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Projects have slowed down a little bit lately on the farm because of a some rain lately, but that doesn’t mean that we haven’t be getting a lot accomplished! This past weekend we held our first ever on farm class and it was a day that we enjoyed very much. I am very passionate about the farm and about the values we have that impact how we run the farm so it is always great to share some of that passion. Hopefully those that were able to come and enjoy the day were able to get a “peak behind the curtain” of life on Crooked Gap Farm. We tried hard to give a realistic picture of the decisions that we have to make and the ups and downs of starting a farm business from scratch. I will say though that we were very much blessed by those that came and learned a lot from everyones experiences that will help our farm going forward. Stay tuned because I think there will be more farm classes in the future!
On today’s episode I wanted to take some time to answer some listener questions that have been coming in lately. Here are the topics that I will be talking about …
- Breeding and raising Katahdin sheep
- Selecting beef breeds for a grassfed farm
- And, a question about our house
Links and Books mentioned in this episode (some of the links are affiliate links) …
- Salad Bar Beef by Joel Salatin
- Grass-Fed Cattle: How to Produce and Market Natural Beef by Julius Ruechel
- Comeback Farms by Greg Judy
- No Risk Ranching by Greg Judy
- Acres USA Magazine
- Graze Magazine
- Crooked Gap Farm Hoop House Project
If you have an input on the topic be sure to leave a comment below or send us an e-mail.
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. If you do enjoy the show, don’t forget that you can subscribe on iTunes and leave a five start rating and review (by clicking the link or the image on the right). If you are an Android phone user you can also subscribe on the free Stitcher App. It is so very encouraging to know that people are listening and enjoying the show!**Special Note :: A few users are experiencing issues downloading the show on iTunes. If you have any experience with podcasts and how they can play nicely with iTunes I would love some suggestions.**
Thanks for another great episode, Ethan! I ordered Greg Judy’s book (“Comeback Farms”) (at your suggestion from an older episode) a couple of weeks ago. I’m about halfway though it–great info and easy read. But…it’s not the only thing I’m reading right now. You know how that goes.
Keep up the great work!
I agree about trying to follow Gerald Fry’s ideas about selecting cattle. Some of my best cows are surprisingly close to the ideal linear measurements he suggests.
I started out as a cow-calf operator and moved into selling beef occasionally, so I might have a different perspective on selecting a grass-fed beef breed.
I would suggest just getting a set of moderate-sized cows of a “typical” breed like Black Angus, Red Angus, or Hereford. Get quality moderate-sized bulls, and raise replacements out of the best cows. With that type of cattle herd, you can easily sell calves or cows at the stockyards without facing a price penalty for selling an atypical breed of cattle.
Spend the money you would have spent on cattle that supposedly have “grass genetics”, and instead improve the grass in your pastures. You need high-quality grass to end up with high-quality beef.
I just found your site and just wanted to comment on what a great resource it is for some great information.