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I thought John Plowden used this plan (seen in Simon’s post) as a prototype and built something similar (he had it at NEAPFD 2010). There should be some pics somewhere (maybe on here).

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I wasn’t trying to get you riled up Jen but as I said, I was contacted by a couple of members who use both FB and this forum and expressed their concern so I thought I’d ask. That’s all, nothing more.

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Also- the fresh air thing is a good idea. Barns easily can quickly become “pneumonia chambers” with inadequate ventilation. It’s amazing how much moisture is exhaled by animals – a recipe for respiratory trouble.

IME, a 5% death loss is close to standard (not including the weather related ones).

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Our mud is living under the 8+ inches of wet snow/slop still on the ground! Nothing is frozen underneath so it’s a nice mess – county roads are muddy when they plow ’em and the snow banks are black with gravel that used to be the road surface (or my driveway surface).

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Yeah, I always wonder about how people make marketing/management decisions. It seems that when prices are good do you retain fewer and take advantage of prices and wait to grow your herd more or do you make the decision to grow and then go with it, regardless of prices. That doesn’t even consider the disease issue you experienced – sometimes “poker” looks like an easier, less stressful way to make a living.

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Robert!!! April 7th/8th are the plowing days at Pomeroy, WA

Spring Farming Days (FREE):
[h=4][/h][h=3]* First weekend in April (April 7-8, 2012) Event to start at 9am both days, winding down Sunday 2-3pm.[/h][h=3]* Draft horse and antique tractor plowing and seeding bee, quilt show, chili cook-off, potluck and horse-drawn wagon rides!![/h][h=3]* This year we are expecting 50+ head of horses and mules to participate in Old Time Farming. From plowing through seeding watch them farm 13 acres![/h][h=3]* There will be static and operating displays of antique vehicles, tractors, engines and farm machinery.[/h][h=3]* Click here to view an article and photos from previous Spring Farming Day Events.[/h][h=3] – Overnight camping spots are available. Call Paula: (509) 843-1014 [/h][h=3]* For more information contact: Jay Franks: (509) 843-1149[/h][h=3] OR[/h][h=3] David & Nancy Ruark: (509) 843-3506[/h]

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Hey – maybe I should ask you some questions too, John! You can PM me if you don’t feel comfortable posting on the open forum.

How do you have your business “setup”? Do you advertise? Where/how? Insurance of some sort? Where/what type of carriage work do you do – weddings etc or a route around town?

What would you say are the good and bad things about doing carriage work? What to watch out for?

Thanks.

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Wes – do you try and have your heifers calve at a different time (earlier or later) than your cows? How many heifers do you carry each year? They seem to be the real issue with all that first timer stuff.

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Gulo – is that your place (Thompson Farm)? Nice site – especially relate to the picture of May 24 snow storm. Winter is reluctant to move on here in the north.

Also – any idea where one might get a print of some of Soper’s art? Some of those I would like on my walls.

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The greatest insult comes not from a farmer being unable to sue Monsanto for contamination of their non-GMO crop but with Monsanto’s right to sue the farmer for patent infringement if he chooses to save his own seed that is now contaminated with Monsanto’s patented gene.

This part is speculation on my part but patents have a “life span” and eventually become part of the public domain (I think). Some companies have figured out how to slightly manipulate or alter the patented material or its application (in many cases a pharmaceutical) to resubmit for an extension of their original patent to effectively maintain their control of the market share. If I’m not mistaken, a patent is good for 7 yrs.

All this while our USDA and FDA are chasing down and arresting Amish raw milk producers. I guess if the war on drugs has been ineffective after 40 yrs, let’s go after food. Maybe we need to use the Drug cartels as a business model – a Food Cartel!

NOTE – If you want to support the requirement for products w/ GMO’s in them to be labelled as such, you can go here to add your voice (just got this today)

http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/sign/time_to_label_gmos/?akid=491.364696.lUbsnB&rd=1&t=11

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Hi Rodney

We’re happy to have you with us. Check out the site and ask questions. That’s what the forum is about, information!

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Hi Nichole,

Glad to have you here. Might have to ask you about the carriage business when I get a chance.

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Wes – you should be seeing some snow soon enough. We got 8-10 inches in the last 12-24 hrs. Could’ve been more if the snow wasn’t so wet.

The grafting technique you use has saved a lot of orphaned calves and lambs.

All the best with calving. It always seemed like animals ready to give birth would linger on until there was some change in the weather (usually for the worse), then it was Katy bar the door!

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Two of the photos I tagged should be Les Barden’s cart. The other one is Mark Cowdrey’s Piggyback Firewood Arch attachment that fits on a Pioneer forecart.

Peyton – make sure to look at Jason Rutledge’s website (Healing Harvest) – there is a free downloadable set of plans for their arch to help with your design ideas.

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I know llamas have a reputation for guarding but last week a local livestock owner had 2 llamas killed by what appears to be stray dog(s). There’s a point where they can’t hold their own against a determined predator.

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