future farming idea need specifics and other information. chicken/goat/sheep/veggies?
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Question by Jane: future farming idea need specifics and other information. chicken/goat/sheep/veggies?
sorry for the long title i wasn’t sure how to get the right attention. im thinking of having a farm or starting one in the future (5-10 yrs) and i want to start planning ahead now as far as money saving as information gathering. my aunt and uncle own a dairy farm and have 4 kids and ive always liked how they had this busy atmosphere across the road and then they’d come home to this warm and cheerful place with kids running around and that’s what i want and just a note I AM NOT AFRAID OF HARD WORK. now that that’s out of the way what i was thinking was chicken farming both as meat and for eggs. im thinking of free range chickens because i think that treating them well is not only humane but makes them taste better and additives just make us sick. i also would like to keep some for egg harvesting. but chickens would probably be my main thing. i am looking for a small farm and was thinking of having some sheep and goat amount my animals. i may want to use the goats and sheep for milk for cheese making and then also for the wool(sheep) but im not sure how m any of each animal i would need and those ive asked give me insane answers. im kind of dealing with a one man team willing to work hard but keep the numbers low. id really also like to have my fruits and veggies and some extra food grown in a green house for during the summer. id like to make money from this of course but mainly from the chickens im thinking the goats and sheep would be to make cheese that can then be sold,possibly im really not sure how to go about doing any of this because its not as simple as make sell done there are rules and taxes and crazy things that i have to figure out and im just looking for someone to help make sense. ideally i would like to grow a ton of grapes for the purpose of making wine (wine and cheese : ) any advice would be appreciated!!
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One Response to future farming idea need specifics and other information. chicken/goat/sheep/veggies?
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I’d suggest you start out with inexpensive livestock such as poultry and sheep or goats. If you live near a larger urban area, there are plenty of city folks who are willing to pay extra for what they perceive as better, such as organic vegetables, free range poultry, home grown, etc. There’s basically only one breed of milking sheep but there are several dairy goat breeds. If you raise goats or sheep, you will need to vaccinate against entertoxemia and tetnus, so if you’re anti-vaccine, forget that enterprise. Try checking out farmers markets to see what seems to be the best sellers. My in-laws have a small apple orchard and while they do use modern fungicides and insecticides, that hasn’t hurt farmers market sales whatsoever. So don’t think you must go organic to be successful.
bikinkawboy
September 10, 2012 at 4:52 am