Future Farm

[BarbK]

Omelleta it all depends on what you want. Do you mind having the larger dairy cows around or do you want something smaller or miniature? I don't want to deal with the larger dairy cows plus I don't want to deal with the health problems of the more modern animals. I also want to be able to have one breed of animal for my meat and dairy purposes.
If you don't mind the larger cows then maybe the Guernsey or Ayrshire might be good for you. The Guernsey is a more laid back cow than the Jersey.
I am looking into the smaller cows because you can put more on your land than the larger ones and they don't do as much damage. I have done so much research on a lot of different breeds however I am not sure I even want to deal with cattle. That is where my indecision comes from.

 

[hcammack]

The Jersey have alot of attitude and for some reson I like that about them they are also good for grass based dairy and better then holstiens. THese are the Breeds I want For the Farm.

Cows- Jersey and Highland (my friends grandfather breeds them)

Sheep- East Fresian
Goats- Toggenburg
Chickens- Marans, Amerucanas, RIR's, Buff Orphs, and Favvorels + Buckeyes and Delawares , Red Rangers(meat bird that is bred to be pasture raised)

Turkeys- Heritage breeds like Narraganset and Blue Slate
Ducks- Apple Yard, Kaki Campel, Moscovey
Geese- Buffs and Pilgrims

 

[Omeletta]

Thanks for the heads-up with the attitude with the jersey...I like the cream content, good gor cheese and butter, but I also am not happy about their size.

Hc, my best friend raises toggs and nubian crosses. The toggs are delightful, they were hand raised from birth and are very docile and have even won awards for conformation and production. Have you ever heard of a guy named Joel Salaton? He wrote several very good books, "Pastuered Poultry" "Salad Bar Beef" and several others. They sound like they would be right up your alley...We really benefitted from what he had to say about how to pasture your herd. The broilers he fattens in movable tractors that follow the cows around a systematic pattern for properly maintaining and improving pasture health. It's a win/win situation...the animals get fat, and your pasture gets healthy. It's alot more work, but surely worth the effort.

Well, I'll get off my soap box now...sorry! Passionate about farmin'

Tanya

 

[Frozen Feathers]

I love day dreaming about my ideal farm, so I'll play too.

I would love to have...

A Shorthorn cow for milk/cheese/butter/meat(yes they taste good, too)
Llama for fiber/pack/guard animal (will have to learn to spin)
A Gypsy Vanner horse for fun and eye candy
Spanish and Nigerian Goats for meat/cheese/milk, brush control and just because goats are so darn cute.
Chickens eggs/meat and fun
Great Pyrenees for guard and pillow
Gigantic garden with every vegetable/fruit growable up here.
An Orchard including apple, peach, pear, plum and walnut trees.
Lots of blueberry, raspberry(already have the best raspberries, but could always use more), blackberry and gooseberry bushes.

 

[kstaven]

Actually hcammack is very close in dreams to the life we live here. Highlands actually give very good quality milk. Natural foragers without the attitude of a Jersey. Better feed conversion ratios also. Dexters can also be a good choice.

Toggs are a great choice for goats.

Shetland sheep is another choice.

 

[Omeletta]

I didn't realize highlands were good milkers! Can I ask about cream content? Is it good and high for butter and cheese?

We had a friend who had dexters, they had the shorter ones, and some taller ones (don't know why there was a difference?) They were extremely docile, very hardy for our Alberta weather (-40 C). And yet I'm just attracted to the highland...it's so beautiful, and we are looking for a smaller, easier managed breed. Obviously it's well suited to cold temps...but what about heat? We get to 35 Celsius here...I know other farms have them, though there doesn't seem to be many...

Hc, you talked about gardening for your own food supply, do you use heritage seeds?

Great thread, by the way!

Tanya

 

[patandchickens]

Sorta getting back to some of Henry's original question:

Quote:
Hating to inject too much reality here

but the cost of a coupla kids is nothing compared to the cost of a mortgage, which unless you are expecting to come into a big inheritance you are going to be laboring under for a long time and has to be figured into things.

Where would you set up a enterprise like this because I think it should be close to a major city what city do you think would be a good place to set up?

The problem with 'close to a major city' is that that's where land is most expensive (and, often, taxes highest), which gets back to item A above, the mortgage.

What I've often seen recommended is to try to start up in an area that you think *will* become developed and more-heavily-populated in a while, somewhere a good ways out from a city, but where land is still affordable. But not somewhere that'll be developed so quickly that you will be squeezed out in a decade. Of course saying that is easy, DOING it is the trick

You also have to look at the suitability of an area's soils and topography for the kind of farming you want to do... some places may end up being bad bets for you, even though they meet other criteria, just because the land isn't really going to work so well in the ways you want.

I can see you've put a fair amount of thought into this, which is really cool, so can I suggest that a good 'next step' would be researching some different chronologies or business plans that might work well. You know, like start out with X and Y, then try to expand to A and B, then maybe C D and E eventually. The reason I mention this is because it sounds like you are looking for a sort of systems-y, polyculture-y approach (which is good!). That has to be intelligently designed, not just thrown together. Like if you start with 2 kinds of pastured livestock then they oughta be ones that work well together in rotation, and work well together with whatever you feel are the most economicall6y-viable crops as well.

So, like, for instance, "goats and horses and raspberries" would not be such a great combination to start with, as compared to maybe "beef cattle and pastured poultry and market-garden veggies". As far as dairy is concerned, be aware it has higher capital costs b/c of the equipment needed (plus other complications like you get locked into a certain level of workload and product production that cannot rapidly be adjusted according to market fluctuations).

Good luck,

Pat​

 

[Buster]

I think your idea is a good one, but here are some things to consider:
Close to a major city may not be a good idea because city people like to encroach on what you do and eventually the city will overtake you and run you off.
Simply doing dairy goats instead of dairy cows may be more economical. Cows take 1 to 1 1/2 acres of good grazing ground per cow/ calf pair in the summer and will eat up to 5 tons of hay per head in the winter (about 30 lbs per day). Also, dairy cows require more expensive, higher quality hay than do beef cows.
Also remember that milking ANYTHING is very time consuming and really ties you down. I don't have a problem w/ people who do, it's just not for me.

 

[hcammack]

Thanks For all the great Advice

Omletta I actualy have read all of Joel Slatins book and I want to be his aprentice and take a year between highschool and college.

I have taken into account all the hard work that this will take and I now how much milking ties you down that why I am planning all of my traveling now. The reason I was thinking about locating near a city is that you need an area to market your product. (I actualy could come into a good inheritance but I dont like to think about that because my parents are actualy realy old and I am realy young my dad works high in a corprate company).

I will consider what you guys said about cows and I have always liked goats better any way. I think that I will Start off with Eggs, Broilers, Turkey, and Goats. These are fairly good for a rotational grazing system. I will also have a market garden.

I have wanted to do this since I was 2 and I dont think anyone can preswade me not to not that anyoff you guys where trying.

Thanks For all the great help Henry

 

[Omeletta]

Good for you, Hc...sorry to have commandeered your thread...I, too, am highly passionate about farming. It is possible, just not like most modern people think it is.

Tanya