"real" farmers

[RichZ]

Re: \"real\" farmers

My wife and I are in the process of becoming full time farmers. We plan on having a goat milk dairy, selling goat milk, goat milk cheese, goat milk butter, goat goat milk ice cream and goat milk yogurt. We also already have an egg business with free range chickens. We also intend to sell bred holstein heiffers, and pigs (thanks to the influence of our good friend Cindi).

We are hoping this diversity will keep us solvent. At this point we still both have outside jobs, but all of the money that we make is being put into the farm. This year's project is a code compliant milk house. We are sinking everything we own into the farm, and are hoping within the next few years, it will be making a profit.

We live in dairy farm country, and almost all of our neighbors are dairy farmers. Last summer was the first time that I was made to feel like a REAL farmer. A neighbor of ours had a bad tractor accident and was in the hospital for weeks, followed by months of recovery at home. Unbeknownst to me at the time, when this happens in our community, all of the REAL farmers get together to help the injured farmer until he is literally back on his feet. I found out about this when one of our neighbors knocked on my door to explain this community function, and to give me my assignment on the neighbor's farm. I was stunned!! Very happily stunned!!! I shouted to my neighbor, "Does this mean you guys think I'm a real farmer?" He said, "You have been for a while, but you just passed your initiation into the club!"

We all worked hard on our friend's farm last summer, and it was one of the best times I ever had!! And...boy did I learn alot!!! In many ways!!!

 

[MossRoad]

Re: \"real\" farmers

Man, that's a great picture! The little girl is in heaven. Look at that smile. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I love those kind of photos... thanks for posting it.

 

[kensfarm]

Re: \"real\" farmers

My mom just gave all the kids a copy of that photograph this Christmas.. she has always been a "happy type" person.. singing while she does the dishes.. house work. The picture was taken in the late 1930's.

 

[TWINKLE_TOES]

Re: \"real\" farmers

<font color="blue">my dad was a REAL farmer. </font>

I think so too

 

[art]

Re: \"real\" farmers

Some times the people removed from a situation can see it far better then someone standing in the woods. Farming today can still be family, but first concern is it is a business. It is just like any of them, you work long hours, don't get paid enough if you ever take the time to think about it but it is normally because you enjoy your work. There are not to many jobs where you get to watch things grow and mature from start to finish. This often being done in a year or maybe longer. All businesses require constant dedication and more time spent then in an 8-5 job but the first thing to remember is it isn't work it is fun. Now try to say that when your all covered with manure with a broken spreader and it's 10 degree's below zero, when your wife is calling you to hurry up because your sisters child is being baptized at church this morning and you are the god parents! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Libertine]

Re: \"real\" farmers

del:

<font color="blue">My feelings are that everyone can contribute. </font>

No doubt, but the problem arises when the "contributor" doesn't really understand. There's an old cliche something to the effect of "lead, follow, or, get out of the way." When someone with a lot of real world experience with different equipment, or, someone with some grasp of physics talks about, for example, HST vs gear (advantages & weaknesses, etc.), it behooves someone who knows less to learn, ask questions and so forth. Almost everyone knows something about some things, so, in that sense we can learn from each other. But someone who really "knows" about a particular thing can learn little (about that particular thing) from someone less educated about that thing. Of course, as you point out in your post, the more knowledgable person can handle the issue in different ways. But I can certainly tell you from personal experience, sometimes when you hear ignorance you can get disgusted about the whole thing.
JEH