The Beginning Farmer

Yesterday I posted a portion of an article about creating a business plan. That information comes from Penny Huber who leads a class called, “Growing Your Small Market Farm.” I am realy awaiting a brochure for this coming years class and praying that it doesn’t take place on Wednesdays! I thought that little section that I posted yesterday was eye opening for me … when it comes to a business plan I am clueless. (Hmmm, kinda sounds like me and farming.)

I found the “myths” and “facts” interesting. When I take a step back and look at myself I see that communication is not a problem, work ethic is not a problem, even farming ability (or the capacity to learn) is not a problem … but, I have been scared of the business part. I feel like if I can get started down the marketing path I can do that, but I have wondered if I could ever tackle the business side. It was reassuring to read that it is possible to learn how to be an entrepreneur. Hopefully I will be able to learn some of this from Penny Huber!

As I mentioned yesterday, points number two and three resonated most with me. Point number two says, “The business planning process must involve everyone in the family and/or business.” This is very important to me because becoming a beginning farmer is a very big step emotionally and financially. In fact, with our Dexters we have already taken a large step along the way. I think it is very important that my wife and I are on the same page as we look at how the farm will work and how it will pay. Another factor is my father and step-mother. Right now that’s where our cows live and possibly where farming could take place so it will be important to have them on board with any business plan we formulate.

The second point is as follows, “The business plan must reflect reality. ‘Interview other people already in the business to get their input.'” Since I got this farming bug in my system I have tried to seek out sources of what is actually working. I have read books, magazine articles, and research reports. I have talked on the phone with farmers, I have had e-mail correspondence with people making their farm pay their salary, and I have visited local farmers who are farming full-time or working towards it. This research has been helpful because it adds reality (to steal a word from the quote) to the ideas that are bouncing around in my head. Also, I hope to make it out to more farms and see what is working for people in Iowa. (Hmmm… Sugar Creek Farm … do you accept visitors!?!)

That little article that I quoted in my post yesterday was a good introduction to a farming business plan for me. I would like to investigate this further and will be searching out people to talk to and information to read. Here are a couple of books I was thinking about checking out via inter-library loan. If you have any thoughts on either of them I would love to hear your thoughts.

Farm Fresh : Direct Marketing Meat & Milk by Allan Nation

Making Your Small Farm Profitable by Ron Macher

Do you ever feel like you are out of your league. I’m a high school soccer coach at a school that doesn’t place a lot of emphasis on a sport unless it ends with ball (football, basketball, baseball, and softball). We don’t have the greatest equipment, but we make do with what we have. I know for a fact that when a team shows up at our place with matching warm-ups, bags, water bottles, shoes, and more my team feels like it is out of its league! Well, whenever I read about or start to think about a business plan I feel like I am out of my league.

But, I feel like a business plan is an important part of any farming venture that I want to be involved in. I want to have an idea of what I’m getting into, what it’s going to cost, what I need to return, what I can invest in, and how much I need to sell. So, last night I did a little “googling” to see what I could come up with. Below is a section from an article about the 2004 Practical Farmers of Iowa Conference. If you would like to read the article in its entirety you can click HERE. Below I have copied the section that specifically speaks to farming business plans in general:

How to develop a workable business plan

When you run your own farm, you’re an entrepreneur as much as a producer. That means you need to understand business planning 101, said Penny Brown Huber, program administrator for Iowa’s Growing Your Small Market Farm Business Planning Program.

“Entrepreneurs are innovators,” Huber said. “They have a strong desire to create something new. They also have a vision of how their business will grow and a plan to make it happen.”

She presented these contracts between popular misunderstandings, and what she knows about farmers and entrepreneurs:

Myth: Entrepreneurs are born, not made.
Fact: Almost anyone can learn business skills.

Myth: Entrepreneurs are their own bosses.
Fact: Entrepreneurs work for many people, including investors, bankers, customers, employees, and family.

Myth: Entrepreneurs set their own hours.
Fact: Entrepreneurs work long and hard for their success.

Myth: Entrepreneurs love high-risk ventures.
Fact: Entrepreneurs look for ways to minimize risk.

Huber gave these steps, and comments, for successful business planning:

1. The business owner assumes the lead in the business planning process. “You can’t expect an Extension agent or someone else to write your business plan for you.”
2. The business planning process must involve everyone in the family and/or business.
3. The business plan must reflect reality. “Interview other people already in the business to get their input.”
4. Develop contingency plans for worst-case scenarios. “If you get sick, a building burns down, a hailstorm destroys your vegetable crop, or your livestock get infected with disease, you have to have a plan.”
5. Set objectives and goals that are achievable. “Two to three strong, clear goals and objectives will really help you move along,” Huber said. “Your first goal can be, ‘I will write a business plan.’ Your objective can be, ‘I will write my plan by Dec. 1.’”
6. Include innovative marketing ideas. “Developing recipes that feature the foods you raise can be a great way to promote your business.”

Once your write your business plan, review it often and use it as a guide.

I thought the article brought up some good points for a total business plan beginner like myself to think about. I don’t want to make an extra long post here, but I will comeback tomorrow with some of my thoughts on the article. Let me just say the points that really hit home with me were numbers two and three. One of my major reasons for farming is the family aspect … my family and the families that we will sell to. And, I am all about learning from the experience of others. In fact, that is what a majority of the posts on this blog of mine are about, learning from others. I would appreciate any thoughts on business plans in general or more specifically farm based business plans.

Okay, this may be bordering on propaganda… but I just thought I would throw it out there for anyone’s thoughts and responses. As I was checking out the new Movie Trailers over at www.Quicktime.com I came across the movie titled, “King Corn”. I didn’t really know what to expect so I clicked on the link and watched the trailer. What I found was … well, I guess you can say that it was interesting. Basically, it isn’t so much a movie as it is a documentary about two guys from the east coast who come to Iowa (my state) to discover where all of this corn goes. Somewhere along the lines they end up growing an acre for some reason and make a movie about their experiences and investigations.

I watched the trailer, went to the website, and came away confused. Here I am living in a state that thrives on corn (and beans) and the subsidies that go along with it. My family members live off of corn, my neighbors do, my friends do, well … basically a lot of people in Iowa do! But, does that make it the right way to farm? Does that make it the most healthy way to raise the animals we eat? Those are good questions to ask … but when you ask those questions in Iowa … well, let’s just say they aren’t popular questions.

There were a couple of red flags that popped up on my “propaganda radar”. First of all “The Austin Chronicle” said, “As relevant as Super Size Me and as important as An Inconvenient Truth.” I just don’t know if I can trust anything that is compared (in a good light in this case) to movies by Michael Moore and Al Gore. It just grates against my world view! And secondly, it is mostly showing in large (mostly liberal) cities. I realize that is where it will receive the most welcome response, but it would ease my mind if it branched out a little.

Basically, I don’t know where I stand … I’m an Iowan. I eat lots of corn, I put ethanol in my car, I feed yummy corn to my backyard chickens, I really love corn! On the flip side, I am sold on pastured beef and God’s creation of animals sustaining largely on pasture. So, what is an Iowa boy to do? I would love any thoughts on this movie or basic idea. It is something that really interests me as I look at a transition to the farm.

**UPDATE** If you check the comments you will see that the director for King Corn noticed my post. I have e-mailed him asking to keep me up to date on any Iowa screenings. Also, the folks from Sugar Creek Farm commented about a screening coming up at Iowa State University. You can check out the details by clicking on this LINK. Thanks for reading!

Well, on Saturday I was able to head down to the farm for a few hours. Really, it was just a time to unwind after a busy week and before a busy evening. I didn’t really do too much work, but I was able to repair a little fencing, take some pictures, and walk around the farm inspecting some potential pastures. Plus … I was able to talk with one of the Amish neighbors for about thirty minutes.

My main piece of work was to shore up the fencing a bit in the area where the cows are going to over winter. We had put up a cattle panel fence around roughly two acres of pasture (was plenty when it was built!), but we put it up quickly so some of the panels were attached to the posts and to each other with twine. What would we do without twine? On Saturday I just went around the fence and wired everything together so that nobody would be breaking any twine and getting out. It was a beautiful day and it was a wonderful time of work.

After I did that I just spent sometime walking around and inspecting the new cows. Remember, last week we more than doubled our herd size and I really hadn’t had the chance to check out the new additions in full daylight because it was dusk when we picked them up and after midnight when we dropped them off. All things considered I think our new additions have brought up the quality of our herd. The two black 5-year old cows are very nice looking animals with some great lineage … plus, they have great calves at side (one beefy bull calf and one nice heifer). Joanna, the cow with the bell, looks great for a cow that is 8-years old. At first I wasn’t going to get her at all, but once I saw her I was really impressed. I’m hoping to get a few heifers from her. The last two new additions are a 20-month old cow and her young dun bull calf at side. She calved way to early (they didn’t know she was bred), but delivered a healthy calf and she looks alright herself. Her mother is Bailey, which is one of the new 5-year olds. I think she is a little smaller than our heifer Victoria, but that may just be because she has been nursing her calf during a time when she would normally be growing.

If all goes well we will have six calves on the ground in 2008, which will give us a nice jump while we are building our herd. Plus, we will have the opportunity for at least nine calves in 2009. I’m excited about the way our herd is shaping up. We have five females that carry dun, so I would really like to find a quality dun bull.

After hanging out with the cows for a while I took off to go check out some potential pastures. I was waylaid by the Amish neighbor on the way and had to listen to him scheme about making money for himself off of my Dexters … it was really pretty funny and nice to chat with him! We have about 20 acres that we can turn our cattle out to when we get some fencing up. I would like to get them out there this week so they have have some green grass before we really need to start feeding them hay. We had them in the small pasture this week so the Amish could do the chores easily. Also, I’m excited about the grazing possibilities for next year … and the hay production possibilities!

It was a great day to be on the farm and really got my juices flowing. I am going to start putting a business plan together it he next few months just so I can begin to quantify some of my farming desires. I think this is an important step because I don’t want to go flying into this farming deal without a plan. I know some of you are probably wondering if I already have … but, I don’t think so. The cattle we have now are sort of the test group. We can learn from them and sell them as seedstock if we decided to go a different direction. We will see what I can come up with.

Picture Descriptions From Top to Bottom :: Ethan standing with the herd; Kenosha and Bailey in front of the herd; Joanna, Bailey, and bull calf; Joanna with her beautiful bell; the Stoneyfield herd; Bailey, Joanna, Kenosha, and the heifer calf.

You know how I went to the farm last week? Well, nothing that needed to be done was done last week … and the things that were needed to be done are magnified now because we have more than doubled the Dexter herd. So, since I am living the bachelor life today I am going to head down to the farm to spend some time with the cows and do some work. I won’t have much time so I will spend the day doing some fence repair and prepping their winter pasture for the cattle. If I have a chance I may working on fixing up a fence where we are going to move them until the grass turns brown. The weather is nice and it looks to be a fine day for working.

The picture I have put up with this post is of the farm. It is one hundred and sixty acres and includes everything inside the red box. There are three small ponds and a bunch of rolling hills and timber. Roughly, less than half of the land is pasture with the rest being timber.

The land needs some renovation, but most on the edges between the pasture and the woods. My dad test drives zero-turning mowers so the pastures have been mowed continually and what was once weeds comes up in mostly bluegrass and clover (except for the portion of fescue). It is almost like we have been rotationally grazing much of the land for the past seven years … we were just rotationally mowing it! I’m hoping to use some live stock to clean up the brush areas on the edges of the woods and hopefully open them up a little bit from the multiflora rose mess that they are. Oh, and the arrow points to where the cows are now!

Sorry for the late posts this week. SARAH MCDONALD NEWLY SINGLE kelsey asbille nude Normally I like to be able to put up my post first thing in the morning, but the next few weeks will be be very busy. This week I have been helping with The Power Team and have only been able to be home for a few hours each day. But, if I have enough energy to get out of bed tomorrow I am going to drive down and check out the new cows in the daylight, get some pictures, and do some work. In the mean time … now back to your regularly scheduled post …

I have slowly been making my way through one of my free back issues of The Stockman Grass Farmer. In the August 2005 issue I have been reading first there is an article about meat toughness and off flavors. It has a very interesting title, “Grass Feeding Does Not Cause Meat Toughness Or Off Flavors.” Okay, so maybe it wasn’t a real creative title, but it did get the point across.

Lately it seems like I have been thinking about and blogging about (it is interesting that I consider that a verb now) the walls I am facing or will face in my pursuit of a small family farm based around the pasture. This seems to be one of the walls. It has already come up when I talked with my dad, my in-laws, my friends, my family, and a few people who I would consider potential customers. Here in Iowa, and across the midwest I’m sure, there is a strong bias against grass-finished beef because it is so much different than the cultural norm. In fact, in Iowa it is almost considered un-Iowan to not feed cattle grain … I mean if you are feeding them corn then you are supporting the local farmers! Well, I do fill up with Ethanol so that will have to be enough for me.

The article is written by Anibal Pordomingo and it brings up some very interesting points from personal observation. I will also point out that I have read a lot lately that points to tenderness having nothing to do with marbling in the meat, but all to do with the genes of the steer. Grass-finished beef doesn’t have to fall to any of the stereotypes … but you will need to be able to educate those that eat and purchase your beef. I do like the idea of educating people … it is what I enjoy about being a pastor and youth pastor and it is what I loved when I was a history teacher!

So, here are some real reasons from the article why that steak may be tough:

• Fast chilling…
• Because of space and handling restrictions, some people work the carcasses warm and chill the cuts.
• Few carcasses in a maturation chamber.
• Stress prior to slaughter.
• Cooking too fast.

And, here are some reasons from the article why that steak may be spoiled or have odd off flavors:

• Chilling, freezing, thawing, and re-freezing.
• Freezing too slow.
• Dark cutters, stressed beeves.

You will have noticed that grass-finishing had nothing to do with the toughness or off flavors. Grassfed beef can be very tender and very flavorful … hopefully these points will be some more ammunition in the battle against conventional Iowa wisdom.

This past week I received my first two issues of The Stockman Grass Farmer magazine. They were running a special (like all publications always are doing) where you could get two free back issues with your subscription … so, these are my two back issues. I am very excited about getting this magazine because it will provide a new source of monthly information on grass farming and grazing in general. Plus, it hits the issue from all different angles.

For example, in the August 2005 back issue I received there is a sidebar article on the cover titled, “Surgeon Has Developed A Growing Heart Healthy Grassfed Beef Business.” That title caught my eye right away because one of the many reasons I became interested in grassfed beef was because of the health issues. Last year I found out the details of what I guessed was the case. I have rather high cholesterol … especially when you consider my age. In fact you can just about take my age and add a zero at the end and you get my cholesterol reading! I had read that there were benefits from eating grassfed beef so I started doing some research.

My dad would love nothing more than to feed our cattle corn … he says it just feels like the right thing to do. But, from a financial standpoint and from a health standpoint and from a “God created cows to eat grass” kind of standpoint that just isn’t the right thing to do and I am having to slowly convince him of that fact. I’m hoping this article will be another piece in the puzzle.

The article talks about Steve Atchley who grew up on a cattle ranch in Texas, but ended up leaving the ranch to become a heart surgeon. Later in his career he developed a hand condition that stopped him from being able to perform surgery. That is when he decided to take another approach to attack heart problems. It seems like his approach was two-fold. Yes, he truly believes that the grassfed beef is healthy for the heart, but two he believes that having a grassfed system is more healthy for the farmer/rancher. In the beginning of the article he says, “I could see first hand that the stress of commodity ranching was literally killing them,” when talking about the farmers and ranchers he had as patients.

He went on to form a business distributing grassfed beef across the west. He has faced opposition along the way from the grain based folks and from the natural grain based farmers, but he feels that he is on the right track for the cattle and for the people that eat them.

“I was firmly convinced that you couldn’t feed grain and have a heart healthy product,” said Mr. Atchley.

Okay, you know how I mentioned a special trip yesterday? Well, the pictures in this post give you an idea of what that was all about! Yep, we added seven new Dexters to the Stoneyfield herd today. Here is the run down :: two black five-year-old cows, one black twenty-month-old cow, and one dun eight-year-old cow … along with those we have one black bull calf from Bailey (5 yrs), one black heifer calf from Kenosha (5 yrs), and one dun bull calf from Breagha.

I am pretty excited about adding these girls (and boys) to the herd because they are all pretty good quality. I will say that it was an adventure getting them … first we got a late start because we had to look high and low and then low and high to find a part to refix the bearing problem on the trailer from the last trip. Then, when we got there to pick them up they weren’t sorted from the herd yet. Let me just say the whole trip is a long story and it was a long day, maybe I’ll write more about it later.

But, despite everything I’m excited about having five new girls on the farm. The four cows have all been exposed to the herd bull for around five months so we are hoping he caught them and we will have spring calves. If everything goes according to plans (see post from yesterday) we will have six calves on the ground this coming year and at least nine the following year. Plus these girls add some more diversity to the herd as far as bloodlines go. Two were breed in Colorado, one in Kentucky, and one in Missouri. Also, the two Colorado cows contain some Canadian breeding in their pedigree.

I am sorry for the shortness of this post and the lack of content, but it has been a very long day considering I made it home after 3:00 am and I’m running on four hours of sleep. The pictures aren’t great, they were taken in a McDonald’s parking lot, but they do prove that we went and got cows! Look for more pictures as soon as I make it to the farm.

P.S. You might notice from the first picture that the dun cow does in fact have a bell on a collar around her neck. Super Cool!!!

Well, I went to the farm with high hopes yesterday. But, there were two things which I forget to plan for. Number one… the weather! We have had an unusually wet fall in our part of the state and today was no different. So, we had to dodge a few rain drops. Number two… life doesn’t like to run on schedules! My wife and I had planned to run some errands in Des Moines while the grandparents stayed at home with the kids. Things went longer than expected so we didn’t make it home as soon as we had hoped. Subsequently we didn’t make it to the farm until much later than hoped for. We did have a nice enough time to show of the Dexters and horses to my in-laws and I enjoyed being out in the pasture with my cows! But, no work was done.

On the positive side I’m excited about a couple of new reading materials I received and ordered. Today I received my first two back issues of the Stockman Grass Farmer magazine. I’ve looked at articles on-line and in a sample issue and it looks like a publication I will enjoy reading each month. In fact in the one issue that I have sampled so far there is an interesting little article about a heart surgeon who started a grass-finished beef business because he knows the health benefits first hand. Secondly, I ordered a copy of, “The Contrary Farmer,” by Gene Logsdon. I have read many good reviews about this book and I’m looking forward to sampling it myself. I think it will be as much about the world view and thought processes as about the ins and outs of “contrary farming”.

Finally, I’m heading out on a special farming related trip today. I’ll post some info on Wednesday or Thursday. Let’s just say I’m pretty excited about this trip!