Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

market-farming - [Market-farming] Beets for Forage

market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Market Farming

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Patricia Rupiper <arupiper AT bright.net>
  • To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [Market-farming] Beets for Forage
  • Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2011 04:43:01 -0500

The Mangle beet is what used to be fed to the 4 legged critters. I imagine you could seed some into the pasture space in the spring, then just let them grow. Thy get HUGE. I would take a long pointy stick and a bag of beet seeds, take a walk, poke a hole (about 1 inch deep) and drop a seed. You will find them later in the year as they raise up out of the ground. Shumway's sells them (wwwrhshumway.com). Cheaper than a lot of other things. If you miss some at harvest, the next year seed stalk will spout, and your in business! They are great for the soil too as the roots pull up the minerals for other plants to use (a lot like sunflowers).
Good luck. Pat Rupiper zone 5b/6a

On Jan 12, 2011, at 7:24 PM, market-farming-request AT lists.ibiblio.org wrote:

Send Market-farming mailing list submissions to
market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org

To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/market-farming
or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
market-farming-request AT lists.ibiblio.org

You can reach the person managing the list at
market-farming-owner AT lists.ibiblio.org

When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
than "Re: Contents of Market-farming digest..."


Today's Topics:

1. Re: Chicken feed - growing grains for (Joyce Paski)
2. Re: Chicken feed - growing grains for (SaladG AT aol.com)
3. Re: Chicken feed - growing grains for (Beth Spaugh)
4. Re: Chicken feed - growing grains for (Joyce Paski)
5. Re: Egg prices (Thamnophis)
6. Re: Egg prices (clearviewfarm AT bluefrog.com)
7. FYI USDA Provides Update on Seasonal High Tunnel Pilot
(Chrys Ostrander)


----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2011 14:58:52 -0800 (PST)
From: Joyce Paski <elderberrywine4u AT yahoo.com>
To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Chicken feed - growing grains for
Message-ID: <622576.75592.qm AT web37901.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

I'm going to let the chickens graze the tops during the warm weather while the beets are growing, then chop them up to give the chickens during the winter along with some of the grains.? I am looking for a "root chopper" as Dad calls them.? When he was a kid they used to have a chopper to grind the beets they fed to the cows.?If I can't find one I'll use a hatchet to chop them up -- I don't have that many chickens so it wouldn't be too much work.? Call it mild aerobic exercise.?

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

--- On Wed, 1/12/11, Robin Follette <list AT seasonseatingsfarm.com> wrote:


From: Robin Follette <list AT seasonseatingsfarm.com>
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Chicken feed - growing grains for
To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Date: Wednesday, January 12, 2011, 1:44 PM



Joyce, how will you feed the forage beets to the chickens?

Robin
?
Robin Follette
Seasons Eatings Farm
Talmadge ME 04492




From: Joyce Paski
Sent: Wednesday, January 12, 2011 11:59 AM
To: Market Farming
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Chicken feed - growing grains for





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).

_______________________________________________
Market-farming mailing list
Market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/market-farming

Market Farming List Archives may be found here:
https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/market-farming/
Unsubscribe from the list here (you will need to login in with your email
address and password):
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/options/market-farming




_______________________________________________
Market-farming mailing list
Market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/market-farming

Market Farming List Archives may be found here:
https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/market-farming/
Unsubscribe from the list here (you will need to login in with your email
address and password):
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/options/market-farming
-----Inline Attachment Follows-----


_______________________________________________
Market-farming mailing list
Market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/market-farming

Market Farming List Archives may be found here:
https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/market-farming/
Unsubscribe from the list here (you will need to login in with your email
address and password):
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/options/market-farming
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/market-farming/attachments/20110112/896557f9/attachment-0001.html >

------------------------------

Message: 2
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2011 18:25:03 EST
From: SaladG AT aol.com
To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Chicken feed - growing grains for
Message-ID: <392c.61988a92.3a5f924f AT aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

We are buying corn from our local Coop and they are higher than a broom,
but they charged me $435 for two ton of corn about 71 bu 6.12 per bu, which
figures about 11 cents a pound. Doing your own grain for a few chickens,
or any livestock unless you have the equipment to plant, cultivate, harvest,
it would very expensive to start to do it.

Phil from Iowa
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/market-farming/attachments/20110112/b96f064c/attachment-0001.html >

------------------------------

Message: 3
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2011 18:36:25 -0500
From: "Beth Spaugh" <lists AT rhomestead.com>
To: "'Market Farming'" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Chicken feed - growing grains for
Message-ID: <597458F50B1F4B30987CFF3625390B2A@BethPC>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Don't need to chop the beets. Just toss them out and they will peck them.
Once the "blood" shows they eat them right up.

Beth Spaugh
Rehoboth Homestead, Peru, NY
Farm Fresh Food Club CSA - http://rhomestead.com <http://rhomestead.com/ >
Become a Fan on Facebook
<http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rehoboth-Homestead/261550161286>

Garden fresh vegetables, organically grown, and pastured chicken, duck, and
geese

"How we eat determines, to a considerable extent, how the world is used." -
Wendell Berry

"Without power over our food, any notion of democracy is empty." - Frances
Moore Lappe


_____

From: market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Joyce Paski
Sent: Wednesday, January 12, 2011 5:59 PM
To: Market Farming
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Chicken feed - growing grains for


I'm going to let the chickens graze the tops during the warm weather while
the beets are growing, then chop them up to give the chickens during the
winter along with some of the grains. I am looking for a "root chopper" as
Dad calls them. When he was a kid they used to have a chopper to grind the
beets they fed to the cows. If I can't find one I'll use a hatchet to chop
them up -- I don't have that many chickens so it wouldn't be too much work.
Call it mild aerobic exercise.

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

--- On Wed, 1/12/11, Robin Follette <list AT seasonseatingsfarm.com> wrote:




From: Robin Follette <list AT seasonseatingsfarm.com>
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Chicken feed - growing grains for
To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Date: Wednesday, January 12, 2011, 1:44 PM


Joyce, how will you feed the forage beets to the chickens?

Robin

Robin Follette
Seasons Eatings Farm
Talmadge ME 04492

From: Joyce Paski
<http://us.mc379.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=elderberrywine4u AT yahoo.com >
Sent: Wednesday, January 12, 2011 11:59 AM
To: Market Farming
<http://us.mc379.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.o
rg>
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Chicken feed - growing grains for

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).

_______________________________________________
Market-farming mailing list
Market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
<http://us.mc379.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=Market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.o
rg>
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/market-farming

Market Farming List Archives may be found here:
https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/market-farming/
Unsubscribe from the list here (you will need to login in with your email
address and password):
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/options/market-farming


_____

_______________________________________________
Market-farming mailing list
Market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/market-farming

Market Farming List Archives may be found here:
https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/market-farming/
Unsubscribe from the list here (you will need to login in with your email
address and password):
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/options/market-farming

-----Inline Attachment Follows-----


_______________________________________________
Market-farming mailing list
Market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
<http://us.mc379.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=Market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.o
rg>
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/market-farming

Market Farming List Archives may be found here:
https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/market-farming/
Unsubscribe from the list here (you will need to login in with your email
address and password):
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/options/market-farming

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/market-farming/attachments/20110112/4f143df4/attachment-0001.html >

------------------------------

Message: 4
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2011 15:45:10 -0800 (PST)
From: Joyce Paski <elderberrywine4u AT yahoo.com>
To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Chicken feed - growing grains for
Message-ID: <67162.69105.qm AT web37908.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Thanks!? I didn't know that.

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

--- On Wed, 1/12/11, Beth Spaugh <lists AT rhomestead.com> wrote:




Don't need to chop the beets.? Just toss them out and they will peck them.?Once the "blood" shows they eat them right up.
?
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/market-farming/attachments/20110112/71edd400/attachment-0001.html >

------------------------------

Message: 5
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2011 18:04:06 -0600
From: Thamnophis <thamnophis AT gmail.com>
To: farmersue AT myfairpoint.net, Market Farming
<market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Egg prices
Message-ID:
<AANLkTinaacq1=ABhSKR37nPZDLRvY4nGjWX5k=XqjnCu AT mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

I'm curious, how do you (or anyone) go about calculating cost of production?

I noticed that at one of our markets some vendors bid the price down
and others decided to follow suit. But I was told that everyone was
selling at a loss rather than go home with unsold eggs.

The price at the beginning of the summer was $3.50 (I think one vendor
had them for $4.00), but they ended up at $2.50 per dozen. At that
price I decided to get out of the egg business :-)

The problem (I gather) is that some at the market are selling just to
offset costs, or the eggs are their kids projects. Either way,
actually making a living is the primary concern.

You know, there are international laws against "dumping", maybe we
should get the WTO involved? :-)

Joe
Boone County, IA

On 1/12/11, Sue Wells <farmersue AT myfairpoint.net> wrote:
Eggs Organic, not certified, free ranged, and area shoveled of snow, $4 for
medium, and $5 large. I may be changing to $5 for all sizes and just mixing
them up soon.

Sue

Vermont






------------------------------

Message: 6
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2011 16:21:59 -0800
From: <clearviewfarm AT bluefrog.com>
To: <thamnophis AT gmail.com>, "Market Farming"
<market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Egg prices
Message-ID: <20110112162159.62808EB8 AT resin09.mta.everyone.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"

WTO=Government...would probably make it worse!

Kurt Forman
Clearview Farm
Palmyra, NY 14522

--- thamnophis AT gmail.com wrote:

From: Thamnophis <thamnophis AT gmail.com>
To: farmersue AT myfairpoint.net, Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org >
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Egg prices
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2011 18:04:06 -0600

I'm curious, how do you (or anyone) go about calculating cost of production?

I noticed that at one of our markets some vendors bid the price down
and others decided to follow suit. But I was told that everyone was
selling at a loss rather than go home with unsold eggs.

The price at the beginning of the summer was $3.50 (I think one vendor
had them for $4.00), but they ended up at $2.50 per dozen. At that
price I decided to get out of the egg business :-)

The problem (I gather) is that some at the market are selling just to
offset costs, or the eggs are their kids projects. Either way,
actually making a living is the primary concern.

You know, there are international laws against "dumping", maybe we
should get the WTO involved? :-)

Joe
Boone County, IA

On 1/12/11, Sue Wells <farmersue AT myfairpoint.net> wrote:
Eggs Organic, not certified, free ranged, and area shoveled of snow, $4 for
medium, and $5 large. I may be changing to $5 for all sizes and just mixing
them up soon.

Sue

Vermont




_______________________________________________
Market-farming mailing list
Market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/market-farming

Market Farming List Archives may be found here:
https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/market-farming/
Unsubscribe from the list here (you will need to login in with your email
address and password):
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/options/market-farming




------------------------------

Message: 7
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2011 16:23:30 -0800
From: Chrys Ostrander <chrys AT thefutureisorganic.net>
To: Market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: [Market-farming] FYI USDA Provides Update on Seasonal High
Tunnel Pilot
Message-ID: <4D2E4602.6060209 AT thefutureisorganic.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"; Format="flowed"

*USDA Provides Update on Seasonal High Tunnel Pilot
<http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentidonly=true&contentid=2011/01/0003.xml >*
Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan has announced that more
than 2,400 seasonal high tunnels are being constructed by farmers in 43
states through a pilot project initiated by USDA in fiscal year 2010.
USDA also posted a YouTube video of how NRCS-funded seasonal high
tunnels are helping farmers extend the growing season, diversify
production, conserve water, and reduce inputs. USDA's Natural Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS) is providing financial assistance for
seasonal high tunnels as part of a three-year trial to determine their
effectiveness in conserving water, reducing pesticide use, maintaining
vital soil nutrients, and increasing crop yields. The pilot is offered
under the Know your Farmer, Know your Food initiative. In FY 2010, NRCS
provided $13 million to landowners through its conservation programs to
install high tunnels, and additional funding is available in FY 2011.
*Related ATTRA publication: *Season Extension Techniques for Market
Gardeners <http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=52 >



Excerpted from Weekly Harvest and ATTRAnews
Subscribe to the Weekly Harvest
<https://www.thedatabank.com/dpg/427/personal2.asp?formid=signup>

--
*Chrys Ostrander, Director of Farming Programs*
People for Environmental Action and Community Health
"Local Food for All"

*Manager,
p.e.a.c.h. Community Farm at Pine Meadow*
10425 S. Andrus Rd.
Cheney, Wa 99004
509-448-3066
farms AT peachlocal.com
www.peachlocal.com
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/market-farming/attachments/20110112/cb687548/attachment.html >

------------------------------

_______________________________________________
Market-farming mailing list
Market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/market-farming

Get the list FAQ at: http://www.marketfarming.net/mflistfaq.htm


End of Market-farming Digest, Vol 96, Issue 18
**********************************************




  • [Market-farming] Beets for Forage, Patricia Rupiper, 01/13/2011

Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page