The Beginning Farmer

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

TBF 025 :: Balancing Farm Efficiencies & Capital Inputs, Farm Updates, and a Hard Lesson Learned

Most beginning farmers begin their day like any long-time/full-time farmer ... they do their morning chores, maybe help get the kids ready for school, and have breakfast. But, the majority of farmers (not just beginning farmers) then find themselves heading to town for their town job. Because forty or more hours will be spent working off the farm it is very important to build in as much efficiency as possible, or at least as much as you can afford! The big problem then becomes, "What can I make more efficient, and then how can I pay for that upgrade in equipment/infrastructure?" On my farm I began by doing many things by hand ... digging post holes, filling feeders, setting up fence, etc. But, as soon as I had a handle on what sorts of things take up the most amount of my time, cost me money, or cause undue stress on the livestock I began making changes (and purchases)

Here are four great things to think about when it comes to purchasing items that help you use your time, energy, and money more wisely ...

Buy Nothing and Learn Lots! The idea is to buy as little as possible in the beginning and the slowly figure out what you need.
Buy Equipment That Will Save You Money! There are some great pieces of equipment out there that will actually save you money in the long-run ... and maybe even quickly.
Buy Equipment That Improves the Life of Your Livestock! We love raising happy, healthy, and stress-free animals and part of that is helped by some equipment that helps improve our efficiency.
Buy Equipment That Saves You Time! If there is a task that you do quite often on your farm and there is also a piece of equipment that can save you time with that task it is sometimes worth it to make that capital expenditure.

The most important thing is to remember that you don't have to buy things just because other farmers have it, or because it feels like you need it. If you want to make the move from beginning farmer to long-time farmer you are going to have to keep some money in your pocket and just rely on your strength and patience sometimes.

If you have an input on the topic be sure to leave a comment below or send us an e-mail.

As always, I want to thank you so much for listening and supporting the show with your encouragement and reviews on iTunes! I am continually working to produce a better show, and I'm thankful for all of the listeners sticking with me as I learn. If you do enjoy the show, don't forget that you can subscribe on iTunes and leave a five start rating and review (by clicking the link or the image on the right). If you are an Android phone user you can also subscribe on the free Stitcher App. It is so very encouraging to know that people are listening and enjoying the show!

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

TBF Show 025 :: Play in a New Window | Right Click to Download

**Special Note :: A few users are experiencing issues downloading the show on iTunes. If you have any experience with podcasts and how they can play nicely with iTunes I would love some suggestions.**

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

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

TBF 024 :: A Hoop House for the Farm, Updates and More, and a Hard Lesson Learned

Have you ever been at the point in your life ... or your job ... or your farm when you were standing on the edge of taking a huge leap up the mountain or just continuing along at the same level? Well, that is the point that we are at now at Crooked Gap Farm. At this point we have reached our maximum when it comes to keeping pigs over the winter and farrowing in the winter. This limitation has an impact on the number of pigs that we can have available for the beginning of the farmers market season, and whether or not we can sell whole/half pigs in the spring. The good news is that the amount of pork that we are selling and can sell (we have a healthy waiting list now) is always increasing and I am confident that we can raise more hogs and sell them through direct marketing. I am less confident though that we can raise more pigs with our current set-up.

This brings us to a big decision ... do we take that big leap up the mountain or just continue at our current pace and look for small efficiencies. I have come up with two possible solutions that I feel comfortable with at this time for our farm.

Utilize the woods year-round. This would entail running water lines down to the woodlot paddocks and figuring out a way to make sure that we can get feed to the pigs when it is muddy or when there is deep snow. This idea would mostly likely cost less money than option number two
Build a deep bedding hoop house. This option would provide the most protection from the elements for both the sows and the growing pigs. There is also a possibility that the building could be used in the off-season (spring/summer) for things like brooding turkeys or something along those lines. Of course, this would be much more expensive than some water lines and waterers ... especially when you think about concrete, electrical, wood, and water.

The big question though is really what all farm decisions come back to ... money! We are very excited about how the farm is growing, but it is time to figure out what it means for us to take the farm to the next step ... and how we are going to fund that step.

If you have an input on the topic be sure to leave a comment below or send us an e-mail.

TBF Show 024 :: Play in a New Window | Right Click to Download

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

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

TBF 023 :: Beginning Farmer Equipment List, Farm Update, and a Hard Lesson Learned

If you are beginning your farm from scratch like I did, or if you are starting a new venture on your existing farm there is always a huge list of things that you feel like you need to have to get started. Back in episode five of the show I talked about making major farm purchases and little bit about the thought process that goes into that, but this week I wanted to talk specifics. What pieces of equipment and machinery did I use as we got the farm and homestead up and running? This is not an all inclusive list, but I do feel like it would give you a good start.

Equipment Every Diversified Livestock
Beginning Farmer Should Buy

Tractor (with a loader)
Stock Trailer
Brush Mower
Hay Rack
Pick-up Truck
Feed Wagon
Hydraulic Hog Cart
Post Hole Digger
Plow
Disk
Drag Harrow
Spring-Tooth Harrow
Broadcast Seeder
Barge Box or Grain Wagon
Seed Drill
Round Bale Trailer
Baler
Hay Rake
Hay Mower (or mower/conditioner)
Three-Point Rotary Tiller
Four-Wheeler
Chainsaw
Garden Tiller
Flatbed Trailer

The thing about that list though is that if you are like me you will probably go broke before you even get to the end of the list ... or at the very least you won't have enough capital left over to purchase the foundation livestock for your farm! So, what I decided to do was distill that list down to the top-three things that I would get ...

A Chainsaw :: It can be used for construction, cutting firewood, building fence, and so much more.
A Tractor with a Loader :: This is a pricey piece of equipment, but if you shop around ... buy used ... and aren't afraid to get your hands greasy it will be something that gets used on your farm for just about every project.
A Flatbed Trailer :: If you have a small truck, no truck, or just a car that you can put a trailer hitch on the flatbed trailer is the perfect low-cost solution for all your hauling needs on and off the farm. Plus, you can use it to pick-up the things you had to borrow since you were smart and didn't buy everything right away!

If you have an input on the topic be sure to leave a comment below or send us an e-mail.

TBF Show 023 :: Play in a New Window | Right Click to Download

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

Wednesday, August 07, 2013

TBF 022 :: Listener Questions, an Interview with the Modern Farmer Boy, and a Hard Lesson Learned

The rain came and the Iowa State Fair is starting so there is a break in the work (for now) at the neighbors farm. All of that is to say that I am finally getting the podcast back on schedule ... basically releasing two shows in less than 24 hours! Today's episode is very cool though because I was able to sit down with a very special guest for an interview ... my son Caleb who is the "Modern Farmer Boy" ... his podcast will be coming out in the near future! Caleb is a nine-year-old who lives on the farm of course, but is also involved in the farm. To us family farming has always meant that all of the family is working together on the farm and not just living together on the farm. In this episode you will get to hear Caleb's "side" of our farming adventures and what he likes about the farm and his role on the farm.

Before the interview though I take some time to answer a couple questions that have come in through e-mail and on the blog. The first question deals with the Conservation Reserve Program ... what it's all about, how much the "rent" is, and how you go about getting out of the program. The second question goes all the way back to an early post about burning, grazing, or baling the standing grass on our farm when we finally made the move. I share some of my thoughts on both subjects, but I would love to hear what you think! Do you have any experience with CRP? If you had 30+ acres with quite a few weeds how would you handle (burn, bale, graze, mow, etc.)? Join the conversation by commenting below.

If you have an input on the topic be sure to leave a comment below or send us an e-mail.

TBF Show 022 :: Play in a New Window | Right Click to Download

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

Tuesday, August 06, 2013

TBF 021 :: Learning From Farmers, Updates, and a Hard Lesson Learned

Have you ever noticed that sometimes it takes a long time for a person to follow their own advice? Well, I don't know if you have noticed it, but I sure have ... and when I notice it I realize that I'm not following my own advice!

For quite a while when people have asked me what steps they should take when it comes to their journey to become farmers I have said that they needed to take some time working on a farm ... even if that farm does nothing the way they want to do it when they have their own farm. As a beginning farmer I realized there was so much that I wish I would have known going in, and that I could have learned a lot of those things just by volunteering a little time at a farm ... any farm!

Well, five plus years into my farming journey I have finally followed my own advice! Before I would always have an excuse of why I couldn't go work for another farm (no time, no farmers that would want me, no farms doing it the way I am, etc.), but this year for a number of reasons (one of which was the fact I needed hay) I made it happen and it has been a great experience even though it has meant more hours off of my farm than I would like. Here are five things I have learned ... so far ...

Things Break and You Fix Them
Practical Farm Things (like taking care of sheep, baling hay, etc.)
Organic Grain Farming Works and is Work
How Three Generations Farm Together
Going With the Flow ... it is very important in farming

If you have an input on the topic be sure to leave a comment below or send us an e-mail.

TBF Show 021 :: Play in a New Window | Right Click to Download

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

Monday, July 29, 2013

TBF 020 :: 5 Simple Steps to Raising Livestock, Updates, and a Hard Lesson Learned

The month of July (which to my surprise is almost over) has been quite possibly the busiest month on the farm since we moved here five years ago. Between our own growing farm, my job in town, and working for our neighbors there have been many times when I didn't know whether I was coming or going. I'm not going to say that it has been a great time, but I do know that I am learning a lot and that our farm is growing!

On today's episode I wanted to take some time to talk about a topic that I never have really spent much time discussing ... on my blog or on The Beginning Farmer Show. The topic is "how-to raise livestock", and the reason that I have never really covered it is because I'm just a beginner! I have also said that raising livestock is an art form ... I think it is an art that most people can learn, but it takes time ... experience ... mistakes ... and lots of patience to learn the art of raising livestock on pasture and in the woodlot and I know that I'm not an expert so I haven't really wanted to claim to be one by talking about it very much. With all of that in mind though I have created ...

Five Simple Steps to Raising Livestock

Read about it ...
Talk about it ...
Think about it ...
Buy livestock ...
Then learn out to raise them

You may have noticed that those five steps are somewhat tongue-in-check, but in all honesty they are basically the five steps that I took as I began my farm. I spent a lot of time reading and talking about how I was going to raise pigs and cattle and sheep. Then I spent a lot of time thinking about it and talking about how I could maybe even do it better. And ... finally ... I started purchasing livestock and finding out that while the books did have lots of good information and I did learn from others ... the best teacher when it comes to raising livestock is actually having the livestock on the farm. It was then that I quickly learned that I didn't know as much as I think I did!

I also mentioned TBF Show Episode 6 where I talk about 10 books that really helped me get started. Also, here are a few "how-to books" that I have found helpful though that I mentioned in the podcast ...

If you have an input on the topic be sure to leave a comment below or send us an e-mail.

TBF Show 020 :: Play in a New Window | Right Click to Download

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

Monday, July 22, 2013

TBF 019 :: Big Farmers and Small Farmers, Updates, and a Hard Lesson Learned

To say that it has been a little crazy on the farm lately would be a bit of an understatement. I have raked hay, mowed hay, staked hay, feed animals, watered animals, tried to make animals comfortable in the heat, attended the county fair, and broke lots of things! All of that led to this weeks episode becoming part of next weeks episode ... if that makes any sense! Nevertheless I did sit down (over the course of a few days) to share some updates from the farm, my hard lesson learned for the week, and a few thoughts on "big farmers" and "little farmers". There used to be a time in my farming journey when I may have titled this section "big farmers" vs. "little farmers", but I think there is so much that can be learned and shared between all farmers, no matter their farming methods!

If you have an input on the topic be sure to leave a comment below or send us an e-mail.

This weeks "Hard Lesson Learned" is all about doing what you think you need to do even when you don't really think that you need to do it. As usual I had to learn the hard way that it is important to go with your gut sometimes ... even if you are tired and hungry!

TBF Show 019 :: Play in a New Window | Right Click to Download

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

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

The Beginning Farmer Show ... Will Be Late

You'll hear about it when I finally get around to recording this weeks episode (which will happen this week), but for the time being let's just say it has been one of those weeks on the farm (and on my neighbors farm that I work on). On top of my all around grumpy mood and tired self I also took Tuesday morning off and am taking this morning off as well to spend some time at the fair with the kids. My oldest will be joining 4-H next year so we have to scout out the competition ... I mean it will be nice to know who it is that will be beating us! But, just to prove I am working on the episode I have a sneak peek ...

Of course there will be some time for farm updates ... which include the fact that I took a step up and drove the big boy John Deere equipment this week (okay ... maybe not the big boy ... but it was big for me)
"Big Farmers and Small Farmers" ... when I was a "beginning" beginning farmer as opposed to just a beginning farmer like I am now I may have said, "vs." instead of "and". I have a lot of thoughts on this topic.
Oh ... the hard lesson ... let's just say that it is about the need to do what you think you need to do even if you don't think you need to do it. Hopefully it will make more sense when I talk about it!

So ... tune in soon ... for the next episode of "The Beginning Farmer Show!"

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

TBF 018 :: Part Two of an Interview with Luke Gran of Practical Farmers of Iowa, Updates, and a Hard Lesson Learned

If you missed last weeks episode you might want to check it out before listening to this one because it is the first half of my interview with Luke Gran the Next Generation Coordinator with Practical Farmers of Iowa. PFI is an organization that I have been involved with since almost the very beginning of my farming journey and their staff, field days, on-line resources, and "Farminars" have helped me along the way.

In this section of the interview Luke and I talk about everything from the 100 Days, 100 Beginners campaign that is currently running to raise funds to help beginning farmers to balancing the town job with the job on the farm. If you are a beginning farmer (which is someone who has been in charge of farming for less than 10 years) I would encourage you to get connected with PFI and their wealth of information!

You can learn more about Practical Farmers of Iowa or Luke Gran by checking out these links ...

Practical Farmers of Iowa
Practical Farmers of Iowa on Facebook
Table Top Farm (the farm that Luke and his wife are partners of)

If you have an input on the topic be sure to leave a comment below or send us an e-mail.

This weeks "Hard Lesson Learned" is actually a lesson that I didn't exactly live through (although I was a toddler at the time). Last week I had the opportunity to watch "The Farm Crisis" which is a public television documentary aired on my states PBS station. The 1980's farm crisis is piece of recent history that I have grown up hearing about because it was an event that hand a deep and difficult impact on our family. But, this documentary really brought it to life for me ... maybe it is because I have a farm now ... maybe it is because I have a family now ... or maybe because it is just a difficult story to hear. There are many lessons to be learned. More than I might even want to think about, but my encouragement to you is to take about 90 minutes out of your life and watch this. It is an important part of farm history that we would do well to remember.

TBF Show 018 :: Play in a New Window | Right Click to Download

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

Wednesday, July 03, 2013

TBF 017 :: An Interview with Luke Gran of Practical Farmers of Iowa, Updates, and a Hard Lesson Learned

With the exception of the first episode (because I was excited to finally get The Beginning Farmer Show going) this is probably the episode that I have most looked forward to releasing. Last week I had the opportunity to sit down with Luke Gran of Practical Farmers of Iowa. Mr. Gran is the "Next Generation Coordinator" for PFI and has his hands in organizing a lot of great learning opportunities for beginning and experienced farmers! On todays show we have a wide ranging discussion covering everything from the definition of a beginning farmer to what the most identified needs of beginners are. If you are not familiar with PFI I would suggest you get over to their website today and check out the great information they have available ... whether you live in Iowa or not!

You can learn more about Practical Farmers of Iowa or Luke Gran by checking out these links ...

Practical Farmers of Iowa
Practical Farmers of Iowa on Facebook
Table Top Farm (the farm that Luke and his wife are partners of)

If you have an input on the topic be sure to leave a comment below or send us an e-mail.

TBF Show 017 :: Play in a New Window | Right Click to Download

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

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

TBF 016 :: Why am I farming? Farm Updates and a Hard Lesson Learned

Have you ever asked yourself the question, "What in the world am I doing?" From time to time that is a question I have asked myself on this farming journey, and this past week was one of those weeks where that question kept bouncing around in my head. It wasn't the first time that I have tried to answer that question though ... way back in October, 2006 I wrote a blog post simply titled "Why FARM?" You can click on the link and take a ride on the way back machine if you would like to read about my positives and negatives of that question. Keep in mind though as you read through that post that it was one of my first posts ... I wasn't even close to farming ... and I was just a kid compared to the old guy that I am now (or something like that).

This week I took to not only think about and write out some of my reasons for farming. As I worked though my thoughts on paper I was encouraged by my reasons and even excited about the future of the farm. On this weeks episode of "The Beginning Farmer Show" I share my...

"Six New Reasons I Farm"

I really do love what I'm doing when I'm working on the farm.
It is a great place to raise my kids.
I'm a dreamer.
I would enjoy making a living as a farmer.
I like to raise animals with their created purpose in mind.
I love being around people.

If you have an input on the topic be sure to leave a comment below or send us an e-mail.

TBF Show 016 :: Play in a New Window | Right Click to Download

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

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

TBF 015 :: Whole Hogs or Individual Cuts, Making Hay, and a Hard Lesson Learned

Anyone who raises livestock and produces more than their own family can consume will at some point have to consider how they are going to sell their products (or even how they will barter it). For many small-scale direct marketing livestock farms the question then becomes are the going to only sell whole/half animals, only individual cuts in some sort of retail setting, or a combination of both. In our case we do almost an equal amount of whole/half sales and individual cut sales when it comes to our pork, but in the future I would like to see that scale take a major tip towards mostly (or even only) selling whole and half hogs.

In this episode I spend a little time talking about how we sell pork on our farm and what the positives and negatives are with our method at this point. This is a topic that I'm very passionate about, but because of that I have a tendency to find myself rambling a little and possibly repeating myself. In fact you can read this post ... or this follow up post from two years ago on this very same topic. What I would love to hear about though is your thoughts on how to sell the animals that you raise!

Do you only sell whole/half animals?
Do you only sell individual cuts or small bundles?
Do you sell retail or wholesale or even to convention markets?
Do you do something crazy cool like a "Meat CSA" with a variety of meat cuts each week or two?

If you have an input on the topic be sure to leave a comment below or send us an e-mail.

TBF Show 015 :: Play in a New Window | Right Click to Download

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

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

TBF 014 :: Selling Meat, Chickens in the Freezer, and a Hard Lesson Learned

If you are a beginning farmer like I am there are plenty of things that can be intimidating. I mean if you're raising animals for the first time ... managing breeding for the first time ... raising crops for the first time ... marketing for the first time ... and so much more, it can be very intimidating. Then you have to factor in ol' Uncle Sam and the rules and regulations for selling meat off the farm and in retail settings. Those can be very scary if you don't know what you are doing ... and when we were starting out it meant many phone calls to various governmental organizations.

On this weeks show I take some time to answer a couple of listener e-mails about some of the legal issues surrounding meat sales and why we decided to go to an "official" poultry processor instead of doing it ourselves on the farm. For some farmers on-farm poultry processing is the only option, but we are blessed to have both a poultry processor and an "everything else" locker so near the farm. My biggest piece of advice when it comes to questions like this is to find farmers in your state that are doing what you want to do and pick their brain a little bit ... the begin calling the state offices of Inspection and Appeals ... and be ready for a little confusion ;)

If you have a question for The Beginning Farmer you can leave a comment below or send us an e-mail.

Beyond all of that it has been a very good week on the farm. Thanks to our amazing customers we had a great week at the farmers' market. For the first time this season we have our pasture raised whole chickens in the freezer. And, on top of all that ... we were able to pick up some nice Hereford feeder pigs from a farmer in Illinois who met me when I took the chickens to the processor. Sometimes if feels like everything is falling apart on the farm and then sometimes it just seems to be working like a well oiled machine. Even though the "well oiled machine" weeks seem few and far between they are awesome when they happen ... and this was one of those weeks!

TBF Show 014 :: Play in a New Window | Right Click to Download

**Special Note :: Because iTunes and Blogger were not playing nicely I now have a different feed for the podcast episodes. You can find a The Beginning Farmer Show specific feed at this link if you use an rss reader. I hope this also helps with some download problems others had been having as well.**

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

Wednesday, June 05, 2013

TBF 013 :: Building Marketing Relationships, Rotational Grazing, and a Hard Lesson Learned

Just because another farmer in your area sells many of the same products as your farm and farms in a way that is similar to yours does not mean that you need to look at them as competition. What would happen though if instead of seeing those farms as "competition" we saw them as partners in farming, marketing, and our community? On our farm and in our community we have experienced a lot of benefits from building relationships with other farms in our area ... even if we could be considered "direct competitors" with them.

On todays show I share five reasons why I believe it is important to build those relationships and how they can benefit all of the farmers in your community. I would love to hear about how you have built relationships with your farm neighbors and what the benefits have been. Join the discussion and leave a comment below!

Five Reasons to Build Marketing Relationships

There is Room in the Market :: It is my belief that the local food movement is a market that is still growing, so there is room for more great farms to become involved in their community.
Learning is Important :: The knowledge that farmers in the same area can share is so much better than things you can read in a book because you are farming with similar variables.
Cooperation Can Bring Growth :: When a group of farms in an area join forces they can have an impact that is larger than any one of them could have done on their own. (Check out our Farm Crawl)
Marketing Friendships Have Benefits :: Having other farmers at a market pointing potential customers your way is about the best advertising you can have.
Your Tummy Can Benefit :: Farmers that raise great tasting food sometimes share that food! And really is that type of community one of the values of most small-scale farms?

In fact I'm so thankful for our farm friends I want to give a shout out to them today!

In the farm update section of this episode I spend some time talking about the rotational grazing going on at Crooked Gap Farm right now. The cows are moving everyday ... the sheep are moving everyday ... the chickens are moving everyday ... the rabbits are moving everyday. It is great to see the livestock moving across the pasture grazing, fertilizing, and generally being happy cows, sheep, chickens, and bunnies.

TBF Show 013 :: Play in a New Window | Right Click to Download

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

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

TBF 012 :: Balancing Family, Farm, and a Job; Pig Corrals; Hard Lesson Learned

Family, farm, and the job in town ... that is the balancing act that many farmers have to juggle these days whether you are just starting your farm or you have been farming for years. According to this document from the USDA (which has lots of interesting data) 60% of todays 2.1 million family farms had less than $10,000 gross sales and 30% of the farms had between $10,001 and $249,999 of gross sales. If you dig a little deeper you will find that nearly all of those "60%" farms lost money on their farming business, and of those farms in the "30%" while they did make a farm profit it was less than $10,000. Plus, they still received the vast majority of their income off farm. I can't wrap my mind around all of those numbers and I'm sure there is much I'm missing ... what I do know though is that the majority of farmers in the United States are balancing a job in town and the job of the farm.

By no means have I mastered the balancing act! It feels like I'm always dropping a ball somewhere, but there are a few things I have learned over the past five years that are important to keep in mind when you are mixing your family ... your farm ... and your job in town.

Six Keys to the Balancing Act

Work Just Needs to Be Done - Having a job in town and a farm job is having two full-time jobs in most cases and that means the work of two full-time jobs.
There are Some Things You Can't Do - Sacrifices are part of the game when it comes to starting your farm and you have to be able to say no to certain things.
Involve Everyone in as Much as Possible - When you are working together you can not only get things accomplished, but you can also have some great family time with lots of teachable moments.
Let Get Aways Happen - Maybe you all can't get away for a day or two, but make sure that you don't miss out on everything because you may regret it in the future.
Some Projects Need to Be Done Now and Others Can Wait - There are things that need to be done daily regardless of what is going on, but allow yourself to stop and focus on more important things.
Be Sure Everyone is 100% On Board With the Farm - If the whole family isn't 100% invested in making the farm happen there will be an underlying stress that is just not worth creating ... no matter how badly you want to farm.

In the farm update section of the episode a spend a little bit of time sharing about how awesome our customers are that brave the rain and cold to come to the farmer's market! If you have a customer base you need to make sure that you are continually thanking them for the support (financially and emotionally) that they give you. We really couldn't do this farm without their help in more ways than one!

Do you have any keys to balancing family, farm, and the job in town? I would love to be able to make this "Top Six List" into a "Top Ten List". If you have any advice for me (and the other listeners) on how you balance everything and accomplish the the projects that need to be done please leave a comment below or e-mail me.

As always, I want to thank you so much for listening and supporting the show with your encouragement and reviews on iTunes! I am continually working to produce a better show, and I'm thankful for all of the listeners sticking with me as I learn. If you do enjoy the show, don't forget that you can subscribe on iTunes and leave a five start rating and review (by clicking the link or the image on the left). If you are an Android phone user you can also subscribe on the free Stitcher App. It is so very encouraging to know that people are listening and enjoying the show!

TBF Show 012 :: Play in a New Window | Right Click to Download

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

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

TBF 011 :: Selecting Breeding Stock, Woodlot Pigs, and Wayward Hogs

Today's topic for The Beginning Farmer Show is one of those subjects that is way over my head, but it is something that all beginning livestock farmers will have to deal with much sooner rather than later! I hope that there is something that you can take away from my thoughts, but more importantly I hope you join in the discussion and share your experience.

Whether you are raising cattle, hogs, sheep, chickens, rabbits, or any other livestock on your farm the breeding animals you keep and choose will have a huge impact on your business. They are the foundation of what you produce and they can have an impact (good or bad) that lasts for generations. So, it is very important that you select the right replacement heifers, gilts, ewes, hens, does, and so on and so forth! On this episode of The Beginning Farmer Show I will talk about how I go about selecting replacement animals from and for my farm in a very unscientific manner, and I will also share a few tips from people that really know what they are doing.

When it comes to selecting replacement breeding stock (heifers, gilts, bulls, boars, etc.) my biggest and first piece of advice is to consult someone with experience, knowledge, and results. I have none of those things (remember I'm a beginning farmer), but I have tried to learn as much as I can in a short while. Way back in 2008 I attended a Practical Farmers of Iowa field day feature Gearld Fry ... a very well known and respected cattleman. Obviously he speaks specifically to cattle, but I think the importance he placed on selecting breeding stock has helped me with all of the different animals we have. You can learn more about Mr. Fry and his thoughts on cattle (including linebreeding) by checking out Bovine Engineering. If you'd like to read about the bullet point take-aways from a beginning farmer listening to Mr. Fry speak you can check out my blog post about the field day.

There are a few things that I look for though when selecting replacement gilts for the Hereford pig herd ...

Priority number one is that I select gilts from sows that are good mothers who protect and take care of the litters.
I like to choose gilts that grow faster than the other gilts in their litter, and that have nice muscling and no physical deformities.
The bigger the litter the better! Ideally we keep back gilts from sows that consistently have larger litters.
Finally, it is important to me that the gilts are from sows that do a good job with the farrowing process (they go into a hut or build a great nest for farrowing).

All of that selection criteria though can be summed up in two points that I learned from a farmer that has been farrowing out on pasture for years ...

Select gilts with down ears (floppy) as opposed to up ears (ears that stand up). I realize this won't be true in all cases because there are some great heritage breeds out there with "up ears", but it worked for him and I saw the success he was having!
Select gilts that lay down slowly. He said he watched his potential replacement gilts lay down and that he liked to see them get down on their front knees first, before settling down their backside. His reasoning is that if they lay down slowly the won't just flop down on their litter of pigs and crush them.

That seems like very simple advice, but I saw the results of those two pieces of selection criteria and it was a sow herd that I would be more than proud to have on my farm. Also, it illustrates the most important thing that I can say on this subject ... find people that raise livestock like you raise them or raise the same breeds you raise and pick their brain on the subject.

There is more to this show though than Farmer Ethan's ramblings on subjects that he knows nothing about! As you can see from the picture on the right the pigs are loving their new woodlot paddock, and this image is exactly why I love raising pigs so much. Most of the time they get a bad rap for being dirty and stinky, but our woodlot raised pigs are just a joy to raise and be around. All is not always well though when it comes to pastured pigs ... at least when they don't know about electric fence yet. If you want to know what not to do with pigs and electric fencing then you need to listen to the "Hard Lesson Learned" this week!

TBF Show 011 :: Play in a New Window | Right Click to Download

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

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