# bgundersen - Golden Autumn Farm Report



## bgundersen (Apr 4, 2017)

Hello fellow varmit enthusiasts!

I live on a farm in the Ozarks of Missouri where I am learning about permaculture and being self-efficient.  What is self-efficiency? Well, I discovered long ago that being self-SUfficient is a near impossible thing, but being self efficiency is much more attainable, since it simply means I will be responsible for the varmits I care for and try to feed and care for them as best I can on my own using the resources I have at hand.  But occasionally a vet visit may be needed, or those naggy trips to the feed store in order to keep things running effectively.  So, I do the best I can with what I have and realize I can never know enough to be self-sufficient and I am okay with that.

So, what do I do?  I am a medical coder that has the great blessing of being remote for the last 12 years.  The only drawback, is my work is on a contract basis, so I occasionally have lapses in income.

What varmits do I host at the farm?  Saanen and Alpine dairy goats, a variety of chickens, ducks and turkeys and more recently, alpacas and Jersey cows.  I am always learning something new and sometimes I feel a little ADD with all the projects I have going on.

What else do we have going on?  We have a prototype Aquaponics system with Tilapia.  Does a bang up job growing Banana trees.  Bought one pup as a gag gift for my hubby and within months it had a pup.  Within another month they both had two more pups.  We now have no less than six banana trees, one with actual bananas on it (the original one) and each of them have tons of pups.  Guess the joke is on me.

My hubby also has an orchard that we keep the birds in for the most part.  We have one flock that is part of the rotational grazing and the breeding stock in three other pens in the orchards.

I am just starting to get into permaculture, so I have planted a food forest to increase the food available in the chicken runs, plus provide them with cover from hawks and owls.  Many of these are also nitrogen fixers for the fruit trees.  This year I plan to start comfrey in some of the runs as well, to bring other nutrients up for the trees and to provide additional fodder for the birds (comfrey is high in vegetable protein and minerals!)

I guess I am big into experimentation.  I have a curious mind and love to try new things.  If you have questions, ASK AWAY!  If I don't know, and I know I have tons yet to learn, then we can figure it out together.  If you know something I don't, TELL ME!  I would rather have someone say, I tried that and it didn't work because of X than to have someone watch me fail trying the same thing.

And as soon as I figure out how to post pictures, I will do so!  Have a great day.


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## TAH (Apr 4, 2017)

Great introduction! 
Welcome! 
We plan on doing the rotational feeding and fodder (I did fodder a year ago).


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## animalmom (Apr 5, 2017)

OK you have to tell us more about the "food forest" in the chicken runs.  How do you grow anything in a chicken run?  My micro dinos eat any and every thing.  Last year we put a cherry bush that needed moving into their yard.  They ate it.  This year we moved another cherry bush into their yard but put up chicken wire around it so the little darlings couldn't get to the plant.  So far so good.

It sounds like you want the chickens to eat what you plant so how do you get the plant to grow to a usable size?  Inquiring minds are wanting to know!

I'm glad you posted this!  Glad to have you here!


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## samssimonsays (Apr 5, 2017)

Welcome and WOW! I am blown away with how much you do! I too want to know about the food forest for the chickens!


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## Latestarter (Apr 10, 2017)

Sounds like an interesting journey to follow along with.


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