The Beginning Farmer Show

BeFunky_TBFlogoHappy New Year! As 2013 has come to a close and 2014 has begun I thought it would be fun to take some time on today's episode and answer some listener questions that have come in lately. Over the years of blogging my journey to farming and now podcasting I have been humbled by the number of encouraging e-mails and messages I have received. I've been trying my best to stay on top of them and respond, but lately I have been ask quick to respond as I would like. Hopefully this will make up for some of my slow responses ... and get some discussion going! I'd love to hear your thoughts on todays listener e-mails. Today's Listener Feedback/Questions ...

  • How about smells and samples at the Farmers' Market?
  • Raising a few pigs for yourself without purchased corn/soybeans?
  • How do you price your pork so that you can make money?
  • Any on-line suggestions for chicken tractor plans?
  • What sort of certifications do you need to sell poultry or eggs?
  • What do you think of partnering with others in a farming venture?

Links Mentioned in Today's Episode ...

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

The Beginning Farmer ShowAs 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 ...

**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)
Direct download: TBF_044.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:29am EDT

BeFunky_TBFlogoMerry Christmas! This time of the year can be very frustrating on the farm with all of the snow, cold, firewood cutting, short amounts of daylight, and so much more. But, it can also be a season where you can slow down and reflect on the many blessings of your life and farm. Balancing family, off farm jobs, and all the work associated with the farm can be very difficult throughout the year and often times it seems like things don't really slow down in the winter. The nature of the season (snow, cold, etc.) though often forces you to slow down and one of the things that I'm trying to do this year is make the most of those moments. Living on the farm has blessed our family with a beautiful place for the kids to play and roam. The kids enjoy all seasons on the farm, but sometimes (especially when there is snow on the ground) it seems like winter is their favorite time of the year. As a special treat I took some time this week to ask all four kids what their favorite part about winter on the farm was. Their answers are precious and made me very proud ... plus, I think we have a family of podcasters in the making! Then I wanted to share one of my favorite Christmas stories. I first heard this story back in 2007 and thought it was a beautiful picture of Christmas on a farm. The story comes from the December 1953 issue of "The Farm Journal". If you'd like a copy of the story you can find it in Christmas In My Heart Volume 22 (affiliate link). If you have an input on the topic be sure to leave a comment below or send us an e-mail.

The Beginning Farmer ShowAs 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 ...

**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)
Direct download: TBF_043.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:34am EDT

With Christmas only one week away I thought it would be fun to share some gift ideas for the beginning farmers in your life (or the future farmers ... or lovers of farms!). The items on this list are mostly in the $30 or less range with only a couple of exceptions. All of the items are available on Amazon.com (the links are affiliate links and help support "The Beginning Farmer Show"), but many of them can also be found at your local farm store or hardware store. The other thing you may notice about the list is that it is mostly focused on a gift list for a farmer in the colder winter climates. Mittens are a great thing for a farmer in Iowa, but not so much for a farmer in Georgia ... so ... if you live in the warmer climates I would love to see your suggestions for those last minute Christmas gifts.

10 Christmas Gift Ideas for Your Beginning Farmer (or Future Farmer or Lover of Farms)

The Beginning Farmer ShowAs 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 ... 


**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) 
Direct download: TBF_042.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:10am EDT

One of the things I say about our farm (and it's on one of our t-shirts that we have for sale) is that we are doing "Pioneer Farming". The reason that I say that is because we have sort of built this farm from a blank slate that was basically a prairie and a little bit of woods. It almost felt like we were out there homesteading just like the Iowans that came before us, except that we had a few benefits that they didn't have ... things like gas, electricity, power tools, chainsaws, tractors, trucks, cement floors in our house, and other little things like that. But, as this winter starts off with a little more cold than usual I am reminded of our first winter on the farm five years ago and I'm thankful for just how far we have been able to come. I was also reminded of my childhood reading of Laura Ingalls Wilder's book, The Long Winter and her tales of a horrible winter spent on the plains of the Dakotas in 1880/81. After pulling out our copy and reading some of her memories I think our first winter wasn't so bad after all ... that was really some pioneer farming!

Nevertheless I do have some tips for handling winter on the farm, especially when it comes to livestock ...

  1. Don't bring livestock to your farm for the winter if you aren't ready for them.
  2. High quality feed for your animals is a must.
  3. The combination of cold and wet can really be the worst.
  4. Water hoses can freeze even if you think you completely drained them.
  5. Windbreaks or shelters out of the wind are very important for your livestock.
  6. Know your neighbors, because you may need some help this winter.
  7. Have a good winter fence (preferably not electric unless you have a plan for shorting).
What are your favorite online resources for farmers? Comment below or send us an e-mail.

The Beginning Farmer ShowAs 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 ... 


**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) 
Direct download: TBF_041.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:10am EDT

I talk a lot on the show about the importance of getting out there and learning from other farmers because there is so much knowledge to be gained from those real life experiences. But, there are times when your life just dictates that you can't get out there and do some on farm training. That was my case when I began this farming journey and I scoured the internet looking for resources that would help me along the way. The great thing about a lot of the links and resources I found was that it came from famers who were doing great on-farm research through comparing systems, feeds, structures, and so much more. I found links to videos, research bulletins, articles, spreadsheets, and so much more that gave me some of the information that was useful to a beginning/dreaming farmer. On today's episode I share "8 Great Online Resources for Farmers (Beginning or Experienced)"

Links Mentioned in This Episode ...

What are your favorite online resources for farmers? Comment below or send us an e-mail.

The Beginning Farmer ShowAs 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 ... 


**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) 
Direct download: TBF_040.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:06am EDT

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