Footsteps Farm Today

Footsteps Farm Home ~ Blog Home

Wednesday, January 25, 2006

My Links

Sarah tells me that the more links you have the higher you list on the search engines so here are a few links that we use on a regular basis

http://www.todaysag.com/

http://www.cacountry.com/

http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usdahome

http://www.texascountryreporter.com/

http://msucares.com/news/farmweek/

http://www.pork.org/

http://www.tractorvideos.com/

http://www.agbizweek.com/

http://www.marketplaceforthemind.state.pa.us/m4m/lib/m4m/homepage-flash.asp

http://www.alseed.com/

http://www.awionline.org/farm/alt-farming.html

http://www.albc-usa.org/

http://attra.ncat.org/

http://www.cattlescales.com/

http://www.cavenders.com/default.asp?

http://www.cccfeeds.com/

http://www.alphaag.com/

http://www.jhhatco.com/

http://www.devoncattle.com/index.html

http://www.eatwild.com/

http://www.nascofa.com/prod/Home

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/farmlife/

http://www.farmerboyag.com/temp/

http://www.fishassociates.com/

http://ohioline.osu.edu/gsg/index.html

http://www.outsidepride.com/store/catalog/index.html

http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/ahealth.htm

http://www.nehbc.org/

http://www.scottishhighlandcattle.com/

http://www.historicalturkeys.com/

http://www.nutrenaworld.com/PageTemplates/BeefPortal.aspx

http://customer.wcta.net/haycreek/

http://thepigsite.com/

http://newfarm.osu.edu/management/Farmbuildings.html#Swine

http://www.jefferspet.com/ssc/

http://www.jordancattle.com/trailers/round_bale_feeder/round_bale_feeders.html

http://fence-electric.com/index.php?

http://www.lacajachina.com/

http://www.eatwellguide.org/

http://www.pasturemanagement.com/

http://www.clt.astate.edu/dkennedy/index.htm

http://www.apppa.org/

http://www.polydome.com/polydome.html

http://www.pvcplans.com/pvc-pastured-poultry-pen.htm

http://www.gatewaytovermont.com/thefarm/slaughter.htm

http://www.rotowiper.com/

http://www.c-siron.com/feeder_panels2.htm

http://www.seedland.com/Merchant/merchant.mv?Screen=SFNT&Store_Code=Seedland

http://www.americangrassfedbeef.com/

http://www.themeatrix.com/action/

http://newfarm.com/

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/default.asp?AREA=None

http://www.mytscstore.com/detail.asp?pcID=8&paID=1039&sonID=210&page=1&productID=2278

http://www.thunderinghooves.net/faq.htm

http://web.uconn.edu/poultry/4-hpoultry/

http://www.landrethseeds.com/

http://www.organicfeeds.com/

http://devoncattle.com/dca_home.htm#Welcome%20to%20the%20Devon

http://www.sheplers.com/home.cfm

http://www.thecattleshow.com/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/whizbangchickenpluckers/

http://www.poultryone.com/

http://www.backyardchickens.com/

http://www.lionsgrip.com/pastured.html

http://www.eggcartons.com/index.htm

http://www.deliciousorganics.com/Controversies/eggsactly.htm

http://www.hardwickbeef.com/

http://www.sandhillpreservation.com/

http://www.the-coop.org/index.html

http://www.kuhlcorp.com/poultry.html

http://littlewonder.com/dealer-locator.asp

http://www.localharvest.org/

http://www.poultrypress.com/

http://www.coventryfarmersmarket.com/

http://www.fertrell.com/

http://www.cerc.colostate.edu/Blueprints/Barnscorrals.htm

http://www.ruralheritage.com/

http://www.kamco-online.com/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PasturedPigs/

http://journeytoforever.org/farm_pig.html

http://www.pineharbor.com/shed_kits.htm

http://sugarmtnfarm.com/blog/

http://www.farm.tv/

A better picture

 Posted by Picasa

Our new sign

Christmas was wonderful and this sign was Sheryl's present to me, definately a major WOW !!

It came yesterday and I got it up today in between painting the bedroom, getting our tractor loaded on a flat bed to get a new water pump, clutch and tune up. Also 6 X 6 X 12 ties came to build a retaining wall on our drive way parking area, so it was a busy day. Yesterday 30 ton of stone was delivered for our drive and I was going to spread it today until I discovered the blown water pump.

The sign came from Danthonia signs and this is sure one case of the picture they sent not doing the actual finished product justice, it is just beautiful. Sheryl had them paint Thelma the pig, Newt the bull and George the turkey on the sign, she spent a lot of time on the computer going back and forth to get the sign the way she wanted.

Thanks to Sheryl for a wonderful Christmas and a beautiful sign. My Grandfather was the last one to have such a nice sign on Prentice Williams road and I am proud to follow in his footsteps.

Here is the link in case anyone is interested in a high quality sign for their farm www.danthoniadesigns.com

Cheers,

Craig Posted by Picasa

Tuesday, January 17, 2006

Still learning

Well try as I may I still have not figured out how to get a photo in here along with text, at least it hasn't worked for the last few pictures.

Been busy this MLK holiday, got the working chute about done, only a few bolts left to install and a deck to put on but hopefully we can use it to get Millie the cow home.

The total cost for this was about $500.00, all the post holes were dug by hand and the posts were set in concrete. The actual construction of the chute after the posts set for a day was one day, thanks to Jeff and Kevin for their hard work.

We have the hogs seperated now with some in the north five acre lot, some in the Ox Pasture and piglets cleaning up the Horseradish bed for us.

I have spent the last few days working on our tax stuff for the farm and re doing all our quickbook stuff, also made file folders to correspond with the for F entires and quickbooks, I am now ready to take it to the CPA. I HATE PAPERWORK.

Also revamped our ordering system, opened a new checking account so as to keep better records, and have a new process for logging incoming money and deposits.

We have been getting turkey, pork and chicken orders already and am pleasantly surprized as to how many we have considering the forms have only been available for about 3 weeks. When one customer sent in what I thought was a bit too much money he responded that he had read we posted on our web site that there was a cash flow problem last year and he wanted to help us out. I pointed out that we really didn't have a cash FLOW problem it was more of a cash DRIP problem.

I posted some pictures of Christmas here with Sheryl's side of the family, we always have a great time when they come for our traditional Christmas Eve dinner, Uncle Dickie always gets a gag gift from the boys and this year it was pink slippers...

As you can see from the picture of the pigs in the hay we really need to get some hog huts for them, these are metal huts and will withstand their constant scratching etc. I really do enjoy the pigs as each one has their own personallity.

Johnathan, Millie's owner has a farm in Waterford and has kindly brought yet more hay for Millie and the rest of the cows. He is a hard working young man who I enjoy having to visit, I still want him to teach me his method for castrating the piglets.

Nuff for now.

Cheers,

Craig

A game for all

 Posted by Picasa

Pigs love the sun and fresh hay

 Posted by Picasa

Christmas Eve Dinner

 Posted by Picasa

Chute takes shape

 Posted by Picasa

Kevin holds the board

 Posted by Picasa

Boys work together

 Posted by Picasa

Jeff works on the chute

 Posted by Picasa

Working Chute team

Posted by Picasa

Well Millie the cow has made us change our plans a bit, we really did not want to make the chute now as we couldn't really afford the time nor the materials, the final cost was about $500.00 but in the end we are glad to finally have something that we can drive all our animals through in case they need to be loaded in to a trailer or given meds.

I am still trying to figure out how this blog thing works and wanted all the pictures on one page but it didn't work out so forgive the extra posts to get the pictures in.

Here Sheryl took our photo when we were done for the day, it was COLD, about 15 degrees but little or no wind so we got it done. I had dung the post holes over two weekends and set the posts in concrete then left it for this weekend.

The real test will be to see if Millie will now go through the chute as she follows the other cows when they are moved to fresh pasture.

The picture is Kevin on the left, Me and then Jeff on the right

Monday, January 09, 2006

Work party news

Well it wasn't quite what I had hoped for and had it not been for young Ben Adams and my Oldest Son Shawn the work party would have been a flop 'cause no one else showed up. We did get a HUGE amount done though and I am happy with what we accomplished in a short period of time.

One more day like yesterday in that pasture and we will be able get the piles set drying out before burning in year. Hopefully we can get about 4 ton of lime spread in there this Feb or March.

Thanks to Curt and Shawn we got the seven piglets moved and the boys cut, all 7 are now rooting up the horse radish bed for me.

Millie the cow would NOT load in to the trailer on Sat soooooooo now I have to build a pinch chute. I do need one badly just not right now especially with all the mud and water. It has been a very warm and wet winter. I got four of the 8 post holes dung and the posts set, I ran in to more rocks than about all of the other holes on the farm combined (might be over stating it a bit...) but just one stone was the size of a truck tire.

Tonight I have a meeting with the Denison Society Board of Trustees to see if they want to allow a farmers market on their property. Personally I am having second thoughts about adding the workload to my already over loaded schedule.

Shaws supermarket is about set for me to go there at 06:00 in the am to pick up 55 gallon barrels of veggie scraps. This is for a compost project, yet another albiet welcome addition to my schedule--guess I will have to start feeding hogs at 4:30 in the morning once that starts. This compost will be a good test for the dung beetles and others I got from the battle man in Oregon, and I might even order more this spring.

I have a lot more I need to write here but am out of time, spend a couple of days just entering finincial stuff into QuickBooks to be ready for tax day.

Cheers,

Craig

Thursday, January 05, 2006

E-mails and other stuff

We have been having some difficulity in getting our junk mail blocker to not block e-mails to us but try as we may some e-mails still go to our junk mail folder and then I try to check them all but sometimes important messages get deleted, such was the case yesterday, someone e-mailed us about buying pigs and it got deleted when I tried to send it to my in box.

So if you e-mail us and don't get an answer with in 2 days please try again or call.

The work party for this coming Saturday and Sunday is on.

More later.
Cheers,

Craig