Sorry for the delay in posting but I have been on the road quite a bit since my last post! Since then I have been in DC for a couple weeks for some training, flew to MN (it took longer to go from DC to MN then it did from Amman Jordan to DC!). Spent one day in Mn then flew down to Corpus Christi, Texas, picked up the new truck, drove to Shepherd AFB (Wichita Falls) for Chris's (my son) graduation from Air Force Tech school, then drove to Parker, Kansas to visit Synergistic Acres, on to Fountain Mn to visit Root Prairie Galloways! So pretty busy!
Over the last couple days during the farm visits I was able to meet some really awesome people and learned quite a bit from from both my own observations and from all that Laura (Synergistic) and the Hodgsons(Root Prairie) were able to tell me! As is always the case in a situation like this sometimes we get as many questions as we do answers. I was very impressed with the different avenues used for fencing between the two farms. Synergistic basically uses a temporary fencing system and moves it on a daily basis as they move the Cattle from area to area. On Root Prairie they have 4-5 acre sections with perm fencing but they further break down each section with temporary fencing so that it allows them more flexibly as not all their animal groups are similar sizes. Both farms are similar in size to what we will have. Synergistic is much closer to the total farm concept to what I am looking at with them raising turkeys, meat chickens, dual purpose chickens, Guinea hens, big black pigs as well as the Galloways. Root Prairie is primarily Galloway ranching but they also do produce some field raised chickens. I can not begin to say everything I learned during this trip but will highlight a couple things!
1. Galloways are not quite as big as I pictured them being a mid size cattle
2. The Galloways I saw were very mild tempered and friendly, one even sneaked up on me to give my arm a good lick!
3. Big Blacks Pigs are even bigger then I pictured them. (Picture below)
4. In a pasture or free range setting Pigs and Chickens very noticeably do NOT stink.
5. Even in a pasture setting Chickens and Pigs do still eat a lot other then what they forage
6. Some of my questions on watering the animals were solved or at least i was pointed in the right direction (more on this in a later post!)
7. Despite the very cold weather in both Mn and Kansas, the Galloways and even the Big Blacks do very well in the cold with the only winter structure used for either of them being wind breaks and wooded areas. The three sided roofed shelters I was planning on should be more then enough cover for them.
8. While what I am wanting to do seems rather unique in the farming world, I am most defiantly not alone.
I would really like to thank Laura and the Hodgeson's for taking the time to see me and show me around, these are really some wonderful people. All I did was send them an email and they were more to happy to take two hours each out of their days just to show me around and answer my endless questions. As I was on a very tight schedule they did all they could to fit their schedule with mine and for that I can not give enough thanks!
Over all while it was a brief but busy trip and I think it was very productive!
Over the last couple days during the farm visits I was able to meet some really awesome people and learned quite a bit from from both my own observations and from all that Laura (Synergistic) and the Hodgsons(Root Prairie) were able to tell me! As is always the case in a situation like this sometimes we get as many questions as we do answers. I was very impressed with the different avenues used for fencing between the two farms. Synergistic basically uses a temporary fencing system and moves it on a daily basis as they move the Cattle from area to area. On Root Prairie they have 4-5 acre sections with perm fencing but they further break down each section with temporary fencing so that it allows them more flexibly as not all their animal groups are similar sizes. Both farms are similar in size to what we will have. Synergistic is much closer to the total farm concept to what I am looking at with them raising turkeys, meat chickens, dual purpose chickens, Guinea hens, big black pigs as well as the Galloways. Root Prairie is primarily Galloway ranching but they also do produce some field raised chickens. I can not begin to say everything I learned during this trip but will highlight a couple things!
1. Galloways are not quite as big as I pictured them being a mid size cattle
2. The Galloways I saw were very mild tempered and friendly, one even sneaked up on me to give my arm a good lick!
3. Big Blacks Pigs are even bigger then I pictured them. (Picture below)
4. In a pasture or free range setting Pigs and Chickens very noticeably do NOT stink.
5. Even in a pasture setting Chickens and Pigs do still eat a lot other then what they forage
6. Some of my questions on watering the animals were solved or at least i was pointed in the right direction (more on this in a later post!)
7. Despite the very cold weather in both Mn and Kansas, the Galloways and even the Big Blacks do very well in the cold with the only winter structure used for either of them being wind breaks and wooded areas. The three sided roofed shelters I was planning on should be more then enough cover for them.
8. While what I am wanting to do seems rather unique in the farming world, I am most defiantly not alone.
I would really like to thank Laura and the Hodgeson's for taking the time to see me and show me around, these are really some wonderful people. All I did was send them an email and they were more to happy to take two hours each out of their days just to show me around and answer my endless questions. As I was on a very tight schedule they did all they could to fit their schedule with mine and for that I can not give enough thanks!
Over all while it was a brief but busy trip and I think it was very productive!
Comments
Post a Comment