The Diversified Farms
August 10th, 2006 by Northern FarmerSeems like everybody is a thinker nowdays, coming up with all the answers that can make life better for everyone. Of coarse all the different views come from every angle there is on this ball called earth, good and bad and everything in between. Farming is no different, everyone has an answer or at least thinks they do, that’ll solve all the problems, from borrowing more money to entering production contracts so a person can be sure of the income coming in which translates to almost nothing. But at least thousands and thousands of people can make real good livings figuring out the contract paperwork and also figuring out how to squeeze every last penny from the farmers. It’s amazing how many people make high income livings off of the backs of farmers, who generally get near nothing for everything they do. I’ve always called them parasites and always will. And truthfully that’s where the money mostly ends up, fattening up the parasites.
On way to measure the moral temperature of society is to see where the money goes. And being I mostly talk and live farming that’s all I really will write about. If a person farmed by the book he or she wouldn’t last very long at all. The whole system is rigged to bleed everything from the farm and the farm family. Which in turn has caused the farm families to figure all the other folks in modern society have it a whole lot better than they do. And to drive the nail in further the farm family then puts on TV and sees nothing but good times living the modern way, no matter how evil or perverted it is , it’s still portrayed as good. Every other commercial is for some easy loans so we can live like we deserve, or so they say.
And a person could go on and on, but why? Do I really care what all them folks are doing or how they are living? Sometimes I just wish the Lord would hurry and return so it would all end. Maybe it’s just me but there are plenty of times I’d like to see it all just end, be done with. How can society even say things are all right when everything is so upside down, when evil is good and the real good is weird? But then I look around at family and friends and know that there is hope and causes worth living and fighting for. A person looks around the farm and sees the animals and the crops that we tend, sure the crops are hurting, but they’re ours. They’re being raised different than the modern society wants them to be raised. Because when they’re raised the way they are the parasites aren’t getting their unfair share. And as far as fighting back nowadays, there’s two things that a farmer can do to really hit hard. One is to not involve the parasites in the inputs of the farm, in fact, discontinue the inputs such as fertilizers and chemicals, and it can be done very successfully, no matter what the parasites say. Through crop rotations and manure management this is much more successful than they will admit. Second is to not let the parasites get their hands on the things the farm produces, because they will sooner or later take it all. Then the problems are taken care of coming and going.
Now I know this will step on toes, but when has that ever stopped me, eh. The latest “fad†is grass farming. Now in my humble opinion there’s nothing wrong with it, it produces very healthy meat and cuts input costs “if†a person knows what they are doing. But I’ve come to the conclusion that many of the people that have an agrarian vision or dream , that think everything will change and a Christian Agrarian society can be built that way are way off the mark. Nothing will fall on its face faster, if times get rough. I’m talking about a whole society here. The only reason grass farming is successful now is that the modern society is raising everything else that the grass farmers don’t, which by the way is most of it. And take chickens for example, “grass raised†chickens from a farmer that is totally a grass farmer. The chickens will still eat 75% grain or even a little more. Now if it would be a grass farmer society, nobody would have more than a handful of chickens to spare, although that might not be all too bad because a person could make a year’s living on a handful of animals or birds there’d be so little food.
Grass faming as is being touted up today is fine, produces a healthier food and all that but it survives only because the rest of agriculture picks up the slack. Back to chickens for an example, they’re out there in the grass, a superior chicken to be sure, but the “grass farmer†is buying grains, more than likely genetically modified grains, and is still supporting the system. Dairy would be somewhat different as would beef and sheep. But chicken is the “in†thing now with small farmers and homesteaders that want to be apart from the system, but still supporting it big time. There’s another way of looking at it too. Call it deep or shallow, deep being a farm or homestead that becomes a self sustaining thing, buying very little inputs, raising all the necessary feeds for the birds and animals. Shallow being, still raising a superior product than mainstream commercial food, but buying a huge percentage of inputs, feeds, fertilizers, etc. Doesn’t make any difference if the inputs being bought are commercial or organic, they’re still being bought, the farm isn’t taking care of itself. Now if the day ever comes when times get a little tough the shallow farming will be hit hard, being that it’s nowhere near sustainable, in fact it’s deeply immersed in modern production practices, makes no difference if its organic or commercial, it’s totally dependant on the modern system.
Since starting on this venture of turning the farm around these last years, these things stand out big. When looking at it with a multi generational view, they really stand out. I don’t want a farm that just fills a niche today and probably for sometime, I want to build a multi generational farm that becomes a self sufficient place for families to live and thrive, no matter what happens to the availability of inputs. A goal is to be dependant on very, very little outside inputs. And these last few years, even though we have a long, long way to go, the changes are bigger than I ever imagined in the beginning. The successes have more than surprised me, even in this big drought the way the farm held up compared to the neighboring farms as far as crops go, without hardly any of the input costs that they put in. Someday I’ll have to write down some of the things we have done here to improve the soil and the way of life for this family and future ones. Call it, back to the future with the crop rotations of yesteryear.
Some might say that I have a thing about the old diversified farms of years gone by, but studying them, they were amazing. No wonder they were such a successful way of life. Different animals and different crops, huge farm gardens, the main farm yard the center of all family activity. Proud people, strong people with a strong faith. Different than now where society says we have to do only one thing, one kind of work, to fill a niche in modern society. The old farms were sometimes huge family affairs with everything needed to keep it going with very little outside inputs. Everything was raised on the farm, corns, grains, hays, timber, and family foods.
Now modern folks might figure, “nice dream, but there’s a hungry world to feed and big ag’s way is the only way!†Well, then how come we’re out producing all the big ag farmers here, only not having big ag take everything from the farm? HMM? Grass farming purists might not like what I write, but its true none the less. The diversified farm, with grazing and several crops, is thee farm that will shine again someday!
August 10th, 2006 at 9:36 pm
As a grazing, organic dairy farmer (who also grazes a laying flock) I can’t take issue with what you say. Being unbalanced is a threat to a farm and you are right, diversification is essential to the small farmer. So we raise op corn for silage for the milk herd and grain for the hogs and chickens (chickens can’t live on grass alone). Boy are the eggs great from those hens scratching around in a just hayed field! If people would just look back to the 30’s and 40’s they could relearn the possibilities of low input diversified farming and farm families wouldn’t be running to the store for their eggs, milk and meat like so many do now. Keep preaching it, Tom!
August 11th, 2006 at 1:50 am
“If people would just look back to the 30’s and 40’s they could relearn the possibilities of low input diversified farming and farm families wouldn’t be running to the store for their eggs, milk and meat like so many do now.”
How true a statement that is BR, we are learning to do some of these very things, though for a while we’ll still be “running†- but we’ve learn to run to folks like Tom, John & others who support small scale traditional practices.
If folks would learn to grasp the importance of supporting small scale, local farming economies - which takes education - counting the cost, like trading “cheap food” globally for “smart food” locally - and not depending on fresh strawberries in February. A small inconsequential single action I grant you, but as someone once said, “the journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step“, and not the “only ifs…..” I.E. If only I had more, land, time, money…[insert excuse here] I’d do something different, sluggard!
As much as some of us (me especially) would like to be full-scale farm sufficient for our families - the process is either too new for us or we are not yet in a position to make that “next jump†just yet. So we wait, watch, plant & learn as we go - “little by slow” as Herrick’s Italian farmer said, little by slow…….
(Sorry Tom for ‘cross-talkin’, just got a wild hair that needed pluckin’)
Regards.
August 11th, 2006 at 4:49 am
morning Tom!
have a great day!
August 11th, 2006 at 5:17 am
Wow Tom,
I’m going to have to come back and read this again after a couple of cups of coffee. Way to much at 4:45 :). One of my old standy’s has been Stockman Grass Farmer (or something like that, I never remember titles). Well, the last few years, they’ve been going with exclusive grass farming (no hay, corn, etc…) and touting it up. I look at all the conferences they offer and the specialized grasses, its easy to see another parasite industry developing. I still glean some good info out of they’re publication, but its getting less and less.
I think you and I have reached the same conclusion. Diversity is the way to go. Field rotation and manure management have been a huge part of what we do here in Alabama. I have very poor farmland (its the only kind I could afford), and I have been having to build the soil with cover crops and managed grazing.
On a cheerier note. Last night I was officially hit with the ball and am now out of the game!! Two or three inches I think. My green splotch chant worked. I think the Lord was having a little fun with me though, it looked like it was going to rain all day. I finally got around to fixing some more fence leaks and was out on a back portion of the woods starting to work, and about 25 seconds of a good shower started to fall as soon as I started pounding the post. Just enough to get an ironic laugh and smile from me, then it cleared up till my work was through.
Looks like more rain tonight. Thank you God!! Maybe we can still get a second cutting…….. I can now switch my rain allotment of prayers over to you…… alright, maybe half my allotment
Have a GREAT day.
Brad
August 11th, 2006 at 5:54 am
Brent,
I agree! If a person wanted to label our farm, it would be a grass based , or grazing operation, although at the moment all they are grazing is mouthfulls of gravel. But in this grazing operation is a well diversified farm. And it’s becoming the diversities that are keeping the place running smoothly, keeping the soil healthy, etc. Lowering and elimating the inputs that most use now days. Thanks!
Scott,
This place wasn’t built up in a day or a year or a decade. It’s now forty three years and most of the things are starting to fall into place. And as far as I’m concerned your doing alright! Besides, look at the diversity that you’ve accomplished already with what your doing over there, eh. Little by slow, yup, that’s the good way!
Jan,
Have a great one!
Aside from a battle with a bat in the house this morning, all is well. Oh, the bat lost. Now that does get to me when I’m cooking up some sausage, fried potatoes and onions, plus a couple of our eggs, and all of a sudden a bat is flying around my head when the cobwebs atill ain’t out of it. But it does wake me up faster
Brad,
Now, as I said, I’m not knocking folks that do 100% grass farming, but I don’t think it’s a long term answer to a farms overall health. In fact just a handfull of years ago we had a much greater percentage of grass to crop ratio. I’m finding for here, us, that a healthy mix of oats and corn really help with the overall well being of the farm. The rotations make a much better grass also.
A thorn in my side is purists that figure theirs is the only way, just like anything else, to much of one thing sets everything off balance. Another thorn is these same purists that have made their specialty farming look somewhat like a religion and then run to the government to regulate it for our own good. Sheeeesh! Look how they’re destroying organics, natural food, and now grass raised. Gotta follow government rules. And who writes government rules, big ag! And who tells you how to do everything, big ag. Like you say, you can see it in the Stockman, Grass Farmer. I could too.
Glad to hear you had a “good” rain. Should be our turn next, I think I’ll go outside and wait for it
August 11th, 2006 at 6:41 am
i wonder if that the same bat i had to chase out of the house a few months ago
wish i knew you would going to have my kind of food!
i could have been there, I had to get up about 3:00am this morning
we got some rain yesterday! i posted on my blog
you turn is next for the rain Tom
August 11th, 2006 at 12:49 pm
When we were dating, I was helping my future wife clean out her dads attic in the old farmhouse. I noticed she was carrying a tennis racket around with her. Well we spooked up this bat and she swung and sent the thing halfway down the roofline. I think she got five or six more that day. When we got married I made sure there were no rackets in the house….
August 11th, 2006 at 1:51 pm
Jan,
All I’ll say is the bat didn’t get chased out of the house, never to return. There, that’ll get the bat’s right’s people going and telling me how important they are
Brad,
Thee old tennis racket trick, eh! That works pretty good too, but I’m not a sports fan, thus a severe lack of tennis rackets here. But, being Minnesotan, we do have a landing net for fishing and walla! Bat in net, get’em every time too. Step two, step on bat with farm boots while still tangled up in net.By the way, do step two outside, much better that way. Now I suppose I’m in trouble again here
August 11th, 2006 at 2:41 pm
you are in BIG TROUBLE MISTER!!!!!
the Bat people will be after you for sure, it being Baseball time inall
you have a great weekend , me got a headcold!
August 11th, 2006 at 7:46 pm
Hey Tom
On the subject of “grass purists”, a friend of mine was talking to a lady who sells grass fed lamb at some farmers market the other day. He started telling me some of the stuff she was telling him….wow, I hate to say extremist…..but this lady was
She told him that any animal that eats so much as one head of orchard grass or timothy is no longer “real grass fed” There’s seeds in them heads ya know. She was bragging on how their sheep never eat any headed out grass, couse if they did they wouldn’t “really be grass fed”.
Way to much time, way to little brain!
August 11th, 2006 at 8:24 pm
Scott,
That’s a perfect example of what I was trying to say. I’ve run into folks like that here and there. Taking it to the “far side”, when common sense says different. I’d almost be willing to wager that it’s also folks like her that are the ones running to the government so the government oversees the rules that these folks demand. Then the rules end up coming down hard on the family farmers, only.
August 11th, 2006 at 8:27 pm
Jan,
You all have a great weekend down there and get rid of that headcold!!
August 11th, 2006 at 10:21 pm
Poor Bat…;)
August 12th, 2006 at 5:45 am
Patti,
Have a good one down there!!
Why did I have the feeling you’d say that
August 13th, 2006 at 8:44 pm
August 13th, 2006 at 10:03 pm
Howdie Tom!!
Great post as usual.
August 14th, 2006 at 5:12 am
Morning Tom
Have a Great Day!
August 14th, 2006 at 4:15 pm
Christina,
Howdy back to yuh! Looks like your doing pretty good over on your blog!! Let er rip, eh!
Jan,
It’s a darn good one so far and I hope it’s all well with you down there!
August 14th, 2006 at 4:30 pm
Tom,
I hope you got lots of rain Saturday night. On radar it looked like you had at least some rain.
Jim
August 14th, 2006 at 4:34 pm
not bad here, but for that pup of mine, I chain him up so he couldn’t pull my wash off again, but guess what , he did it again, the chain was just long enough for him to pull them off. Grrrr!
oh I e-mail ya picture of a friend that might get a smile out of you.let me know if you get!
take care. time to go feed!
August 14th, 2006 at 5:41 pm
Great post! I’ve been thinking about this lately and it was good to hear your thoughts. It’s just such a given that we will buy things (animal feed, seeds, etc.) from others that when someone says something about doing it yourself most folks don’t know what to do. For instance, we free range our chickens most of the time but we supplement with feed mixed by a farmer friend of ours. We certainly could raise some corn, wheat, etc. ourselves, but it’s just more convienant to buy it from them. Hmm, this has definately got me thinking more about what we could raise ourselves to help feed our animals.
~Karen
August 14th, 2006 at 7:32 pm
Jim,
We got an inch Saturday and Sunday morning and things sure are different already here. They’re talking about another chance later this week and that’s fine by me. Thanks!
Jan,
Well, I mean,I wasn’t chained and pulling the clothes off the line, I mean…….
Don’t you hate that when that happens!! Been there and done that
Didn’t get the e-mail yet, unless it’s stuck in spam block, hmmm?
Karen,
Thanks! That’s one of my concerns, about feeling self sufficent and really not being anywhere near it. Acting like a person is apart from the system but really still deep in it. It’s good to think about it once and a while.
August 14th, 2006 at 8:15 pm
hey tom, didn’t I see a post here tonite , was going to read it but had supper cooking didn’t wanted to burn ?
August 14th, 2006 at 10:45 pm
new post please
August 15th, 2006 at 5:27 am
Jan,
Yup you did, but I deleted it. Have a good day!
Christina,
Have mercy on me, eh! I’m busy
August 15th, 2006 at 5:55 am
Busy????? Sheeesh…..
I know what you mean. My hands are so sore I can hardly type. Harvested sunflowers Saturday. About 1/4 way through I was wishing for a JD4400. About halfway through I was wishing for you or someone else driving the 4400. Those pruning shears get old after a while. Waaahhhhh
Have a GREAT day!!
Brad
August 15th, 2006 at 5:59 am
you have a goodun too,
I get to take mom to town today!
I glad you got some rain WOO HOO!
August 15th, 2006 at 7:27 am
Brad,
Just came in for a coffee and a break after this stage of green chop silage feeding in the pastures. Boy oh boy is it nice out, around fifty as the sun came up and skies as clear as can be! I can’t help you on the 4400 bit, but would you settle for an old dependable JD 4320?? It’s got plenty of snort!
Wait, wait!!!! This is an edit! What was I thinking! I had to run back in and take care of this. 4400, oh yeah! Combine, boy where was my mind this morning? If you want to borrow ours I’ll start driving it down there after chores, see you when I get there in October
Take care!
Jan,
Have a good one with mom, OK! I’m still adjusting to the thought that I’m not straining my neck looking to the west for rain, God Is Good, All The Time!!
August 15th, 2006 at 11:34 am
ya know the old saying…all work and no play ………go fishing
p.s. BATminton is not recreation
August 15th, 2006 at 12:47 pm
That was funny What Patti said!
August 15th, 2006 at 5:06 pm
Busy. So you go and get your readers hooked on your daily rants and then get busy??!!? Guess, I should follow your example.
Everything is so burnt up here, there is nothing to do but sit and whimper at that site/sight. We did get rain again, but it is too late, my garden is french fried. And the heat has gone and took a toll on my brain.
We even took the pigs in so I don’t have to feed them anymore. I guess I am just twittl’n these thumbs of mine too much. But, next week I will be busy cooking farm fresh pork. Woo wee, I can’t wait. Maybe I should get a halter or two and work on training some oxen.
It is good, even though you are busy, you can still shoot the bull with your readers. You know this almost feels like a forum. Hey, I can see it now the “Northern Farmer Forum”. Oh brother, did I mention the heat took a toll on my brain. Signing out to find some real work to do.
August 15th, 2006 at 6:07 pm
Patti,
You got me on that one!
Jan,
I agree, Patti is always there to keep me on the straight and narrow when it comes to rodents, flying rodent, and skunks. She’s got a tough job but somebody’s got to do it
Christina,
What can I say?? I just am careful not to let the blog rule here. The last couple of evenings watching Pastor Tommy Bates on TV have been unbelievable! I can honestly say that I needed that.
We got rain, but there is “no” grass. But that one inch sure does something for a person. But it’s daily feeding 250 head of cattle on what once were pastures. Takes most of the day, feeding and chopping and feeding some more. I hope it goes well with you folks down there.
This place is hopping like a forum and that’s alright with me! Folks are always welcome to just come right in and shoot the bull on anything on their minds. Sure don’t have to follow any subject. Just a place to relax, rant, laugh, Praise the Lord, whatever!
Thanks!