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I asked for questions and you listeners came back with some great questions! The only bummer thing about all of those great questions is that I’m not sure that I had equally great answers. So, take a listen to the episode, check out the question topics below, and then I’d love it if you’d chime in with your thoughts. I’m guessing with the vast array of knowledge in this group there will be some great thoughts!
Question Topics:
- Do you assist in your hogs’ farrowing?
- How is the family doing?
- What is your favorite part about chickens and how about having them in the winter?
- Improving efficiencies when raising pigs (both time and money).
- Am I getting ready for spring?
- Do you AI your livestock? Why or why not?
- Oats in the hog ration?
- Do you speak French?
- What about loans when it comes to farming?
Links mentioned in the episode:
- Hog Production Alternatives
- Formulating Swine Rations
- Feeding Small Grains to Swine
- Feeding Trial: Succotash Swine
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As always, I want to thank you so much for listening and supporting the show with your encouragement and reviews on iTunes! I am continually working to produce a better show, and I’m thankful for all of the listeners sticking with me as I learn.
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I would love to hear your questions, show ideas, or comments about the show. Feel free to shoot me an e-mail! As always you can follow along with “The Beginning Farmer” and Crooked Gap Farm by checking out these links …
Ethan,
First off let me say that I love listening to the Podcasts! I am the one who asked about loans and Dave Ramsey when it comes to farming. Allow me to share my views and the values I have decided to go with moving forward as I try and start/grow a small farm.
Some background, my father is a full time farmer east of Pella, row crop and pasture cattle. I was able to purchase the farm next door that has a house and buildings on 30 acres. 15 of these 30 are able to be row crop, and that is what I do (debt free) while borrowing my dad’s equipment. The other 15 acres is steep timber, groves, and bluff. I have a full time job as well. I started listening to your podcast looking for ideas on how to maximize my small amount of land to perhaps create more cash flow and increase my position for opportunities in the future. However I have since decided that your model of CSA and direct marketing isn’t for me. I would just prefer to take livestock to market and be done. I am still exploring and doing the math on growing some chickens, ducks, turkeys, hogs, sheep, or goats, ect, to try and create more cash flow. I also would like my children to grown up in an environment with livestock and chores.
With our personal finances my wife and I have paid off all of our debt except the property. We want to keep our personal finances debt free, have an emergency fund, and begin investing. Farming however seems a little more difficult. Every farmer it seems like operates with the banks money, and this has always seemed like a bad thing to me, until recently. The day after I listened to this podcast, a farm next to me became available to rent. WITHOUT HESITATION I called my lender and we began running the numbers on what I could borrow and going over my options. In the end it rented for more than I could profitably bid the rent at, but it really opened my eyes, as well as showed me the numbers of operating loans and crop farming. It would cost around $550/ac to just rent the ground and put the crop in! And I learned that with my passion and desire to farm, I am more than willing to jump into a mountain of debt to make that happen. However….
I still want to be different than most. I believe it is possible to farm without borrowing money on equipment. I believe it can be done without borrowing money on construction, or fence, or livestock, or property improvements, and ect…. And that is how my wife and I would like to move forward. So with my small scale livestock venture I would have “Ramsey’s Approval” as I use and have used my own money to build fence, and purchase livestock and grow slowly. But given the opportunity I wouldn’t hesitate to borrow to the hills for row crop operating capital.
Thank you for allowing me to ramble, and I hope this gave some perspective of at least my opinion in the messy world of farm finance and borrowing. I look forward to the next podcast
I’d love to here more on the Dave Ramsey / debt/ business plans/ risk management. And your thoughts on the news on Costco organic lending.