Getting started in grassfarming

[Guest guest]

excellent post, . As one chained to milking, and working decades every day, the truths you expose are hard for some to see.

BUT If you love it, the negatives are wrth it.

www.MajestyFarm.comNorth Garden, Virginia

Getting started in grassfarming

I want to jump in here! I am a frequent speaker at local and national conferences regarding this very issue.I will second much of the advice already given, disagree with one point, and expound a bit.1. Subscribe to Stockman Grass Farmer, but remember that the authors of this publication are trying to sell you a way of life. The negatives are often omitted or underplayed. Read Salatin books, but keep the same thing in mind.2. GO WORK FOR SOMEONE ALREADY DOING IT and I don't mean JUST a weekend or two. Folks, this is HARD work both physically, socially, economically and emotionally. Things die and sometimes you can't do a darn thing about it. The coyotes kill your cats, the raccoons kill your chickens and if you have LIVEstock, you WILL have deadstock as well. You may have to rehome the family dog or cat if they bother the livestock or poultry. This may happen more than once.We offer internship programs here. Thus far of the 3 interns who "wanted to do what we are doing" NONE have made it past 6 months.You'll need a gun and a big one. It's called euthanasia.3. MAKE SURE YOUR SPOUSE IS WITH YOU 110%. This is WAY to hard to not be pulling together. Are your kids in all kinds of sports? Get serious about this way of life and they won't be. Used to a summer vacation? Forget it. January is your only month to travel ASSUMING you can find someone to take care of the place. DO you like going home for the holidays? Better hope they'll come to you because you sure as heck won't find anyone to feed your cows on Christmas Day, besides, they are YOUR responisbilityDo your kids do their chores without being bribed? (ask one of your enemies--they'll tell you the truth.) If not, then FORGET them helping on the farm. Believe it or not, these are the most common real life reasons I see for failures.ESPECIALLY if you plan to milk, surrender the idea of going places with your spouse Someone has to stay home and take care of the place. People that I have known well for 5-7 years in livestock have JUST met my husband during the last year.I tell people some what in jest, but not. Once you start milking, you are CHAINED to the farm.The long hours are NOT an exaggeration. Last week our days began at 2:00 a.m. and ended at 9: p.m. During kidding, calving and lambing, our animals are checked every 4 hours round the clock for 6 weeks. During the rest of the year, we work daylight until dark outside, then come inside and do paperwork, return phone calls, etc.4. Learn as much or more about BUSINESS than about farming. this has been our #1 mistake, repeated over and over and over...5. Accept that like any new business, it will be 3-5 years before you make money.6. Find a good attorney. A GOOD one-- and keep them on retainer.7. Realize that this venture takes a LOT of capital to start up and even more to keep going. Our vet bill each year for emergencies, preg checking, ultrasounding and semen checking is over $3,000. Our salt and mineral bill is over $5,000. A BASIC electric milker is $1200 and our tabletop cream separator was $1300.I disagree with the point of only working for someone doing EXACTLY as you want it done. While I would concur that working at a confinement dairy might not do you much good, if someone feeds some grain, or milks Holsteins there is still much to learn and it is a good proving ground.I realize most of this is strongly worded and very negative, but I've seen way too many people, over a dozen in 7 years, sink their life savings, leave good jobs, etc., to have it fail miserably because they failed to be realistic about the commitment, time, work (can your back take it?), finances and stress on the marriage.Peaceful Pastures All Natural MeatsNashville, TN areaBeef, veal, chicken, turkey, lamb, porkwww.PeacefulPastures.comWe ship nationwide!PLEASE BE KIND AND TRIM YOUR POSTS WHEN REPLYING!Visit our Raw Dairy Files for a wealth of information!http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RawDairy/files/

[Guest guest]

Wow, . You said in this post with such articulation what I was thinking when I wrote the post you were referring to here. Thanks. The realities can be hard, but it isn't necessarily impossible!

[Guest guest]

Q - What's the difference between being in prison and owning a dairy?

A - In prison you don't have to milk cows.

Getting started in grassfarming

I want to jump in here! I am a frequent speaker at local and national

conferences regarding this very issue.

..

..

..

ESPECIALLY if you plan to milk, surrender the idea of going places with your

spouse Someone has to stay home and take care of the place. People that I have

known well for 5-7 years in livestock have JUST met my husband during the

last year.

I tell people some what in jest, but not. Once you start milking, you are

CHAINED to the farm.

..

..

..

Peaceful Pastures All Natural Meats

Nashville, TN area

Beef, veal, chicken, turkey, lamb, pork

www.PeacefulPastures.com

We ship nationwide!

[Guest guest]

Thanks...AGAIN..., you are a wealth of information. I understand the

statement,'...learn from someone doing it the way you want it done...' too.

I would myself never even bother on this venture if it was not going to be

completely organic and grass-fed as I would be in it for the right reasons

(not to make money).

Tony