also in recent news...
DW and I had a farm meeting over dinner tonight to talk more about the upcoming year. I asked her about the pig discussion we had with our friend the other night to see if she was serious. She said that she is ok with it as long as i do the math and make sure it is worth it and make a plan of when, where, how etc. I need to also take into account the 2 long weekend trips we currently have planned this summer as that is additional work we would need covered and probably too much in combo with our chickens for just 1 person (such as MIL who usually helps out when we are gone).
This then turned to talking about feeding animals for the next year. We decided that I will also put my research efforts into pricing out equipment to mix our own feed as that would be double benefit if we do pigs. I need to see if buying a grinder and a gravity wagon would be worth it over time vs buying bagged feed from the mill. It also would involve me talking with the neighbor to buy corn from his when he trucks in the spring. He is our renter and we give him a steal on our land, so I am hoping he will return the favor with cheap corn. if that all adds up we will go for it.
I may be crazy to try all this along with our plans for a new house, but since I wouldn't have work to do on that until late fall I am feeling ok.