Future draft powered farm sustainability.

TH:

I worked for 9 years as a high school teacher while my wife worked full time on our goat dairy where we make cheese. During that time we built up our business and infrastructure (pasteurizer, cheese plant, aging cellar, dairy, barns, fences, etc.). I quit my job 2 years ago and things are going well. Here is my advice:

1. Write a business plan and have as many farmers and business types read and critique it. This will help you get real numbers and information. There are plenty of models on the web. This is a great exercise and a prerequisite for any loan.
2. Remember that grains are a commodity – basically an undifferentiated product in the consumer’s eye. That usually means that they are not willing to pay a whole lot more for grain that was raised sustainably with horses. You would be competing with mega farms that can produce grain at a fraction of what you could. Think about adding value (bread, granola, hot cereal mix, etc), or even another value added product that your costumers need and will pay top dollar for.
3. Consider renting land. I love owning land but from a farming business sense, you are much better off renting, at least initially – especially if you are cropping and don’t have much fixed infrastructure. Check out Allan Nation (Stockman Grass Farmer) on this topic.
4. Don’t be too debt averse. I was initially convinced that I would never take out a loan. We did pay cash most of the way from accumulated savings, but strategic, very conservative borrowing with a sure pay back plan has served us well in getting where we want to be.
5. Start small, which might mean both of you working off farm initially (at least part time). We started milking 12 goats and demand has always exceeded our supply (we are now milking 50). This enabled us to build up a solid customer base and charge what we need to make a living.
6. Ask a million questions. Swallow your pride and seek advice from others in the know. I have learned tons not only from farmers, but electricians, plumbers, welders, seamstresses (to name a few) and let’s not forget teamsters! Most are willing to share their knowledge generously.

Good luck. It has been a long hard road for us, but has paid off a thousand fold in terms of quality of life.

George

I second everything that George already said.

Particularly the part about value adding. We grow grain with drafts and also run a small brick-oven bakery. Thus we have support based on the quality of our baked goods even from people who are uninterested in the the farming side. Table-ready products are much easier to sell retail, and retail is the only way to go, in my opinion, for the small producer.

The bakery accounts for 80% of our farm revenue at this point. I run the whole operation with my wife and two apprentices. We have no off-farm income currently. We’re in our third year of operation.

I would be happy to share specific info on the requirements and costs of horsedrawn grain growing if thousandhills (or anyone else) would like.

I would be happy to share specific info on the requirements and costs of horsedrawn grain growing if thousandhills (or anyone else) would like.

Erik,

I would like to hear about your experience growing grain w/ horses.

Erik, would you be willing to share in a large scale to the board? I know that I would be intrested and would be intrested in growing some grains here in Pittsford for use on the farm. Thanks, Josh