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Earlier this month I was able to take a long drive to northwestern Iowa and visit Seven W Farm during their Practical Farmers of Iowa Field Day. This was the second field day at the Wilson’s farm that I have been able to attend (along with watching their Niche Pork Webinar from 2009) and I am very thankful they are willing to open their farm, and share their experiences! Seven W Farm consists of 660 acres, seven Wilsons (plus kids), organic grains, hogs, organic dairy, pastured poultry, grassfed beef, and grassfed lamb. To say that there is a lot going on would be an understatement for sure. Behind the diversity of enterprises though is a great wealth of knowledge that comes from multi-generational family farm. In fact Dan has been pasture farrowing hogs for 50 years now!
What I’m trying to say with all of that background information is that I learned a lot. I mean I really learned A LOT!!! And, the great thing about some of the knowledge I picked up from their experiences is that it is stuff I think that I can still apply to this growing season. Here are four things that I hope to apply in the coming weeks and of course a bunch of links that I mention in the episode:
What I learned and will be (hopefully applying soon) …
- Burst Proof Water Line for Pastured Pigs
- A-Fram Farrowing Sheds are the Bomb
- Premier1 Pig Fence is Worth a Try
- Three Words … Apple. Cider. Vinegar.
The pile of links mentioned in this episode …
- Seven W Farm PFI Field Day Recap
- Seven W Farm Website
- High Density Polyethylene from Powerflex
- A-Frame Farrowing Hut Design (and other pasture farrowing info)
- Premier1 Pig Fence
- Apple Cider Vinegar Research from Frantzen Farm
- Apple Cider Vinegar Stories (Will Winter)
- ACV for Pigs from The Vinegar Guys (you can buy vinegar from them too)
- Grass Farmer Supply (ACV for sale along with other minerals, vitamins, healthy stuff)
:: Practical Farmers of Iowa Recap of 2016 Field Day ::
If you are interested in having a grassfed Dexter Cattle Herd of your own shoot me an e-mail because we have cows, heifers, and cow/calf pairs available right now!
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