The Internet is back...

Yeah, we had no Internet access for almost a week. So here are some pics to celebrate the return of connectivity.

In some undisclosed and disorganized carrier cable closet TJ is showing TCP and UDP packets some love. There could be some MPLS packets in there too.

Processing of 200 chickens. TJ managed raising them with Blaise's help. He also managed all inputs, costs, marketing and sales. Surplus restaurant sinks are great for this, pictured is one with three basins.

Chickens prepped for leaving pasture. These don't automatically put themselves into cages, you have to chase them around the movable pens first.

Material for making 80 Warré bee hive boxes. Caleb wasn't sure if he wanted to be in the picture or not.

This is an unruly calf that TJ affectionately named "Calfly," he had to manage her after she was eight months old and had never been handled. When animals are young they need a lot of human interaction so they become easier to manage when older.  I had to control her on two occasions by grabbing her horns and putting my weight on her head.  She started to wear me out (we had to move her ~200 feet twice) and I realized that if she was determined she could have overtaken me. (For my young nephews who view this blog; yes, cows can stick their tongue up their noses. Bring this picture up next time your parents have guests over for dinner.)

Trins posing with an unusual name for a road located in "booger" county.

A "friendly" transmission failure. Ford owner's manuals should include replacement intervals for transmissions and engines. Three out of four Fords we've owned have had a trans or engine or both replaced just before 100k miles. Our Toyota van isn't shown any love, it has 224k miles and has only had the starter and alternator replaced (and maybe some plugs).  Toyotas are also self-healing. Third gear wouldn't work so I simply skipped it for many months and it started working again.

Re-installing a hydraulic motor.  You have to be resilient and determined to recover.  Starting a farm may look easy but it's not.  This is the most difficult endeavor our family has experienced.  I've been frustrated beyond words more than a few times.  When the transmission failed it happened on a day that started out great. The truck was loaded and the boys and I were ready for work when 400 feet later at around 25-30 mph the wheels locked abruptly and jerked us to a stop. Blaise asked "what was that" (as if I decided to instantly put the truck in reverse) and I couldn't provide a coherent answer.

A solar oven designed by a very smart friend.  The angles used optimize the intensity of the sun's rays on the box at the center.  Thick glass helps to contain heat and the black paint absorbs as much of the sun's energy as possible.  I still need to talk Tonya into putting a chicken in it.  (John, I'm ready to test your flux capacitor as soon as it's done).

Farming Lessons for Homesteading

For those who want to homestead instead of making a living from farming here is a post for you.  I'll start with the one I forgot from the Farming Lessons post (#10):

Live within your means:  The least expensive way to do this is start where you're at.  Raising chickens or keeping bees doesn't take much and will build confidence.  If you're ready to move, realize that you need a lot of capital to invest in what you're going to live ON not IN.  Spending money on credible fencing, water infrastructure, perennials, good livestock that will replicate etc. is more important than what you will live in when starting.  I'd rather live in a mobile with productive land than a nice house with little or no livestock and no farming infrastructure.  The house won't feed you but a mobile will free up necessary capital for your endeavor to eventually produce food for yourself (and hopefully others) indefinitely and reduce your cost of living.  I think this is the crucial aspect of homesteading that most don't understand.

Don't become dependent upon inputs.  Grass really is what will make you money (not the kind you smoke, well, I guess that does too but there are other blogs about that).  It took me about a year to realize this, grass will be the center of your endeavor if you raise cows (meat or dairy) or sheep.  And in relation to cows, I think dairy is one of the most profitable.

Calvin & Dairy Queen: a 1,200 lb carbon based milk making machine.  Grass uses the sun's energy to pull minerals from the ground and produce vitamins.  All DQ has to worry about is eating and refining it to produce nutritious fats, enzymes, minerals and vitamins.  DQ has friends that create nutritious meat in the same way (Big Ag's milk and meat are nutritionally inferior, for example, the ratio of good to bad fats is the opposite of that for grass fed animals).

Establish perimeter & paddock fencing AND have a grazing plan in place BEFORE you start collecting animals.  If not you will unnecessarily waste time chasing animals in addition to impairing the future productivity of pastures by over-grazing them.

Learn about the pros & cons of land features.  If you're going to graze sheep and cattle, don't buy a pile of rocks (unless all you want to raise are goats).  I've seen property that has more rocks than dirt just below the surface. Look at the size of the trees (shorter trees may indicate poor soils, disproportionally wide trunks indicate rocky soil) and the topography of the land (southern facing slopes are better for pasture, northern facing for trees).  How accessible is water? Can you build swales with ponds and slow the passage of water thru the property?  There is a lot to consider, research what features are most beneficial to what you want to do.

Before you buy, talk to the neighbors.  Stop them on the road, knock on their door (I know this can be unnerving, I'm always afraid of being greeted by a shotgun).  Ask what are the problems with the area, why shouldn't one live here? Any regrets? Go to the local store, gas station, etc. and ask the same questions. You'll get valuable information about the neighbors, local gov. and potential problems.

Don't assume you need a lot of acreage.  It is amazing what can be produced on only a few acres.  Renting fallow land is also very inexpensive.

Corroborate what you hear/learn.  For example, some may say a particular type of pig is the way to go.  We're familiar with one called the Osabau.  Some say it's great to raise on grass and its meat supposedly offers higher Omega 3s.  They're expensive too.  Others will agree that they do eat grass, BUT take more than twice as long to fatten, and they don't get as big as common pigs.  Net result is that you pay more for a pig that will grow slower (without inputs) and nets less meat.  Moral of the story is talk to multiple people who have done what you're interested in doing in order to avoid costly mistakes.

Diversify but not too much.  This mostly applies to those who want to make a living farming. We've observed that the successful farmers diversify but only in their area of specialty.  For example, one farmer we know only offers meat, but he diversifies in beef, lamb, pork and chicken.  The successful vegetable farmers we know offer 90 different vegetables.  A berry producer we know offers various berries and orchard fruit.  It's the same with successful dairy farmers.  I think the key is that they can function stack infrastructure that they otherwise would need to reestablish in a different configuration if they pursued something outside of their general area

Efficiency is key, build it in early or you are doomed.  Water access is a great example.  Build ponds & swales to fill the ponds, install gravity fed troughs and or drill wells and install irrigation before collecting animals or planting.  I have witnessed both animals and plants being put in place first and trust me - water infrastructure seems like a lot of work initially but it exponentially saves time later and you will definitely need that time to work on other things.

Function Stack.  This truck can carry most of the family, move animals, tow, dump dirt, etc.  There are nicer and newer pick ups but they would limit what I can do. Buy things that allow for multiple uses.

Live free:  Thanks to that supposed wonderful emancipator we eventually got the 13th amendment, so live like it.  Doing what you'd like on your property without having to worry about permits or someone interfering with what is yours and making your life miserable is wonderful.  You see an unwanted pest in the garden?  "Boom," problem solved.  Want a pond?  Excavate.  Want an addition to your house?  Just build it.  Need to remove a tree?  Take your pick.  Shed?  All you have to care about is what size, color and where you're going to put it.  Is that Ford costing too much to maintain?  Well it sure would make a good parts car.  What would you like to raise?  Anything you want.  The list goes on and on, and guess what?  Where more freedom exists it's cheaper to live!  The multiple multiple thousands you'd spend on property taxes can be less than $10 for the same acreage (at least where we're at).

Now here are a few things to look forward to:

Installing cattle gates (as has been mentioned before, no need for a gym membership out here).

From the scalder to the plucker (Caleb is working the cones [which you can barely see behind TJ] and prepping the chickens for TJ to scald).

And straight into the hands of a consumer (I've skipped the messy stuff in between).

Oh yeah, in relation to living free being inexpensive... that also mean you have to be resourceful.  This is actually a county maintained road.  I had to figure out a way to get past this tree or take a different route that would take me 20 miles out of the way.

I had some straps in the van so I pulled limbs off to make space and drive around the trunk.

Bee gauntlet: we were moving hives and the entrance covers came off on two (look closely at the bottom left of the two closest hives).  We placed the intact hives first and the last intact hive was behind these two agitated hives.  The worst part was getting stung in the face (we only brought one veil with us).

Grazing and milking.  Notice the area partitioned by electric wire. By managing where and how much time cows spend in a particular area you will significantly increase the production of grass.  Don't cut cows loose to roam wherever they want in a pasture.  Managed grazing allows one to maintain more cows than is otherwise possible on a particular piece of land.

Function stacking activities: farming (that's a piglet), fishing (note the tackle box) and swimming with Sam.

Some Updates (again)...

We're still alive and kicking but still working thru major distractions.

Here's are more mini lessons for now.  Use vehicles that you're not emotionally attached to.  They will get scratched and dented in a myriad of unforeseen ways (Caleb: "Especially from a 200lb+ tractor loader bucket").

Another mini lesson, make sure you know what you're doing or that you're hiring someone who does.  It's easy to recover from a $1.25 haircut,

But not from equipment failures.  They happen frequently, you must reduce (or eliminate if possible) dependency on equipment (the collar got ripped out of a tractor's loader arm, the operator lacked experience).

After praying for a good welder I eventually recovered from the failure and got back to work.

Milking has been going well.  This cow is a Guernsey, she's huge, the Jersey in the background is smaller.  They both produce excellent creamy milk.

The counter offensive started early this year.

Despite heavy losses they keep coming (this was early in the offensive, imagine three tapes hanging with twice as many flies on each).

But blessings like real butter offer encouragement.

 

Along with a recent mini vacation with dear friends from back home which allowed us to accidentally stumble upon one of the coolest cars in the world.

Organic?

This is TJ. This post discusses "organic" agriculture and explains why we farm the way we do.

            Organic. To most this word means nothing but pricier eggs, milk, or meat. Even so, the true understanding of “organic” is much more than higher prices. In order for us to comprehend this word, it helps to take a glance at U.S. agriculture. Though not obvious at first, a study of what has happened to modern day farming—with its unprofitable nature, damaging practices, and alternative methods—can begin to dispel the cloud of misunderstanding. “Organic” should not be ignored. It means something for the farmer, environment, and consumer.

            What has happened to agriculture? Less than 2% of our population engages in the production of food (epa.gov). How can this be? Most would say city life promises more wealth, and they would be right in saying so. The Industrial Revolution accelerated the evolution from pauper to profiteer; having proven an easier life possible through a shift towards mechanization, many attempted to apply this paradigm to agriculture (Howard 59). The application did not produce the same affect however (Howard 60). Only seven years ago the USDA census found that less than one in four farms grossed in excess of $50,000 annually while on average spent over $100,000. A little over 180,000 of the 2.2 million farms accounted for 63% of all agricultural sales (epa.gov). No wonder our population has strayed from agriculture.

            The number of broke farmers may come from our unprecedented perspective on food. By and large, we view food as a commodity; something with value comparable to raw materials like wood, steel, or cotton. Food should be different though. It sustains us in a way unlike other raw materials. Bringing food down to this level presents unintended consequences. We cease to view food from an ecological standpoint, separating our very sustenance from its biological roots. Basically, we place food production in the model of mechanization where it should not belong (Howard 66).

“What we do within living bodies and in the living world is never a simple mechanical procedure such as threading a needle or winding a watch. Mystery exists; unforeseen and unforeseeable consequences are common.” Wendell Berry (conservationist, farmer, professor)

By dealing with mysterious life in a mechanical context, we begin to exploit God's creation (Howard 67).

            This separation, mechanization, and commercialization killed farming. The reasons why may not be obvious, but once we understand food's biological context—it begins to make sense. By considering food as a commodity, we have deviated from nature in a significant way: most all farms are monoculture—meaning that they grow one product. Nowhere in the natural world do we see monoculture. A multitude of organisms, from flora to fauna, all participate in symbiotic relationships and constantly interact with one another (Howard 62). When humanity disregards these relationships, production systems become broken and dysfunctional (Howard 63).

            Consider the way we harvest crops. A significant amount of nutrients are stored in corn and hay. Where do those nutrients come from? The soil. Where do the nutrients go after they have been harvested? They certainly do not go back into the soil. How can we expect to grow more crops the next time around? The nutrients have already been taken. Sure, we can add NPK or lime, but how can a little nitrogen, phosphorus, potash, or alkaline possibly account for all the complicated processes of plant nutrition (Howard 71)? Additionally, artificial fertilizer (like NPK) is known to decimate living soil populations of earthworms and microbes, which are inseparable to the way plants recycle nutrients from dead organic matter (Howard 74). The end product of crop production is nutritionally deficient plants that continually require maintenance (inputs) and exploited soil devoid of organic matter (nutrition).

            Evidently, large scale commodity crop production has its consequences. But an even greater consequence comes from the destruction of symbiosis between the plant and animal worlds as seen in earthworms, microorganisms, and crops. This can also be observed in the way we practice livestock monoculture (Howard 62, 63). When we raise ruminant livestock (like cows) outside of the plant world (pasture) and place them in a CAFO (confined animal feeding operation) they can no longer assist plant life in efficiently recycling nutrition. Cows achieve this by spreading fertilizer (manure) and stamping grass back into the soil for microbial life and earthworms to consume, preparing the nutrients for new grass growth (ruminants are beneficial to the soil and vegetable worlds in a myriad of ways besides this one explanation) (Nation 37). Also, animals subjected to CAFO treatment become sickly and are in constant need of maintenance, while the excess manure in a feedlot creates an imbalance of fertility (through excess nitrogen) polluting surrounding environments (via runoff) (qtd. in Pollan 68). In summary, the separation of animal life and plant life does not exist in nature, and as noted previously, dismissal of nature's systems leads to a broken and unprofitable system (Howard 63).

            Modern agriculture, in being ecologically damaging by harming life's processes and robbing soil fertility, becomes financially unsustainable. How can ecology and economics be connected? In relation to farming, it is quite simple. When one has a broken system, incapable of producing on its own and in constant need of assistance, expenses increase exponentially. Commodity farming requires an enormous amount of inputs to keep it afloat. Corn and soy crops need hybridized seeds, herbicides, fertilizer and fuel; the prices of which have been killing the long term productivity of the farmer—especially in the past decade (Philpott). Albeit yield per acre has been increasing because of hybridization, but production costs have kept pace – especially with the advent of genetically modified seed (Plumer; Philpott). The same has been with CAFOs. The costs of grain, antibiotics, facilities and pollution cleanup can be insurmountable (Sherman 17, 18). Even around the turn of the century, beef production costs in the U.S. were three times that of Argentina, Australia and New Zealand (Nation 7). So if commodity farming is unsustainable what keeps these industries alive and producing cheap food? Billions of dollars are taken from you and me each year and provided as "subsidies" by the U.S. Federal Government for things like grain price "supports," farming "insurance," pollution cleanup assistance, and a host of other “remedies” (Sherman 17, 33). Our agricultural industry is a facade; the results of pushing living organisms outside their natural parameters are clearly seen in farming's economic failure.

            How do we rescue farming from this crisis? It seems our treatment of ecology may have some bearing on the situation. Humans did not design the natural world. If anything we are a part of earth's ecosystems. God has designated living organism to operate within certain parameters (think of homeostasis) that we have only begun to understand. Pushing food production systems outside these limits prevents them from performing as they should. If we are to succeed in farming we must regard these limits; we must follow God's design. For example, in 1975 (when crop production followed nature more closely) a farmer needed 7%-10% of the arable land required in 1991 to make a middle class living (Nation 6). In addition, it is estimated that feeding grain to cattle (as happens in CAFOs) costs seven to ten times more than utilizing equal amounts of pasture (in terms of dry matter) (Nation 192). Clearly, following God's design translates to a healthful system—not only financially, but ecologically through the elimination of pollution and restoration of soil fertility (Sherman 26).

            Commodity farming—through its financial un-attractiveness, flawed methods, and apparent remedies—can shed light on the “organic” situation. It shows us how agriculture must follow God's design in a living, breathing world. That is the true meaning of “organic”. In addition, God commissioned man to be “fruitful”. Robbing the environment of nutrients and disrupting plant's and animal's natural processes is not fruitful or “organic”. As farmers, we should be “organic” not only to be financially productive, but to be fruitful with our natural resources. In the end, our soil, food supply and health (as consumers) are all connected (Howard 176). “Organic” is not just $8.00 for a pound of ground beef. Organic is the solution to agriculture.

Works Cited

"Demographics." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency. Web. 10 June 2014.

 

Howard, Albert. The Soil and Health: A Study of Organic Agriculture. Lexington: U of Kentucky, 2006. Print.
 

Nation, Allan. Quality Pasture: How to Create It, Manage It, and Profit from It. Jackson, MS: Green Park, 1995. Print.
 

Philpott, Tom. "Why Commodity Farming Is a Tough Row to Hoe." Mother Jones. Mother Jones and The Foundation for National Progress, 26 Sept. 2013. Web. 10 June 2014.
 

Plumer, Brad. "A Brief History of U.S. Corn, in One Chart." Washington Post. The Washington Post, 16 Aug. 2012. Web. 10 June 2014.
 

Pollan, Michael. The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals. New York: Penguin, 2006. Print.
 

Sherman, Doug Gurian-. CAFOs Uncovered: The Untold Costs of Confined Animal Feeding Operations. Rep. Cambridge, Massachusets: UCS Publications, Spring, 2008. Print.

Some Updates...

I plan on posting lessons learned for those who only want to homestead, but we've had way too many distractions lately so for now here are some updates:

The worm hole to 1880 hasn't closed yet... the dryer missed the old washer so much it also failed (they were Maytags that had only been married for about 5 years).

We now have plenty of milk thank the Lord.  These only eat grass, no supplements.  Some dairymen say this can't be done but it just aint so.  This used to confuse me tremendously until a successful farmer explained to me that it's genetics.  Most of today's cows are predisposed to grain thanks to "subsidies" (which also create the perception that grain is cheap).  Grain allows one to keep more cattle on significantly less land (but it also changes the characteristics of the milk [and meat] and degrades its nutritional value because cows get too many carbohydrates and less vitamins, minerals, carotene etc. - a topic for a different post).  Since cows are ruminants, grains also create acidity in their digestive system which causes various health problems (another topic for a different post).  Getting back to genetics - so after multiple generations of cows eating grain, traits of genetically inferior cows that would not normally survive on grass are passed on (and their health problems are masked with medications).

Caleb is transitioning to Warré hives, this year he's deploying 40.  His bee keeping philosophy is changing to being even less invasive.  Warrés are a design resulting from a method that minimally disturbs a hive.  New boxes are added to the bottom of the hive instead of the top after 80% of comb is built (building from top down is consistent with what a hive naturally does).  Hives are also not separated for maintenance and comb within boxes is never moved so that bees don't have to re-generate pheromones.

Warrés do not have frames as do Langsroths.  Caleb is building foundation for them to build comb on which is laid across the top of their boxes (wax is melted in a pot and used to adhere strips of wax into a grove cut into the bars of wood and the boxes are notched to accommodate the wood just like a Langstroth).

Taking a break from spraying hives with exterior grade polyurethane.

One of Caleb's helpers who is supposed to be gluing the boxes together.

Girl power putting lightweight concrete blocks into the bullet proof Toyota farm tractor for staging around the property.  The Warrés will be placed on these blocks, we're assuming that the bees will operate within a two mile radius so we're placing groups of hives on the perimeter of the property.  I'm sure the radius depends on the availability of food and pasture (pasture and the edges between pasture and forest will have more flowering plants than forests).

Two week old broilers.

You must remove any furry chickens from the hen house.

This one... ahh forget it, I don't have time to explain this.

Caleb & Trins building a bee HOA.

Residents moving in.  We were moving fast trying not to run out of daylight.  It was kind of funny when someone else got stung and of course not funny when it was you.  We were joking around by reminding each other that bee stings offer medicinal benefits or to "just walk it off."  Blaise (in the space suit) eventually got stung once on the hand.  Caleb got stung between the eyes.

Farming Lessons Learned So Far

Some have expressed interest in our pursuits.  Here are 10 (or more) things to consider:

1. Draft a plan; define objectives, strategies and boundaries to your operation that all agree to.  Also have the flexibility to adjust or jettison portions once you realize that a particular thing ain't working.  Is your plan just to feed your family - then skip to #10 (or 11).  Do you want to make a living doing this - then read on.

2. Practice and validate production techniques the first year.  Just like learning how to drive stick, you must practice before driving in traffic.  Produce enough for your family and give surplus to friends and potential future customers (and ask for their feedback).

While sitting around the womb Caleb made the most of that time.



3. Research the market (and incorporate what you learn and opportunities discovered into the plan). ID multiple customer groups (food and homeschool co-ops, particular communities, farmer's markets or cooperate with an established producer of a different product, etc.).  Define multiple marketing strategies.  Marketing will likely be half or more of your effort until your customer base grows by word of mouth.

4. Crunch the numbers (another portion of your plan), account for fuel, materials, cost of sale (fees or commissions), losses, etc.  Run different scenarios (what if average bird size is x, or we use x instead of y, or we drop the price to x, etc.).  Estimate ALL labor hours, that means ALL the time you spend on whatever it is that supports that effort to help your “go” or “no go” decision.

5. As Morpheus says (after I make a slight edit), “Don't think you are can, know you are can.” After researching how to raise x or produce y, plan and execute.  Sounds obvious, but many well thought out endeavors are never pursued. Analyze what's holding you back, and if it's simply fear of the unknown (because you've never tried it before - I'm guilty of this), it's probably time to execute.

6. Sell retail (finish the product as much as possible and sell to the consumer).  This generates more revenue than selling to a grocer or restaurant, BUT only if you have an established customer base.  Selling to a grocer or restaurant may make sense if it allows more time to capture retail customers (or gain access to them) or if you have too much product you need to move.

7. When reality demonstrates the opposite of what you thought - the numbers you originally crunched are wrong, selling more of that money losing product only increases your losses.  Another thing that sounds obvious, but for some it isn't.  Focus your time on efforts that maximize returns to recoup losses.  If vending eggs loses money, but selling berries makes money, don't continue the egg endeavor thinking you'll eventually cover costs and then stop, stop the egg endeavor asap and dedicate more time to berries.

8. Network with other vendors pursuing the same or different things to learn from their mistakes and get ideas.  This includes competitors, you'll be surprised how this can help.  A competitor who has become a friend had an inventory shortage and bought the surplus we had trouble moving.

The Egg PoIice, at least they aren't armed.

9. When dealing with Politburos, get clarification in writing (if they refuse to put things in writing, take notes while on the phone and send them an email thanking them for their time and restating anything they said).  They will contradict each other, contradict their own written regs, or simply make stuff up (start a new business and see what I mean).

10. I forgot what the last one was which stinks because I thought it was really good... hopefully I'll remember it for a future post.

11. Since I forgot 10, here's another.  Learn how to maintain & repair whatever machines you'll be using. Things break at the worst times (like the double flat I had - and it didn't end there; a few hundred feet to the destination the trailer got stuck). Own duplicates of tools commonly used and manuals if you don't already have the knowledge to fix what you own. You also need things like a winch, bottle jack, tow straps/chains, etc. to minimize recovery time.

12. And one more thing, have a good 1st aid kit (w/ blood clot) and fire extinguisher ready (you're in the country, 60 min+ away from 911, or in a field or on a fence line far from water - watching an engine fire that destroys less than a hundred $ in parts turn into one that completely destroys the machine will really set you back [the former owner of the dozer in the pic purchased it as a replacement for one that burned and was a complete loss]).