Market Farming

[KAKerby AT aol.com]

We're looking at growing our own grains this year too, for the same reasons.  Past experimentation has shown that we can grow pretty much any of the small grains quite well, but harvest has been a PAIN.  I'm looking for equipment that can do a nice job harvesting something between 1/2 acre and several acres; not many combines in our neck of the woods.  Best solution I've found so far has been either the John Deere 12a or All Crop pull behind combines.  Neither of which are available locally but various online equipment supply networks could ship to me if we have enough $$$$.  What I'd really like to find is something that will hook up to my BCS that I can use.  Harvesting by hand gets old really fast, no matter what Gene Logsdon says.  Or maybe that's why traditional farms had 12 kids.

Kathryn Kerby (no two-legged kids to draft into service)

frogchorusfarm.com

Snohomish, WA

 

In a message dated 1/12/2011 8:59:25 A.M. Pacific Standard Time, elderberrywine4u AT yahoo.com writes:

I agree!  The increasing price of feed is really putting a kink in my plans for raising chickens this year.  I talked it over with my mentor (Dad) who agreed I should grow my own feed.  (I think he was just waiting for me to come to that conclusion on my own.  Old farmers!  Gotta love 'em.)  Anyway, I am going to till an additional acre, split it into 4 sections and plant Indian corn, hard red spring wheat, barley, and oats.  In a different part of the garden I'm going to plant another 1/4 acre of forage beets.  That should make more than enough feed to winter over my small flock.  I don't think growing your own feed is the hard part though -- it's how to properly store it so it doesn't go bad before you get to use it.  I'm still working on that part.  BTW, I'm also working on building a 1 acre hops yard and I've found that chickens love eating hops!  We are very rural and economically depressed here.  I sell my non-medicated, non-GMO feed eggs for $2.50 a dozen from my farm and already the stores are selling factory farmed eggs for at least that.  I think people better get to know their farmers real quick.   

Joyce Paski
Swamp Creek Farm, Zone 3
http://www.swampcreekfarm.blogspot.com

--- On Wed, 1/12/11, Joan Vibert <joan AT windwalker-farm.com> wrote:

We are considering growing our own grains for chicken feed. . .
I maintain that we would be better off to contract with a local grower to
purchase their grain rather than having to pay for the harvesting. Our feed
bill is escalating with each purchase ad its beginning to look like our eggs
should be selling for $6 a dozen they way they go through feed.

I'd love to know what others are doing for feed (and charging for eggs).

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