I did it!!!

[freewheat]

Ordered some ewes for July. I have been
watching the industry for 5 years, been
to meetings, researching, etc., and we
are ready to take the plunge. So at that
point, I will be a mixed farmer. One
thing I do know is that rain makes
grass. Lots of lovely grass. I never
hardly travel anyway, and I have a half
section of suitable land for grazing. I
am looking forward to it. I have always
thought I am a stock man deep down
inside, but now with this frigging rain,
and snow, and 20% done, with quickly
draining hopes for much more, for the
4th time in 6 years.

I know it will not be all peaches and
cream either, but the weather will not
be such a factor on that side of the
farm.

I just need to build some fences, and I
am in business. Producing a commodity of
which 55 per cent is imported will be
different.

Wish me luck, eh? I still plan to take
grain farming seriously, but I need some
winter work, and never married a nurse,
so I need some supplemental income...

[countryguy]

Good luck Bud. I really feel for ya with how things have been going for you. Hopefully your new venture will give you something to look forward to and give you a sense of optimism about something. Myself I just finished seeding for the first time in 4 years but am wondering with this weather if the drill is going to have to come out again, if it CAN come out again...

[grrrr]

Good for you freewheat. Now the coyotes will have something better to do than howl around my place all night.

[Farmkid1]

Congrats Freewheat! Good luck, you will do well I am sure.

[theplowboy]

Let us know how this works for you.
Good luck,
Adam

[hobbyfrmr]

Freewheat, best of luck. I am excited for you. I
think you will be successful due to the fact you
described, you are going to grow a product that
has to be imported 55% of the time. I am sure
there is plenty of room for your production in the
market.
I only know of 2 sheep farmers, both of them do
not have too many complaints or regrets.

[sagewood]

Now get yourself one or two Great Pyrenees dogs. They are outstanding at stock protection and I guarantee if you do get them and put them with your sheep that all you will hear is the howl of coyotes--no coyote 'problems'--your stock will be absolutely safe with these dogs in with them. I have had two Pyrs over the years and have never had predators in my cattle--the dogs won't even allow coyotes to come near the herd. Once Pyrenees are fully grown they are easy to maintain--they are not gluttons so they are as fed as economically as a medium sized dog and truly love their herd animals and their humans. Good luck.

[freewheat]

Yup, the dogs are in the plans as well,
we are not screwing around on the
fences. They will be high tensile page
wire with a bit of sparkage.

It helps that I am a professional coyote
caller and killer as well. I may even
tent with the wooly buggars at times of
higher pressure. Take my boys out there,
make a deal out of it. Make some
memories...

[Choice2U]

Wish you the best, Freewheat. I doubt most Agrivillers will follow ewe like sheep and get into the business as we're mostly independent thinkers as shown by the fact that the CWB never pulled the wool over our eyes. Unlike the monopolists, we hope this flocking venture will be a great success and I vow to not ask for any share of profits that you make.

[freewheat]

I am planning on setting up a Canadian
sheep board, just as soon as I can! The
CSB. Of course it will only serve
western canada, will piss out 60 % of
the expected final price, on 20 % of
your sheep sales at any given time. lol

Seriously though, For a post merely
musing about things, I appreciate your
responses. I really do. You guys are my
run ideas by people. Thanks.

[charliep]

My brother has moved from grain farming to a market garden/community supported agriculture business. A steep learning but something he is really enjoying/a new challenge. The old guy may have to bend down and pull few weeds. I suspect the demand side (a segment of consumers want food that they know more about) and in your case, new Canadians who want access to meat they are familiar with will be drivers of success. Good luck with your venture.

[charliep]

The old guy by the way is me.

[hedgehog]

freewheat, i got into sheep in 1998 when the bottom dropped out the wheat market and my farm turned to swamp.
i wouldnt be without them now, although they occupy only a quarter of the farm, the wettest bits, down from a third.
i was brought up around sheep, so just had to do a bit of remembering. i was buying 5yr old ewes for £2 at auction to get started. did 20 miles of fencing .

[parsley]

We drove to Missouri in our younger years,
loaded up the half-ton with Registered polled
Dorsets we bought at a production sale, and
lambed them out until one day the University
made a good offer to buy them. So we sold and
concentrated on our registered cattle. It was a
good experience. pars.

[rook]

I enjoy reading Boyd Anderson's columns in Grainews about his shepherding as a young boy/man. I've always wondered why there wasn't more sheep in western Canada, the best answer I've heard was we have a bias towards cattle...