Well, I am alive and well. I did check in once in a while, and noticed a few have asked how or where I was, so I thought I would give a shout out. Had to change my name to get back on here.
Still farming. A bit. Shifting our focus still to sheep. Building fences, getting ready to hay.
Seeded canaryseed and flax and oats this year. Stopped feeding the system. Seeded some fall rye for grazing, some oats for green feed. Summerfallowing a fair bit to fix the ridiculous mess made by the last decade of too much rain. Those acres are slated for timothy for seed. I am trying hard to not feed the trolls. Seeding went good, still no dust, but seeded through most areas finally. Good news is the 1 inch we got here, actually never caused run off. For the first since 2006, an inch of rain did not fill the ditches and creeks! Praise be! lol
A year from now we will generate a good revenue from livestock for the first time. I have no debt tied to them, and costs are so low it is laughable, so we should make out ok. We have a target in mind of maybe 4-600 ewes in a few more years. We have tapped into the restaurant supply, which we plan to try and grow and work on more. Good prices there...
A large part of the reason I left the site, is I feel very misunderstood. I am on such a different page than most, it can be hard to stay sane when so few seem to understand. I simply see no future in grain farming for my family. Land is unattainable and tied up, and I refuse to pay stupid rent. The only way I can see getting more land, is if a bunch of 30 something farmers, backed by their well healed fathers and grandparents, die. Just the way it is.
Anyhow, for those wondering, I am doing good, enjoying life more with far less stress. My oldest son is raising chickens again, and buying a quad with last years proceeds. Course now, my younger son had to get in on the action. He put his life savings towards 3 pigs he is raising. My daughters are dabbling in specialty chicken breeds, and plan to milk goats and make soap to sell.
I will always grow some grain; I am simply not putting my life and my all and relying on it alone for once. This year, with a decent plan in place, the actual decision made to go hard on the livestock side, the promise of a good lamb crop, and far less inputs, I enjoyed seeding so much, that my wife texted me at one point after I told her I was having fun seeding: "Is this my husband? Where did you put my husband?"
A real life changing shift for us has occurred... A few more hurdles and we should arrive on better footing.
Cheers all, and thanks for asking.
Still farming. A bit. Shifting our focus still to sheep. Building fences, getting ready to hay.
Seeded canaryseed and flax and oats this year. Stopped feeding the system. Seeded some fall rye for grazing, some oats for green feed. Summerfallowing a fair bit to fix the ridiculous mess made by the last decade of too much rain. Those acres are slated for timothy for seed. I am trying hard to not feed the trolls. Seeding went good, still no dust, but seeded through most areas finally. Good news is the 1 inch we got here, actually never caused run off. For the first since 2006, an inch of rain did not fill the ditches and creeks! Praise be! lol
A year from now we will generate a good revenue from livestock for the first time. I have no debt tied to them, and costs are so low it is laughable, so we should make out ok. We have a target in mind of maybe 4-600 ewes in a few more years. We have tapped into the restaurant supply, which we plan to try and grow and work on more. Good prices there...
A large part of the reason I left the site, is I feel very misunderstood. I am on such a different page than most, it can be hard to stay sane when so few seem to understand. I simply see no future in grain farming for my family. Land is unattainable and tied up, and I refuse to pay stupid rent. The only way I can see getting more land, is if a bunch of 30 something farmers, backed by their well healed fathers and grandparents, die. Just the way it is.
Anyhow, for those wondering, I am doing good, enjoying life more with far less stress. My oldest son is raising chickens again, and buying a quad with last years proceeds. Course now, my younger son had to get in on the action. He put his life savings towards 3 pigs he is raising. My daughters are dabbling in specialty chicken breeds, and plan to milk goats and make soap to sell.
I will always grow some grain; I am simply not putting my life and my all and relying on it alone for once. This year, with a decent plan in place, the actual decision made to go hard on the livestock side, the promise of a good lamb crop, and far less inputs, I enjoyed seeding so much, that my wife texted me at one point after I told her I was having fun seeding: "Is this my husband? Where did you put my husband?"
A real life changing shift for us has occurred... A few more hurdles and we should arrive on better footing.
Cheers all, and thanks for asking.
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