Chicken Thoughts

Red Ranger

Recently I have been going back and forth on raising chickens on rented land. I mean... Chickens are delicious and fresh eggs are amazing... so why have I been going back and forth on them?

The reasons are simple actually 1) I don't have a place to butcher, or a chicken plucker to clean the meat birds 2) I need to figure out a shelter for the egg layers.

If I owned my own farm there would be more options to solve some of these problems. As it is, I see some hurdles I would need to overcome.

But really... How many things can come up that I can't find a solution to? I mean, Is it possible I can butcher on the farm I'm renting from? Could I butcher at my house (Give the neighborhood kids a lesson on where their food comes from)? Take it to a processor (I'd rather not)? To every problem there is a solution.

Barred Rock

As for the shelter situation... There is a lot I can accomplish with 2x2's and some chicken wire. I can throw some wheels on the heavy side and a rope or something to pull on the other side. I think I can actually make something work.

I do have a confession though... I have never eaten farm fresh chicken...

An Intentional 2013

There is an opportunity at the beginning of every year for setting goals and looking forward to what this next year will bring. 

For me, this year's goals are simple- find some land to rent and start raising pigs. 

The goals are simple and not very well defined but I assure you, there are many details that are not being overlooked. 

When you start something new there is always fear of the unknown. I personally fear both failure and success. As well as the lack of knowledge that I currently don't know I don't have. This year is primarily about acquiring the knowledge necessary to avoid complete and utter failure on a large scale. So, to kick off the new year, this is my goal. 

Here's to achieving it.

Correspondence Regarding Land

Yesterday I sent an email to the University of Minnesota small farms extension seeking advice on how to get my hands on some land. To my delight I got a response today with some great ideas. Unfortunately is was coupled with news that might become a huge obstacle.

My Email:

Hello,

I am planning to start a grass based farming operation next Spring. My desire is to start small and grow as my customer base grows. My question is: Where do I begin looking for land to lease? I would like it to be within 15 minutes of where I live (Forest Lake, MN).  I would like the size to be 20+ acres.

Thank you for your help,
Lucas Johnson
Facebook.com/wittenburgfarms
http://wittenburgfarms.blogspot.com/

Their response:

Hi Lucas,
I would write up a simple ad very similar to what you have written here and place it in your local paper or shopper.
You could also put up a flyer 8x10 sheet of paper.

"Wanted to Lease, 20 acres or more of Good Pasture land for grass fed beef operation.
with or without water source within 10 miles of Forest Lake, MN
I will maintain or build fences
call Lucas Johnson and number"

put your name and phone number horizontal across the bottom of the page so they can rip off the name and number.

Put the flyer at the FSA, NRCS office, church, grocery store, feed store and gas station.
Put one at the county Extension office and ask if 4-H has a facebook page and if the 4-H agent would be willing to post on
facebook.  You may also want to put up a flyer at the Senior Center.

Be prepared to pay $15.00 per Animal Unit (1000 pounds) one cow calf, per month.
I am attaching a link to a sample pasture lease.
http://www.mwps.org/stores/mwps/files/NCFMEC03A_D9E5FDD476870.pdf

If you have further questions  or need additional resources please contact us again on the Farm Information Line.

Best regards,


My thoughts on their response:
Overall this is a good follow up to my email. I now have a plan of attack to pursue a land lease. I guess it makes sense to do things a little more traditional with the kind of work I'm wanting to do. I would definitely change the advert to say something along the lines of

Wanting to lease 10 acres or more of pasture land to raise heritage pigs and chickens.
Need access to water and prefer to have electricity within 15 Miles of Forest Lake.
I will build or maintain fences. 

Something along those lines would work.

The part that bothered me was the last paragraph. "Be prepared to pay $15 per AU per month".
If I figure that right, it would be about $300 per month. With what we are doing, that really makes it difficult to pull in a profit. Paying $3600 for leased land + purchase of animals + feed + fencing & equipment, I'm finding it a little difficult to breaking even, let alone bring in even a small profit. 

I guess the only thing I can do is find a better deal and keep the option open to purchase land as opposed to leasing.