Finance is a dirty !@#$%
Friday, April 2nd, 2010 | County Fare Site, Minnesota | 3 Comments
OK we’ll just say it’s a dirty word. After talking with the wonderful, seriously they want to help, people with the FSA concerning a beginning farm loan we have been told that land purchases are more difficult to get funded through the beginning farm programs. This combined with the fact that time is ticking away and moving anything through govt. is slower than snails racing, yes yes I’m all for the slow movement but in agriculture there are a few times a year when you need to be ready to go, such as spring, is why we have decided to make a purchase on our own.
First, I’d like to write a bit about our decision to purchase. While this isn’t the only option we feel it is right for us at this time. Mainly because home rentals are equal or greater in monthly cost than purchasing. Also, if we were to find the perfect rental we would still not be able to easily make improvements to the property that are necessary.
So we have decided to take matters into our own hands and purchase a small piece of property and possibly put a manufactured home on it. This option allows us to get in on time and under budget. Plus we can get started with our soil and composting projects lickety split. The more we discuss this the more we find reasons why it seems like the right thing to do. For example:
- low cost of ownership (20 acres a home and cost to put in utilities is under half of purchasing a small farm ready to go)
- low start up cost allow us to funnel more resources into production
- we get to design our farm (very exciting! farming is DIY paradise)
But, none of the local banks are into financing trailers; I wonder if I could call it pre-fab and get warmer reception? :^D Even thought this option brings our purchase price and payments down to more reasonable the terms of financing aren’t as friendly as with the FSA and it introduces non-local banking business to our plan. Waiting is starting to sound better.
We’ll be weighing the pros and cons here to see what the best option is.
Pros:
- low cost of ownership
- more resources for production
- build what we want as we go
- get to start now
Cons:
- financing terms aren’t as nice (fine print from more than one entity yuck)
- non-local business involvment
Growing Power snapshots
Saturday, March 27th, 2010 | Food Activism, Organizations | 2 Comments
Trying out this photo gallery to see if I like it.
Growing Power recap
Sunday, March 21st, 2010 | Food Activism, Health, Organizations | No Comments
The Growing Power workshop in Milwaukee, WI I have just finished was nothing short of amazing! A great and diverse crowd from such places as Washington State and D.C., Ohio, Long Island, Colorado, South Dakota, South Carolina and even as far away as Ghana and Mozambique! The Garden Girl herself, Patti Moreno, was there shooting an episode. All in all, it was an exhilarating experience teeming with talented amazing people, great ideas, projects and wonderful instruction on real world ways to begin agricultural projects.
Now I am exhausted. I’ll share a few photos that I snapped over the weekend soon.
Growing Power
Wednesday, March 17th, 2010 | Uncategorized | No Comments
Headed to a Growing Power workshop this weekend in Milwaukee, WI . Should be a wonderful time. Classes in year round greenhouse production and aquaponics should be interesting. I’ll have to see if i can sneak in hoop house construction as well!
Read more about Growing Power!
Farm Plan
Sunday, March 7th, 2010 | County Fare Site, Minnesota, Uncategorized | No Comments
Wow there is a lot to be done when planning our little endeavor. Business plans in and of themselves aren’t that difficult to create, but research takes time. Add the needs of small children to the mix and you get an extended time line that’s nearly unacceptable. We are definitely up to the challenge, but it seems just getting there is going to be the hardest part.
On a positive note I had a meeting with our local FSA Rep and it sounds like one of the loans they make available for beginning farmers is going to be the best option for us at this point. Now to research and compile data to come up with some hard numbers for a balance sheet and projected income, write a farm experience narrative and then collect the supporting documentation to complete the application. When I get a clearer idea of our farm plan I’ll lay it all out here. What I will say is that we are taking a LONG look at aquaponics. Nearly year round production in USDA zone 3 sounds interesting.
Biz plan fun
Sunday, March 7th, 2010 | Uncategorized | No Comments
Wow there is a lot to be done when planning our little endeavor. Business plans in and of themselves aren’t that difficult to create, but research takes time. Add the needs of small children to the mix and you get an extended time line that’s nearly unacceptable. We are definitely up to the challenge, but it seems just getting there is going to be the hardest part.
On a positive note I had a meeting with our local FSA Rep and it sounds like one of the loans they make available for beginning farmers is going to be the best option for us at this point. Now to research and compile data to come up with some hard numbers for a balance sheet and projected income, write a farm experience narrative and then collect the supporting documentation to complete the application. When I get a clearer idea of our farm plan I’ll lay it all out here. What I will say is that we are taking a LONG look at aquaponics. Nearly year round production in USDA zone 3 sounds interesting.
Friends Neighbors Countrymen lend me your ear (or your farm beginnings info)
Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 | County Fare Site, Food Activism, Food Writing, Health, Minnesota | No Comments
It may seem that this little food media experiment has bit the dust. I assure you it has not. In fact things are looking pretty exciting for the next year.
First, a little about the extended hiatus. Last summer as I excitedly worked my first real job in over three years at a reputable advertising agency here in Minneapolis my youngest daughter developed eczema as a result of some nasty FOOD ALLERGIES. At the same time the eldest daughter became violently ill with Lyme’s Disease. It took six weeks and five doctor visits to find this out. AND THEN I came down with shingles! Uber stress I guess. So I decided I was going to stay home for awhile and get things in order. Shingles and Lyme’s are treatable and were nipped in the butt within a couple of weeks. Food allergies on the other hand are a real nightmare. 9 months later we are still adjusting our family diet and have found an herbal remedy that has helped immensely with her aczema, at the recommendation of our acupuncturist. We still don’t get much sleep at night with the poor little girl, now 1yr, rolling around and itching at all hours; but things are greatly improved from the days when her skin literally bled day and night.
Instead of pursuing my working career at full steam I’ve opted to enroll in graduate school. Something I’ve always wanted but thought was a few years down the road, oh well. In hope that my wife could stay home with the kids we have been brainstorming ideas for extra income. A few have come and gone but one lingers nagging us on. Starting a small farm. After some research we have found that there is an abundance of help for people who wish to start farming. And get this, a lot of it is from the good ole USDA! WOW! Beginning farm loans! Business planning resources! Classes! Everywhere we look this is a positive for us, the planet, and profit. We are truly amazed and are excitedly attempting to start a business plan. Tough with only a couple weary hours of production time available. We’ll get there.
So it seems this will be our contribution to County Fare. We will document as much of the process as possible and post it for the community as a resource. Hopefully it will be useful.
If anyone has relevant information please post it here. I’m currently looking for current accurate data regarding sales prices for berries and mushrooms (these are my lead crop contenders). I have a meeting with our local FSA person in a few days and hope to get some of this data for my region.
Sorry about the sloppy post and writing. What can you expect with an average of 4 hours of sleep for months. This ship will only get tighter as time goes on. I’m very much looking forward to it.
Dustin
What’s Happenin’?
Friday, June 26th, 2009 | County Fare Site | No Comments
OK, it’s been awhile since I’ve been writing for CF. Truth is having a second child is like entering another universe where all of your time is sucked up by the breast milk black hole :^D Having another addition to the family is wonderful and I don’t want anyone to get the wrong idea. Our children are fantastic, but time is at a premium now. Between family duties and my new job crafting and growing this little blogging experiment has had to, by necessity, take a back seat. That does not mean it has been abandoned just slowed… to a snails pace. Which I find rather appropriate considering the subject matter and my fondness of everything slow movement. Family First.
Behind the scenes I have been working on a new layout and tighter integration with some of my other web activities. This new layout and integration should make the site more functional as a publication as well as more aesthetically pleasing. I nearly have the information architecture complete and am obsessing over color schemes at the moment. Next, the content strategy will be redefined. I will try to update here a little more frequently in the near future as things come closer to completion. I also have a few things I really need to write about in the mean time as they are very important.
till then,
Dustin
VEGETARIAN’S NIGHTMARE
Friday, May 8th, 2009 | Food Activism, Food Writing, Organizations | No Comments
VEGETARIAN’S NIGHTMARE
by Baxter Black
a dissertation on plant’s rights
Ladies and diners I make you
A shameful, degrading confession.
A deed of disgrace in the name of good taste
Though I did it, I meant no aggression.
I had planted a garden last April
And lovingly sang it a ballad.
But later in June beneath a full moon
Forgive me, I wanted a salad!
So I slipped out and fondled a carrot
Caressing its feathery top.
With the force of a brute I tore out the root!
It whimpered and came with a pop!
Then laying my hand on a radish
I jerked and it left a small crater.
Then with the blade of my True Value spade
I exhumed a slumbering tater!
Celery I plucked, I twisted a squash!
Tomatoes were wincing in fear.
I choked the Romaine. It screamed out in pain,
Their anguish was filling my ears!
I finally came to the lettuce
As it cringed at the top of the row
With one wicked slice I beheaded it twice
As it writhed, I dealt a death blow.
I butchered the onions and parsley.
My hoe was all covered with gore.
I chopped and I whacked without looking back
Then I stealthily slipped in the door.
Read more at:
Twitter Updates for 2009-04-10
Friday, April 10th, 2009 | County Fare Site | No Comments
- thinking of an actual content strategy for the blog. asking if there are any topics/ideas that anyone feels need to be included? #
- 100 mile challenge. great idea! http://100mile.foodtv.ca/ #
Categories
Blogs
Links
FeedBurner
Local Harvest Search
Zip Code or City: