The Beginning Farmer

One of the greatest benefits of setting up at the Downtown Des Moines Farmers Market is that I have a chance to interact with customers. This interaction (as I mentioned in the previous post) allows me the opportunity to share our farm story and my passion for the way we raise our livestock and the meat we produce. But, it has also allowed me to see what is most important to customers when it comes to the way that we raise the food that we sell.

The big topics that always come up are animal welfare, nitrates in the bacon, GMO grains, locally raised (there are quite a few people who ask if I raise the livestock), organic certified, and plenty of other topics of debate. Sometimes the customers like the answers that I give and purchase … sometimes they don’t like the answers and they give it a try anyways … and sometimes they don’t like the answers and they decide not to buy at all. But, when it comes down to it for me it is really a game of give and take.

I say give and take because if I may one choice, such as deciding to use organic grains, then it will impact another aspect of the farm … in that case the cost of the finished product for the consumer. With grain prices as high as they are now it is already difficult to figure out how everything to come together financially, but I can’t image how it would be if I was only using organic grains. Recently I spoke with an organic hog farmer who was paying $18 a bushel for corn and nearly $30 for beans! Basically twice as much as I’m paying for locally raised (most likely GMO) grain.

If I was using organic grains my prices would have to be raised significantly and I would probably lose some customers because of that … probably not many people would be interested in $7 or $8 ground pork. So, for the time being I’m sticking with my locally raised grains that aren’t trucked around the midwest and support local businesses. Would I like to be able to use non-GMO grain … YES!!! But, that will have to wait until I can source it in a way that makes sense … or I can raise my own (that is a dream).

That is just one example of the give and take questions that are continually facing the farm. Financial sustainability means lots of questions like this and lots of conversations with customers. One thing I wouldn’t mind changing is the nitrates because it seems to be a big concern for customers, but so far my processor doesn’t feel comfortable with the other options.

How about you … what do you think of these debates and give and takes?

While not literally on the farm … the Downtown Des Moines Farmers Market is a huge part of the farm. Last year we did twelve dates at the market (including the two winter indoor markets), and this year we are full-time vendors there each week beginning in May and ending the last Saturday of October. We are in the homestretch now, but it has been a very good and eventful season so far … even if I’ve done about half of it on crutches and in a cast!

The Downtown Des Moines Farmers Market is a pretty large market covering four city blocks plus three north/south side streets off of the main avenue. I believe it has somewhere close to 200 vendors and averages large crowds each week with over 15,000 people. Needless to say it is a very large crowd each week and even though it has been hot we have had nice Saturdays and plenty of people.

For our farm the biggest thing about the market is getting our name out there, meeting people, and sharing our story. The great thing about the market is that there is an opportunity to really build a relationship with the customers and they can get a pretty good picture of the farm. Just in this first year we have built a great following of regulars who come pretty much every week (and mostly at the same time). Those regulars have also become some of our best advertisers and often recommend our pork to friends or people checking out the display while they are making their purchase.

We have been averaging about a hog per week in sales at the market with pork being the mainstay of our sales … and the only thing that we’ve had consistently each week. At the beginning of the market we had a little lamb left over which sold very well, and the one beef we did this year sold out very quickly! We have also had our whole chickens for a few weeks and should have more throughout the last two months of the market. But, our pork has been our thing and I hope to gain a reputation as the place to go to for the best pork at the market.

The biggest thing about the market for the farm though is just the exposure. I have often commented that our eventual goal is to be selling just wholes and halves. I strongly believe that is the most sustainable method for the farm and for the way we raise the animals, but in order to get to that place people need to get to know us. This year we have been taking reservations for whole/half hogs and quickly filled up the spots for our fall hogs and are now taking reservations for the spring. If things keep up the way they are going now I can see us eventually working our way out of the market … which could be a good thing.

But, for the time being … the market is a great avenue and connection to a great crowd interested in some of the best pork available!

Dick Thompson is a man that I’ve never met, but he is one that I have often read about. Mr. Thompson was the founding force behind Practical Farmers of Iowa and still is deeply involved in the research and field studies down in the organization. In the article linked below he shares how he beats the drought through diversification instead of relying on crop insurance and other payments. I think this statement of his from the article sums it up best, but you should read the whole thing for yourself …

“In 1988, our bean yields were 17 bushels over county average, our corn yields were 27 bushels over county average – so, I rest my case.”

I think our farmers and the entire country would benefit from Mr. Thompson’s approach, but those are just my thoughts … let me know what you think!

Having a Profitable Farm Year, Rain or Shine

Let me just say this … our Katahdin Hair Sheep flock is really a work in progress … but, with that in mind I do think that they will eventually become a slightly bigger part of our operation than I envisioned. Lamb and beef are two things that I only have a few times throughout the farmers market season at this point, but I would say that are at least as many or even more people that ask for lamb each week! Plus, I think they fit well with our grazing system and on our farm.

Now, why do I call them a work in progress? Well … let me just say that they are not exactly trained to the electric fence yet (including the electric netting). This is our second year with the sheep and I can’t exactly say that we have been rotationally grazing them, but I can say they cover the acres very well and do graze on different species of forage than the cows normally do. From reading other people’s accounts on raising sheep I think I just need to really focus on getting them used to the hot wires.

As I mentioned the demand has been fairly high for lamb meat and we have not had any problem selling what few cuts we have. In fact I’ve had quite a few people interested in ordering whole lambs and that will probably be something we begin in the next year or so, but for now I like the idea of getting as many people hooked on our lamb meat as possible! The downside though is that the way we raise our lambs it is very seasonal market. With our spring born lambs and fall processing we really only have them available for a couple months each year.

One option to spread the availability out a little bit would be to have fall born lambs and winter them over on hay, but I’m not sure if I like that idea because there would be extra hay costs incurred that don’t exist with spring lambing. Which makes me think that selling whole lambs and taking reservations throughout the year for the fall would be the best possible market strategy for the farm.

I am pretty sure that there will be sheep and lambs on the farm for years to come (as long as we get all the wrinkles ironed out), but there are a few things I would like to try/explore. As I mentioned I may try some different breeding schedules, but I would also like to look more closely into the St. Croix breed if I can find some. I will also admit that I need to learn quite a bit more about the different cuts and how to prepare them! All in all though I’m pleased with the sheep.

The great thing about this year is that we have had an extremely severe drought which has led to grass that decided it didn’t want to grow back as well … hay that is scarce and expensive … and lots fun in the heat! No really … I think it is fairly obvious that it has been a difficult year in many places and as bad as it has been here there are probably areas that have had things worse. So, we are just plugging away with our Dexter beef.

When the farm began … and really before the farm began … I was working towards having the grassfed beef be the centerpiece enterprise of our farm. I read a lot of books on raising cattle, managing grass, management intensive grazing, and so much more. In fact the very first livestock we purchased were the Dexter cows and calves. I really wanted beef to be my focus, but once we really got going and moved to the farm it quickly became clear that the beef was going to be a small side enterprise of the larger farm business.

The reason is very simple … land! We only have a total of 40 acres and from there probably only 25 or so acres are available for grazing (minus the woods/buildings). Those 25 acres will allow us to do a few beef each year (along with our Katahdin lambs), but with our limited grazing land right now it will never be a centerpiece. And, as things stand right now I don’t see renting more land as a viable option … so our purebred Dexter beef is a smaller part of our farm.

Now that I have that all out of the way … how are things going? Grazing started out well this year, but it quickly became apparent that the grass would not be growing back. That along with my injury has meant less rotational grazing and more scrambling for grass! Nevertheless the cows and calves seem to be doing well and since we have had only bull calves for the last couple of years we should have more beef offerings the next couple of years.

I believe if you look over some previous posts you would see that I was beginning to question the Dexters because they don’t produce as much meat as other cattle their size (Lowlines for example). I have been having some serious thoughts about at least crossing in some more beefy lines. Just this past Saturday though I think I ruled that out at the farmers market when I had multiple customers come up asking for beef and were disappointed that I was out because they said it was the best they had ever had! For now … we’re sticking with the Dexters.

There is my quick rambling on our Dexter beef … if you have any specific questions I would love to share more!

If you happen to follow Crooked Gap Farm on Facebook you may have already heard about my stupid leg, but if you don’t … let me just say that I tore my achilles tendon making an explosive play on the softball field (and recording an out) over a month ago. Since the fateful game I’ve worn a splint for a couple of weeks preparing for surgery … had surgery … and now have been in a cast for two weeks with four more weeks to go. After that hopefully a walking cast (that is what the doc said) for maybe six weeks followed by physical therapy.

All of that introduction was to say this … I have to spend more time sitting down than working on the farm and have recently been scouring iTunes and Amazon for things to listen to and read. So, I’m hopeful that there are still people reading this blog after nearly a year of missing posts because I could use any reading or listening suggestions you have. I’ll do my part as well and share a few that I’ve enjoyed lately.

Books …

• The Sheer Ecstasy of Being a Lunatic Farmer by Joel Salatin :: I’ve actually read this one in the past and have re-read it as well. You all may have heard of the author (sarcasm intended), but really it is a good read. As a side note I haven’t read it yet, but have listened to a few podcast episodes feature Mr. Salatin discussing his new book Folks This Ain’t Normal.
• Storey’s Guide To Raising Rabbits by Bob Bennett :: Honestly this is my son’s book, but since he started in the rabbit business this year I figured I should do some reading as well. Even though we are raising our rabbits outside on pasture this book covered a lot of basic information and at least gave me an idea of what I was getting into.

Podcasts …

• Farm-Dreams.com Farmcast :: This one is hosted by Tim and Liz of Nature’s Harmony Farm. During each podcast they discuss different items that have recently come up on the Farm-Dreams.com website and share some of their experience. I enjoyed their previous farm podcast and this one is a good listen as well.
• Chicken Thistle Farm CoopCast :: I stumbled on this podcast a couple weeks ago looking for something to listen to while keeping my foot up so it doesn’t swell to twice it’s size! It covers the happenings on Chicken Thistle Farm located in New York. The raise some livestock and have a CSA garden among other jobs and farm ventures. A good listen and a nice perspective.
• Joel Salatin on Inner Compass :: Search is a wonderful thing on iTunes, and it was a search that led me to this interview with Mr. Salatin. This is actually a video podcast of a local PBS show I believe. Although it took a while to download in town it was fun to watch.

There you have a few suggestions from me … I would love to hear other suggestions!

Pastured Poulet Rouge Chickens

Right now we are raising a slow growing naked neck Poulet Rouge breed that fits well in our pasture based system and is full of flavor. It is part of our farm values to help raise and preserve heritage breeds (the naked necks can be traced back to at least 1810) and these chickens help us stick with those values while providing a great bird.

If you have been hiding under a rock this summer I need to inform you that Iowa and much of the country have been experiencing a drought. Along with the lack of rain we have also been experiencing extreme heat, but I have been very pleased with the natural hardiness of our birds … not losing any with the heat (although the predator losses is a different story). This natural ability to withstand the elements has always been one of the reasons behind our breed choices and breeding selection.

Last year we raised one smaller batch of this bird and so far this year we have/are in the process of raising three groups of about 50-75 average. The birds are being raised on grass in the orchard and they seem to be voracious foragers. Along with their forage we are feeding a 21% protein corn/soy ration that has a Homestead Feeds Chick-En-Egg Concentrate pack added for minerals (it is hormone free and animal byproduct free). During the first batch of chickens our protein level was not as high as it should have been and I noticed that the birds grew slower than expected … that is now fixed and seems to be working better. We have used the Homestead line of feeds now for almost two years with the hogs and I’ve been pleased with it.

We process all of our birds at a state inspected facility which allows us to sell at our Farmers Market and on-line cooperative. The other exciting thing about the current processor is that they air chill the birds so they don’t soak up a lot of water weight and the meat retains a great texture and flavor. I will say that we are very lucky though to have such a processor so close (about an hours drive).

The downsides … it does take these birds about 14 weeks to finish out and the rate of growth does seem to be all over the place depending on the bird. We also need to finish building more portable chicken wagons, but that is just one of the many things on our ever growing list! Overall I believe they are good fit for us and I plan on continue raising them and working to build a market for the birds.

One thing that I always tell people though is that I have found that the animals that are born on our farm do better than the animals that we bring to the farm. With that in mind we are very seriously considering raising and selecting our own breeding stock so that we can incubate/hatch our own meat birds. I’m not sure that it will happen, but it is something that interests me quite a bit! If anyone has any thoughts or book recommendations on that subject I would love to hear them.

I thought I would expand a little on the cuts vs. whole/half animals post a little since there were a couple of comments on my previous post. First of all I don’t believe I’ll ever get to a point where I don’t do any individual cuts (although I could be wrong), but I would like to get a point where it is a very small portion of the sales. As I detailed in the last post I strongly believe that a whole/half is the most sustainable for all involved, but I also understand that there will always be a majority of customers/potential customers who like the convenience of only buying pork chops and bacon.

In our case we sell the individual cuts through multiple sources … at a farmers’ market, through an on-line order food cooperative, monthly deliveries to a group of customers in the Des Moines area, and off the farm. With all of those various methods of selling (some of which overlap) keeping an inventory is a requirement. That inventory takes quite a bit of time as we keep track not only of quantity, but also of weights (we use a spread sheet at the farmers’ market with weights to make selling easier). When we process a hog (or anything else) that will be for sale as individual cuts there is also an extra charge at the locker to make it an “official” animal and have labels with weights. On top of all of that time there is also the expense of running freezers, or in my case of never having enough freezers!

As you might imagine all of that adds up to quite a bit of extra time and money spent in order to offer the convenience of individual cuts. I can see the benefit of individual cuts if you were just doing it for a few cuts (burger and steaks as mentioned in one of the comments), but if I could get away from it I would. We do try to keep everything that we can get a label for. That means we have plenty of lard, leaf lard, and pork soup bones. And, at certain times of the year we really get overloaded on things like ham, ham hocks, and roast.

On the flip side when we sell a whole there is no need for freezer space, there is no inventory, and there is not as much time spent in selling it. This was our first year doing a pay-as-it-grows program on the pigs and it seems like there was a decent amount of interest in that. It is something that takes a bit more paper work and time, but if you compare it to the individual cuts you realize it isn’t so bad I think. Plus, when the whole hog is sold there isn’t any “tough sell” cuts left over and with a little education I think our customers will really come to appreciate getting those cuts!

Like a said … just a few more thoughts on the cuts vs. whole animal discussion …

:: Farm Rock :: This Too Shall Pass … by OK Go … watch here … buy here ::