Posted on 02/10/2011 6:13:09 PM PST by Diana in Wisconsin
Garden-Ping Worthy?
Hey, Diana!
Long time, no freep.
Thanks for the post. Hope you and your family are happy and warm.
I learned everything I needed to know about the city in about 2 weeks. I needed my whole life to know everything I needed to know about the farm.
I learned everything I needed to know about the city in about 2 weeks. I needed my whole life to know everything I needed to know about the farm.
During my lifetime food in the U.S. has been pretty cheap. Self-sufficient farming has not been a winner, because of the economies of larger farms.
With the passage of HR2748/S.510/HR2751 FDA Food Take-over bill in the Lame Duck Session of the 110th Congress and signed into law by Obozo, that might change. It is at least a time to perpare for a big uptick in food prices. My feeling is it could be a 50% jump in produce due to that bill. And an uptick due to the high price of feed grain for products like: chicken, beef, pork.
Note- small scale production is excluded from much of the fees of the bill. Local production may again make sense.
We shall soon see.
Green acres baby!!!
but of course, pass the real food please..
“It does something to the soul...”
I don’t live on a farm but in the suburbs. My hybrid tea roses certainly lift my soul. I get a true enjoyment growing a flower that is beautiful and perfumes the air. One of these days though, I am definitely going to show up at Diana’s. I have the feeling her garden and the farms near her are wonderful. Mom
I read a book in High School called “5 acres and Independence”, written in the 40’s or early 50’s IIRC. We had rented a farm house when I was in about 6th grade, and had lived in CA and was a Boy Scout and got to hike and camp in the Sierras, Yosemite, Big Sur, etc.
I was convinced I had to live in the country. Took me until I was 30 to pull it off.
Had a big calf (80-90lbs) born yesterday while I was at work; it was licked off and dry so I left it outside with mama, even though it was still and clear and supposed to get to 0*. (Got 5 others so far doing fine)
It was dead this am. Should have brought it in. One year I had calves everywhere in the house, didn’t want to repeat that.
If you have livestock, you’re gonna have some deadstock. This one could have been saved, though.
I'll pass, thanks. More power to you if you enjoy farming, but I'll happily pay someone else to grow my food. With modern farming techniques it only takes 2% or so of the population to provide us with more food than we can eat.
That having been said, I have no desire to live in a large city or even a suburb. I live in the Rocky Mountains and I like it!
Don’t live on a farm, but in very rural ranching country. With our mountains, we get a lot of tourists here for fishing, camping, etc. I feel sorry for most of them as they all seem to long to live here, but because of a lack of jobs here are forced to stay in the big city.
My sympathy about the calf. I lost a heifer calf the same way last December. Thought she would be fine. Waddaya gonna do?
Too late for me.
I love the city.
I used to turn the bull in around Memorial Day, to be safe, but the markets have been highest here in Sept-Oct. I don’t creep-feed (I’m a low-cost operator- not quite Kit Pharoh, but along those lines),so I’m trying to get a few more lbs.
Most years you’re fine calving now. The last two years we’ve had heavy snow.
Ping for later. Looks like a good read!
Here’s my life & my garden in photos. It took me 20 years to buy my farm, and another 15 to make it what it is today. It’s been worth EVERY minute. :)
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=1705&id=100000167687175&l=4e9dc84d8f
:)
Whoops! The deer out here on our place may be slated for the table; and they’ve lived out here for almost 25 years free as birds. - We’re thinking about getting some chickens for eggs. I don’t think I can manage goats at this stage in my life. So, it’s Provident Pantry storage milk I guess.
That’s a shame about the calf.
But, don’t beat yourself up too much over this. ‘Tis Nature’s Way, my FRiend.
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