Busy....some updates and pics....

[CoopCrazy]

As always I

The place looks great.. I am really gonna have to try for a few hogs next year.. and I am so glad the CSA is going well for you.. Congrats man you got alot to be proud of there...

 

[Bucky182]

What is CSA??? Brunty what kind of laying hens do you have?

 

[Sundown_Farmer]

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Community Supported Agriculture. I assume he sells subscriptions to his garden and subscribers come on certain dates to collect their portion of the harvest.

 

[TimG]

Everything looks awesome. I know there are lots of us who would like to be able to do what you are doing, but very few of us who have the energy and devotion to it that you have and which seems to be making your farm a big success. I admire you.

I don't mean to get into specifics of your personal finances, but I wonder if you could tell us a little about which of your farm endeavors are making money and which are losing money, which will fit into your long term plans, that sort of thing.

 

[barrybro]

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You know... I was thinking that yesterday. I finally got done around 11:00 pm and was like... even if I had 10 more hours I still couldn't get it all done. Right now I'm battling the heat, I have no drip irrigation and hand watering all of those plants is not fun.

Jeff;

I use drip irrigation on my pumpkins and mums. It is great. I run it off of my home water supply and I am doing 5 acres of pumpkins. I can't get by without rain but it helps during dry spells.

Barry

 

[SteveH]

A little off topic , but Jeff while watering your crops may be a hassle , be grateful you don't have these conditions . These pictures were taken today near where I have my chickens . Recent flash flooding has washed silt down from the bluffs in the distance into the sandy soiled cropland that in the past would not hold water long enough to grow grain crops and had to be irrigated . The wheels on the walking irrigators are about 4' tall . Most of what you see had a crop of corn planted and standing earlier this year . While its going to be richer soil , it may never be farmable again without some major work to give it drainage .

 

[NevadaRon]

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I'm raising some meat pigs, too. But I heard that optimum processing weight was 200-240lbs. Why have you waited so long?

BTW your operation is awesome!

I think that weight is from earlier years. I think now the standard for cut processing is 250-300 pounds. That's what I have been told from a couple different processors, however it could vary throughout the country. Not sure but I know they are going to taste really good...

Thanks for the nice comment...

Ah, I see. I'm a newb at hog raising myself - raising two this year. So I was going by what I read in Storey's Guide. Here's a pic of them. ~3.5 months old and already well over 100 lbs.!

 

[Brunty_Farms]

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The Katahdins are a hair sheep, they are milder in flavor because of this there is less lanolin in their meat. Also to mention the hair is similar to a dog as they shed in the summer and get a thicker coat for winter. With me being so busy these fit in my operation a little easier than say a wool sheep.

Glad to hear all is well with your project too and I know I have to get some pics. I was just looking at them today and couldn't believe how big the rooster is. He is pure white and reminds me of a Chantler but way bigger.

Muscovies are great meat ducks, I believe I'm going to try some from JM and see how they turn out. I'm just now getting eggs from my mixed flock of pullet ducks and they are really good!

On the goats and beef... I have raised goats in the past and look forward to possibly looking into getting them again but when I had them there wasn't much of a market in my area. Beef, I haven't touched yet but soon will. I'm in the process of getting 30 acres so if that goes through I will definitely add beef soon.

I will get those pics up soon.

 

[Brunty_Farms]

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I went through Illinois and seen those walking irrigation systems. I've never seen those before... do you guys get less water in Illinois and Indiana? We have a lot of crop fields here and very rarely are they irrigated. However it looks like this year you guys don't need those things. Time for the kids to get the swimming trunks out!

 

[Brunty_Farms]

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I hear ya, however you will never catch up! It seems like when you get a handle on things it starts to snow!! I just take one day at a time and hope the next one isn't as crazy as the day before, but you have to love it or it will drive you crazy.