rachels.haven's Journal

[rachels.haven]

Is there a 4H or FFA group in the area he could join?

We will probably look into that at some point. There has to be.

 

[Legamin]

I think Jan could impart some knowledge in his head.

4 acres isn't going to provide winter feed, where is he going to get the money to buy it?

In our valley we just got a painful lesson in economics this last Summer. The current ‘administration’ (whoever is running the Federal government…) closed Federal lands (MILLIONS of acres of Federal pasture lands that have been used for four generations to raise hay for this region of the USA. 2020 hay price - $80-$120 tonne. This last year 2021 with the land and irrigation closures (sold Washington water rights to California at a loss) destroyed four generations of farming families that primarily had a 110 year old agreement with the Federal Gov’t for grazing and growing. Hay 2021 - $400-$900 per tonne. Hundreds of MILLIONS in infrastructure, homes..etc. all abandoned…forced foreclosures by the Federal Government without notice. This Administration hates the American farmer. This ended the hopes, dreams and businesses of many small farmers. But this also means that hundreds of 4H student and FFA members cannot afford to raise an animal this year. Most of the kids participating in 4H don’t have land or money and just barely got by raising an animal by working odd jobs for hay and keeping an animal in the backyard. The ‘Field of Dreams’ for hundreds of young people was turned under and scorched with the fire of a vindictive and spiteful government that believes Americans growing our own food is wrong and that we should import from other countries who are poorer than ourselves…Globalism.. it has been destructive. Our children are wondering why their own government would do such a thing that crushed their dreams of a farming future!
Keeping a cow is a reality check in economics. A young person will dump 1 tonne of hay every two weeks through the cow pen…per cow…shovel it back out and have to find a place to put it. 40lbs of hay, 35 gallons of fresh water and lots of work per day WAS possible last year but it’s not economically feasible this year.
Many of us locally have seen the issue grow critical and have stepped up. We already own the animals, we already grow and buy the hay, we already have to deal with the poop. Many of us have opened our barns, marked one animal per kid and they have to come daily and be responsible for that animal after school. At the end of the season when the animal is ‘finished’ we help them get it to auction and charge out the food and direct expenses from their profits and let the kid keep the balance. I do sheep and only allow one student per year currently. But if we all do our parts, these kids can experience what it is like to work hard and produce a finished product to market. We can work with them an put up a white board in the barn to keep track of expenses. And they can still learn the trade without their family having to be full fledged farmers or even landowners.
Look around yourselves. Most of us are getting old…not older…OLD. If we don’t train the youth and get them excited about the possible profit and lifestyle of farming…If we don’t start setting them up for a future of becoming a farmer…even working out a sale of our farm to a young adult over the final 10-20 years of our lives to get them grounded in the business…give them a chance. These kids will not have a chance without out help. Most of us have to face the fact that our own kids will never take over the farm. They don’t want this hard work lifestyle. But there are plenty of good kids that DO want to work, that love animals and have a smart head for business. Don’t just give it away….get a lawyer and be smart about it. Have a WATERTIGHT CONTRACT That PROTECTS YOUR OWNERSHIP AND FUTURE! But give these kids a chance! If there are going to be future farmers…it’s up to us!

 

[Baymule]

Wow. I had no idea, sure don't hear about THAT on the news! Utter destroying the lives of American farmers. My thoughts on that are not fit for a family forum.

I'm glad that people around there are stepping up for the kids. It shows what kind of person you are, that you participate in letting a kid keep a sheep on your place, and being a mentor.

 

[Mini Horses]

What federal land was closed?

 

[rachels.haven]

Hi, just stopping in.
I started some more Myshire quail eggs-jumbos this time. Ordered some more feed garbage cans. Apparently metal cans are hard to come by. What does everyone else put their feed in? Contemplating getting some jmf jumbo quail eggs from a different source for some genetic diversity...

We're supposed to get up to 2" of ice today as it slips below freezing and it's been typhooning all day. I think I know when those two does are going to kid...probably at the same time.

... nothing yet. I guess the weather isn't bad enough.

 

[farmerjan]

Know that feeling... the cows wait until it is MINUS temps or we have a small blizzard raging...
Ours is all rain, the cold stayed well west of us. Problem is the ground is frozen finally, so it is water/mush on the top right now as it is melting all the snow... Went from white and icy hard snow to mostly melted off and water starting to run along the sides. Ground is too hard for me to push the rain gauge spike in so won't know how much we get.... Still, better than another foot of snow....

 

[Baymule]

I already have plenty of metal garbage cans. Got 3 metal barrels with locking lids too, got them from the feed store.

 

[rachels.haven]

What a relief, I got my kidding dates wrong. The dates are the 19th and 22nd.

 

[Ridgetop]

Dan may change his mind about a cow when he is 9 and in 4-H. For the same feed bill, he can have a herd of goats with the $$ premiums to match in breeding shows at the Fair compared to one cow.

DS3 raised 2 replacement heifers and really enjoyed them. He showed them at the Fair as well. But the premiums he earned on his goat herd paid his allowance for the year. He had Nubians, his brother DS2 had LaManchas. Over the year we also had some Swiss and DS1 had Toggenburgs. Got rid of the Toggs pronto because their milk was nasty. The Swiss went next because we loved our Nubians' and LaManchas' milk better. The LaManchas would bite the Nubians' ears! We didn't make cheese, but DS3 separated the cream and made the best ice cream ever!

4 acres is really not enough to support 2 cow/calf pairs.

 

[Bruce]

The LaManchas would bite the Nubians' ears!

Because to the nearly earless LaManchas, those things hanging off the Nubians heads clearly were cancerous growths that needed to be removed.

However, I'm still of the opinion that goats should have REAL ears!