Tag: Farm Plans

Never give up on your dream

Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.

-JOHN BARRYMOORE

The dream of someday living on your own farm is one shared by many.  The lure of a quieter life away from the bustle of consumer driven living is a strong one.  Being able to grow your own food and know exactly what you are eating is also a big motivator in today’s world of industrial food production. Wanting to be socially responsible by taking care of our planet is also a very powerful motivator to farm.  How to begin to make this dream a reality is often overwhelming.

Buying property, what crops to grow and what animals to raise are just a few of the questions that you need to answer for yourself. Hopefully before you begin the process of spending time, effort, and money you take the time to plan out your journey.  Are you going to farm organically, traditionally or a combination of the two? Is your goal to be self-sufficient or do you want to create an income with your farm?

Often the first discouraging advice you will here is “You can’t farm unless you inherit the operation and even then, you will never make any money at it.”   My response to this kind of helpfulness is to ignore it. This is usually from people who never got started.

  After 45 years of farming, I have come to realize the value and truth found in many of the old adages so often spoken by the successful Farmers who mentored me. The quote: “Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway” exemplifies some of that wisdom and encouragement.

Subscribe to this blog as we will be exploring the process of making your dream a reality. We will be looking at goal setting, planning and taking action to start your Adventure in Agriculture.

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Winter Lambing/Kidding Tipi

We have these in our lambing jugs during January and February lambing:

Even on the coldest night it can be up to 70 degrees Fahrenheit in these with two or three lambs snuggled up tight.

A wooden triangular shelter made from oriented strand board (OSB), partially open, resting on hay in a barn.

Materials List

*I sheet of 3/8 or ½ inch plywood

* 4 8 foot long 2×2

*75 1 ½ inch deck screws

* 2 lightweight 1 ½ inch hinges with screws

* 10 3 to 4 inch deck screws

Assembly

A diagram illustrating a cutting pattern for a 4x8 sheet of plywood or wafer board, detailing specific measurements in inches for sections measuring 18", 12", 36", 12", and 6" on the top, and 16" and 19" on the side.

Always remember to put the screws in from the plywood side through to the 2×2 framing.

1. Measure the long sides of the two triangles and cut 4 pieces of 2×2 to fit that length. Screw the 2×2 in place flush with the edges of the plywood pieces.

2. Measure the length between these 2x2s along the bottom and top edge of the plywood. Cut 2×2 to fit those spaces and screw into place.

3. Place the “front sections” on the floor right side up and attach the access door at the center seam with the two hinges.

4. Hold the solid back section and the two sides sections up in place and measure the distance between the framing at the top and again at the bottom. Cut 2 pieces of 2×2 to fit each space. Center one piece that you just cut at the top and another at the bottom back and secure the extra set to your front section.

5. Secure the “Back” wall to the side walls by screwing plywood to the framing of the side walls. At this point you have a 32 sided structure. Place the front section in place and screw to the framing as you did the back. Take one long deck screw and screw into the framing at top and bottom at each joint. Your Lamb Tipi is complete.

6. You can place a safety heat lamb on the top of the tipi to provide extra warmth on those cold winters, early spring nights.  

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