Farmerjan's journal - Weather

[High Desert Cowboy]

With all the processing plants closing I’m finally starting to be a little nervous about what I might have to do in the near future. No nursery finish space means I have nowhere to send my weaners to, and I can’t just tell all those sows to cross their legs and hold those piglets. So far the plant in California is still rolling, but with all the craziness going on who knows if it will be open tomorrow.
Hopefully you can get into this place, it’ll be a better situation overall, even if it doesn’t have everything.

 

[Mini Horses]

As far as pigs --- given the climate and possible "disposal" --- why don't these breeding plants offer those pigs to the public to buy at a discount. I know that I would certainly buy a couple weaners to raise up & butcher.. At least it might salvage the sows for future use. Now I realize it is direct competition but, REALLY, it is nothing that will put a small dent in their future sales. Not feeding the world with the couple I raise for family/friends.

Also, if they ARE having to remove some -- I know processors not operating but, a few small ones may be and could partner with keeping some and donating some to food banks.

 

[Baymule]

As far as pigs --- given the climate and possible "disposal" --- why don't these breeding plants offer those pigs to the public to buy at a discount. I know that I would certainly buy a couple weaners to raise up & butcher.. At least it might salvage the sows for future use. Now I realize it is direct competition but, REALLY, it is nothing that will put a small dent in their future sales. Not feeding the world with the couple I raise for family/friends.

Also, if they ARE having to remove some -- I know processors not operating but, a few small ones may be and could partner with keeping some and donating some to food banks.

That is a good idea. Generous. But it will never happen. Sad.

 

[CntryBoy777]

Ya can probably direct the "arrow" towards some agencies better known by several alphabetic letters....and don't forget "liability" in case there were to be some bacteria or something that would trigger a recall.....if the smaller local businesses weren't put out, then demand could be better managed and handled.....and if 3 pork plants handles 50% of the nation it won't be long before it will be scarce.....I figure the lines will be long at the cheese and peanut butter trucks parked in an "official" designated spots.....

 

[High Desert Cowboy]

A few years back here in Utah a dairy decided to be generous and exploit some loop holes to be able to sell milk directly to the public. Then someone got sick, though I can’t remember what disease it was but the people sued the dairy that had been so nice as to help them out with whole milk like they wanted. The dairy went under and after the fact they discovered that the disease hadn’t come from the dairy at all but it was too late. In this day and age people will lie like a dirty rug if it will benefit them so most companies have to live by CYA. Also you have to take into account that most large pig operations have pretty intense bio security. The thought of someone pulling up with their dirty little trailer to pick up an animal actually terrifies me, and so many people coming for one or two pigs a piece would be asking for trouble. So you’d have to take a big semi load but then where will you take that to unload? And you can’t go to an auction because everyone is supposed to be social distancing and if not enough people come that auction house is stuck feeding a bunch of animals and paying to keep them so it’d be impossible to find one to do it. I was just talking to my hay guy yesterday and a guy we know with a feed lot was told by the processor that his 2000 head that was supposed to go this week have to be pushed back 6-8 weeks because of everything going on. That’s 8 weeks feeding 2000 cows on his dime. The DFA (Dairy Farmers of America) told our local dairy farmers they gotta cut back production 10% at least and they can’t sell it direct so to try and stay afloat they have to offload their old milk cows, which are selling for .39 cents a pound! It all sucks, but what do we do? Government regulations are a pain but they protect the producer because unfortunately there are too many consumers out there more interested in making a quick buck rather than trying to work for a living. I’ll admit they also protect consumers from poor quality or diseased food as well. I honestly wish every person had to spend at least one year in agriculture so they could fully appreciate what goes into putting food on their tables.

 

[Baymule]

So true.

 

[Bruce]

Brand new panel box when the LR was redone, all new breakers and such.

Open it up and look inside, just in case. I happened upon a YouTube video of an electrician going through a house's electrical system. Looked good on the outside of the panel but inside there were multiple wires connected to a single breaker which is not OK.

Yeah, I figured I could find out the tax assesment/valuation with the address

Ignore it, it isn't current and likely isn't an indicator of the market value of the property. You really need an appraiser to look at it and compare to other "similar property" sales. Of course out in the country that is a lot harder to do than in a subdivision.

All in all the property sounds good for you. I wonder if MAYBE they might "square off" a couple more acres. Maybe you could lease the XMas tree part of it back to them for the taxes on that. Hopefully they will hold the mortgage. There are the tax advantages for them and a ton of closing cost $$ savings for you. Plus no worries that the "not to code" stuff would have the bank say "nope".

 

[farmerjan]

@High Desert Cowboy ; Everything you said is so true. There are just too many that would be quick to go after someone, like the people with the milk that caused the dairy to go out.... only to find out that it was caused from something else.
That is why I have decided to NOT go the herd/cow share route. I will give milk to some friends, for their pets, and they can do as they want after it leaves.... but I am not going to be drug into the mess with the possible lawsuits. I am so tired of people who will not take responsibility for their own actions. I will raise calves on the cows, and milk for myself, but that's it. I am all in favor for small farms to have to meet the requirements that commercial dairies have to meet as far as SCC and bacteria counts..... but there is just too much risk today with people who just want to sue someone and blame someone for something when they haven't proven that that caused their problem.
States like Vermont have a better handle on it, and some of what they do is good. But it is still a risk.

Dairies here have been asked to cut milk production 20%.... plus the dairies that are on the "base system" and so overproduction from their established base means quite a bit less price per lb for the milk too.

I have one dairy that said he sold several cull cows a few weeks ago, and got in the .70's for them. Then the price crashed with the closing of the slaughter plant in Pa here. He was talking about selling out in May, and now says that he just can't see it happening. He says he wishes he had just shipped all the cows that week and been done with it. It is heartbreaking to work with these farmers, some I have been close to for nearly 40 years here in Va., and I just wish there was a way for them to be able to make a living.

The hog situation is getting critical. Talk is some of the finishers will be trying to change the feed rations to "hold the butcher ready hogs" for a few weeks. Have heard that the breeders will be starting to gas the newborn piglets to try to slow the steps.... give a little breathing room.....kill some of the breeding sows so fewer to have pigs down the road too....... but what is this going to mean down the road as there are gaps in the food chain.

Friends of mine have a "smallish operation" in Pa..... they are sitting on a load of cattle that have no where to go for slaughter now. Had them already for a month past the slaughter date. Not like the 2000 your friend has, but still, they would ship a load of cattle every 2 weeks or something..... so say 100 every 2 weeks..... and yeah, keep feeding them at a loss, because they are going to get less for the animals , even with the heavier weights, there is no good conversion rate of feed into pounds gained.....

The broiler/poultry industries here are starting to feel this too. The one farm I have, has 2 houses where they have the breeder hens that produce the hatching eggs to be incubated to hatch out for chicks to go into the houses to grow out. They are saying there is some talk of the eggs getting dumped so there aren't as many eggs being incubated so not as many chicks hatched. Longer time going between flocks being put into the houses.

This is going to all add up to greatly reduced food in the grocery stores. We are looking at some very serious supply shortages in the future.

Some of the rules seem really stupid, but like @High Desert Cowboy said, it is not only to protect the consumer from farms that are unscrupulous, but to protect the farmer by not allowing just an average person to have access to farms where they can come back and blame the farmer for something because they have no clue as to the way things happen.

 

[farmerjan]

Open it up and look inside, just in case. I happened upon a YouTube video of an electrician going through a house's electrical system. Looked good on the outside of the panel but inside there were multiple wires connected to a single breaker which is not OK.


Ignore it, it isn't current and likely isn't an indicator of the market value of the property. You really need an appraiser to look at it and compare to other "similar property" sales. Of course out in the country that is a lot harder to do than in a subdivision.

All in all the property sounds good for you. I wonder if MAYBE they might "square off" a couple more acres. Maybe you could lease the XMas tree part of it back to them for the taxes on that. Hopefully they will hold the mortgage. There are the tax advantages for them and a ton of closing cost $$ savings for you. Plus no worries that the "not to code" stuff would have the bank say "nope".

Unfortunately, they have made it clear that they don't want to split off more than the piece that is around the house. The parking area for the Christmas tree lot is on the other side of the very large pines that are on the "line" where they want to run the new property line. They are not interested in not owning the Christmas tree lot. I would not be able to consider the value of the whole piece. Where they want to run the line to divide this off, is a natural "division" and makes the most sense. The Christmas trees start right next to the 'parking area" . The big pines that are on the "new line" so to speak are a perfect division spot..... privacy from the lot, and runs in a straight line down to the dirt road so makes a perfect place to split this off. I am perfectly fine with that.

I am mostly concerned about it not meeting "bank" regulations for some of the stuff that might not be "up to code", so that they won't approve it. Or wanting a ridiculous amount of downpayment in order to be able to qualify for a mtg. So yeah, I am really hoping that they will consider carrying the mortgage. I understand wanting to just be "done" and selling it...... but I do think that there will be definite advantages for them to hold a mtg.... especially with the way the economy is going.... and being able to have a monthly/ quarterly/ 6 month payment made to them. I mean I am willing to do it any way they want. I can stash the money and pay them quarterly or 6 months or even a yearly payment if they would prefer but a monthly payment works fine for me. No different than paying the monthly rent payment.
So we will see.... hope that by next week that we will be working towards getting an appraisal..... even if not a "formal one" because of the "lot size"... but a good ball park figure. It will have to be legally surveyed off and a county variance approved for an exact cost... but if I am figuring about 1.70 acres plus the house, and know about the value of that, then the exact amount of land can be worked around; 1.68 acres or 1.75 or whatever.
I would like to get this in the works too so that I can spend some time getting some things done in the house before I am ready to move..... I want to try to move stuff there to go where I want it to be, not move stuff in hundreds of boxes and then try to get the stuff put out where I want it. I'd like to sorta move "room by room" so to speak..... it might take me a couple of months, but if I can paint and them get a room moved, I will get it the way I want.

I am not moving so awful fast either, and have a limited amount of energy. And rehab and getting this ankle is my number one priority so the house stuff may have to take a little longer. But I am working on some stuff here, slowly but surely..... and I want to keep up with work so that I have more "going for me " with income to get this done too.

 

[farmerjan]

Did finally get that farm samples packed and all the paperwork/computer work done. So glad. He is a really nice guy, I used to test his dad, and watched this "kid" grow up.... but he just doesn't manage the things that need to be done when they need to be done, when it comes down to me coming and testing. OH WELL.....

Started out today cloudy, showers started about noon , and now a real steady rain. 46 up to 58, we are supposed to have rain this evening and then some clearing tomorrow but we are going to get rain off and on for the next several days with some sun in between.....

Got a possum in the live trap and dispatched it. My chickens are at my sons so I don't have to deal with that right now. But I do miss my rooster crowing. I want to see if my son is going to start the incubator.... I am going to order some hatching eggs if I can get this new place put together.....just so I can get back into my purebreds......
Our state is "shutdown" until JUNE 10th..... so our poultry swap will be shut down this spring. That may wind up bringing down some prices. It might make some people hatch out more for fall sales..... but if so many people are without jobs or reduced hours, it might hurt people from being able to keep their birds and animals.

I am going in to make some soup for supper with the damp weather. I made some chocolate pudding earlier.

Want to get going on some more "sorting". I am hoping to get alot of paper shredded so that I will have "bedding" for the chickens.

Managed to pick up some seeds while out at the farm bureau for next year. If I get a chance to get the new place, and can put in a small garden for some things like green beans so I can have some stuff to freeze for the winter. But I am going to see what I can garner in canned goods for storage for next year.
Trying not to be greedy or get stuff I don't need, but next year I am hoping for a good garden, and a peaceful place to "be home".....