I want to take some time to write about the challenges and rewards of being a small-scale farmer while also working a fulltime off-farm job. There are many people that do it, I know, but there are only a select few that write or talk about it and I think it will be helpful to anyone that reads this to know that there are plenty of us to reach out to for guidance an encouragement. I would love to know that any of my writing/videos etc. were helpful to you, so please don’t hesitate to drop me a line at skylinepastures@gmail.com or leave a comment on one of my videos on YouTube.
If you are just starting out farming on the side, regardless of what you are producing, it is highly likely that you are bootstrapping your business (call it a business and not a hobby) and dealing with the many stresses that come with that effort. That’s ok! Let the stress come because it is needed to learn both what to do, and what not to do. As the adage goes, ‘Pressure makes diamonds”! Spend time each morning identifying the three most important things you need to accomplish that day and then either before or after work, get them done. Don’t allow yourself any slack. If they were important enough to make you list in the morning, then they are still important after a tiring day at work and they need to get done. You will be thankful once you complete them and it’s always good to chalk up a win for the day.
When I started out raising pastured broilers I had a general idea of the processes, methods, and outcomes of the business, but I had never done it before, even as a hobby. I had just spent countless hours watching YouTube videos of Joel Salatin, Darby Simpson, and other great influences in the space and decided I wanted to replicate their processes. While there is tremendous value in reading books and watching videos to learn a craft, there is truly no substitute for getting skin in the game and just doing it. I ordered chicks, scheduled a processor, and started building chicken tractors based on designs by John Suscovich before I had sold my first chicken. I had no idea if I would even make a single dollar that year, but by ordering living breathing animals, I forced the issue and thus forced myself to succeed (or at least attempt to). That first year was indeed a success. I sold every chicken I raised (almost 300 of them) and through the proceeds I was able to cover all my costs and even a pittance for my labor. I learned important lessons about raising the best possible food and gained valuable experience in the process. Take the leap and do the same thing in your farm business!
If your farm exists as a vague dreamy idea that occasionally pops into your mind, then I encourage you to make a change today. It doesn’t matter how much land you have, what your marketing experience is, or any other excuse you may make for yourself. Do something. Plant a seed. Raise a chicken. Sell walnuts from your yard (yes people do it all the time). Do something.
In less than three years I went from raising 300 Pastured Broiler Chickens to adding Pastured Thanksgiving Turkeys and Forest Raised Pigs, and in my fourth year I added Grass-fed Grass Finished Beef. I did all of this without taking loans and by function stacking enterprises on about 6 acres. I encourage you to push the limits of what you think you can do and challenge yourself to start a farm business this year.
Please visit my YouTube channel to see my many videos on all the enterprises mentioned above and more. If you have questions reach out. If you have suggestions, I am open to them as well. I am going to commit myself to posting my thoughts here twice weekly. It will be exceedingly helpful to me, and I sincerely hope that it reaches the eyes of anyone else that can benefit from what I have to say.
Thank you for reading!
-CJ
These posts are not displaying properly. I need to get into the weeds.