FarmerChick--Farm Journal

[FarmerChick]

Do you farm to sell??

Thanks for replying.
We've always sold eggs but buyers are scare when it comes to foods that aren't from a grocery store here. The local farmer's markets are usually pretty empty around here so we only sell on site. we're thinking about trying to sell more garden/fruit produce, raw milk, and meat (chicken, rabbit, duck and turkey), but so far we've been keeping it all for ourselves until we get more animals. I'm trying to set up a website to help sell but I'm pretty clueless about it all.
I have yet to make goat's milk soap, I ordered the last ingrediants for it about a week ago so until they arrive I'm still waiting.

I feel for you cause a well established farmer market is a money maker and I have a good many around me. Great money or I wouldn't be doing this to my level of course..LOL

websites are hard...and I don't do one now..haven't in the 10 years I have been doing business cause I have no time to maintain it and I am super busy just from local business....so can't help on that one..LOL

hang in there...at least eating your own and using your own is a far step up from buying store bought junk!!!

 

[FarmerChick]

I thought Boers were meat goats? I guess you can milk anything though, huh? Do you ever drink any of it or does it all go for soap?

Yes that is right...their confirmation is best meat on the hoof. BUT like you said, anything can milk...LOL....I am not a dairy and I raise meat goats for sale to the North........but I need only a small bit of milk for soaps so it works great for me.

 

[FarmerChick]

Haven't been on in a bit....too busy now.

Let's see:

got all pool chemicals to get pool cleaned and started soon...trying to push the swim season...LOL

room addition doing great. Can't wait, want that big mudroom and tv room. Priming walls now....and putting in sink & countertops etc. soon.

Bought new leather sofa suite for LR---in storage and can't wait to get it home soon

Fields are mainly planted...waiting to finish corn etc.

Farmers market today did real well...near $1200 total for 2 markets...one small one at $400--big market did $800....so happy things are kicking into gear now!!!

Played with goats iwth Nicole. She loves her goat Rosie. She was a nice confirmation when born but kinda runty now...there are better does to keep then her but I must keep her now since she is Nicoles pet...Ugh...OK though...another mouth to feed that isn't top quality is cool I guess..HA HA

Have about 5 does that are huge kids...will keep those as replacement along with Rosie and send like 40 to sale. Should be a good market price near the Easter holidays etc.

Mowing like mad....tons of rain and everything is growing

Removed the 8 tree stumps from the side of the driveway and grading etc. to get new rock....will be big improvement for driveway...more room and we all need that..LOL

Tons of soap being made...still behind with tons of orders coming in so that is good to have that business.

Hanging laundry again....sunny outside and I think "spring has truly sprung" here.

Nicole asking for a puppy....HELL NO....just got rid of 2 old dogs after 16 years..no more for a while.....will be buying 2 horses before dogs and that is for sure..HA HA

Tin on older barn blowing up...gotta get the tall ladder and start fixing some stuff before it flies to the next county..HA HA

Tony doing well...still wierd about his problems...His big MRI showed an "infarction" ---Tony didn't understand the Dr. so I have to call and find out what is giong on. His MRI was sent to a UNC Med Dr. for review since they don't know what to make of this "infarction"----how can someone leave the Drs. office wihtout knowing the facts??? Tony drives me nuts..HA HA....so I will find out all the info when I call and see what is happening...UGH....LOL


more is happening but not sure what...HA HA...too tired to think straight.

fishing and boating tomorrow ...total day off except for feeding critters.

see ya'll later

 

[lorihadams]

An infarction? What the heck is that? At least they told him something. Glad to hear that you are making progress on the room addition and that's great about the market money! Hope you enjoyed your "day off"!

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

An infarction? What the heck is that? At least they told him something. Glad to hear that you are making progress on the room addition and that's great about the market money! Hope you enjoyed your "day off"!

Infarction is the medical term for heart attack. Doesn't mean it's bad, though, it could have been very mild. And if he didn't have an attack, they should have used some different wording! :/ Uh, that's me assuming the tests were for his heart. I re-read Karen's post and she didn't say what the MRI was for, so it could have been a different kind of infarction.

 

[FarmerChick]

Hi Quail

yea a different kind of infarction....not the heart. Dr. said it was near his lungs and chest area or something...Tony doesn't know!!!!

so much for truly listening when the Dr. is talking..HA HA

there are different infarctions like you said, myocardio infarction is the heart...he is something different.

still waiting to hear.

 

[FarmerChick]

An infarction? What the heck is that? At least they told him something. Glad to hear that you are making progress on the room addition and that's great about the market money! Hope you enjoyed your "day off"!

Hey Lori

hope all is good

I looked up infarcation and it is dead tissue.....anywhere in the body's organs etc....from trauma, blood clot problem, and a whole host of other things.....LOL.....who knows at this point.

Waiting to hear from the other results when they read the MRI


UGH

the old saying....always something...LOL----I truly like when life is easy and slow and simple. Then I look for more action in life, what is wrong with that picture..HA HA

 

[FarmerChick]

Howdy everyone


So much happening on the farm it is insane and the room addition is coming into the LR and DR now....getting Pergo wood flooring in the dining room too and painting LR etc.

Just alot of stuff happening at one. Inside and outside...LOL

Weather turned colder....UGH---what happened to the sunshine...I want it back and I want it NOW......I hate the last hoo-rah of winter always kicking in with that last cold wind...UGH

Put off pool right now...just cold.

Soap orders thru the roof now. Making 3-4 batches per day well into the night. Made last batch last night at about 11 pm....getting tired and older by the minute..LOL

Store orders increasing which is good but those big orders just wipe out my inventory fast. Need to clone myself..HA HA

Good thing is cooler weather means I don't have to mow for a bit which is nice.

Going to drag all the old trees in the pasture that the goats ate on and have a monster burn pile....I like the big bonfires..LOL...just got to get out there and drag them into a big pile. Alot of big trees in the pasture...UGH---but the fire will be fun!

Getting camper back from shop this week. Wanted last week but they didn't finish working on it so this week I get it and plan my first trip....trying hard to fit it into leaving for 3 days but having trouble of course.....all week to prepare for farmer markets on saturday so it seems so hard to get in that free time....almost none but I WILL FIND it no matter what..HA HA.

Spaghetti tonite...sauce made and froze from before....so super simple. I like dinners like that!

Grocery store challenge I gave myself is hard. Grocery prices still increasing ALOT! WOOF!!!!! I can't stay at $60-75 per week....just too low for me so I am holding myself at $100 per week. So far so good. I have to literally skip things, plan very good and I can do it. So still working on cutting that grocery all the time and being very vigilant where my money is spent.

Tony's stock doing great. Made $40,000 on his Commscope stock over the last few weeks. I am so glad they are coming back strong!!!! Seems like his company is doing "something" right so that is nice! Still on rotational layoff until end of "may" now they think. Might be going on a 3 8 hr. week now. 3 shifts running 8 hours 5 days per week versus his 4--12 hr. days and 4 off. Hmmm...might hurt him in the end cause he truly needs those 4 days off to get farm work done. But those hours are not locked in at all yet...they are talking about doing it....so who knows at this point.

As like everyone, in limbo on alot of things now.

hope all are fine and doing well...and gardens are producing. I have so much stuff coming up it is mind boggling as usual...LOL

 

[FarmerChick]

WOW WOW WOW

just so busy it is insane but fun!

farm work on full speed. sales at the farmer markets are increasing dramatic each weekend....so I love that.

all things are going wonderful. just wish I could chat more but just no time...here it is 11:30 at night and I am winding down and found a few minutes to check in.

goats are fine. I am keeping more does than I thought I would, but I do want to build the herd back up to about 50 from the 30....so keeping 20 good does and everyone else off to sale barn.

All kids doing fine and growing well.

My "pet" goat Bridgett that I love got sick...she is fine now but she is older and she always has me worried when she doesn't eat...UGH...the worries of critters...LOL---all good now. Got my eye on the old gal for any changes and act quick.


Farm production doing fab. Tons of spring onions and taters and all are doing great.....have about 5,000 onions to plant down in the "bottoms" of the homestead....alot cooler there. They should do well and give me a longer late season for green onions. Gotta get those planted, Tony still working the part of the land he wants to plant.


Room addition is fabulous! Mudroom is moster sized and playroom for Nicole is going to be perfect. Hardwood floor went down and he is giong to bust thru the wall and into the house in a day or 2....hardwood floor coming into the dining room and down the hallway. Then new carpet in the LR and painting it all....should be a whole new house when done..LOL---wonderful job this contractor is doing...great work and cleans up great also!! Not a problem ever since the beginning.


Bought those 200 red sex link chickens....getting tons of pullet eggs...they are so weeney, but there is a market for them. some people love the little eggs..HA HA...but when they are a tad older I am selling off my other 100 black sex links and buy 100 more to start over with youngsters. Time for a switch coming again.


Bought a new bull. He is nice.
One of the new heifers we got about 2 mos. ago had a baby bull calf. Cute sucker...doing well.

Bought a new boar hog. We are going to raise some piglets over the summer ---put pen to paper and decided to raise some instead of buying month old piglets. Just want to try breeding again and will see how it goes again. Breeding hogs is hard ---at least trying to keep those piglets from being squished from Momma etc..LOL


Grading driveway. Tore out 8 monster trees along the driverway, finally backhoed the stumped and drove the over to the farm in our dump truck and got the whole area cleaned up....now Tony is grading with the Bobcat and is making the driveway twice the size!! Yippee....I like that!! Room to put the camper near the house which I like instead of in the field next to the house. So alot of work there. Have to get alot of loads of gravel in a while....UGH...always something to buy!


Going fishing tomorrow. Nicole and I are adding a ton of sand to the "beach" area right off the dock along the shoreline of Dads house. The sand makes a great beach for her to play in the waters edge.....just great fun! Alot of work tomorrow but worth the effort. Along with fun fishing..LOL


Soap sales thru the roof! You know I love that. Can hardly keep up and moving at warp speed.


Tony doing fine. He had to take a Nitro pill last week cause his chest was hurting...Hmmm....seems he has not had any "episodes" since taking that Nitro pill???? He goes next week to discuss all his last medical tests etc. etc. and see where he goes from here.


Tony is having unreal success in his stocks at work...we have made about $70,000 in the last month of his companies stock. I couldn't ask for anything better. I sure need that money for retirement and that seems to be coming faster each year..HA HA.....I am thrilled that this retirement fund is building up so fast for us! I can't help but smile big time!!!!! I like when money things go great....not the opposite..HA HA


All is going well....all the usual farm stuff and life stuff but no time to slow down and chat on the board. Hope everyone is fine and doing well. Will be back when I can! take care all---

 

[2dream]

You sure are busy. So glad someones retirment plans are coming back. We are almost back to where we were this time last year. Still a couple of thousand short but sure better than before.

I still don't have goats and DH is bucking me big time on this. He has only been around what I call scrub goats so he has a really bad misconception of goats and nothing I say seems to change his mind. So unless he changes his mind goats will not be happening. I can of course get them and try to do it all myself but, with working all day and garden time upon us plus normal household chores along with chickens and rabbits and my mother to take care of - I just don't see the time unless he is on board and willing to help.

Like you there is not enough hours in the day to do all that has to be done.

Great power bill you have there. Wish I could get mine down that low. I have cut mine down by about 55 a month just by not using the dryer. But with all this rain next month will probably be right back up there.