Christian Farmers Club

[JohnDB]

For farmers, farm workers and farming affectionados.

After all....

Superman was raised as a farmer...
Who doesn't want to be Superman/Farmer

 

[Lost4words]

I used to work on a farm rounding up the chickens!

 

[April_Rose]

Don't mind him, he is just having a career identity crisis as he's a construction worker who has been in regret for quite some time now. Lol! Jk!!

 

[renniks]

I grew up on a 'real' farm. We had milk cows and pigs and chickens and lots of crops and lots of work. Now, I live on a hobby farm. We have some goats and sheep and chickens and only a little bit of farm work. I would not have wanted to grow up any other way.

 

[JohnDB]

If I can ever retire from being an electrician I was wanting to have a hobby farm of fruit trees and make jams and jellies from it all.

 

[JohnDB]

Right now the supply chain from farm to table is having trouble all over the world. The processing plants have been shut down or are definitely sick...

It's trouble.

 

[JohnDB]

I used to work on a farm rounding up the chickens!

Chicken chasing....uhhhhh....them suckers are faster than you would think...but quick hands usually win the day.

Was it a regular poultry farm?

 

[JohnDB]

I grew up on a 'real' farm. We had milk cows and pigs and chickens and lots of crops and lots of work. Now, I live on a hobby farm. We have some goats and sheep and chickens and only a little bit of farm work. I would not have wanted to grow up any other way.

The worst part of farm life (to me at least) is the care of the animals. There's never a break or vacation from milking cows or care of the livestock. And you really can't neglect them for a minute.
Which for some people is wonderful...I'm not into the livestock so much...the most I would want to do is maybe a pair of pigs to help get rid of fruit trash instead of composting it or a burn pile.

 

[Lost4words]

Chicken chasing....uhhhhh....them suckers are faster than you would think...but quick hands usually win the day.

Was it a regular poultry farm?

All i know is that with my 4 small legs and sharp teeth, i was an awesome chicken rounder upper!

 

[renniks]

The worst part of farm life (to me at least) is the care of the animals. There's never a break or vacation from milking cows or care of the livestock. And you really can't neglect them for a minute.
Which for some people is wonderful...I'm not into the livestock so much...the most I would want to do is maybe a pair of pigs to help get rid of fruit trash instead of composting it or a burn pile.

You know we did meat chickens for the first time this year. Really not hard to take care of, and they yield a lot of meat in a short amount of time. I was always more into woods skills than farming myself. I would be off in the woods when I was supposed to be working in the field. Still very involved in traditional skills.

 

[bèlla]

The supply chain issues affect those going to a grocer. If you purchase direct or frequent smaller venues delivery isn’t an issue. I had no problem procuring beef and pork in bulk and my local farmers market is well stocked every week. You can order a CSA subscription and have fresh produce throughout the year.

The plants having issues are packaging conventional non organic food in most cases.

~Bella

 

[Arc F1]

If I can ever retire from being an electrician I was wanting to have a hobby farm of fruit trees and make jams and jellies from it all.

I'm a retired electrician. I now have a 100 acre farm. This is my second year growing a garden. It's about 120' x 70'. I couldn't even imagine working a whole farm. I can't even keep up with the garden. I do miss the 80hr work weeks and being around all the people.

 

[JohnDB]

The supply chain issues affect those going to a grocer. If you purchase direct or frequent smaller venues delivery isn’t an issue. I had no problem procuring beef and pork in bulk and my local farmers market is well stocked every week. You can order a CSA subscription and have fresh produce throughout the year.

The plants having issues are packaging conventional non organic food in most cases.

~Bella

Buying organic is okay if you can afford it. But the vast majority can't afford to eat that stuff on a regular basis.

I asked my FIL if he knew if a hog farm in his area of rural GA... because I know that they were having issues with the processing and I actually do know how.
I was even salivating at the thoughts of bacon and sausage from scratch. (Oh I have ways of ruining people's lives permanently with food so good you can't tolerate old favorites)

But it wasn't to be...

If and when I do get a farm I was planning on getting a pair of pigs to raise. (A single pig won't do well) and those pigs can clear brush and consume produce that doesn't make it to finished product.
But I definitely don't want to get caught up raising too many animals...I have a son that is close enough. LOL.

 

[bèlla]

I'm a retired electrician. I now have a 100 acre farm. This is my second year growing a garden. It's about 120' x 70'. I couldn't even imagine working a whole farm. I can't even keep up with the garden. I do miss the 80hr work weeks and being around all the people.

I liked the idea of homesteading and worked on an organic production farm for a season to test the theory. I planned to attend a one year program on farming that included agriculture, husbandry, forestry, arts (spinning, weaving, etc.), developing a business plan, and a stint in Italy to learn how prosciutto is made.

But the Lord closed the door. Its very labor intensive. I may do something less taxing in the future for the sake of experience. But I’d have to hire someone to manage it. That’s too much work for one person. You need a lot of hands.

I’ve compromised by developing relationships with farmers to source items directly. I save a lot and I’m not saddled with the responsibilities of animal upkeep or feeding! A happy medium is a greenhouse with comparable space outdoors.

I don’t need to grow everything. But I would like a medicinal herb garden and cut flowers. I’m doing an herbalist training program in my spare time. That will serve me well in the long run.

~Bella

 

[Arc F1]

I liked the idea of homesteading and worked on an organic production farm for a season to test the theory. I planned to attend a one year program on farming that included agriculture, husbandry, forestry, arts (spinning, weaving, etc.), developing a business plan, and a stint in Italy to learn how prosciutto is made.

But the Lord closed the door. Its very labor intensive. I may do something less taxing in the future for the sake of experience. But I’d have to hire someone to manage it. That’s too much work for one person. You need a lot of hands.

I’ve compromised by developing relationships with farmers to source items directly. I save a lot and I’m not saddled with the responsibilities of animal upkeep or feeding! A happy medium is a greenhouse with comparable space outdoors.

I don’t need to grow everything. But I would like a medicinal herb garden and cut flowers. I’m doing an herbalist training program in my spare time. That will serve me well in the long run.

~Bella

We were already canning green beans this time last year. We are nowhere even close now. I've been talking to the farmers in the area and they are telling me that things are changing. Crops are reacting different and it's getting worse every year.

 

[bèlla]

Buying organic is okay if you can afford it. But the vast majority can't afford to eat that stuff on a regular basis.

Buying organic is expensive when you go to a grocer. You’re paying a significant markup. I purchased an 1/8 of organic grass-fed beef (hind quarter) and 1/2 pig. The meat was cut to my specifications. I paid less than $4.50 per pound for both. And I have T-bones and porterhouse steak.

The same is true for fruits and vegetables. You can buy a flat from the farmer and freeze them. Seconds are a good option for items you plan to preserve.

We used to have a vegetable mart that sold them for $0.99 in the summer. They closed due to competition last year. But this is one of my hauls. I created a homemade pantry that year. It was exhausting but satisfying.

~Bella

 

[bèlla]

We were already canning green beans this time last year. We are nowhere even close now. I've been talking to the farmers in the area and they are telling me that things are changing. Crops are reacting different and it's getting worse every year.

I haven’t done a thing! I’m going to use a steamer and make small batches this year. We’ve lost a lot of ground due to the virus.

~Bella