We have found that their is money in organic dairy, in combination with the beef on dairy concept. It’s wonderful to see the level of diversification you have though. Most of what we do is not focused on being a specific “type” of farmer. Localities have their own regulations, but where we’re at, raw milk is legal. We raise beef cattle, our dams spend 3 months in a milk barn after their calves are weened. They generate revenue, have paid off the infrastructure. The level of automation and technology available on the secondary equipment market makes dairy worth it. Then their is the factor that you can go multi species. The market for goat and lamb is limited, but you require virtually no more land, they eat what cattle won’t. We keep our cattle weights down, bought out a meat locker 10 yrs ago and transitioned in to full USDA inspection, take in animals from other producers. We teamed up with some Mennonite families for direct sales. I could go on and on, maybe I’ll write a book some day. But in short, we’re 100 miles out of Chicago, we’re in the only touristy area in the state outside of Chicago itself, and we’re close enough to other larger metropolitan areas also. Their is no plan other than to keep trying new things, reinvest, and have so many things going on, that the 1/4 of them that fail (and they do) don’t drag the whole farm down. As you create enterprises, don’t build an empire. Bring in collaborators as partners, instead of having employees. We don’t own a grain mill, but we built one and set up two brothers and their families to be the owner operators. Same with the feed mill, meat processing, poultry processing, produce production. Instead of farm hands, or hired help, I have owner operators who get 100 acres after 20 years, and I set them up with a farmland REIT that I created and recruited investors for, who they rent 3000 acres from and counting, I have my own 5000 acres, and rent an additional 2000 from the same group of investors. it’s all farmed as one farm, economies of scale galore. Organic grain brokerage, don’t own that either. Having an army of people, and their families (huge believer in kids being assets, not liabilities, when I consider a partnership, I’m looking at the demeanor of your children more than yours), I make more money as a chairman of the board per say, than I would as the leader of an empire, because of the skin they have in the game. We need corporations, but not as much as one would think. Just stay modular. I am very extreme in several ways, but one of them is making people money who are outside our group. If I could make 50 cents from buying something from you, instead of the 10 cents I’m currently making, but can somewhat sorta do for myself what you are offering, but I’ll only make 15 cents, I’ll take my nickel and dime and jump up and down in hysteria, rather than be beholden to you. Hence, my place is not a good stop for any salesman to make. Most of them have learned to just drive on by.
Just know, I’m not a 10k operation, I’m JUST LIKE YOU, a bunch of 700 acre farms that operate as one. Probably a lot smaller than that considering all the kids coming up the ranks. I’m not anti BTO either. I do what I think is right for me, which is the belief that the more you give away, the more you get back.
Love your story and plan. Sounds like you have set up a win/win plan for the many others around and yourself. I am on a much smaller scale but also believe in diversification. Not only does it protect from losses in one area but it is more interesting to spread it around.
avidgardener.webs.com/prices. This is a link to the patch website. Price is by size and variety. A softball size carving pumpkin would be $1 to 2. A basketball $4 or $5
This interview was so awesome, Thank you so much for all the great information.
How fun! Definitely convinced I don’t want to do that now 😂 but you guys are doing awesome!
Fascinating to hear about how they create that design from a 30 foot view and a cell phone.
So nice to hear more about agriculture
We have found that their is money in organic dairy, in combination with the beef on dairy concept. It’s wonderful to see the level of diversification you have though.
Most of what we do is not focused on being a specific “type” of farmer. Localities have their own regulations, but where we’re at, raw milk is legal. We raise beef cattle, our dams spend 3 months in a milk barn after their calves are weened. They generate revenue, have paid off the infrastructure. The level of automation and technology available on the secondary equipment market makes dairy worth it.
Then their is the factor that you can go multi species. The market for goat and lamb is limited, but you require virtually no more land, they eat what cattle won’t.
We keep our cattle weights down, bought out a meat locker 10 yrs ago and transitioned in to full USDA inspection, take in animals from other producers. We teamed up with some Mennonite families for direct sales.
I could go on and on, maybe I’ll write a book some day. But in short, we’re 100 miles out of Chicago, we’re in the only touristy area in the state outside of Chicago itself, and we’re close enough to other larger metropolitan areas also.
Their is no plan other than to keep trying new things, reinvest, and have so many things going on, that the 1/4 of them that fail (and they do) don’t drag the whole farm down. As you create enterprises, don’t build an empire. Bring in collaborators as partners, instead of having employees. We don’t own a grain mill, but we built one and set up two brothers and their families to be the owner operators. Same with the feed mill, meat processing, poultry processing, produce production. Instead of farm hands, or hired help, I have owner operators who get 100 acres after 20 years, and I set them up with a farmland REIT that I created and recruited investors for, who they rent 3000 acres from and counting, I have my own 5000 acres, and rent an additional 2000 from the same group of investors. it’s all farmed as one farm, economies of scale galore. Organic grain brokerage, don’t own that either.
Having an army of people, and their families (huge believer in kids being assets, not liabilities, when I consider a partnership, I’m looking at the demeanor of your children more than yours), I make more money as a chairman of the board per say, than I would as the leader of an empire, because of the skin they have in the game. We need corporations, but not as much as one would think.
Just stay modular. I am very extreme in several ways, but one of them is making people money who are outside our group. If I could make 50 cents from buying something from you, instead of the 10 cents I’m currently making, but can somewhat sorta do for myself what you are offering, but I’ll only make 15 cents, I’ll take my nickel and dime and jump up and down in hysteria, rather than be beholden to you. Hence, my place is not a good stop for any salesman to make. Most of them have learned to just drive on by.
Just know, I’m not a 10k operation, I’m JUST LIKE YOU, a bunch of 700 acre farms that operate as one. Probably a lot smaller than that considering all the kids coming up the ranks. I’m not anti BTO either. I do what I think is right for me, which is the belief that the more you give away, the more you get back.
Love your story and plan. Sounds like you have set up a win/win plan for the many others around and yourself. I am on a much smaller scale but also believe in diversification. Not only does it protect from losses in one area but it is more interesting to spread it around.
Matt Donald is a stud!
Wouldn't it be easier on your machine to cut the corn while it's short?
Yes, that is how it is done. The design is drawn on the ground just as the corn is coming up. The lines are tilled back under.
Thank you! How do you price pumpkins?
I’m doing a small patch this year at a small farm in Florida. Not sure where to purchase or how to price.
avidgardener.webs.com/prices. This is a link to the patch website. Price is by size and variety. A softball size carving pumpkin would be $1 to 2. A basketball $4 or $5
@@FlanaganHomestead thank you greatly. Very informative
@@Devoneakapimp They are $6 in charlotte NC at Target. Ones that are pretty big though are $15 at home depot. prices have really increased a lot!
Pumpkins as a dewormer is a myth.