Choosing a small farm tractor

 If you're not familiar with farm tractors, choosing one that’s suitable for a small farm can be a daunting task. Will a compact tractor suffice and how  important is tractor size?

A good starting point when choosing a small-farm tractor is to be clear just what you want a tractor for. If it is just to mow an acre or two, or to cart a few small bales of hay, then a ride-on mower or quad bike with a tow bar may be all you want.

However, if you need to cultivate soil, spread some fertiliser or feed out some large round bales, then you are likely to require what I like to term a ‘real tractor'.  Unlike most ride-ons, a real tractor is full unit construction where the engine, transmission and rear drive train are all housed in rugged castings.  It will also have a Power Take Off (PTO), a three-point linkage and external hydraulics capability.

For most small-farm operations, all your requirements can be found within the Compact Utility (compact) range of tractors. These are essentially small tractors of 15kW (kilowatt) to 50kW (20hp to 70hp) that have many of the exact same features that are found in larger, more expensive tractors.

 Is tractor size important?
 The size of tractor you require is really determined by the job you want it to do, and the size of the implement that can do the job.  It often becomes more  an exercise in determining how much time you wish to spend doing a job, and choosing the appropriate implement and tractor to do it. It is however  important to match the size of the implement to the tractor, to ensure that both the tractor and implement operate at the optimum speed. Don’t fall into the  trap of purchasing an oversized implement for your tractor thinking it will get the job done quicker. This can labour the engine and transmission and force  you to operate in low range.

 For very small holdings, say of 4ha or less, a suitable tractor is certainly likely to be found in the 15kW to 25kW horsepower range. Tractors at the 50kW  end of the compact range can readily handle tasks found on farms 100 times this size.  For those one-off jobs requiring more horsepower, it makes more  sense to hire a contractor.

 Comparing horsepower ratings
 Horsepower ratings quoted by manufacturers of compact tractors are normally gross horsepower values for the engine running at a stated engine speed, for  example, 30kW at 2800 rpm. Sometimes the figures quoted for tractors are the horsepower as measured at the PTO, these being approximately 75% that  of the gross values. The manufacturer’s data sheet will specify which one applies. If you are comparing two tractors that quote similar horsepower figures  but different stated engine speeds, the tractor that delivers the power at the lower engine speed is likely to be of more use, as it will have more torque.

2WD or 4WD?
Most modern compact tractors are four-wheel drive (4WD). While two-wheel drive (2WD) tractors have served agriculture well in the past, modern technology has made 4WD drivetrains much more reliable and affordable. A 4WD is particularly useful in slippery ground conditions simply through providing that little bit of extra traction via the front wheels, which is often all that is required when rear-wheel traction starts to falter.

 For hill-country properties a 4WD is very strongly recommended. Most 4WDs offer much safer down-hill control due to engine braking effects via the front  wheels. Driving uphill is often safer too since a 4WD is usually heavier in the front end. Both these aspects can be dangerously lacking in 2WD tractors.

 Power Take Off (PTO)
 A tractor PTO is a splined shaft found at the rear of a tractor that is powered by the tractor's engine. Various farming implements like rotary hoes can be  quickly connected to this shaft usually by means of a drive shaft attachment.  Some tractors also have a PTO located mid section for purposes like mid- mounted mower decks. PTOs may be of the 'standard' and the 'live-drive' type. The latter type is preferred, since it can operate regardless of whether the  tractor is moving, or clutch is engaged.

 Transmission type
 Transmission types vary from conventional manual gearbox and clutch-actuated types to semi or fully automated 'hydrostatic' types. Given that modern  machinery is more reliable than ever, there will be little to differentiate the options other than price and convenience. If your use involves a lot of forwarding  and reversing, an automatic type might be preferable.

 Power steering
 Fortunately, most modern compact tractors have a power steering feature and it is well worth any extra cost.

 Three point linkage
 A tractor three-point linkage is found at the rear of the tractor. It is essentially a triangular attachment configuration consisting of a rigid 'top link' at the apex  and two lower arms to either side, via which an implement can be attached to the tractor. The lower arms are power driven via internal hydraulics in order to  raise or lower the attached implement.  Most compact tractor types have a 'category 1'  three-point linkage  and some of the larger tractors may sport a  combination 'category 1 - category 2'  type. In short, a three-point linkage is essential.

 External hydraulics
 This can be a slightly complicated area.  Ensure your tractor at least has a hydraulic outlet capable of powering a hydraulic cylinder.  Many implements  (such as a hydraulically adjustable tractor blade) utilise this feature. If you intend to fit a front-end loader or an external hydraulic motor, research the  tractor's hydraulic capabilities for its lifting capacity, speed of action, and its ability to operate several hydraulic functions simultaneously.  A tractor or  implement dealer will be able competently advise you on this.

 In summary
 While the initial monetary investment in a small-farm tractor can be high, if well maintained a tractor will easily last 30 years or more with minimal ongoing  costs. Compared to other farm machinery 'investments' like quad bikes that typically last only 5 to 10 years and have high annual maintenance costs, a  tractor usually works out to be one of the more cost effective investments you can make in farming.  

How to plant, grow and harvest raspberries

Raspberries are naturally inclined to grow in cooler climates, although the development of adaptable varieties has made it possible for gardeners to grow raspberries in many zones. They are relatively easy to grow, and with proper care, can bear fruit indefinitely. Don’t limit yourself to the common red raspberry; try growing purple as well!

Planting

Plant in the early spring (or late winter for warm zones)

Plant far from wild growing berries, otherwise risk the spread of pests and diseases to your garden.

Prepare soil with compost or aged manure a couple weeks before planting.

Raspberries love moisture, so try soaking the roots for an hour or two before planting.

Dig a hole that is roomy enough for the roots to spread.

Space plants about 3 feet apart, in rows 8 feet apart.

After planting, cut back canes, leaving 8 to 10 inches. 

Depending on the variety you plant, you may need to fashion a support. A trellis or a fence are good options. If you chose to use one of these, establish them at or before time of planting so the plants are not disturbed when maturing.

Care

Mulching is important throughout the season to conserve moisture and suffocate weeds. Keep a thick layer of mulch surrounding plants at all times.

Water one inch per week.

The roots send up an abundant amount of shoots, called canes. Keep order by pruning away the majority of them so that the survivors can produce lots of berries.

Harvest/Storage

All varieties will begin to produce fruit in their second season. In some cases, ever-bearers may bear small berries in their first autumn.

In early summer, berries will ripen over a time of about 2 weeks. You will need to pick berries every couple of days.

Try to harvest berries on a sunny day when they are dry.

Don't tug too hard on your raspberries when picking. A ripe raspberry will leave the vine willingly.

Raspberries can be kept refrigerated for about 5 days.

If the fruit is to be made into preserves, it should be done straight off the plant.

Raspberries can be frozen. Make a single layer of berries on a cookie sheet. When frozen, place into airtight bags.

Recommended Varieties

'Canby' recommended for New England, Upper Great Lakes and Northwest.

'Heritage' recommended for the Mid-Atlantic and Ohio Valley.

'Fallgold' yellow variety recommended for the Upper Midwest and Canada.

'Plainsman' recommended for the Rockies and High Plains.

Planting, Growing and Harvesting Eggplant

Eggplants are short-lived perennial vegetables, but are usually cultivated as annuals. Also known as aubergines, eggplants differ mainly in size, shape and color of the fruits. Eggplants are tropical and subtropical, requiring relatively high temperatures. Related crop include tomatoes, potatoes and peppers.

Planting

Start plants indoors 2 months before the soil warms up or buy nursery transplants just before planting.

Place 3 to 4 inch tall seedlings 24 to 30 inches apart in well-prepared beds.

Pinch out the terminal growing points for a bushier plant.

Care

Stake plants over 24 inches tall.

Water well and apply a balanced fertilizer every two weeks during the growing season.

For bigger fruits, restrict to five or six per plant.

Harvest/Storage

Harvest 16 to 24 weeks after sowing when the skin of the fruit is shiny and unwrinkled. 

Cut the fruit close to the stem, but leaving about an inch of it attached.

Eggplants can be stored for up to two weeks in humid conditions no lower than 50 degrees F.

Recommended Varieties

'Black Beauty'

'Easter Egg'

'Little Fingers'

How to Plant in Wide Rows

What is a Wide Row?
Growing in wide rows in the vegetable garden basically means that instead of planting an individual row of seed or plants, you set them out in strips that are 1 - 4 ft. in width. The row can be any length you like.

Wide rows allow you to squeeze more vegetables into less space. Planting single rows means that you have to leave space to walk between them. A wide row still allows you to reach into the center of the row to seed, weed or harvest, but you won't be walking in between the plants.

This style of planting works especially well with vegetables that are harvested over a prolonged period of time, either as cut and come again, like leaf lettuce, and other salad greens or later maturing cooking greens, like kale, chard and collards, as well as vegetables that are succession planted, such as radishes, carrots, beets, peas and beans.

Large vegetable plants, like tomatoes, would not be good choices for wide rows. Otherwise you can plant just about any type of vegetable in a wide row, as long as you don't crowd them too closely. Even long season vegetables, like garlic, onions, leeks and parsnips, can be grown in wide rows.

You have two options when planting wide rows:

1. Multiple Single Rows - Within each wide row, you can layout 2 or more straight line single rows. You can even stagger the planting times or mix vegetable varieties in a single wide row. For instance, you could designate a wide row for beets and plant a single row each week, for 4 weeks, so that you wind up with four rows of beets that will mature at different times.
Succession planting that way means that some of the wide row will remain unplanted for almost a month. If space is tight, another option is to plant a row of beets, a row of radishes and a row of spinach. The radishes and spinach are fast growers and you can replant their rows with more beets or whatever else you'd like to try in that row.

You could also interplant plant slower growing plants with vegetables that will mature and be harvested by the time the slower plants need the space. For instance, you could plant small pepper seedlings in the same wide row with radishes or arugula. As the pepper plants start to grow, they will provide cooling shade for the spring vegetables, which will be harvested long before the peppers fully spread out.

And finally, you can divide your wide rows into blocks, planting 1 - 2 ft. stretches of the row with different crops, for instance, a block of onions followed by a block of lettuce followed by a block of chard in the same row. This is my preferred way to succession plant without leaving empty wasted blocks.

This kind of companion planting takes some finagling, but it definitely lets you get a higher yield from a small space.

2. Broadcast Seeding - If you are direct sowing seed, you don't have to adhere to straight line rows. You can simply scatter seeds across the wide row. This works great for bush peas and beans. When these plants are grown in a wide block, the plants are able to help support each other as they grow.
Lettuce and other salad greens are also easy to broadcast seed. You can thin young plants or cut only the outside leaves of plants and allow the remaining plants to continue growing.

Don't be tempted to sow too densely. The plants will still need good air circulation as they grow, to prevent diseases and other problems. That's why plants that can be thinned and eaten while young make such good candidates for broadcast seeding.
A bonus of wide row planting is that less of your garden soil is being walked on and so less of it gets compacted. When you soil remains loose, you won't have to till the soil to replant and the insects and other organisms in the soil remain more active.

How to Start a Small Farm Business

If you want to start a small farm business, you may be wondering what step to take first. You might not even have land yet, but you are still thinking and planning for the time when you will make your move. And finding farmland is one important step in farming - one that you'll want to take after considering some other factors.

Learn About Farming

You can't go wrong starting with this step. If you're new to farming, learn everything you can about it within the time you have. But be reasonable, too. You can't know everything there is to know. Some learning will have to be on the job, and trial and error is messy, time-consuming and sometimes costly. Yet it's inevitable with farming, so embrace the process. But learn some, too. Balance.

If you can find a mentor - someone you can learn from directly, perhaps in your community now or where you hope to farm - it can be extremely helpful. If you haven't already, work on a farm. Volunteer. Gain experience before you begin.

Design and Plan Your Farm

An important part of starting your farm business is defining what it will be. Do you want to have a micro-scale vegetable farm? Do you plan to grow acres of hay for other farmers? Maybe you want to have a diversified farm - a small-scale operation that grows a variety of animals and crops. You might even be wondering how to start an ecotourism farm, where people will come to stay to see the workings of your farm and perhaps even participate in farm chores.

Write a Business Plan

You may wonder if you need a business plan. The short answer: if you want to start a business, you will need a business plan. In the writing of the business plan, you will consider markets, supply and demand, as well as anything and everything that pertains to your farm-operations, management structure, financial analysis, products and price points. You may cycle between this step and the previous one, designing and planning, because they are interconnected. But a business plan is a significant enough part of starting a business to take up an entire step. It's where you take your dreams and brainstorms and make them reality.

Find Grants and Loans

You might not have all the capital you need to start farming on the scale that you'd like. You can start small, dip a toe in the water and see how you enjoy farming on a micro scale, using whatever you can glean from your monthly household budget to invest in the farm. But it might take a long time to get anywhere using this method, as you may not be able to invest a significant amount, enough to bring product to market. Grants and loans aimed at young and beginning farmers are out there! Help is available for established farmers, too. Programs offer subsidized equipment like high tunnels, assistance in certifying organic, and more.

Get Business Licenses and Permits

Your local and state law may vary when it comes to the requirements for establishing a small farm business. But the basics are the same: you will probably need to register your business name, purchase a business license, get an employer identification number, and carry product liability insurance.

Set Up Finances

You will also need to decide on your business structure. Will this be a sole proprietorship, an LLC or something else? Contact an accountant to get information specific to your situation. Financial planning should be in your business plan. It's very important to set up a system for bookkeeping and accounting from the start of your small farm business.

How to Grow Sprouts on the Small Farm

It's not quite time to start seeds for the outdoor gardening season, but the cold frame or greenhouse is looking tired and long in the tooth. It's the perfect time to grow sprouts! Quick, delicious, healthy and easy to grow, these tiny green wonders are a great addition to your farm plan any time of year. There is definitely a local niche for sprouts for those who want to include them as part of their farm business.

Sprouting is the practice of germinating seeds to be eaten (raw or cooked). Sprouts are concentrated in nutrition and rich in health-promoting enzymes. They are crunchy and fresh raw and savory when cooked.

One big factor to consider when growing sprouts, especially as a business but even for yourself, is that some sprouts have sickened people because of bacterial contamination. The warm, moist environment needed to grow sprouts is also conducive to growing bacteria.

Types of Sprouts

Basically any type of bean, grass or vegetable seed can be grown as a sprout, although some sprouts can be eaten raw. Some of the more commonly sprouted seeds are:

Lentils

Mung beans
Alfalfa
Quinoa
Chickpeas
Broccoli
Radish
Beet
Pea
Sunflower
Almonds
Peanuts

Supplies for Growing Sprouts

Sprouting seeds. You do want to buy seeds specifically grown for sprouting, as these have been cleaned for eating as sprouts and therefore free of pathogens.

Clean, wide-mouth jar. Mason canning jars work well. Fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth, or seed sprouting jar top (or make your own from mesh and a canning jar ring).

Lidded container for sprout storage.

Scaling Up to Sprout Farming

If you are growing sprouts on a farm scale, you may use seed trays, also called flats, to grow your sprouts. You will likely want a use some kind of greenhouseLINK to grow sprouts to sell to larger markets, but you can make do with many different situations as far as equipment. Sprouts do not need a lot of light since they are harvested before they grow leaves, which carry out photosynthesis.

Sprouts require moisture, warmth, light, proper ventilation, nutrients, a growing medium, and a growing container. You may need to provide heat via electrical propagation units, figure out how to water with an automated irrigation system, and so forth. But the sprout operation setup can be as simple or as complex as you want it to be. You could begin by adding a set of shelves with eight or twelve seed flats on it and try selling small amounts of sprouts before committing to a larger venture, or you could fill a greenhouse with seed flats.

How to Grow Sprouts

These are the simplest step by step instructions for how to grow sprouts. Actual details may vary depending on the variety you are growing, especially sprouting time.

Rinse seeds several times in warm water. Make sure to rinse well and to drain them well in between rinses.
Soak seeds overnight in fresh water.
Drain and put seeds into your sprouting container (if you use a jar, they may already be there).
Place the sprouting container in a room-temperature spot that receives some light (indirect is best - too much sun or heat is not good).
Twice daily, rinse and drain the seeds well. Keep them damp but not wet and make sure they have room to breathe without drying out. Sprouts need good air circulation.
Harvest sprouts when - they've sprouted! Before you see their true leaves open. You can also taste the sprouts when you rinse.

Harvesting and Storing Sprouts

Time to sprout varies by crop, but is typically three to five days. Some sprouts will retain their hulls, which you can eat or remove by brushing them off gently with your hand or rinsing the sprouts in a quick cool-water soak. You can spin them out in a salad spinner.

Before storing sprouts in the refrigerator, they must be quite dry. Spin them well in the salad spinner and/or let them drain for about 12 hours after rinsing.

Safe storage times for sprouts vary, but generally they last about one week. Any sprouts that are discolored or smell funny should be composted - don't eat old sprouts!

Selling Sprouts

You can sell sprouts at the farmers markets and your local grocery stores and food co-ops. Many people love sprouts for their nutritional benefits without having to go to the trouble of sprouting at home.

Merry Christmas !

Happy New Year

How to Make Your Own Chicken or Poultry Feed

Homesteaders who aspire to greater self-sufficiency often want to grow or at least mix their own chicken feed. If you can grow everything your chickens eat, you don't have to purchase feed. If you mix feed from purchased bulk ingredients, at least you know the composition of the feed - some farmers want to avoid soy or corn, for example, or use non-GMO versions of these grains.

First, Raise Chickens on Pasture

One really easy way to feed your chickens without buying as much chicken feed is to raise them on pasture. This is the most natural diet chickens can eat. As long as they have enough acreage or consistently fresh pasture (such as using a movable coop to give them fresh ground daily or weekly), chickens can self-regulate and find enough insects, bugs, weeds, grasses and seeds to stay healthy.

However, if you live in a place where winter comes and the grass stops growing, you'll need to give them feed at least through the cold. And it's a good idea to have supplemental feed for them even if they are primarily foraging.

If you want to raise your flock on pasture and supplement with your own poultry feed, read more about pasturing chickens and other poultry for that information, then come back and read on to learn how to make your own feed.

Equipment for Making Your Own Poultry Feed

Making your own feed for more than a handful of chickens requires a commercial, heavy-duty feed or flour mill. This way you can freshly grind the grains you purchase for your hens.

You will also need to think about storage for the bags of grains you buy. Consider building a storage bin with partitions for each of your grains and a lid at the top. If you can use a sliding gate at the bottom to dispense the grain, you can naturally rotate the grains. You may need to clean the bins out completely once or twice a year to prevent pests from infesting them.

What to Put in Your DIY Poultry Feed

Whether you grow some, all or none of it, the key question is: what plants should you feed them? In what proportions? If you search the Internet you will find many different recipes. In some ways, you're going to have to customize your feed to the specifics of your geographical region: what's available, what's inexpensive, and what you can grow if you plan to grow it yourself will all factor in to the final feed.

You will want to study the ingredients in commercial poultry feed to see what percentages you are shooting for. If you are a little lower in protein than commercial brands, that's okay - just be aware that your birds will not grow as quickly. You do need to make sure that you strike a balance of all the macronutrients, like fats, carbohydrates and protein, and micronutrients such as vitamins and enzymes. Some trial and error might come into play.

Here are some of the ingredients you should consider putting in your chicken feed. Please remember this is just a general guideline. You'll need to research this more thoroughly and put together your own custom mix.

Main Feed:

Alfalfa meal (high protein, good for winter)

Corn (mainstay for chickens, store whole)

Field peas (for protein, to avoid soybean use)

Wheat

Oats and/or Barley (less than 15% of total diet together)

Things to Add:

Aragonite or feeding limestone (for calcium, not entirely needed)

Oyster shell (calcium, free feed)

Grit

Salt

Probiotic (or feed them fermented dairy foods like kefir or yogurt, or fermented vegetables like sauerkraut)

Crab meal (small amounts provide protein and minerals)

Flax seed (omega-3, feed whole to avoid rancidity)

Broad-spectrum mineral supplement

Kelp (mineral source)

Fish meal (helps boost protein and omega-3s)

Cultured yeast (B vitamins, minerals and digestive enzymes)

Healthy bees need good nutrition !

The importance of the right kind of planting

By planting for honey bees we will be providing the three fundamental things that they need, while also supporting other bee species:

1. Nesting sites
2. pollen – protein food
3. Nectar – carbohydrate food

Honey bees cannot survive without all three.  Beekeepers help to provide nesting sites but as trees are felled as soon as they are deemed to be too old we eliminate potential habitats for wild bees to populate.

Pollen and its importance
Pollen is produced by the anther of flowers and is the equivalent of human sperm. Pollen is made up of 6-28% protein, 1-20% fats together with vitamins, starches, sugars and minerals.

This provides the honey bee and other pollinators much needed protein for growth of developing larvae. Adult bees don’t need much but they collect and take it back to feed their larvae.

Worker honey bees secrete brood food to feed to the larvae. A colony of bees require between 15 and 55kg of pollen a year – thats the equivalent of between 7 and 27 bags of sugar!

Nectar, what it is and why bees need it.
Nectar is produced in the nectary bed of the flower which is usually inside the base of the flower, but occasionally externally. It is a sugar solution which contains sugars of various types and includes minerals , proteins, organic acids and vitamins and is used as a carbohydrate to provide energy.

Honey bees take the nectar and turn it into honey by adding enzymes to change the sugar composition and evaporating a lot of the moisture.

One of the most interesting honey bee facts is that each honey bee colony needs up to 120kg of nectar to survive. That’s the same as 60 bags of sugar! This is because the nectar is primarily turned into honey which is used by the colony as winter food when foraging isn’t possible.

Both pollen and nectar levels can vary according to species and time of day and can be affected by the climatic conditions.

What do the plants get out of it?
Through the collection and transference of pollen the plants become pollinated which in turn means that they have the ability to set seed and thereby reproduce. The method of seed dispersal may be through the production of fruit and nuts or pure seed which bursts forth.

For those that produce fruit and nuts, they are reliant on a third party such as birds and mammals to eat and move the seed on, either as a result of being left elsewhere or defecated.

How do honey bees needs differ from other bees?
Due to the fact that Honey bees do not hibernate like all other bees their life span is much longer, in winter a colony of honey bees can be as many as 15,000 strong building up to up to 60,000 in the summer. They store the food unlike others, that use it immediately and create minimal stores for the seasons use as the peak of the colony is much shorter.

Honey bees produce honey to see them through the winter months, learn how you can help them build their stores by becoming a Friend of the Honey Bee.

Some Tips on How to Raise Pigs

1. Of course, the first thing you should consider is your capital.

Do you have enough saved to start a pig farm? How many pigs can you purchase? You can start with just a few pigs. Every time you sell a pig, use some of your earnings to buy more piglets.

2. Another thing you should take care of is where you’ll put your pigs.

You need ample space to keep your pigs. As a general rule, each pig is supposed to have at least 1/10 of an acre of pasture area. This is for grazing pigs. If you plan on building an enclosure, around 100 square feet for each pig is enough. Barns, pig pens, and other enclosures give you more control over the animals. Feeding them will be a lot easier as well as collecting their manure which can be used as fertilizers, another possible source of income. Additionally, pigs in enclosures have more tender meat as compared to grazers which tend to have tougher meat because of the muscles that often develop.

3. Another factor on how to raise pigs is food source.

If you’re keeping pigs for meat, you’ll need to feed them right for them to become bigger, meatier and more profitable. Pigs will eat anything edible. But this does not mean you can feed them anything you can get your hands on. The right pig diet should contain ample amounts of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. If you can, avoid giving them supplements. Get their nutrients from actual food and other organic or natural sources. For grazing pigs, you need to have enough pasture grass around. Plant some if you need to.

4. You should also be aware of what not to feed your pigs.

Raw potatoes are not recommended since they can be poisonous. Raw meat should also be avoided as they may carry bacteria and diseases. Cook or boil them before you give them to your pigs. As a safety precaution, you need to boil everything that you intend to feed them.

5. Food consumption should also be controlled.

One way to know if you are putting too much food in their troughs is to time the feeding. If there is food left after 30 minutes, then that means you are giving them too much. This may lead to overeating which is not good for them. You’ll also lose money because of this. You can also weigh the food. Six pounds is the most you can put in their troughs.

6. One more important tip on how to raise pigs properly is to provide them access to water.

Give them fresh, clean water to drink always. Be prepared to clean their water troughs regularly as pigs like to clean themselves in the water. Troughs made from galvanized iron are usually sturdier and easier to clean so you may want to consider that.

7. Even if you originally planned on keeping pigs for meat, you can still profit from breeding.

You’ll need a farrowing house so you can separate the sows. You can earn more if you sell your piglets. This is also a good way to increase your farm’s pig population.
These tips on raising pigs is only a guide for you to kick off your business venture. Nothing beats experience. As you go along, you will harvest enough knowledge on how to raise pigs which you can use for your pig farm to thrive and provide you with more income.

Types of Potatoes to Try Planting

Potatoes vary in size, shape, color, texture and time to maturity. Maturation time is the most important variable, because potato tubers grow best when soil temperatures range between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Try to get your crop harvested before hot summer temperatures arrive.

Types of Potatoes to Try Planting

Early varieties that mature in less than 90 days are good fits for any garden. Creamy, round ‘Irish Cobbler,’ purple-skinned ‘Caribe,’ and prolific ‘Red Norland’ fall into this group, along with ‘King Harry,’ which is resistant to Colorado potato beetles.

Midseason varieties mature in 100 days or so, and include ‘Yukon Gold’ and ‘Red LaSoda,’ which is often the top-producing potato in warm climates.

Late varieties need 110 days or more of growing time, but they typically produce a heavy set of tubers that keep well in storage. ‘Butte’ is an all-purpose brown-skinned potato that performs well when grown in the Midwest; ‘Katahdin’ and ‘Kennebec’ rule in the Northeast.

Elongated fingerling potatoes vary in their maturation times and come in a range of colors and sizes. None are very early, but late-maturing fingerlings will size up earlier if you pre-sprout the seed potatoes before you plant them.

Top 10 Tips for Keeping Chickens in Winter

For new chicken owners, winter can be a scary time. Will they be warm enough? Will they keep laying eggs? These tips will keep your hens happy and healthy.

1. They don't need a heater.
I've often gotten questions about putting a heater in the chicken coop for winter warmth. My answer: don't do it! Think of all that bedding - you're asking for a fire. Plus, chickens don't need it. They huddle together for warmth. And don't seal up the coop completely. Ventilation is key to prevent moisture buildup.

2. Use deep litter to keep them warm.
The deep litter method is a way of allowing bedding material and chicken poop to build up in the coop over the spring, summer, and fall, so that by winter you have roughly a foot of composting material on the floor of the coop. This composting poop and bedding will give off its own heat, warming the coop naturally.

3. They may not lay unless you supplement light.
Some birds are great layers right through the winter. But in general, supplemental light is required if you want to keep your family or customers in eggs all winter long. However, there are some downsides to supplementing light - it stresses the birds and can shorten their laying life.

4. Feed them corn in the evening to keep them warm all night.
Giving your chickens a nice feeding of cracked corn before bed gives them something to digest during the night, keeping them warmer.

5. Hang a head of cabbage for a chicken play toy.
Just like humans, chickens can get a little bored and stir-crazy in the winter. They sure seem to like it when I hang a head of cabbage on a string in the coop. They go wild pecking at it while it bobs around. It makes me feel like I’m doing something for them, anyway. So try it - keep your hens happy!

6. Make them a nice sunroom.
If you’re worried about your girls not having enough space in the coop, you can build a kind of cold frame or greenhouse style addition to your coop, covering it in clear plastic. They will wander out into it and have a bit more space on nice days, and you can rest easy knowing they aren’t too smushed and are getting some fresh air.

7. Petroleum jelly on combs and wattles protects from frostbite.
In the coldest winter climates, you may find that breeds with large combs and wattles are prone to frostbite. To protect them, you can smear their combs and wattles with petroleum jelly. However, if your chickens do get frostbite, it is usually jsut the tips of the combs that are affected, and they don’t seem to be any worse for the wear - but it can look a little icky.

8. Chickens don’t like snow.
Generally speaking, once temperatures are in the 20 degree F range, chickens (mine, anyway) won’t walk out onto snow. You can scatter hay or straw on the ground and this will make it more palatable for them.

9. Chickens don’t have to be put inside in bad weather.
They know what to do. If they don’t want to be outdoors, they will head in to the coop. Just let them do what they want. They are hardier than you might think, and aren’t as averse to cold as people often think they are. Don’t waste your time and energy trying to shoo them indoors in the rain or snow.

10. Roosts are key.
Chickens will roost together and fluff themselves out. This is what keeps them warm. It also keeps them off the cold ground. So make sure you have plenty of space for all your chickens to comfortably roost (check on them in the evening with a flashlight - if someone’s on the ground, there’s not enough space). Roosts should be at least two feet off the ground.

Most Popular Tomato Varieties to Grow in the Home Garden

The most popular tomato varieties got that way with good reason.

 Some are easy to grow. Others have excellent disease resistance or be particularly flavorful or offer outstanding production … or all of the above!

With thousands of varieties to choose from, it can be hard to decide which tomatoes to grow in your garden.

Check out this list of most popular tomato varieties as chosen by your fellow tomato growers online!

Most Popular Tomato Varieties: 
Hybrid Tomatoes

Better Boy Tomato
Hybrid, indeterminate, 75 days, red, beefsteak (12-16 ounces), resistance: VFN
Big Beef Tomato
Hybrid, indeterminate, 73 days, red, beefsteak (10-12 ounces), resistance: VFFNTA; 1994 All-America Selections Winner
Big Boy Tomato
Hybrid, indeterminate, 78 days, red, beefsteak (10-16 ounces), resistance: A
Celebrity Tomato
Hybrid, determinate, 70 days, red, globe (8-12 ounces), resistance: VFFNTA
Early Girl Tomato icon
Hybrid, indeterminate, 50-52 days, red, globe (8 ounces), resistance: VFF
Grape Tomato
Hybrid, indeterminate, 60 days, brilliant red, elongated cherry tomatoes, resistance: FSA
Independence Day Tomato (Fourth of July Tomato)
Hybrid, indeterminate, 49 days, red, small (4 ounces)
Jersey Tomato (Rutgers Tomato)
Hybrid, determinate, 75 days, bright red, globe (6-8 ounces), resistance: VFA
Juliet Tomato
Hybrid, indeterminate, 60 days, red, elongated cherry (1 ounce), resistance: cracking; 1999 All-America Selections Winner
Sunsugar Tomato
Hybrid, indeterminate, 62 days, orange, cherry, resistance: FT, cracking

Most Popular Tomato Varieties: 
Heirlooms (open-pollinated tomatoes)

Amish Paste Tomato
Heirloom, indeterminate, 85 days, red, paste tomato (8 ounces)
Black Krim Tomato
Heirloom, indeterminate, 69-80 days, red/brown, beefsteak (16 ounces), resistance: FN
Brandywine Tomatoes
Heirloom, indeterminate, 69-80 days, pink, beefsteak (16+ ounces), resistance: F
Cherokee Purple Tomato
Heirloom, indeterminate, 69-80 days, purple/brown/black, beefsteak (16 ounces)
Green Zebra Tomato
Heirloom, determinate, 78 days, green, small (3 ounces)
Mortgage Lifter Tomato
Heirloom, indeterminate, 85 days, pink, beefsteak (16-24 ounces)
San Marzano Tomato
Heirloom, indeterminate, 85 days, red/pink, plum (4 ounces)
Yellow Pear Tomato
Heirloom, indeterminate, 71 days, bright yellow, pear-shaped cherry (1 ½” round)

How Many Goats Should You Get?

Before you bring home any goats to supplement your green lifestyle, you have to determine how many goats you really need. One of the biggest mistakes new goat farmers make is getting too many goats. You need at least two goats so that they can keep each other company, but it's better to start slow. And you need to get only wethers or does, depending on your purpose, unless you have seriously considered the implications of getting a buck and decided that you really need one.

The number of goats you can adequately provide space for on your property depends on the answers to a few questions:

How much fenced pasture or range is available to the goats?

If you live in an area where you can't let your goats range (roam over a large area), such as a desert area or in the city, you need about 20 square feet per adult standard-sized goat for sleeping and resting, plus another 30 square feet (outdoors, ideally) for exercise. This gives them enough space to move around and not be cramped or too confined.

If you have a larger outdoor area in which to raise your goats — where they'll have pasture, woods, or range — you need less indoor space per goat because they only rest and sleep there. The rule of thumb is 10 to 15 square feet per adult standard-sized goat.

How much space do you have for a sleeping area?

Goats like to sleep together in small groups, and so the actual sleeping area they need can be quite a bit smaller than their living area. If you have a building with a lot of separate pens, keep the doors open so they are accessible to all of your goats. (Of course, the herd queen and her brood will take over the best spot anyway.)

Will they have kids?

A standard-sized goat needs at least a 4-foot-by-5-foot kidding pen. If you have more than one doe that you want to have kid, breed them at different times, and clean and sanitize the pen between kiddings.

How to Process Goat Fiber

Before you turn your goat fiber into yarn, you need to put it through several processes. To process your fiber, you need to wash, card or comb, and spin. Here are some hints for preparing goat fiber.

Washing
Unless you're selling your raw fleece to a commercial operation, you need to wash your goat fleece to remove grease, dirt, and other impurities:

Separate the fleece into smaller bundles and put them into mesh bags.

Do not pack the fleece tightly into the bags.

Put 145°F water in your sink. Wearing rubber gloves, check the water's pH.

If it is below 8, thoroughly mix in small amounts of baking soda until the pH is 8 or 9. (Neutral pH is 7.) Then mix in a small amount of detergent.

Place your bags of fleece in the water and soak for 15 minutes.

Pull out a bag and check a lock of fleece. If it is gummy, all of the grease is not out and you need to keep soaking it for up to another 45 minutes.

Refill the sink with 145°F water, using only half the detergent and no baking soda. Soak for 15 more minutes.

Remove the fleece from the water and let out the water. Fill the sink with more hot water and soak the fleece for 15 to 30 minutes, agitating it with your hand from time to time.

Remove the bags, refill the sink, and rinse for 15 to 30 minutes, using cooler water each time.

Rinse a final time.

Check the pH of the final rinse; it should be 6. If it is higher, add a small amount of vinegar to lower the pH. Soak and rinse for 15 minutes.

Dry the clean fleece.

Remove the bags, press them gently, and then remove the fleece from the bags. Spread out the fleece to dry on a towel as you would a wool sweater. You can use a fan to accelerate drying.

Carding or combing
Carding and combing are ways to separate the strands of washed fiber to prepare it for spinning into yarn. Both methods blend the fibers and remove hay and other contaminants that may still be left in the fiber. They also straighten the fibers to make them lie in the same direction. Carding produces a fluffier end product than combing because combing better aligns the fibers and makes the fleece more compact.

You can card your fiber by hand or with a carding machine. To comb your fiber, you can use paddle combs. These are similar to hand carders, but they are simpler and have only one or two rows of teeth. They are good for working medium to long fibers or for working with cashmere, where you have to remove the guard hairs as you go along. Combing separates the long and short fibers and prepares the fiber for spinning.

Spinning
Handspinning is the traditional method and requires a drop spindle or a spinning wheel.

You need to practice spinning the drop spindle without yarn to get used to working with it. To spin with a drop spindle, you attach a piece of yarn (called a leader cord) to your spindle and then attach the end of your fiber to that. You have to spin in the same direction (normally clockwise) to hold your fiber together. As you spin the wheel, you gradually add fiber to the end of the rolag or roving you are working with.

Spinning on a wheel requires you to use your hands and feet. You use your feet by pushing on a treadle that keeps the wheel moving as you gradually add fiber to be spun into yarn. You need to practice to learn to move your hands and feet together and get a consistent product. After you get it, the process seems like second nature, and spinners even say it's incredibly relaxing.

How to Take Your Goat’s Temperature, Pulse, and Respiration

Part of a green lifestyle may include raising goats. As a goat owner, you need to know how to check your goat’s vital signs. Checking your goat’s temperature, pulse, and respiration can tell you a lot about his overall health.

Taking a goat’s temperature

Taking a goat’s temperature is easy. You need either a digital or traditional glass thermometer that you can buy from a feed store, a drug store, or a livestock supply catalog. Both types are fairly inexpensive.

If you use a glass thermometer, make sure you shake it down before you start so that it reads accurately. Tie a string around one end of a glass thermometer so that you can retrieve it if it goes too far.

To take a goat’s temperature grab a thermometer and take the following steps:

Immobilize the goat.

You can hold a small kid across your lap. Secure an adult in a stanchion, have a helper hold him still, or tie him to a gate or fence.

Lubricate your thermometer.

Use KY jelly or petroleum jelly.

Insert the thermometer a few inches into the goat’s rectum.

Hold the thermometer in place for at least two minutes.

Slowly remove the thermometer.

Read the temperature and record it on the goat’s health record.

Clean the thermometer.

Use an alcohol wipe or a cotton ball that has been wet with alcohol.

A goat’s normal temperature is 102°–103° Fahrenheit, but can be a degree higher or lower, depending on the individual goat. A goat’s temperature can also go up or down throughout the day. On a hot day, you can expect some of your goats to have higher temperatures.

To determine what a normal temperature is for your goats, be sure to take their temperatures when they are healthy and keep a record of it. Measure their temperatures on a hot day and a normal day so you have an accurate baseline.

Checking a goat’s pulse

The normal pulse for a goat is 70 to 90 beats per minute. Kids’ heart rates may be twice that fast.

To take your goat’s pulse:

Make sure she is calm and resting.

Find the goat’s artery below and slightly inside the jaw with your fingers.

Watching a clock and count the number of heartbeats in 15 seconds.

Multiply that number by four to get the pulse rate.

Checking a goat’s respiration

The normal respiration rate for an adult goat is 10 to 30 breaths per minute, and for a kid it is 20 to 40 breaths per minute. To count respirations, simply watch the goat’s side when she is calm and resting. For 60 seconds, count one respiration for each time the goat’s side rises and falls.

Choosing Goat Breeds for Fiber

If you're a home spinner or want to get your own supply of fiber, consider raising fiber goats. Angoras produce the fiber called mohair, which is a silky fiber used in many products. Cashmere, produced by the cashmere goat, is an even more exotic fiber and is in high demand. It comes from the undercoat of these goats.

Properly caring for fiber goats takes a bit more work than raising some meat or dairy goat breeds. If you want meat, some of these fiber goats are dual-purpose goats:

Angora: Angoras have long, wavy coats, with fiber called mohair. They are usually white, but some breeders are experimenting with producing other colors and even have their own registry, the Colored Angora Goat Breeders Association (CAGBA). They have short, curved horns, which are usually left on the goat, because they may regulate body temperature. The average adult goat produces 8 to 16 pounds of mohair each year, while kids give from 3 to 5 pounds of longer, finer hair.

Angoras may be raised on a range, but they are sensitive to cold, and wet weather can kill them. They also are not natural mothers and sometimes abandon their kids. The kids often need help to start nursing. And with twins and triplets, the bigger kids hog all the milk if not controlled, leaving the little ones nothing to eat.

Cashmere: Cashmere goats in the United States aren’t a breed but a type of goat. According to the Eastern Cashmere Association, feral goats from Australia and Spanish goats in the United States are both cashmere producers. They just need to have been bred to produce the right quality of cashmere, a measurement that is determined by the cashmere industry. (The fiber has to be less than 19 microns thick.) Most of the larger cashmere breeders originally imported high-quality fiber goats from Australia to start their herds.

Cashmere goats are dual fiber/meat goats. Like their non-cashmere feral relatives, they are quite hardy. But like dairy goats, they don’t like rain and will run for shelter when it comes.

You can also find two different breeds of mini fiber goats in the United States:

Pygora: The Pygora is a cross between the Pygmy and the Angora. The Pygora is a small, easy-to-handle, and good-tempered fiber goat. These little guys are registered by the Pygora Breeders Association (PBA), which started in 1987. A Pygora can be up to 75 percent of either breed.

Pygoras can produce up to four pounds of fleece a year, a bit less than the full-sized Angora. They are smart and can sometimes be found in petting zoos and circuses.

Nigora: Nigoras are a cross between a Nigerian Dwarf and an Angora . They have the advantage of producing colorful fiber as well as milk. This is still a fledgling breed, with a breed club started only in 2007. No breed standards exist on this breed as of 2009.

You might have trouble finding Nigora goats, but you can buy a Nigerian buck and some Angoras and start your own herd!

Russian White Dairy Goats

White Dairy goats in central and northwestern Russia, have strong, dry constitution and a harmonious conformation characteristic of the milk type. They have a light and narrow head. The neck is long and straight and the sacrum wide. The udder is big and smooth; quarters are proportionally developed and teats are wide-set. The legs are strong. The positions of the front and hind limbs is regular. The skeleton is strong. The coat is composed of coarse short, or occasionally long, hair, which is usually white. Animals may be hornless or horned. They resemble Saanen goats in appearance.

Typical of this group are the animals found on private plots in Gorki, Leningrad, Moscow and Yaroslavl regions. They are typical milk goats. Live weight of adult females is 50-60 kg, males 60-75 kg. They average 550 kg of milk per lactation and the best animals up to 1,000 kg. Fat content is high - 4.2-5.3%. Milk goats are prolific: 100 females give birth to 190-220 kids. Some goats kid twice a year. Cases have been recorded of up to six normal kids at one kidding.

Dairy goats in the North Caucasus, Crimea and Central Asia are somewhat smaller, have hair of various colours but are inferior in productivity to the goats of Gorki, Moscow, Yaroslavl and Leningrad regions. There are goats there which have a wool undercoat and, consequently, double utility: they are milked and, in addition, yield about 100-150 g of fiber per head. Milk yields per lactation are in the range 250-400 kg with a fat content of 3.5-5.5%. The average live weight does not exceed 40-42 kg.

Raising Dairy Goats and the Benefits of Goat Milk

Whether your property is one acre or several hundred, sloping or flat, crowded with brush or completely forested, you can still raise dairy goats for milk. Two goats will produce enough quality fresh milk — with each doe averaging 3 quarts a day for 10 months — to feed your family all year. Add a few more goats and you'll have enough milk for making cheese, yogurt and even ice cream.
Goat milk ice cream?  Some of you might be raising your eyebrows right now because you've heard goat milk tastes funny. We could blame the funny-taste fallacy on a conspiracy concocted by those comical Far Side cows. But more likely it is because someone kept the buck among the herd, especially at milking time. A buck can be quite odoriferous, and his strong, musky scent can permeate the milk. The fact is, properly collected goat milk tastes just as good as cow milk. Some people believe it tastes better.

More of the world's people consume goat milk than cow milk. Goats are hardy animals: They adapt well to heat and cold, productively forage and graze, require little space, and are inexpensive to keep. Since mature does (females) usually weigh between 120 and 135 pounds (dwarf breeds can weigh between 35 and 85 pounds), they're much easier to handle than hefty cows, which can weigh 1,000 pounds each. Goats may surprise you in other ways, as well. They're highly intelligent, remarkably friendly creatures. And, since they're active, extremely agile and very curious, their antics can amuse you for hours. With all that in mind, it's easy to see why dairy goats can be the ideal addition to today's family farm or homestead.

The Dairy Breeds

There are more than 200 different goat breeds worldwide; six primary breeds dominate the dairy goat arena: Alpines, Oberhaslis, Saanens, Toggenburgs, LaManchas and Nubians. While all breeds generally do well in most of the country, the first four breeds listed are well-suited to cooler climates since their origins can be traced to Swiss mountain regions. LaManchas and Nubians hail from tropical and desert climates where it's warmer, and they tolerate hot summer conditions better than the Swiss breeds.