OK Here's the question with more info. We bought "The Farm" 18 years ago. We lost 50 head of cattle 5 years ago. Corn and hay were too high and the cattle prices were low,and we lost 50 to new strain of pneumonia. We have three children 15,11,and 7.We have built the herd back up to 7 cows,8 calves just by saving them back. The good Lord has provided in those years to make that extra payment while saving back the heifers.Husband also worked 60 miles away,but that just meets our everyday expenses. We have Rhode Island Reds and sell the eggs for $1.00. Yet it is hard to get people to come up the drive to buy unless I have a yard sale or am open selling my herbs which I sell as plants right out of the garden. I also have a small washhouse which I sell antiques and crafts which I purchase at the thrift stores. We have a male mini donkey,sebastpol geese,reds,bantams,chocolate muscovies, and just got 50 guineas to add to our income. We have the 45 acres of pasture,12 brome, 10 or 12 alfalfa,rest in buildings,and herb garden. We have all the haying equipment and put up all our own hay which feeds the cows in the winter. Basically the only costs in the cows are shots and bull rental.We don't borrow any money and do it all out of pocket while paying down the debt. Husband wants to restore tractors and keep putting up the hay,Iam enjoying all that I do,but we want to be self supporting with the good Lord's help just not sure if we should focus on any one thing!We have also raised hogs on our confinments,but quit because they eat more corn than we can raise so no money in purchasing all the feed. HELP!

-- Carla Gruber (herbs@computer-concepts.com), January 26, 2002

Answers

You don't tell us your location. Approximate will do. Maybe we can give better suggestions.

Do you advertise in a penny saver type paper about your eggs? Do you sell christmas geese or broiler or fryer chickens? If you do, what do you do with the goose feathers? Have you considered goats? If you don't want the excess milk from a goat you could feed it to hogs. If you got hogs again wuold you have to feed them in confinement? I'm assuming you have woodland not swampy woodland.

As for restoring tractors. Has your husband restored tractors before? There are people that do it and make money just like the classic car restorers! There are books and videos out there covering this sort of thing. Is there a need for small engine repair? Would your husband be interested in doing that? I just talked to a ranching friend of mine and one of her neighbors started doing small engine repair and is doing quite well with it! They live in SE Oklahoma.

-- Katie S (cashcrop90@yahoo.com), January 26, 2002.

Here are my suggestions: If there are specialty markets or co-ops that you can sell to, then explore those markets. Might try a more aggression tactic with your egg sales, offer your customer a reason to return and buy from you. As you are already raising herbs, can you raise enough to supply a store, or restaurant? Some restaurants like to have a specific fresh produce supplier. County extension agents in your area or regional college’s agricultural programs (check internet under farmer markets) usually offer brochures and programs on farmer markets and guides for marketing produce.

-- BC (desertdweller44@yahoo.com), January 26, 2002.

Again, Carla, it depends on where you are located, but I have a cousin in California who's children raised a market garden and sold the produce at their house every summer. They earned enough for spending money, and all three paid for their college expenses. Worked their fannies off, but they did it. Can you raise more produce and have the kids help with the work and selling? How near to a larger population/city/town are you? Wish we could do more, and we probably could, just takes the idea, the work and a little advertising. Good luck, and let us know what you try, and how it works. Maybe an article for the magazine? Jan

-- Jan in CO (Janice12@aol.com), January 26, 2002.

Thanks for all your great input.Here's an addition we live by St. Paul, NE,small town,approx.2,500 people.We are 30 miles away from Grand Island,NE approx. 40,000 people.They only have a farmer's market in the late summer.No co-ops. As for the herbs we don't really have restaurants per say that I think would be interested in herbs,just lots of fast food and a Red Lobster.Grand Island does although have a huge Spanish speaking population which I had considered specialty produts,but my kids are lazy as you know what,I've tried everything to motivate them. As for the pasture it is sandhills with encroaching cedars.

-- Carla (herbs@computer-concepts.com), January 26, 2002.

If there is a canning factory close by you might could raise something for them. Also have you gotten the free E-Book: "How to earn extra money" from Ken Scharabo. There are a lot of good ideals in it.

-- r.h. in okla. (rhays@sstelco.com), January 26, 2002.

The best way I could think of for you to bring more money to your farm, is to plant (U-PICK) berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries,etc...). People are willing to go out of their way to do this. And you will sell more of your eggs & if you want to put them out, vegies from the garden. Also any overripe or unsold fruit can be dried (which keeps for a long time) & sold later (or next year). Like I have now, there are some kids (or adults) that prefer to eat dried fruit instead of fresh. Start with strawberries (they give the quickest return over other fruits) & plant some others like raspberries or blueberries that will mature in a few years. You could start with a small patch & sell them with your herbs, saveing the profits for more plantings next year. Word will get out & you should sell enough to make a sizeable planting & maybe start planting your other types of fruit (blueberries). Like I said, fruit is always in demand, so people go out of their way to get to you. (make it a U- PICK to save you a lot on harvesting but remember to pick some yourself for those that just want to buy but not pick).

Sorry this is long.

animalfarms

-- animalfarms (jawjlewis@netzero.net), January 26, 2002.

We tried several things over the years and finally decided to just work untill retirement and then only do the amount of work we wanted to do to do the things we really enjoyed. Every thing you do on the farm is labor intensive beyond belief. True you can make a living barely, there was a message a short time back how you could rase a huge garden and deliver fresh vegetables to town and make $20 thousnad dollars a year. We tried that and worked 80 hours a week in the spring and summer and almost that much fall and winter getting ready to do it again the next year. Decided for us to just get a job and put enough money away to retire early. Working 40 hours a week for 45 thousand is much easer. True I had a good trade but was self taught and others can and do do it. Just my experience and my opinion. If you want to do it yes you can make a living on much less than 70 acres, we have a hundred but I had just rather enjoy earler retirement and homestead just for us. Best of luck David and Judy

-- David (bluewaterfarm@mindspring.com), January 26, 2002.

Carla, when I lived in Central Florida the Spanish speaking people gladly paid $5.00 each for live chickens because they did not like the taste ofstore chickens. Also it is traditional for them to consume a goat at Christmas time. Just some ideas.

As for the lazy kids, hire an ambishous kid to helpout a bit, let your kids meals lag behind a bit while you and the hired one complete the work, nature has ways to make adjustments.

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), January 27, 2002.

First, put up good clean hay and sell it to horse people. Feed the rained on junk to the cows only. Sell the beef direct to consumers as free range or hormone free, etc. Don't forget, a farm is a great learning tool for kids. They can learn self reliance and all about business and working hard. Good luck.

-- chris vadas (vadas@nfdc.net), January 29, 2002.

Don't know if anyone mentioned this yet to you but with the road side stands and pick your own veggies you might want to check your homeowners insurance for any injuries that might happen on your property or if someone says they got sick over your product. I know this might sound silly but people are strange now a days. I want to sell at a local Farmers Market through our nearest city and the cost is $25 to "join" and then $15 a week and then pay the premium they offer for a Million Dollars in insurance for my/their protection. Sounds like a lot of money for my first year of starting out...but guess I will have to consider it since no one comes up my country road but the mailman so can't depend on passing by trade for this idea. All of the could of course be used as deductions on your tax return next year and you would probably get most of it back from Uncle Sam. I have another "home" business and it is worth my while just to keep it for the returns that I get each year from it and of course the money I do make from it every year too. Good Luck

-- Helena (windyacs@npacc.net), January 29, 2002.