Farming in California

My husband has been attending a beginning farm program through the University of Missouri. It's a wonderful, intensive 4 module course that helps entrepreneur farmers learn how to develop an idea, write a business plan and network with other farmers. The third module is being held in Petaluma, California and I am fortunate enough to be attending the conference with him.

In fact, that is where I am this very minute...sitting in a hotel, writing a little about our adventures.

Yesterday was a big day full of farm tours around the region. We saw some beautiful farms, met some interesting, funny and opinionated farmers. Our dinner last night was held in the Baker Creek Seed Bank which is in downtown Petaluma - located in a beautiful old bank building. It was a long day and our brains were pumped full of information. It was great!

Here are some photos from our tours.

This is Bob Cannard of Green String Farm. He has an amazing amount of information and experience with regard to natural farming practices. He is passionate about teaching others to farm in a way that is sustainable and provides safe, healthy food for people.

Bob Cannard of Green String Farm

Bob's House

The most beautiful Rosemary hedge I've ever seen. If this had been the only thing I saw on the trip, it would have been totally worth it!

Cowgirl Creamery produces delicious, organic cheese. The cheese in this photo is waiting to be wrapped. All the cheese is wrapped and packed by hand. We got samples of several of their cheeses - it was very yummy!

Tara Firma Farms was the last farm we visited. We met one of the owners, Tara Smith, who was very kind, funny and passionate about healthy food. I found her very inspirational, especially since she is doing a similar kind of farming that Dan and I want to do.  She and her husband also come from non-farming backgrounds and are learning "by the book" (Joel Salatin books). I admire people who aren't afraid to admit they are just in the learning stages. This is a new farm - only two years old- I look forward to seeing how they grow over the next few years.

Happy Pigs

I'm in awe of people who are so willing to share what they know about farming, just because they have such passion for small farms. I think it takes a lot of courage to let a group of strangers from Missouri romp around your farm and let them ask all kinds of probing questions.

I learned a lot yesterday. The tours were informative and inspiring. Most of all, listening to the stories of how people got started, made me just want to get out on the land and start planting! But I'll have to wait until next week, when I'm home. Tomorrow we are discussing writing a business plan and strategic finance. It's not as much fun as learning about composting or seeing baby chicks by the hundreds, but it's necessary, so I guess I'll do it!

Un Bee-lievable!

Complements of Ace Clip Art

It has been a while since I've mentioned anything about Farm plans. If you are interested in some of my farm-related blogs, you can see a couple here here.

Since Dan and I are city kids, we have been taking courses to help us figure out what kind of farming to do. I'm sure it's going to be a lot like having kids: you read and read about raising kids, you know exactly how it's all supposed to work and exactly how you will handle each situation so that your child will turn out to be the most beautiful, most intelligent and most well behaved in all the land. Then the kid comes along, asserting it's own will, turning your life upside down and making sure you're eating humble pie for the rest of your life!

We can read every book, take every class, ask every expert and still won't know what farming is all about until we're actually out there shoveling poop and chasing cows out of the neighbor's garden.

[As an aside: a few weeks ago, I went out to the coop to check on the chickens. The puppy was with me. When I started heading in the house, I noticed the dog was chewing on something. At first, I thought it was a stick or something. It turned out to be a dead squirrel! I was so grossed out! Once I got him to drop it, I knew I had to dispose of it or he'd be gnawing on it every time he went outside. Besides, it was disgusting and I didn't want my kids to see it.  I got rid of it and I was quite proud that I did it without the assistance of my man (I did make sure he knew what an awesome wife he has though: "not every woman would do this, you know.") I consider the whole incident hands-on training for farm life].

Anyway, some of the courses we have taken are: food preservation, intensive grazing management, beginning farming entrepreneur program and growing berries. Last night I went to the first of five classes on beginning bee keeping.

There are certain things in nature that I think are perfect and by themselves can prove the existence of God.  For instance, the fact that you can take a tiny, itty bitty seed, put it in a bunch of dirt, water it for a few weeks, it grows into a plant, the plant produces blooms, the blooms turn into fruit or vegetables, you pick the fruit off the plant and eat it. And it's good and makes your body healthy. The more I learn about farming, the more amazed by and in awe I am of our Creator and how well he provides for us.

Bees and honey are definitely on the "Amazed and Awed" list. Did you know that a hive of bees will fly 55,000 miles to produce one pound of honey? That one honeybee produces about 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime? That honey never spoils? (when it crystalizes you just have to put it in hot water to liquify it again). Honey has antiseptic and other healing qualities? It's all so fascinating! Honey bees (and other pollinators) help increase crops, gardens, flowers and other plants.

Our next two bee classes will be spent building hives and the last two we will get to establish a hive. I can hardly wait! At this point, we are planning to start at least one hive this spring. I'll keep you posted as more fascinating facts come my way!  ;)

More farm news:

• We are in the process of designing a barn. We have a builder and have decided the size and location of the barn. It will be a combination living space and storage. We also want to eventually put in a commercial kitchen.
• Dan started working on some gardens in the Fall. The plan is to begin planing several gardens of vegetables this spring.
• Dan built a hoop house for the chickens to stay in this winter. So far, they are doing well. A couple of times they have ventured out into the snow, but I think it's too cold on their feet. They seem to get a little grumpy, then run right back into the coop. We now have two egg layers - the mama and one chick. I'm not sure which chick it is yet. She lays light brown eggs. It's still so exciting to find an egg in the nest!
• One of the chickens, Caroline, is a rooster. He's not crowing yet, but he does have an attitude and he's definitely working on developing his voice. Once he crows, he's history. We don't want to annoy the neighbors any more than we already do.

That's all the farm-related news. The last thing for this post is that I'm taking an online blog course. I'm hoping to tune this thing up a bit and make it more interesting. I appreciate you sticking with me!

Standing Up for What is Right

I don't like to get into political discussions. Mainly because I'm ignorant. I'm shamefully unaware, most of the time, of what is going on in the world. Trying to figure out what is really going on in government just makes me feel depressed and stupid. I have made a bit of an effort in the past few years to be more politically aware, but I'm not sure where to get accurate information. You know, the truth. It doesn't seem like anyone knows what the truth is - about our government.

Lately, I've been more interested in healthy food. How, where, when and why it's grown. Part of it is my own self interest because my husband and I want to farm and since we live in a college town that is surrounded by farmland, there is a lot of information about farming. Part of it is watching movies like Food, Inc. and reading books like Food Rules by Michael Pollen and You Can Farm by Joel Salatin. It seems the more I learn, the more I need to know and the more I need to act.

Even though I was brought up in the city and know nothing about what it takes to be a farmer - I have "farming genes". I know it's not the same as running my own farm, but I still feel like it's some dormant desire to get out there and dig in the dirt, breathe clean air, harvest vegetables, feed chickens, herd cattle, etc.

Maybe I'll be able to do it, maybe I won't. Either way, it should be my choice to decide if this is how I want to attempt to earn my living. It should also be my choice to eat food that I've grown/raised and to sell it to other people who want it too. More and more I am hearing stories about people who own small family farms, who are being penalized for wanting to grow their own food and sell it to others. I don't mean penalized like getting a slap on the wrist and being fined a few hundred dollars. I'm talking about people who have worked hard, sacrificed and grown a honorable business, just to be obliterated by some huge corporation or the government (who is being supported by the huge corporation) for doing something the huge corporation doesn't like.

There are a bazillion things I could write about this subject. Like: how our country is the land of opportunity and people have a right to start a small business; why would a huge corporation be so threatened by a family farm that they have to invest millions (billions?) of dollars in legal fees to fight them to destroy them? Is it right for us to have only a few corporations that are responsible for feeding our entire country? And in the process allow them to destroy the environment with farm waste and the use of tons of diesel fuel every year? Why do we let these same companies treat animals in cruel and inhumane ways in filthy, disgusting conditions then feed them to us for dinner? What about the workers who work at the food plants - are they compensated properly and treated well for their work? Why aren't corporate farms held accountable and why aren't they more honest about what is going on behind their quaint "farm fresh" labels?

But what I really want to know is why wouldn't our government allow me to drive a few miles into the country and buy some raw milk from a dairy farmer? Why are there so many expensive regulations on small beef/chicken/pork farms when the corporate farms are killing us with their genetically altered, corn fed, hormone pumped feces covered meat? Why doesn't our government care more about farmers who are willing to feed us clean, simple, healthy food than they do about the corporate farms? Seriously, is it in our best interest to poison ourselves in the long run, just so that some can have billions/trillions of dollars now?

I have to admit here, that I am definitely part of the problem. I love fast food and eat it whenever possible (and I have the waistline and blood pressure to show for it). If I had to sit in the stock yard where the cows lived that provided the meat for my Taco Bell tacos or where the chickens lived that provided eggs for the Egg McMuffin I had this morning, would I be able to keep from vomiting those meals right up? Probably not. Every time I pull into a drive thru, I should imagine where my food came from and who made a sacrifice to get it to me.

I know this is kind of rambling, but a change is coming and I want to do the right thing. If you are interested in one of the articles I've read recently, here's the link:

Family Farm Ordered to Destroy 50,000 Pounds of Cheese

Velma and the 4 Chicks

Two weeks ago, we drove out to a farm that had many, many chickens and we bought a momma and 4 chicks. I think this is a brave move for two city kids who don't really know what they are doing! We put the chickens in a Rubbermade container (lid off) and drove them home, then set them free in our back yard.  With the exception of the hen jumping the fence to the neighbors yard to see if the grass truly is greener on the other side (which, by the way, it is - our neighbors have a great lawn), they have been in our back yard ever since. 

Although I've been warned that it is a bad idea to do so, we did name our birds. I figure it's ok since we only plan on using these chickens for their eggs.  The momma is Velma, the chicks are KC, Foofoo, Hilda and Caroline. I'm hoping all of the chicks are female, but if not, we'll be finding a different home for any roosters. We want to do all we can to keep from annoying the neighbors.

Most everything I know about chickens has been from things I found on the internet or from a few books and magazines I've read. It's fun to observe Velma interact with her chicks - all barnyard/chicken cliches come to mind as she scratches around, looking for worms and other critters to feed her family. I now understand more about someone being a "Mother Hen", about "chicken scratch", being "all cooped up" and the need for moms to "nest".  

I've also noticed that Velma is a much better mom than I am and that her chicks are better behaved than mine. She doesn't mind that her chicks climb all over her, follow her everywhere, she doesn't ever seem to be in a hurry and she enjoys doing outdoor activities with them. (I did notice that one of the chicks tried to hop a ride on her back once and she gently pecked it a couple of times. But she didn't yell, like I would have). Whenever the chicks get too far from Velma (like when they sneak into the neighbor's yard through the holes in the fence), all she has to do is cluck a couple of times, and they immediately come back to her. Unlike my "babies" who only return to where they are supposed to be after they've been threatened with no tv or video games for a week. (perhaps analysis of my parenting practices will be the topic of another blog post later on. Then again...maybe not).

We've been letting the chickens roam through the back yard during the day, then they go into their coop at sunset. So far, things seem to be working out well with them and I think they like their new environment. They have quite a nice sized back yard and don't have many others they have to share it with (except for 7 year old and 5 year old humans). I think they are pretty happy.

One of the things I did not anticipate was feeling guilty when I eat chicken. The other night I was getting ready to throw some chicken thighs on the grill. My husband was playing with the kids in the backyard and I was up on the deck near the grill. I wanted to ask him how long I should cook the chicken, but felt like I needed to whisper because Velma was roaming around within earshot.  I sure hope this isn't how it's going to be from now on - being consumed by guilt every time I want to eat chicken. I don't think I can take that kind of pressure!

Some Fears About Farming

Tonight as I'm reading a little bit of, You Can Farm the Entrepreneur's Guide to Start and Succeed in a Farming Enterprise by Joel Salatin, I find that my mind is drifting toward "the dark side". You know the dark side...the place in your mind full of fear and insecurity. The place that calls to you when you are excited about doing something fun, wonderful, different. No matter how hard you resist, you can not help but walk a little too close to the dark side, so you hear it telling you all the things you are doing wrong. All the reasons why you're crazy or an idiot or how you're going to fail.

If you don't know who Joel Salatin is and you are interested in farming and food, you need to google him. He's very interesting and has very strong and unique opinions on farming. I'm sure I'll be mentioning his writing again, since he is one of the people inspiring us to take the big leap into farm life. He has worked very hard in his life and he has made many sacrifices to live the kind of life he lives. I've only begun reading his book, but in the beginning there was a phrase that really caught my attention:

"...accomplishing your dream is not so much about mechanics and opportunity as it is about character qualities: self-denial, perseverance, commitment, focus." (You Can Farm the Entrepreneur's Guide to Start and Succeed in a Farming Enterprise pg. 4).


I think his statement is true and that is why I think I ended up in the dark side of my mind. Do I have what it takes to be a farmer/farmer's wife? Can I really work hard enough to make this thing a reality? I don't know. I believe I want to, but I also know how I tend to be, especially if there is something I really don't want to do. I tend to be like a grade schooler who is asked to clean his room. I fuss, whine, think of 5 million excuses why I can't, won't, shouldn't have to do the task that is expected. I whimper, get angry, call people names, etc. Typical brat stuff.

If I would not throw a big baby fit and channel that energy doing the task, it would probably take less time to do it than to throw a fit about having to do it. So in the case of shoveling cow poo, how do you think that will go over? It's not like the cows will shovel it themselves and it's not like we're going to have any hired help or anything. So I'll just have to do it. On a regular basis. In all kinds of weather, under all kinds of conditions. Can I do that? Will there somehow be a place in my heart that understands this is one of many things that needs to be done in order to have a farm? Will I be able to focus on a goal and work toward it rather than fill some immediate need to not shovel poo? These are the kinds of things that are weighing on my mind right now. (that and the fact that it's 11:44 pm and I'm hungry. All I want to do is fix some huge snack to eat. This is another area where immediate gratification and keeping my sight on a goal are quite challenging).

The other day my husband mentioned that we should've had more kids if we're going to do farming. I suggested that perhaps he could have brought this up earlier, like 10 years or so. Because it's too late now. In my younger years, I may have been tempted to birth a few more babies, but now I know I was not meant to be the mom of more than two kids. I guess we'll have to find other alternatives to getting our chores done!

Guess Who's Going to be a Farmer?!

My husband and I are land owners. We recently purchased 50 acres of farmland about 20 minutes from where we currently live. I wanted to post some photos of our land, but I don't have any yet, so I picked some clip art related to farming. I wanted it to be obvious that it wasn't our property-I think this picture does the trick.

The land we purchased was part of a bigger farm that had been in the sellers' family for over a hundred years. Because there were so many family members who owned the property and who were spread out around the country, they decided it was time to sell. My man found it in the paper - it was being advertised for auction. 

I guess I need to be fair here and let you know that from this point on, we have conflicting sides of the story. Dan has a totally different take on the events that lead to the purchase of this land, than I do. I'm just going to tell you my side, because I'm pretty sure it's the closest to the facts and well, this is my blog. He's welcome to start his own blog and share his side if he wants to.

We have both wanted to buy land for awhile. Dan has always been interested in land ownership, even before I knew him. Recently, we had been talking again about purchasing land so we could plant a big garden, but decided now wasn't a good time to do that. We thought it would be best to wait awhile. That's why I was kind of surprised when one day, he said "Honey, I found some land that's going to be auctioned in May". I responded in my usual way, when I think he's talking about something I think will never happen: "Yes, dear. That's nice, dear. Mmmhmm." (By the way, he responds to me the same way when he thinks I'm being unrealistic. Like every time I tell him I'm going to make our millions selling my art work. I'm still working on that dream, so there is the possibility that it will actually happen).

One thing I told him is that I have absolutely no interest (none. zero. zilch. nada) in building a house. I've never met anyone who felt that building their own home (or having one built) was in any way a positive experience. It sounds like a big pain in the hiney to me and I'd rather live in a house that is already standing when I buy it. That way I can walk through it, look around, picture myself and my stuff in it, and decide if it's the right place. If it's not, I can move on.

Anyway, when Dan started talking about this land, I knew it didn't have a house on it. So we had some "interesting" conversations concerning it.

Dan: I drove by that land today. It's really nice.

Laura: Really? What kind of house does it have?

It's got some nice fields...

Is it like a 4 or 5 bedroom?

Some trees...

Room for a craft area?

gently rolling hills...

two car garage?

Did I mention there is a creek that runs through the property?

I think a few weeks passed and he would occasionally mention the land, but pretty much, I had moved on with my life and figured we were done with talking about that particular piece of property.

Then one Sunday after church he said, "you know, that land auction is tomorrow".  I said, "when are you going to take me to see this land?". We drove by that afternoon and there is no doubt that the property was beautiful. It really does have fields, trees, gently rolling hills and a creek running through it (and no house). It also didn't hurt that it was wonderfully sunny out. I asked him a couple of questions like "what would be your immediate plans for it, what would you want to do", etc. Then we drove home and that was the end of it for me.

The next day, I was visiting with a friend, when Dan sent me a text "the land is going for X amount, can I bid?" Since I figured there was no way on earth he was going to get it, I texted back "go for it, baby". A few minutes later he sent another text "I bid Y amount" and I swear to you, it wasn't two minutes later he sent me another message "i got it!" My response? "oh sh*t".

That's the story of how we acquired our land. One of the biggest differences in our stories is that Dan likes to tell people he had totally forgotten about the land and had let the whole idea go. I have to remind him that if that were truly the case, he would've been at work instead of being at the auction!

I'm happy that we have land and I'm excited to make plans and to get out there and do some work. But I'm also a little shocked, I think. I'm a city girl, not a big city girl, but a large-ish city girl. My husband is a city boy and we have no idea how to live the rural life. I believe we can learn and will learn. There are some strong reasons why we want to live in the country (which I will cover at another not-so-late-in-the-nite time). In some ways I just wonder if it's absolutely insane to consider beginning farming when one is in his/her late 40's? I guess we'll see, won't we?