on to say, "blah, blah, blah ... you have 14 days to get rid of the chickens ... blah, blah, blah ... if you don't get rid of them you are going to have to pay some serious fines ... blah, blah, blah ... Please remember the character of a neighborhood depends on everyone taking pride in their surroundings to maintain quality and beauty for the entire community of Knoxville."

Okay, so above you can see the picture of our movable chicken pen if you have never seen it before. I know that it isn't very pretty, but what about the house around the corner that has over 200 action figures and stuffed animals covering the yard! Or, the house up the street that looks like it is falling down and is for sale for only $20,000 dollars. Possibly we should consider doing something about our neighbors who moved out and only mowed their lawn ONCE this entire summer!

The law is the law, and I have already moved my chickens down to my dad's (more on that visit tomorrow) because I don't want to be in violation of city code. It just doesn't look good for a pastor to be knowingly breaking the law! But, I guess I just don't understand why it is the law. In West Des Moines (really fancy suburb of Des Moines) it is legal to have up to 30 chickens in your backyard! But, in Knoxville (a smaller rural community) we can't have that kind of filth.

Oh well, I'm really not to concerned ... I'm just disappointed because it was my one connection to the farm this winter. The chickens were my "doing" instead of just reading about it all of the time. We had been experimenting with feed rations, winter shelter, and other stuff and we had been having good results. But, now they are just down in the corner of a shed near my cows.

Just to show that I can be a "glass half full" kind of guy ... earlier this week my church board approved a motion to sell the parsonage that I live in, now it has to go to the congregation. The sale of this house would do a lot to help get the church out of debt and that is my main concern, but it will also help us make a move to the country. If the house was going to be listed this spring we would have moved the chickens anyways, this just forced us to do it earlier.

So, the moral of the story ... if your moving to Knoxville, IA don't bring your chickens into town! :)

**By the way, the second picture in this post is of the chickens in their new shed home**

Making Your Small Farm Profitable :: Chapter 4 Book Report

Soil quality is one of the most important things for a small scale beginning grass farmer. If you doubt me, then check out the great comment from Kramer in this post, or just browse through any small scale farming book or grazing magazine for a few minutes. You soil is the basis for your forages which makes it the basis for the entire farm (if grass farming is your thing). It is something you should take into consideration when purchasing a farm or planning you farm. So, with all of that in mind I was glad to see a chapter in Ron Macher's book, "Making Your Small Farm Profitable".

Here is some perspective from Mr. Macher on the importance of your soil on the farm, "The foundation of your farm and your most important production tool is a living, healthy soil." With that in mind it is important that you know about your soil type, of which there are over 18,000 varieties in the United States. You can find that information from local agencies in your area, and I suggest that you do because there can even be multiple soil types on your small farm. It is just one of the puzzle pieces of knowledge when it comes to creating and maintaining good soil.

While soil type is important it is most important that you know what your soil contains according to this chapter. Three major soil contents in the US are sandy soils, clay soils, and loam soils. Your sandy soils are are going to be up to 70% sand and drain pretty well because the sand allows the water to pass through. The sandy soils don't contain a lot of nutrients because the water washes them away most of the time. The clay soils will contain at least 35% clay and they aren't very good at draining away water because they are so compacted. Just think of working with clay in art class ... when it was wet it was slimy and sticky and when it was dry it was hard ... that is like clay soils. Loam soils are the best to have in most situations. They contain a mixture of roughly 45% sand, 40% silt, and 15% clay particles which allows them to take some of the best characteristics of the other soils.

Another important aspect of soil management that Ron Macher touches in this chapter is the reality that our soils are full of living things ... and they should be! The living stuff in soils (such as insects, earthworms, bacteria, and fungi) do tasks such as aeration, fertilization, nitrogen conversion (into something that is usable for plants), nitrogen-fixing, and they contribute in decomposition which all helps create better soil. If we desire to increase the quality of our soil we need to cultivate all of these living things in our soil instead of hindering them.

Crop rotation is something that I have touched on in other posts, but this chapter includes a good overview of the idea and some of the advantages. Ron Macher also throws out a few different 5-year rotation ideas. I think this idea of a crop rotation really fits well with Gene Logsdon's idea of "cottage" farmers. Adding crops to the farm does add the need for more equipment, but it also adds a bit of diversity and provides the ability to be more self-sufficient in your farming ventures. It is something I think our family is going to look into, especially as we begin adding more poultry and pork.

Of course what conversation about soil quality would be complete without a short mention of the numerous benefits of rotational livestock grazing. Management Intensive Grazing or Ultra High Stock Density Grazing are all about creating quality soil and quality forages.

It is evident that Ron Macher knows his stuff, and while there is a lot of basic information that I find in this book that is covered in similar books I think his specific guiding principles that he mentions in each chapter really give the reader something to think about and process.

1930's vs. Now...

My brother ran across an interesting site the other day (don't know how) and they called to tell me all about it. It seems that you can go to the Iowa Geographic Map Server to check out pictures from your are now ... and back in time! It is really a pretty neat site, but it doesn't look like all of Iowa is covered in all decades ... nevertheless it was fun to check out. I assume some other states have a similar thing ... if not I guess I just found another reason as to why Iowa is so great!

But, the greatest thing about seeing these images was seeing how much the farm has changed in just eighty years. The picture here on the right is what the farm looks like today (click the image for a slightly larger version). Our farm is outlined in red and you can see that we have about half or more of the are in forests and trees. That nice looking pasture on the Southern section of the farm is actually pretty nice pasture ... except to get to it you must go down a hill, cross a creek that has no good crossing, and up a hill. Once you make it there is really no water (although there is a shallow pond that you could pump water from, but I don't have much faith in it keeping water in even slightly dry times) and no electricity. In our dreams we would love to be able to make hay back there and graze cattle, but it will take some work. The Southern wooded area is very overgrown and full of brambles. On the other hand the woods in the Northeast section are fairly open and has some older trees (less than 80 years though!). The biggest problem is getting into the woods because of the multiflora rose on the Northeast section. The top left section is where the Dexters are right now and is also where we made one cutting of hay this year after the land came out of CRP. It is okay land, but needs a lot of work!

Now, check out this picture on the left (again, click to enlarge slightly). This picture is from sometime in the 1930's and if it wasn't for the roads I don't know if I would even recognize it! When you zoom in on the farm at the website you can see all the buildings (most of which have fallen down) and areas that were used for pastures. It almost looks like a real working farm in this image! Of course you can see the beginnings of the wooded areas and what are probably some of the trees still on the farm, but for the most part it looks like a totally different place.

So, here is the question, and I would really love your opinions, which farm do you think is better? Is the 21st century land better or the 1930's land? For me... I would love to have the land back to the way it was in the 30's, maybe with a few more trees in the woodlot areas. I think it would be perfect for a diverse farm! It can be like that again ... but it will take time and hard work. Maybe this is something to shoot for?

Making Your Small Farm Profitable :: Chapter 3 Book Report

Chapter three of Ron Macher's book, "Making Your Small Farm Profitable" isn't a very long chapter, but it is chock full of good farming principles. That is probably why the chapter is titled, "Some Principles of Good Farming"! The whole chapter is only seven pages long, but I think these principles give the reader (in this case ... me) a lot to think about and work through. As I thought about his post I just thought I would touch on a couple of them, but after skimming over them one more time I decided that I would just throw them all out there and give a couple of thoughts on each one.

So, here goes nothing...

• To be sustainable, a farm must be environmentally sound and socially acceptable. --Taking care of the environment not only keeps other people happy, but it provides longevity for your farm in future generations. It just makes sense! Also, by building a farm that is socially acceptable some of the generalizations and stereotypes about farmers can be busted.


• Avoid debt. --Do you want my entire financial knowledge ... it is summed up in those two words! I don't know much about money, investing, or creating wealth. But, I do know that being debt free seems like a good thing whether I'm farming or not.


• Keep costs down. --Kind of piggy backs on avoiding debt don't you think? But really, if I desire to have a full-time farm I am going to have to lower my costs and create great products ... it all goes back to thinking outside of the conventional realm of agriculture.


• Try for low inputs. --It's all about sustainability, the less inputs the more the soil benefits and the more the bottom line is helped.


• Do things on time. --This may be the key to any successful business! If you are going to have livestock, crops, and a farm based business you need to do your things like baling, weaning, and harvesting on time and in time (with the seasons).


• Plan your farm to minimize work. --This principle is about the physical layout of your farm. Is your farm set up to maximize your effort without wasting it. I suppose I'm not going to tear everything down, but it is important to look at your entire farm with workload and a plan in mind.


• Develop a system of production that balances farm resources and available labor. --Let me sum it up for you ... make sure you have enough time to run your farm! Don't bring in 60 cow/calf pairs if you don't have the time to work them, rotate them, or feed them in a timely manner. It does keep coming back to planning doesn't it?


• Keep good records. --I'm going to lean on my wife for this one. She is the record queen, just take a look at her 4-H records someday! But seriously, it is important to know where you money is going and coming. What you are feeding your animals and what they are returning. How your rotations are working, and so much more.


• Learn basic veterinary skills and tasks. --If you can do it then you don't have to pay someone else to do it. It is that simple!


• Learn carpentry, electrical, and machinery repair skills. --See above!


• Learn stockman skills, and keep gentle livestock. --Gentle livestock are not only easier to handle, but they gain faster, are more calm on the day you take them to be butchered, and generally make your farming life more enjoyable.


• Take good care of your buildings, machinery, and livestock. --One word ... Stewardship! Be a good steward of the thins that you are entrusted with. You land, your family, your money, and you stuff ... plain and simple.


• Have a good water system, and save ever drop of water that falls on your farm. --This doesn't mean that you have rain collection troughs everywhere, but it does mean that you take care of your soils and build up the organic matter so that it can absorb that much more water. Oh, and think about a watering infrastructure for your farm instead of just buckets and hoses (at least it is something to aspire towards).


• Maintain or improve the soil fertility. --This one keeps popping up lately. I'm going to have to spend more time researching and learning about the topic.


• Let the animals do as much feed harvesting on their own as possible. --Make the farm work for you instead of you for the farm. There will still be plenty for you to do even if you pasture your animals and stockpile forages for winter, so let them do some work also.


• Use crop rotations. --They do so much to help that I can't even cover it all. But, let me say that there is a reason that rotations have been done for centuries!


• Have 2 years' worth of hay and grain in storage. --If weathermen can't predict the weather what chance do I have of controlling it? It is a good idea to have stockpiled hay and feed. You might not have 2 years' worth, but building up a years worth is a good place to be.

Remember, these are my principles ... they are Ron Macher's principles. But, I think they are great basics and get to the core of what small scale farming is about and how it can be done. Do any of those really stick out for you?

Winter Digs for the Chickens

You may remember my previous post about building a winter home for our five laying hens. It was great because I had some good ideas from Walter Jeffries over at Sugar Mountain Farm and from the comments on this blog ... but, to tell you the truth not much really happened. Life took over for a little while and the chickens seemed to be handling themselves just fine. So, I guess let's just chalk this year up as experimentation!

But, really they have continued laying at what I would consider a good rate because we aren't providing any artificial light. Our five layers have been giving us between 14 and 18 eggs per week (enough for us) through this winter. Most of the winter they have just been on the garden in the same pen that they were in all year. It is in a good spot so that they are pretty well protected from the wind, but it is still all open.

As you can see from the pictures my wife finally decided to take some initiative and went to Wal-Mart to get $2.00 worth of clear plastic. It's not going to provide much insulation, but it does help some and keeps the wind out. Also, we have added some hay because we have been thawing a bit and they were getting pretty muddy. Besides providing a clean base and a little warmth the hay also provides a little food and insulation for the ground. Just today when I went to gather the eggs (three) I saw some bugs moving around, so I know that our combination is working.

So, here is our recipe ... one $9.00 plastic blue tarp left over from our small boat we sold, two bales of grass hay (from the farm), a few bungee cords (also from boat), and $2.00 of clear plastic from the painting aisle at Wal-Mart. A little more insulation and some light would help, but this seems to be working for us in the snow of Southern Iowa. Plus, the eggs keep coming so these girls are earning their keep over the winter!

Making Your Small Farm Profitable :: Chapter 2 Book Report

Boy, I really have some catching up to do. I'm actually way past chapter two right now, but I think it was worth it to take a break from my normal blogging drivel to have a great interview like we just had with Kelli of Sugar Creek Farm. But, I actually do have some thoughts on the second chapter of Ron Macher's book, "Making Your Small Farm Profitable." Overall it was a pretty interesting chapter that threw out some good basic information to consider when you are starting a farm.

It doesn't matter if you come from a farming background or have never lived on a working farm in your life, if you are going to farm you need to attack it with a plan. Just as it is with any business you can't just run out and start doing things without having an idea of your needs, skills, and goals. Much of this chapter deals with the evaluation of your resources. In the case of a farm resources means: capital, skills, labor, land, soils, water, location, climate, and equipment. I won't take time to discuss each one of those resources, but I will hit on a few that were especially interesting.

Of course when it comes to beginning a farm you need a certain amount of capital and skills, but you can be creative with those. Yes you need money to buy land, equipment, and livestock and it is important to have some skills (but you can learn as you go if you go slow enough) ... but, I thought Mr. Macher had some good things to say about the resource of labor. First of all, I believe it is important to realize that your labor is a resource. Mr. Macher wrote about thinking of labor in the terms of not just yourself, but also in the terms of your family. I believe one component of having a successful small scale farm, especially a full-time farm, is that it includes the entire family in the fun, livestock, and the work! If the family is going to be included in the labor "resource" than it is important that the whole family is on the same page. Also, in this section there was a very interesting table that gave average times of labor needed for different livestock and crops. The table comes from the University of Missouri and gives information such as: it takes 14.8 hours of labor per acre of alfalfa hay, 40 hours of labor for 100 laying hens, or 40 hours of labor for 1 sow producing 2 litters/year and to finish those hogs. I'm sure the numbers don't reflect everyone's experience, but it was interesting to see some averages. Looking at things like this will help you plan you labor and see what you are able to do.

Another resource that was interesting to read about was soil. I believe soil is something that the beginning farmer easily overlooks. Not that soil would be an end all of my land purchase, but that we need to be looking at our soil and seeing what it is all about and what it needs. In raising pastured animals you soil is really one of your most important ingredients. You need to the know the condition of your soils and the natural fertility that your soil has. If you stick with me through each one of my chapter reports I'll talk a little more about soil when I report on chapter four of this book.

The last resource that I want to touch on from this chapter is equipment. Not so much because it had a lot of new information, but rather because it brings back to the surface one of the main keys to sustainable family farming ... it is important that you don't look at equipment as your only tool. In fact what we need to be doing is thinking about how we can replace pieces of equipment with animals or use smaller more efficient equipment to do our jobs. Things like rotating crops in order to build soil quality, using animals to harvest our pastures so we don't have to make and feed hay all of the time, or use ponds as water sources for our livestock (I do agree with others that it is best to keep the animals out of the pond, but bring the pond water to them). Also, when you assess your resources don't forget that equipment includes more than just your machinery, but also things like your fence and buildings.

So far so good with this book. I think it will be a good addition to my farming library and will give me plenty to think about as we do our farm work and plan for the future.

Sugar Creek Farm Q&A Interview - Part 5

Well, unfortunately for us this is the final installment of my question and answer interview with Kelli of Sugar Creek Farm. I want to extend a big THANK YOU to Kelli for taking the time to answer all of these questions and share some honest insight. Her responses were very helpful and I think they can help beginning farmers (like myself) and experienced farmers alike. If you are just coming across the blog make sure you check out Part One, Part Two, Part Three, and Part Four. So, without further ado ... here are the last two questions and answers...

The Beginning Farmer - How do you manage your pastures for your livestock and many animals do you have on the farm at any given time?

Sugar Creek Farm - We tried rotational grazing, but it didn't work well for us because our pasture is a creek-bottom pasture and the fences were constantly getting washed out. Matt spreads manure in the late fall/early spring; mows for weeds - mainly just thistle at this point - at least twice during the year; winter seeds a horse pasture mix, because it has a nice mix of grasses and clovers which keeps a good ground cover during very wet and very dry conditions. We usually experience flooding in spring, and the last couple of years have experienced significant summer drought.

At the peak of the year, which would be about late August/early September, we have 9 cows with nursing calves, a bull, and 9-12 feeder calves (we sometimes purchase extra feeder calves to meet beef demand); the 2 sows and boar and 2 litters; 150 broiler chickens - we use a protected free-range setup on pasture; 40-some free-range laying hens and a couple dozen free-range Muscovy ducks. (The laying hens and ducks are not part of the farm business at this point.)

The Beginning Farmer - In the future how would you like to expand?

Sugar Creek Farm - We'd like to acquire enough pasture and tillable land to offer some fully grassfed beef, and grow and mix all of our own feed for all of the animals. However with current land prices and the stiff competition for land, it doesn't look likely to happen anytime soon.

This coming summer we'll be more than doubling our number of broiler chickens, and I'd like to continue to grow that operation each year. Last year was our first year at farmers market. We sold at one last year and will probably be at two markets this year. I'd like to expand the layer hen flock, and figure out a good setup for raising meat ducks, geese and turkeys.

The Beginning Farmer - I want to thank everyone who followed along with this question and answer interview. I hope that it was as informative and enjoyable for you as it was for me. If this week was the first time you have come across The Beginning Farmer blog I encourage you to stick around and add to the conversation!

**Today's picture is copywritten image by Kelli Miller of Sugar Creek Farm**

**Remember to thank Kelli for this great information!**

Sugar Creek Farm Q&A Interview - Part 4

I hope you are enjoying this weeks farm interview with Kelli of Sugar Creek Farm. I think she has given some great insight to their farm and into the possibilities and realities of sustainable farming in general. This will be something that I will do from time to time ... as long as farmers are willing to answer my questions! If you would like to participate or know of a farmer that you think would have helpful insight just let me know. Now, onto part four (make sure you check out Part One, Part Two, and Part Three).

The Beginning Farmer - What has been one of the most difficult things you have had to endure on your farm?

Sugar Creek Farm - Generally I'd have to say Matt & I working together has been a real challenge :) We have totally opposite personalities, and our brains don't seem to think in the same way. This leads to some rather animated discussions! But it's also strengthened our relationship and, I know it's cheesy, it's helped us grow as individuals and as a couple.

As for specific events, any time you lose animals on a small farm it's difficult. Because you're working with relatively small numbers of animals, losing any one of them is a big hit. By far the biggest of these hits was last spring. We had purchased 3 purebred Chester White gilts and a Berkshire boar. We were so excited about expanding our little herd from 1 sow to 3. When those gilts farrowed they were horrible mothers and we lost all but 5 pigs out of the three litters. It was a huge setback, financially and emotionally. Sometimes, when dealing with animals, you can do everything right and still things just happen. We kept 2 of those 3 gilts, and this time around we couldn't ask for better mothers. They weaned 9 pigs each.

The Beginning Farmer - Talk about the transition from treating the farm as a hobby to treating it as a business. How did things change in your mind and in real life?

Sugar Creek Farm - It was more fun when it was just a hobby ;) No, that was actually Matt's (joking) response. A hobby is something you do for fun, and it's largely self-serving. But as we started having to make choices about things, such as not using hormone implants or sourcing non-medicated feed, it started to feel like a calling. It came to be about more than just us and feeding our own family. We live in a very conventional, commodity-farming part of Iowa where the ideals of "local" and "sustainable" are just starting to make their way into the vernacular. So we felt a calling to use our farm to promote and further these ideals. The best way to do that was to grow from hobby to business.

In real life, making that transition has meant spending more time on things like accounting, marketing, and sales. I actually kind of enjoy these activities. Matt would rather just be outside taking care of his animals. But he's had to spend a lot of evenings at the computer figuring profit and loss and forecasting cash flow. I think the thing we both hate the most is setting prices.

**Today's picture is copywritten image by Kelli Miller of Sugar Creek Farm**

**Remember to check back tomorrow for part five**

Sugar Creek Farm Q&A Interview - Part 3

Make sure you read Part One and Part Two if you haven't already had a chance. It is great that Kelli of Sugar Creek Farm was so willing to share! Remember if you have any questions go ahead and most them and I will pass them on ... oh, and don't forget to check out their farm blog. Kelli posts lots of great pictures and gives great insight into farming and family life on the farm.

The Beginning Farmer - How are you marketing your farms products and how did you get started with your direct marketing?

Sugar Creek Farm - We started out direct marketing because we had 3 finished steers and only needed 1/2 of one to feed our family. So we sold the remainder "on-the-hoof" to friends and co-workers. From there it just grew a little bit every year - we'd pick up a few new customers and raise a few more animals.

We have a listing on Local Harvest, and use our blog for occasional updates. At the beginning of each year we mail a newsletter to our customers with news from the farm and what will be available when in the coming year. The newsletter includes an order form. Otherwise our advertising is word of mouth.

Once we got chickens we made the leap to selling meat retail here at the farm. There are some hoops to jump through in order to be able to do that - insurance, health department, weights & measures, meat inspectors. The hardest part was figuring out who to talk to. Now that everything is in place it's no big deal. Having everything in place made it easy to start selling beef & pork retail, and took the pressure off of having to have every head sold on-the-hoof.

This past summer we decided to try selling at Farmers Market. (A couple more hoops to jump through to do that.) I don't think Matt thought it would amount to anything - he just thought it would get me out of the house a few hours a week :) But in retrospect it may have kept us from giving up this year. It provided cash flow at a time of year when we are usually short and brought us a number of new customers. It will be interesting to see how we do at it next summer, now that we have started to build a name and reputation for ourselves there.

We have one local bulk foods store carrying our beef & pork, Kountry Kupboard in Osage. It's been a challenge to figure out wholesale versus retail pricing, but overall it's been a very positive situation for us because it gets our name out to even more people within the community. Some people are more comfortable purchasing there because it's a Main Street store with set hours. And people feel good about purchasing there because with one purchase they are helping 3 local business - our farm, our local meat locker that does our beef & pork butchering for us, and Kountry Kupboard.

The Beginning Farmer - Which of your products has been the most popular or successful? Why do you think this is?

Sugar Creek Farm - I can't really say that any one thing is more popular than another, considering we sell out of everything! But I think the one that surprised us the most is chickens. They sell like hotcakes, which was a surprise because the price differential between our chickens and grocery store chickens is wider than it is for our other products. People are amazed at the difference in flavor and texture between our free-range chickens and what you get in most grocery stores.

**Today's picture is copywritten image by Kelli Miller of Sugar Creek Farm**

**Remember to check back tomorrow for part four**

Sugar Creek Farm Q&A Interview - Part 2

If you missed part one of the interview with Kelli from Sugar Creek Farm you can check it out HERE.

The Beginning Farmer - Is the farm your families main income source? Does anybody work off farm? And, how would you characterize family life at Sugar Creek Farm? (I realize this a lot of questions ... but, I thought they fit together)

Sugar Creek Farm - Matt works full-time as a lineman for the local utility company. I work at home part-time as a software developer. So the farm at this point is a side business for us, and it has taken us a while to make the transition of it being a hobby to being a business. We wanted to grow the business without taking on debt. So our incomes have been both operating capital and investment for breeding stock and equipment. Our long-term goal would be to grow the farm to the point that it would replace my current part-time job. And down the road for Matt to have something to retire into at age 55.

The farm is definitely a family effort. Our daughter Madeline is 12, daughter Olivia is 10, and son Rafe is 5. Madeline has really found her niche on the farm with the pigs. She loves pigs, and is up at 6 a.m. every day to get them fed and watered before she goes to school - an especially challenging task this time of year, when ice has to be broke out of water troughs with a hammer! She has developed such a work ethic - something we see her carry over into her school work, sports, 4-H, and volunteer activities. At parent/teacher conferences I think every single teacher commented on what a hard worker she is. Olivia's favorite is bottle calves, but we didn't have the room to get any this year. A couple years ago she approached us to propose that she get some bottle calves in the spring, take care of them through the summer and sell them in the fall...all in order to prove that she was ready for the responsibility of a horse, and to earn some money with which to purchase one. She did just that and is now the proud owner of Star! Rafe just likes being outdoors and is already showing interest in gardening, and he also likes to help with the meat chickens when we have them.

So even if this farm never becomes a full-time occupation for us, it's worth it because our kids are getting the experiences we wanted for them. They know where their food comes from and the effort it takes to get it to the table. Even if they don't end up farming themselves, this knowledge will make them better food consumers as adults. And if they ever need to feed themselves, even if they're living in a city somewhere, they'll be able to do that with a garden and a handful of chickens.

The Beginning Farmer - Are there any organizations, conferences, or research materials you used as you got started?

Sugar Creek Farm - We joined Practical Farmers of Iowa and have attended their annual conference the past 2 years. The ATTRA website is a treasure trove of information, as are other farm bloggers.

In 2004 I took the "Grow Your Small Market Farm" class given by Penny Brown Huber. It was a turning point for us in treating the farm as a business.

I still feel like we're beginners at this! So I still read everything I can get my hands on, bounce ideas off other farmers that are already doing what I want to do, read lots of farming blogs, and attend conferences and workshops. I am always thinking about ways to diversify the farm, so there is always something to learn! We added Muscovy ducks to the farm last year, but so far we've not eaten (or sold) any. They just sort of free range about and we have a hard time getting near them. So right now I'm learning about ducks, trying to come up with a plan to actually manage them.

**Today's picture is copywritten image by Kelli Miller of Sugar Creek Farm**

**Remember to check back tomorrow for part three**

Sugar Creek Farm Q&A Interview - Part 1

If you have been following the blog for a while you will remember that I recently did a question and answer interview with Tim of Nature's Harmony Farm (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4). I found the interview very interesting and information and I know that others did as well ... so, we are going to take another stab at it! This time I have had the pleasure of conducting an interview with Kelli Miller of Sugar Creek Farm in Osage, IA. This was an especially interesting interview because they are from our state and because they have a pretty neat thing started. I will be posting two questions and answers each day this week (Monday - Friday) so make sure you check back each day.

The Beginning Farmer - Kelli, thanks so much for your willingness to tackle this. I'm pretty excited to hear from someone who has been working for a while and who lives in my general area! First of all could you give us a little background on how you came to Sugar Creek Farm? Why did it get started, how did it get started, and when did it get started?

Sugar Creek Farm - We both grew up on farms and always wanted to get back to it on some level. We wanted that experience for our own kids, of stewardship and responsibility for land and animals. In 2001 our oldest daughter was old enough to show a bottle calf at the county fair. My brother thought she ought to do that, so he bought 3 Holstein bottle calves and helped her break one to lead at the fair. After the fair they came to live at our house for the rest of the summer, since we had pasture not being used. That lit the fire under Matt and the next summer we bought 4 of our own Holstein bottle calves. Nevermind that our daughter didn't want to show one again (though she did show again another year.)

When it came time for vaccinations and castrating, I remember asking Matt if we had to implant them with hormones. I don't know if I thought it was a law, or what, but he said no we didn't have to. So we didn't. When you live in a very rural, traditional, commodity-farming community you have to be able to defend your ideals if you're doing something "different". So I started researching and thus began our journey into sustainable agriculture.

At first our only goal was to raise the kind of food we wanted to eat - animals raised on pasture without added hormones or unnecessary antibiotics, and organically grown vegetables. We figured we'd raise what we needed for our family and sell any surplus to cover costs. We started to build a beef breeding stock herd so that we would know how our animals were treated from birth to butchering. A year or so later we added pigs and chickens to our farm.

The Beginning Farmer - What does Sugar Creek Farm consist of (livestock, crops, etc.)? How did you end up with the combination of ventures you have on your farm?

Sugar Creek Farm - We have 12 acres and raise beef, pigs, and meat chickens. Up until this year we also rented 20 acres of hay ground. I think we ended up with those because that's what we like to eat! These are also the animals we enjoy raising. Matt has experience with sheep & goats and just doesn't enjoy raising them. Our farm is all in pasture, so we also purchase feed from our local elevator.
We also have a large organic vegetable garden but at this point it's just for our own family, not a business venture. Extra's are shared with friends and neighbors. But if one of our kids ever wants to try a vegetable business I'd sure let them!

**Today's picture is copywritten image by Kelli Miller of Sugar Creek Farm**

**Remember to check back tomorrow for part two**

Winter at Stoneyfield

As I mentioned yesterday I needed to make a trip down to the farm yesterday to do a couple of things for my dad. I was more than excited to have a reason to go down, even if it meant getting behind on my work, because it had been so long since I had a chance to see the herd. As you can see from this picture there is plenty of snow in Southern Iowa right now and even though we had grass stockpiled it is under snow and ice at the moment. So, it seems they spend much of their time up in the front lot where we feed them and where they have water.

Speaking of water ... along with lots of snow it has been really cold lately and we don't have any tank heaters in the cattle pen. So, when I arrived the tanks were solid ice from top to bottom (guess you can't always trust the Amish to do your chores the way you would do them). I spent a while hacking out the ice with an axe, and constantly pushing my cows out of the way so I had room to swing the axe! They were rather friendly today and I was able to get my hands all over them. As you can see from the picture they were also rather thirsty.

The picture on the left is of one of our heifers, Billie of K&K. She came to us from the Anderson farm in Missouri and I think she is shaping up rather nicely under that heavy winter coat. This coming year she will be bred to our incoming herd sire, SGF SANT Hershey, who is also dun. Of course we are hoping that she will throw us a nice little dun heifer calf in 2009, but we will just have to wait and see!

Now, this last picture is ... well, it is of my confusion bull! I call him that because I'm just not sure what to do with this little guy. He is around six or seven months right now and is smaller than everyone else that is younger than him. Because of his lineage there is a possibility that he carries the chondrodysplasia gene, which isn't the best thing if you would like to use him as a sie. So, he will probably end up in someone's freezer. Unless... someone has some non-carrier cows and they would like to use him to bring down their size? I think he has a good look to him for his size and age, but he is just so darn small. Either way, I'm not sure he will be ready to finish next fall!

So, there are some shots of the Stoneyfield herd in the snow. I was very pleased with the way the are looking this winter and I can't wait to see them in the coming spring!

Make sure you check out the blog on Monday because I'm having another farmer question and answer series...

Land Values on the Rise = Bummer for the Beginning Farmer

Today I had to make the drive down to the family farm to do a couple things for my dad and check out the cows (more on the cows tomorrow). As part of the trip I picked up their mail, because they are out of town, and started looking through an issue of the Iowa Farm Bureau Spokesman. In the middle of the front page is a big headline, "Iowa farmland values increasing at record pace." Good news for some ... not so good news for a beginning farmer!

Here are some farmland average prices from around the state. In Marion county, where I live and would like to buy, the average price for acre is $3,555 which is an increase of 21.5% over last year. Up in Black Hawk county, where I'm from originally, land is a whopping $5,083 per acre (average). That Black Hawk county number is up 28.6%. The highest priced farmland in the state ... Sioux county at $5,204 per acre! Just let these numbers sink in:

• The average increase of $704 per acre is the highest in the 66-year history of the survey.



• The state average is $3,908 per acre, 22% more than last year.



• Since 2000 Iowa's average acre of land has increased by $2,051.



• There are 99 counties in Iowa ... in 2007 51 of those counties had average land prices between $4,000 and $5,000.

Do you want to know why these land prices are going up at such drastic rates? In one word ... CORN! Iowa has seen it's share of land price spikes ... and large falls (the farm crisis of the 80's), but this seems to be different. Most analysts tell us that the current increases are not tied to an increase in farm debt like in the 70's and 80's. Also, those who study these things believe we haven't hit the top yet!

So, what does this mean? As I mentioned earlier this is a good thing for those that are selling land I guess, but for a guy like me that would like to buy some land in the future it is sobering news to say the least.

As I read the article I was reminded of all the advice I had read in books over the past year. Joel Salatin, Allan Nation, Gene Logsdon, and others always tell you to rent land if you can't buy land to get your start ... that advice has never been more correct at a time like this ... except for one thing. One thing that they weren't able to factor in because their books were written years ago is that rent prices are on the rise. Mike Duffy, who works for the ISU Extension, expects cash rent prices to go up 25% in the coming year.

So, what is a beginning farmer to do ... especially if they don't want to raise corn in a corn crazy state? Well, I'll just keep on doing what we are doing now and see how the chips fall. The increasing land prices will make it more difficult for young beginning farmers to get a start, but I don't think it is the end all. In reality, I can hope for the bubble to burst or for a market correction, but I'm not sure if that will happen anytime soon!

Just some sobering news for the day ... but, to keep things in perspective I'm sure that land has crazy prices elsewhere too. If you know what average land prices are for farmland in your area let us know!

The Story of Stuff ... And Farming

Over the last week I have seen blog posts on the various blogs that I read about a new short movie out called the "Story of Stuff". Tim over at Nature's Harmony Farm blogged about just the other day and I finally had a chance to watch it yesterday. I'm not going to comment on the first ten minutes of the movie. It deals with production, pollution, the theory of why we have disposable stuff, and all those kinds of things. That isn't a battle that I want to fight, or something I want to promote on this blog which is about beginning farming ... but, at the 10 minute and 12 second mark I think it gets pretty interesting. In fact I believe it speaks to the core of what makes a small-scale farm work ... and work full-time.

So, if you want you can watch the entire thing ... or you can download by clicking on THIS LINK and find the download button (then start watching at the 10:12 mark ... or you can go straight to the "Story of Stuff" website and wait for the movie to load at the top of the page, then click the chapter marker for "consumption". The "consumption section lasts for about five minutes, but I won't stop you from watching the rest...

Okay, that is how you get to the movie ... now, what does it have to do with farming? I believe one of the biggest road blocks to becoming a full-time small-scale farmer is consumerism. And, that one of the things that will make beginning small-scale farmers succeed is for people to jump off the consumerism bandwagon and slow their lives down.

Consumerism is the exact opposite of living the small farm life. Small-scale family farming is not about having the biggest green or red tractor, the largest truck, the whitest fences, the biggest house, the most involved in extra-curricular activities kids, or about keeping up with the Jones'. Small-scale family farming is about interacting with your family, with your livestock, with your crops, with your consumers/customers, and with your family some more. One image I loved from the movie was their illustration of the consumerism circle ... we watch TV find that we need more stuff to fit in, so we go to the store and buy more stuff to fit in, but since we bought more stuff we need more money ... after spending the money we need more so we go to work, get tired from working so much, come home and turn on the TV ... and then the cycle repeats! If I am going to live out my faith, spend time with my family, and become a small-scale full-time farmer I'm going to have to opt out of this broken consumerism cycle. It is dangerous, it is painful, it is un-Biblical, and it is just plan wrong! Yep, consumerism is the opposite of the small farm life ... small farmers need to produce things that last (I understand that food goes away, but quality sustainable food does have lasting benefits), they need to produce stuff that is quality, and they need to produce stuff that contributes to their surrounding community.

Also, as I mentioned, I think as people jump off this consumerism bandwagon they will be seeking out these small-scale family farms to purchase their food from. And I see people jumping off the consumerism bandwagon left and right. Not just back to the land hippies (no offense if that describes you) or environmental wackos (again, no offense intended), but also conservative Bible believing suburban people who work as teachers, lawyers, church employees, business people, and so much more. There is a counter-culture out there when it comes to consumerism ... and it is growing. As a small-scale beginning farmer I think it is important to catch these people as they try to opt-out of the cultural norm and connect them to their food and the countryside that surrounds them. In fact I would say that this short section of the "Story of Stuff" movie really energized me in our journey towards farming.

Like I said, watch the whole thing if you would like and take anything away from it that you want. Agree with it, disagree with it, yell at it! I don't really care, but I was most interested in the section on consumerism ... or maybe we should call it greed (which is another word that doesn't fit with small-scale family farming).

**The website doesn't appear to be working this morning ... I'll put up the links that I can and you can just check back throughout the day. Sorry about that, but I do hope you check it out.**

Making Your Small Farm Profitable :: Chapter 1 Book Report

Earlier I gave you a little preview of the first chapter in Ron Macher's book "Making Your Small Farm Profitable" on this post. Today I'm going to give my full on chapter book report. As I mentioned in another post I have heard mixed reviews of this book, but I must admit that after reading the first chapter and browsing through the table of contents I'm pretty interested to see what I will find.

The title of chapter one is, "Deciding to Farm". On one had I have already "decided" to farm, but on the other hand it is never to late to change my mind! Really, this is a good overview of some things you need to think about as you make the decision to farm, and why people want to farm.

One interesting nugget from this chapter is a report on why people chose to farm. In the 1950's the top three reasons were: 1.) I like to work outdoors; 2.) It's a good place to raise my children; 3.) I'll always have a place to life and food to eat (Mr. Macher points out that isn't true if you have a mortgage). At the time the 14th of the 15 answers provided by most farmers was because, "it provides a good income". Fast forward about 40 years and you will find that the first three answers were similar as the 1950's survey because they were all about lifestyle, but you will also find that a "good income" moved up to seventh place. Mr. Macher writes that income should be your number one goal ... but probably that isn't why you farm.

The chapter also gives some definitions from the USDA, IRS, and the author himself as to what a "small farm" really is. According to the definitions small farms make up 79% of all the farms in the US today, so small farmers are not alone. In fact small farm numbers are one the rise (possibly because big farmers are having to become small farmers due to the rising costs of farming?). Mr. Macher also throws out some definitions for "family farms" and "sustainable agriculture". I think almost everyone has different view points on these terms ... so, I'm not even going to touch this!

Another interesting section of the chapter was the pros and cons of full-time versus part-time farming. Let me sum it up for you... starting out as a full-time farmer (no off farm job) is really hard and starting out as a part-time farmer gives you a little bit of both. Jumping in whole hog to full-time farming is especially difficult (put totally possible) if you don't have much experience or capital. And, I would say that having capital is really the key because you need money to begin things, pay for mistakes, and buy food for yourself as you get things going. If I had capital I would be all over it ... But, there is something to be said for part-time farming. In the words of the author you can, "have your cake and eat it too." Of course when you are part-time farming you often have to tailor your farming schedule around your "town job" schedule. Oh ... so much to think about!

Overall, I think the best thing about this chapter is that it makes you think. I have been doing a lot of reading lately about the process of farming. Things like raising livestock, managing pastures, choosing forages, and raising crops are really good to help get a sense of the practical knowledge needed, but really it is good to take a reality check from time to time and take off the romantic farming glasses. Mr. Macher throws out some good things to think about without trying to spell out a step-by-step process. It is important that beginning farmers work things out for their specific passions, desires, and reality ... I think this book will be a good reality check.

Remember to check back regularly as I will be posting a book report for each chapter!

The Beginning Farmer ... 2008 Goals

I've never been that much into resolutions. Maybe it is just because they seem so cliche or because most people end up breaking their resolutions, whatever the reason is I've haven't ever been one to make resolutions. Goals on the other hand... I'm all about goals (don't ask what the difference is). I believe it is important to have a vision of where you want to be and how you want to get there. I have goals in my personal life, in my ministry, and now I have a few farming related goals ... of course these goals are subject to change depending on how the year develops.

1. Read six farming related books ... Knowledge is power, or at least I heard that once. I realize that doing is the key, but I also know that learning is important. I already have three books ready to start reading (see this post) and then I would like to pick out a few more that provide various viewpoints. Along with the reading I will continue to blog about each chapter ... it helps me retain the information and hopefully provides information to others that is helpful.



2. Begin rotational grazing ... It is important to set goals that make you stretch, but that are also obtainable. I'm not sure if we will be living on farm with our cattle this coming year so we probably won't be ready to do a management intensive grazing system, but we can begin rotating every few days. To begin a rotational system we will have to work on permanent fencing and begin experimenting with the temporary electric fencing.



3. Add another dimension to the Stoneyfield livestock operation ... We are hoping that we can diversify a bit this coming year. As I have mentioned lately we have been thinking about sheep and hogs. Who knows maybe we will end up with both, but I know that I want to expand somehow. Sheep sounds good because of their pasture management benefits, but pigs sound good because pork is tasty! In order to do this we'll need to do some more research, building, and fencing. Also, we need to think about whether or not we are going to raise grade animals or possibly heritage breeds



4. Expand our backyard laying operation ... This past year has been a good year of learning with our backyard movable laying hens. I think I would like to redesign our pen this year (make it lighter and slightly larger) and add one or two more hens. Also, we are going to get new layers this year so hopefully we can experiment with a couple different breeds and begin selling a dozen or two eggs. Also, we are going to continue trying out different feeds.



5. Build a Stoneyfield website and expand the blog ... We are going to begin having animals ready to be marketed in the coming year and plenty more in the years to come so I would like to continue to build a presence on the web. This will not be a main marketing tool (beef and eggs will be sold local), but it will help with our purebred Dexters. Also, I think it can be a great communication devise for potential customers and those interested in learning. As I began my quest to become a farming I specifically started looking for accounts of people who went through what I wanted to do ... I didn't come by many. So, this blog has become an account for those that would like to see the journey from not farming to farming. Not just day to day activities, but also my research, thoughts, and plans. I hope that it is helpful and that others continue to stumble on and comment. The comments that people have shared since I began blogging regularly have been better than any research I could have done because many of them come from real life experience.

So, those are a few of my 2008 farming goals. I'm sure that I will add more as I have time to think about it and as the year unfolds, but these are a good starting point. I pray that you have a wonderful day and a blessed 2008!

WTB: Livestock Trailer

Well, if you have been following the blog for awhile now you may recognize this picture. It was taken on our trip to Missouri to pick up some Dexters. On that trip we lost a bearing (which we fixed), but Grandpa's Trailer has a little more wrong with it this time! The trailer will need two new axles before we take it out on the road!

That is a pretty big problem ... but, it is magnified by the fact that we have a bull to go pick up in Missouri. So, I'm taking a shot in the dark here.

Do you have, or do you know somebody, or do you know somebody that knows somebody that has a livestock trailer for sale? We need a bumper pull trailer in the 12 foot to 14 foot range (I guess we could deal with a 16 footer, but we would like something smaller). Something that can haul two or three Dexters would be right up our alley! As far as height goes ... well, something between five feet or six feet on the inside would do, but I would consider something a little taller if the price was right.

I'm sorry to post such a boring want ad today, but this is something that we need right now. So, if you are in Iowa (or Missouri) or you know somebody that is with a trailer for sale just let me know! Oh, I guess a rental might work also...

Something to Think About This Weekend

Last night I started reading "Making Your Small Farm Profitable" by Ron Macher. This isn't going to be a full on chapter one book report, but there was one little section of questions that I thought would be good food for thought for the long weekend. These are questions that I have thought about before in different ways, but having them laid out before me really made me think. Over the next few weeks I am going to be thinking through them ... then maybe I'll share some answers!

1. How much money do I need in order to live comfortably and support my family? $15,000? $20,000? $50,000?


2. How long will it take to achieve this level of income, and will I be happy when I achieve it?


3. Do I want to farm part time? Full time? Start part time and grow from there?


4. How much money do I already have in order to start farming, and how much do I wish to borrow?


5. What skills and resources do I have? Am I good wit livestock, or can I learn to be? Am I good with machinery, or maybe carpentry - to build hog houses or poultry houses? What skills do I have that I really enjoy? What skills am I weak in or do I really dislike?

Some of these questions are pretty straight forward ... how much is in the bank account ... while others get down to what you are willing to have and sacrifice and how much you really know. But, I think they are very good foundation questions as I work my way towards farming. It is important to put things into the proper prospective and not just look at farming from the "romantic" point of view. Farming will influence every part of your life so you need to look at it from every angle.

Just some food for thought this weekend...

The Contrary Farmer :: Chapter 10 Book Report

"Winter Wheat, Spring Oats, Summer Clover, Fall Pasture" ... that is the title of the final chapter in Gene Logsdon's book, "The Contrary Farmer". The main topic of this chapter is the role that small grains can play on the "cottage farm". As I have mentioned in other posts about Mr. Logsdon's book her runs a very diverse farm that includes livestock and a rotation of pastures and grains. Just as with the corn he isn't talking about large plots, but rather he plants smaller areas that he uses for hay and grains for his livestock.

Mr. Logsdon sees small grains as an important part of the contrary farm because they provide different sources of feed and bedding. If one crop doesn't work out then he likes to have back-ups ... that is the beauty of diversification. He spends extra time talking about wheat, oats, and hay in this chapter, but also touches on a few other small grains such as soybeans and rye. Each of these small grain crops has its benefits for the small cottage farmer that helps the farm ... if you have the right equipment (see last chapters report).

He likes the wheat because it can be planted in the fall which spreads out his work load and gives him the possibility of grazing for a short time in the fall on the new wheat field. While wheat is good Mr. Logsdon believes that oats is more important to the small farmer because it is higher in protein and other minerals and mixes well with corn for feeding. Also, the oats will provide you with straw that you can use as bedding. One interesting method for harvesting oats that he explains in this chapter comes Karl Kuerner, Jr. Mr. Kuerner lets his oat grains ripen just a little more than when you would regularly when making oat hay and then bales the oats. The result is bales that can be feed in the winter that includes oat grains ... either then animals eat the whole thing or they munch out the grains and the rest can be pushed in to their area for bedding (that sounds like something I would try for horses).

My Final Thoughts... All in all these last few of chapters on grain and farm equipment have really made me think about how I want to farm. While I'm not sure if I will be adding them all to my farming plan I believe it was good to look at things from the other side of the fence. Mr. Logsdon is really a "contrary farmer" ... he doesn't line up with the organics ... he leaves the pasture only stuff to the guys with more land ... and he is not anywhere near the conventional farmers. The reality of it is that if you are going to farm for a full-time living I think you need to think differently and this book has helped me do that. I would encourage you to check this "The Contrary Farmer," by Gene Logsdon ... especially if you are a "cottage farmer" who has other sources of income, but also is a farmer.

Christmas Gifts for the Beginning Farmer...

I realize that doing is much better than reading ... but, you can't put doing on a Christmas list (at least yet, maybe we have our own place then we can ask people to do stuff!). So, this year my Christmas wish list was littered with what I hope will be some good reading material. I only have one chapter left in "The Contrary Farmer", so these books arrived at the right time.

Here are three books I received this year:

• Harris on the Pig :: Practical Hints for the Pig Farmer :: This book was written by Joseph Harris and first published in 1883. Some would look at the date and think the book was out dated, but I see that date and know that the book will be full of useful information. Mr. Harris writes about selecting breeds, building pens and buildings, feeding, and other interesting tidbits. The farmers of yesteryear knew what was going on and they raised their pigs on a diverse farm much like we intend building so I think this will be a helpful resource.



• Dirt Hog :: A Hands-On Guide to Raising Pigs Outdoors ... Naturally :: You may be noticing a pattern here! I have read good things about this book and mediocre things about this book, so I will just have to see for myself. Just with all things in life I'm sure I can learn from it even if it isn't the most helpful thing ever written. It contains many of the how-to's that the Harris book does, but it also attacks pig raising specifically from the pasture based angle. It also includes information on marketing (which is helpful) and on selection and breeding. This book by Kelly Klober looks pretty interesting so I'm not sure which pig book I will read first!



• Making Your Small Farm Profitable :: Here is a book by Ron Macher, the publisher of Small Farm Today magazine, about some of the nuts and bolts involved in making a profit on your farm. Of course it talks about marketing and developing markets, but it also talks about maximizing your net profit per acre and Mr. Macher throws out 25 principles he believes you should follow (you gotta have principles if you are doing a how-to book). I'm not looking for practical working farm knowledge from this book, but I do hope it adds to my knowledge base when it comes to the "business" of a small farm.

As with other books that I have read I will be giving a little book report after each chapter. I find this helps me retain more information and provides a resource for others who are thinking about adding these books to their libraries.

Oh, I guess I did receive one more farming related gift... a nice straw hat so I don't come home with many more sunburns on the neck. It's alway nice to try and keep the skin cancer at bay!

The Contrary Farmer :: Chapter 9 Book Report

Okay, it is safe to say that I had slight problems with this chapter. But, I'm sure it is just a difference of view. Gene Logsdon is writing to the "cottage farmers" who have off farm jobs or other work from home jobs that aren't part of the "farm". Also, he does not favor a total grassfed approach or totally pastured system, but I think he agrees they can work. Basically, it comes down to this ... he is writing for people who are farming as a second job or farming as a first job and doing something else as a second job. With that type of set-up there is more money for the mechanical things ... by the way, this chapter is titled, "Cottage Mechanics."

He begins the chapter writing about farming ingenuity and the importance of the farm tractor and such. Pretty good stuff ... stuff that I generally enjoyed and agreed with. That being said, let me list the problems in had with this chapter:

• A Pickup Truck


• Hydraulically-Powered Bucket or Manure Scoop


• Cultivating Tools : plow, disk, spike tooth harrow, and a spring tooth harrow


• A Cultipacker


• Weed Cultivator (tractor type or tiller)


• Broadcast Seeder


• Sickle Bar Mower


• Hay Rake


• Baler


• Manure Spreader


• Some sort of Grain Harvester (AC All-Crop pull behind)


• Fencing Tools (stretchers and such)


• Chain Saw, an axe, a peavey, two wedges, and a steel splitting maul


• Tile Trenching Spade


• Shovel and or Spade for weeding


• Pitch Forks


• Grain Scoop Shovel and Bushel Baskets


• Lawn Mower


• Heated Repair Shop


• Pair of Pliers and Pocketknife


• Grease Gun and Oil Can

I must say this chapter ... which includes a very long list (with explanations) of tools and implements needed to be a contrary farmer ... was very overwhelming to me. I looked at the list (which is what you see above) and felt like there is no way that I could ever get into farming full-time and make a profit. I realize that he isn't talking about getting these things all at once, but even acquiring them over time takes an outlay of cash that cuts into the bottom line. So, I took a second look at the list and thought a little...

I see where he is coming from on everything Mr. Logsdon puts on the list, but I think I'm going to work with less! He is thinking that many of these items can be purchased inexpensively at farm auctions (which they can) and that the can be used to do various farming activities (which is true). But, I think you can cut out quite a bit if you leave out a few things, which may be inexpensive by themselves but add up eventually. I think I would cut out anything related to growing grains ... except the broadcast seeder and maybe a plow. Also, think more about what you can get other people in your area to do for you. Besides the money aspect the thing that scared me about the list was, where do I put all that and how do I fix all that!

As I said, I understand where he is going with all of those things and totally agree with their viability for the "contrary farmer". I just think I need to look at more inexpensive and less tractor related methods as I work at being a beginning farmer.

One thing for sure ... this book does make me think and is inspiring. That is a good thing!

The Christmas Pony by Clarence Hill (Iowa Farmer)

In my neck of the woods there is a "50,000 watt blow torch" of a radio station called 1040 WHO. Well, at least that is what their commercials say! You can here this station beyond the boundaries of Iowa and it carries local programming that I can only call, "pure Iowan" (and I say that with pride). One of the shows on that station that I grew up listening to is "The Big Show" which is the 90 minute farm show on from 11:30 AM until 1:00 PM and is hosted by Mark Pearson, Ken Root, and sometimes others ... but, on Friday is the real treat. On Fridays farm broadcaster emeritus, Lee Kline, makes an appearance at the end of the show to tell a story. Mr. Kline has one of those voices that just seems to sooth the soul and his stories often remind us of the days on the farm from years ago.

This past Friday he read a story by Clarence Hill who was a farmer from Minburn, IA. The story, titled "The Christmas Pony", was submitted to Farm Journal Magazine and was printed in December, 1954. It is a great Christmas story that really tugs on the heart. You must click on the title above to hear the story ... or CLICK HERE.

I wish you a very Merry Christmas.