Tractors, Google, and Burner Phones

We have learned a few things as we continue on this very fun and wonderful journey of establishing a farm business.  First off, it is so important to have a plan.  Now we had a general plan, but the concept of having a PYO (Pick Your Own) farm was something "huger" than I ever thought (is huger a real word?)  Anyway, I initially listed us on a PYO website to start getting our name out there so that when crops came in, we would have a fan base built.  WELL, people are literally "hungry" for PYO farms and the fan base is built before the crops are in!  My phone has begun to ring off the hook!

I had my personal cell phone number listed at first but discovered that I needed a separate business phone.  I checked out some of the "burner; go; or disposable phones that are now available.  I basically need a simple phone to leave general messages on and to serve as an answering machine.  I highly recommend going this route instead of buying an expensive phone with a contract for your business.  I bought a PayLo phone yesterday and activated it. I also updated all the business listings with the new number.  I had five phone calls today! Not to mention, I feel very important carrying two phones :)

I also recommend setting up a business email separate from your personal or work email accounts.  This will make it more streamlined when you need to respond to emails.  If business emails are buried in your personal and work email, you may overlook messages that you should respond to.  Google is a great tool for starting a small business.  I set up our farm email account and this blog on Google.  The blog basically serves as our business website for the time being.  I also intend to figure out how to use Google for documents.  The recent economic conditions have spurred people on to try their hand at starting their own businesses and Google is a really great internet and digital source.  If you have any tips on how Google documents are used, please leave a comment.

The biggest demand that we see in our phone, email, and FB queries is for strawberries!  We initially planted 50 plants.  Well, needless to say 75 more are being shipped and will be planted ASAP because of the demand that is taking place.  We cannot guarantee a strawberry crop yet this year but that remains to be seen. 

A tractor will be one of your larger purchases in starting a farm. Ronny searched patiently and diligently to find a tractor that would do the things he wanted at a price we could afford without debt. That patience paid off and he found a great 1988 Massey Ferguson. It's red with a black smoke stack. It looks so "farmy."

I can't post this blog without mentioning how amazing the bluebonnets and wildflowers have been here in North Texas.  We have massive fields of blue bonnets in our area.  Check out the little patch on our property.  I took it with my cell phone.

And of course, there are the before and after pictures that folks keep asking for.  I plan to start painting the breakfast nook this weekend.  It is such a cute little room.  I can't wait to freshen it up.  I did finish that teeny tiny little powder room.  I don't have an after picture of it yet but it turned out so nice.  I was really glad to get it done!  The kitchen is finished for the most part.  Ronny did some custom cabinet work on the bottom cabinets.  Didn't it turn out cute?

One of my next projects coming up besides getting ready for kittens and chicks is preparing for our church preschool afterschool kids.  They will spend a few hours a week this spring and summer at the farm learning all about gardening, beneficial insects, butterflies & humming birds, and will be able to watch our baby chicks grow and develop.  I can't wait to work with the kids!

Well, like I said before, we absolutely love our new home.  We have awesome neighbors and a beautiful. peaceful place that takes us out of ourselves and reconnects us with nature and each other.  It is a healing place.  Ronny told me goodnight a little while ago and said, "Have I told you that I love this place (and my tractor)?"  I think you've heard me say that a time or two. 

Good Night and Happy Farming!



Events

We have had a wonderful response to listing our farm as a Pick Your Own Farm.  I do want to remind everyone that PYO days will be harvest-dependent and that we are a new farm with new seeds and seedlings in the ground.  We will list the PYO days on this blog and on our FaceBook page.  Like us on FaceBook at Scasta Farm so that you can keep up with the most current information.

We are going to double our strawberry plants as the requests for strawberries has been phenomenal.  The new blackberry plants are doing really well and we have lots of baby peaches! 

We will also host small groups for activities that bring the classroom to the farm.  We will be hosting the Angels of Faith Preschool from Living Hope Church of the Nazarene this summer.  They will have a plot of their own and will learn all about caring for a garden in a holistic manner.  We also have a little group of Girl Scouts that will be coming to the farm in June.  They are anxious to learn about chickens and eggs.

If you are interested in an activity at the farm, you can contact us at scastafarm@gmail.com.  Forms for activities will be emailed to you.  I am working on finding a way to put them on this blog.  If I find a way to do it I will put up a post to let you know how to access the forms.  In the meantime, just email me to schedule your event and the forms will be sent.

My next post should be very interesting.  I am reading a great book about raising chickens and it is called Chick Days by Jenna Woginrich.  It is a delightful book!  We get our baby chicks in May so be ready to learn right along with us as we raise our "little girls" to egg layin' mommas!

Hasn't this spring weather been lovely.  We pray that you and yours were safe during the recent tornadoes here in the Dallas area.

Enjoy these Easter tulips!  I am excited about taking a photography class this week and hope you enjoy even more beautiful pictures.  Happy Farming!

Dollars

So of course, starting a small farm is no small feat.  Careful financing is very important.  Ronny and I worked very hard to be debt-free before we made this leap.  We are what we fondly call "Dave Ramsey Disciples."  We took his Financial Peace University workshop about five years ago.  With discipline, obedience, and God's provision we were completely debt free when we bought the farm.  We made such great deals on the sale of our previous home and on the purchase of the farm that we financed a very minimal amount.  Due to great credit, large down payment, and no debt we were the first people our lender had ever written this type of loan for under 3%.  We had an wonderful realtor who carefully guided us through the entire sale and purchase process.  It is definitely important to have a good realtor who teaches you and who has your best interest at heart.

The moral of the story is:

• Be patient
• Get rid of debt
• Save
• Have a plan
• Find a good realtor

Other financial considerations that we have learned and taken advantage of include filing for an Ag Exemption and for the Ag/Timber Sales Tax Exemption.  Every county will be different in regards to application criteria for an Ag Exemption.  Our county required documentation.  I wrote a Business Plan that included an Executive Summary, Descriptions, SWOT Analysis, Planning, Implentation, Photos, and Invoices.  We were approved in less than a week.   I have used two books as resources for the business side of farming.  They are listed at the side of the blog.  The authors are Wiswall and Aubrey.

Each state will have a different process for applying for the sales tax exemption.  The state of Texas exemption application process is found Here.  Click on Texas Taxes tab at the top of the page and then on the link to Apply for Ag and Timber Registration Number at the left of the page.  After you get your registration number, you can set up accounts at farm supply stores and will be tax exempt on qualifying items that you may purchase for your farm.

I also found a really neat web site called the New England Small Farm Institute (NESFI).  This is a wonderful website NESFI  and you will find the Farm Start-up Checklist is very useful.  Here are some other websites that might be helpful Ag Grants and Beginning Farmers.

We have had great flooding rains that have definitely replenished north Texas lakes, ponds, rivers, and creeks after the awful drought of 2011.  It does present a challenge, though, when it comes to getting a garden in.  The second set of 75 blackberry bushes and 50 strawberry plants will be planted tomorrow and work on planting veggies will definitely be done this weekend.  We have sunny, warm weather forecasted.  Stay tuned for Pick Your Own Days.  Of course, they will be harvest-dependent.

I spent 10 days chicken sitting for my chicken guru neighbor and fell in love with the critters.  Never thought I would say that.  Feeding, watering, rescuing the old biddy from her shelf, cutting feed sack string off chicken feet, scraping poop, and collecting eggs aannnndd  feedin old Moe, the ferrel hog, was such a great learning experience.  My neighbor gave me the most beautiful glass chicken for doing barn duty.  I really earned that little chicken, though, when I had to put her big bull back in the pasture!  I headed out the door to go to work yesterday and look who was standing in my driveway!

Thank goodness for some men who drove by and helped me!

I know I gave the wisteria a bad rep on my last post but we did let one bush survive in the backyard and it was beautiful.  I will close out with some pictures from it.  Happy Farming!

We're In Love

If I've said it once, I've said it dozens of times.  I love our new place and so does Ronny.  We love coming home and hate leaving.  All the work we do is fulfilling and Ronny says over and over that it "just doesn't seem like work."

The fruit trees are planted and the Navaho blackberries are waiting for the rain to end so we can plant them.  I plotted out the garden tonight and bought seed today.  I am going to plant the vegetables in five phases:  fruit trees, blackberries & strawberries, early spring veggies, spring veggies, and early summer veggies.  On the list of veggies are spinach, mixed lettuce, onions, leeks, radishes, brocolli, cabbage, beets, carrots, green peas, purple hull peas, green beans, corn, tomatoes, peppers, okra, squash, and canaloupe.  I don't figure we'll go hungry!  Stay tuned for "Pick Your Own" days.  You will definitely be able to pick blackberries and we'll see how the other produce does.  Once I get my fill, I will post "Pick Your Own" days.  Have I said, "I love this place?"

Peach trees blossom

I bought our chick starter set today.  I've been reading magazines from my chicken guru neighbor, information from the MyPetChicken website, and some books.  My neighbor is going to put me through my paces next week by letting me take care of her chickens to get some practical experience.  She is an awesome friend, teacher, and neighbor.  We hope to get blackberries and early spring veggies planted this week then start building the chicken coop.  Of course, Ronny also still needs to build the gate for the calves.  He has the fence up and the new corner built (it looks awesome!).  The rain has been wonderful and we will not complain but it has slowed a few things down. 

I have taken advantage of being stuck indoors by tackling those last three paint projects.  They are my nemesis!  The powder room is the first one.  It is the tiniest bathroom and in a state of disrepair.  The toilet area is so small that when I painted one wall and turned to paint the other, welllll, my hind end ended up in wet paint.  You have to see this picture to appreciate what I just told you :)

I hope to post before and after pictures of the kitchen soon.  We have just a few more things to do and it will be checked off the "to do" list.  The dining room is pretty much done except for flooring.  That will come when all painting is done.  Check it out!

Before

After

The most remarkable before and after is the creepy wisteria.  It was literally taking over the house.  It completely covered the carport and had great compost rotting under the two feet of limbs on the carport.  It was so invasive that it pulled the carport from the house.  We spent a full afternoon and evening taking it off one piece at a time.  Our neighbor offered to pull it off with his tractor but we were afraid it would pull the house down!  I don't think captions are necessary :)

Well, time to sign off.  Can't wait to crawl in bed and snooze to the sound of raindrops.  Here are some of the clouds that brought rain yesterday.  Good night and Happy Farming!  Have I said, "I love this place?"

Sweet Summer Pickins

Join us as a follower so you can keep up with our progress of starting a farm from the ground up.  I would also love to know who is following our blog.

I took the leap and ordered 150 blackberry plants!  Half of them will be shipped this week and the other half next week.  Ronny is working on tilling the part of the garden they will be planted in.  Fig and peach trees and strawberries will be planted too.  Turkey manure will be the soil amendment that we will till in before planting.

I decided on two blackberry varieties:  Arapaho and Navajo.  Being the Aggie Mom that I am, Texas A&M University Horticulture Department was my resource of choice for information on blackberry varieties.  http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/extension/fruit/blackberries/blackberries.html

Arapaho Blackberries are an erect, thornless plant that produces a medium, high quality fruit.  It is very productive and resistant to Double Blossom and Rust.  This is a new variety developed in 1993 at the University of Arkansas.

Navaho Blackberries are an erect thornless plant that producess a dense hedgerow that ripens later than the Arapaho with even higher yields.  The berry is medium-size and sweet.

I am really looking forward to learning lots about blackberries and how to raise them.  Be on the lookout for blackberry recipes on this blog!

I get to go to Chicken Care 101 with my twinster neighbor, Becky Thursday morning.  She is going to show me the ropes then.  We are getting our rooster from her and she will be my go-to-person on chicken raisin'.  I can't recommend the link www.mypetchicken.com too much.  Check it out!  The chicken coop will be built after the blackberry planting.

We have had a warm winter and spring is filtering in without us realizing it.  I enjoyed a great walk on the back of the property with the dogs yesterday.  Here are some pictures I took with my new camera.....having fun learning to use the different features of the camera.

Thorny Mesquite

Donkey skull out in the pasture

Reflections

Red Sky at Sunset Means Storms in the Morning?

Something fun that I will be doing this week is taking a canning class.  I already know how to can but know that I can learn so much more.  I am taking the class at Aquaponics in Desoto.  Aquaponics is an interesting farming technique.
Check out their website http://www.aquaponicsandearth.org/aboutus/who-are-we/

Signing off for now.  Hoping for more rain tonight so we can continue with a healthy drought recovery here in our part of Texas.  Happy Farming!

Putting the Plan Together

We had a great rainfall this weekend.  We got nearly two inches and the ponds were all overflowing into each other.  Ronny and I got out and sloshed around all of it so that we could get a good idea of where to build our second pond.  Tucker was a hoot.  That dog hates to get his paws wet.  We followed the wash on one side of the property.  At that time is was a swift-flowing creek.  Somehow, Tucker ended up on one bank and us on the other.  He was not about to walk through that water!  Shasta just plunged right on in and crossed to the other side.  On the other hand our tenderfoot, 100-pound pooch found a narrow part and hopped over.  Heaven forbid he should get wet!

Our pond runneth over

Shasta ain't skeered

Mr. Delicate trying to find a good place to cross

So, the tax news was good and that means it is time to get serious about things.  Ronny's focus will be calves, hogs and building a shop.  We are networking with our neighbors and plan to buy some of their calves and fence-line wean them.  Derek suggested this as a more gentle way to wean calves in order to reduce stress.  Here is an article that I found discussing the method of fence-line weaning: http://animalscience.ag.utk.edu/beef/pdf/FencelineWeaningReducesStressDuringWeaningofBeefCalves-CDL-ASB312.pdf

My focus this year is getting the garden into shape, planting blackberries and starting a flock of chickens.  Thank goodness for my red head twinster, Becky, next door.  She will be my resident advisor on raising chickens.  I can't wait.  I love the website listed on my link list below: "My Pet Chicken".  It gives lots of great advice for the ordinary person and makes it seem like such fun.  I am definitely going to get a few Easter Egger chickens so we can have some green and blue eggs!  I also found a website called "Pick Your Own" that is listed on the right.  It is a great tool to publicize our crops.  If you are interested in eating locally grown food seasonally it will be a good resource for you to check out no matter what state you live in.

 Now don't get me wrong. This will be hard work but what would you rather do? Sit on your fanny and watch the world go by or dig your hands into some rich black dirt, work outside in fresh air and sunshine, and build something that you can call your own?  Share our blog with others.  We would love to hear from other farmers or ranchers.  Their practical advice, wisdom, and knowledge of resources would be greatly appreciated. 

Stay tuned for more farm fun news!

Preparation

So as we embark on this adventure, we know that we should prepare ourselves well.  Fortunately, we have a son who is a former Ag Extension Agent and who is working on his doctorate in prescribed burns.  His knowledge and advice are priceless!  We are also surfing the internet a lot looking for websites and resources.  I have provided a section at the bottom of the page for links that I like.  I have also added a book list of the books we are soaking up.

In my search for books that addressed holistic land management, biodiversity, and organic farming, I stumbled upon some books on biodynamic farming.  I have to say that the readings on biodynamic farming are the most interesting yet disturbing that I have read so far.  They enter a realm that is hard to fathom and one I don't want to enter.  Yet, they also project great knowledge and insight regarding the health of the entire world and our responsiblity in restoring land to health and wellness.  I found a lot of what I read very interesting and challenging as someone who is becoming a steward of a parcel of land.  While the philosophical and theoretical approach is a bit strange, I am learning interesting things regarding some practical application to farming.  It is worth broadening your mind and enriching yourself regarding different schools of thought to read books on biodynamic farming. 

For you newbies out there, I discovered something great today at H & R Block.  The lady filing our 2011 taxes gave me a Farm Tax Record Book that H&R Block provides.  It is a great accounting tool for anyone especially if you are new to this business.

Ronny is working on designing the layout of the property such as crossfencing and location of outbuildings and corrals.  The garden area was thigh-high in weeds and grass when we moved here.  I mowed it immediately and then scalped it last week.  Soon as we know tax damage (or not), a tractor is next on the list to purchase.  We will either start working the garden soil with our own tractor or tap into the neighbors' offers to help with dirt work.  I am also going tomorrow to talk to different nurseries in town to see who can give me the best deal on blackberry bushes.  Yes!  Blackberries from Scasta's Farm will be a main crop.  Stay tuned in the event section for possible public pickin's!  I am also leaning toward figs and lettuce greens as public crops.

Sleepless Night

One of the deals with living in the country is that there are inherent dangers lying around different corners.  Especially if the property was somewhat unkept with surprises buried in deep grass.  Our dog, Tucker, cut his foot a few weeks ago, possibly on metal imbedded in grass.  He ended up getting it repaired at an all night Animal ED to the tune of way too many dollars. 

He has been on limited mobility for the last two weeks and spends the nights tied up.  Welllll, last night the coyotes were howling all night long and so were Tucker and Shasta.......right outside our bedroom window.  Needless to say, he is officially off limited mobility.  His cone cracked with the freezing weather this weekend anyway so we took it off.  The gash is still open (some of the stitches came out) but Momma needs some sleep :)