Last night, Sarah and I went to the Monday night poultry auction in Culpeper. Lately we have been using the Saturday and Monday auctions as much as a social gathering than buying/selling animals or equipment,

One of our friend Rich, came to Sarah and I and proposed a future project that sounds very promising. He has a neighbor with 20 acres near his farm that is sitting empty at the moment, The owner has even stopped bush hogging the property, Seem (from first view) that at least two or three of the property lines are already fenced, He was proposing that if he can talk his neighbor into letting us use the property (in order for the owner to get the farming property tax break) we would get some feeder calves, pasture raising them and selling them for butcher next spring/summer.  Sarah and I have been toying with the idea of getting a couple calves and possibly a heifer for additional  milk here on the farm. This proposal I think has great opportunity (if we can get permission from the owner) to make us some good additional income. We would just have to evaluate the fencing (cows can be contained with just 2 strands of barbed wire) and with the cost of beef starting to go through the roof, this is very promising. Our friend and I both know a few people that have some decent prices on feeder calves and even bottle babies and those are a good place to start looking at stock.

We are also getting the materials together to get our wood-burning stoves hooked up before winter sets in. Rich also said he needed help cutting up what he called a "wood slab" and is willing to split the amount of wood we process (strip, cut and haul) if I wanted to help. Told him I would be VERY interested in helping. IF the Farmers Almanac is even close to what they are predicting, we are looking at a rather harsh winter this year and all the extra firewood I can get my hands on I'm going to do what I can to get it.

Speaking of a harsh winter, by this weekend I will have laid in around 200-250 square bales of hay for the critters. I'm thinking with all the squares (much easier to manhandle than the 1/4 ton round bales), I should only need 2 perhaps 3 of the round bales,

We recently found an almost endless supply of styrofoam coolers from the Warrenton Free Clinic. They get their medicines shipped to them in these one foot by one foot coolers and they normally just send them to the landfill.  When I approached them about what they do with the coolers they told me just that. When I asked if I could take a few of them (was originally thinking about them for shipping eggs/meats) they said I could have as many as I could haul away. SCORE! I now have a decent amount stacked up and Sarah and I were thinking that over the winter we could stack them against the concrete basement walls as a simple form of insulation. Also keeps the critters from trying to nibble on them. The goats have taken a keen interest in them, Just more proof that goats will try to eat just about anything.

We have also been looking around the internet stealing (I'm sorry, borrowing) other farmers ideas about temporary/portable shelters for our various livestock. We saw where one farmer who had a good supply of pallets who broke them down into their slats and cross-pieces and built run-in sheds out of them. BRILLIANT! We have several local business' that get their products shipped in on pallets and one of them said when they had extras they they were not going to use themselves they would let me know and I could come take all I could. There is a local guy that builds chicken coops and stationary shelters and has been selling them periodically at the poultry auction. They have been going for roughly $200 a piece but the auctioneer has been having problems with him being consistent about bringing them to auction. Hmmmmm. I wonder if that is another possible avenue income (especially during the winter months when production is low)?

Very interesting afternoon. Sarah and I went to hear Joel Salatin give a talk at the Culpeper library this afternoon. Was very interesting and nice to hear that someone of his farming stature has a lot of the same ideals about farming/raising livestock that we do. The talk was attended by around 40-50 people. Was rather surprised that there were so many people. Mostly farmers or those interested in farming but also people that are just interested or concerned about where their food comes from and believe in farm-to-consumer type of operations and getting away from industrial farming, This is just one more of those things that supports our vision of what we want to produce and provide to our customers and our community.

One thing that struck me was that Joel Salatin's Polyface Farm does not ship their products very farm. I believe he said that they only provide product to stores and farmers markets only within 15-20 miles from their operation. I found that very interesting. He also emphasized diversity of animals and produce. He stated that it greatly helps to cut down on a single type of pathogen decimating your livestock. I learned several years ago that some bugs, worms, virus' that may harm one animal wont hurt another that several are actually neutralized by some animals thus keeping infection in vulnerable animals down. Most worms, virus' do not cross species. We learned that when our pastures are grazed low by the goats or pigs, we move them onto another pasture and run the poultry through to get the worms and slugs that can harm the goats and pigs. Keeps infections down and thus I do not need to use chemical dewormer's near as often as when we over graze the pastures.

So Saturday was eventful.  Sarah and I hit Seymours  auction in Culpeper.  After getting a variety of produce I was talking to farmer friend there MIGHT be a job opportunity that will get me out of the post office sooner than I had planned with more money than I am "making" now. Pray it pans out. God really does bless us and opens opportunities we never deampt of.

Well tomorrow starts a three day weekend. hoping to get a lot done. Creating a kennel for the dogs. A run for the ducks/geese, and picking up half of our winter hay. Just need to find a round bale hay supplier

Mum suggested I start a blog about the "startup" of our farm. So here goes. Its 103 days until I quit my "full-time" job and devote all my tine to The Farm. Should have done this 5 years ago but... Getting some of the basic's done on my days off. Building goat/hog housing, winter coops for poultry,  kennels for the LSG's. Cutting, splitting and stacking wood for winter.....supposed to be the coldest in almost 30 years.  Big plans, little time and less money. LOVE A CHALLENGE!