It's really good to know someone who has farmed before and I happen to have an absolute goldmine in Elsie, or "Mom" as I call her. She's farmed crops and raised everything from chickens to milking cows. I'm talking 300 head! She was no hobby farmer. Today, I had a very good talk with her about things we could do with the land (should that pan out) that would encourage the FCC to grant us financing.
Obviously, we plan to board horses (outside - there is no barn).
We could have approximately 20 head without raping the land.
We could purchase 6, 0r so, Chalet calves in the spring at the auction and raise them for beef. The Chalet is considered the Cadillac of eating beef. You can sell them in the fall, which qualifies them as 'veal' (real veal is illegal in North America - thankfully!) which means you don't have to fee them through the winter.
Or, we could get baby Guernsey calves. Also good for meat and have that doe-like face.
Very Cute.
Bryan's not keen on the idea as he is afraid of Mad Cow!
(Isn't this picture horrifying and hilarious at the same time?
It's official...I'm seriously demented. Poor cow!)
Alright, then...how about-
The Leghorn Chicken. Great for laying eggs.
If you buy the chicks, you can sell the males
at six weeks for fryers...
and keep the girls for
laying. Or...
we could get Bedrock chickens. You buy chicks from the hatchery in spring and sell them for meat in the fall (again, no feeding/care during cold winter) and in the meantime...
they lay brown eggs (free-range organic = $!) to sell at farmer's market.
But, although I do think Chicken's are among the most beautiful birds on earth (I'm actually serious!) they are dirty and they can be really mean to each other! This will require further thought. I'm sure Mom can put my mind to ease. Maybe they pick on each other because there isn't enough food?
Bryan's idea of farming the land. BORING! But not nearly as smelly, true.
I apologize for being so macabre. Sharayah says this is why she never blogs late at night.
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