I really, really, really don't want to be at work today.
It's not that I don't like my jobs--I do! But the sun is out, the temp is perfect (mid-70s), and I'd rather be raising pigs.
I planted 12 tomato plants and 3 basil plants yesterday after spending the whole day with Mark. It was highly pleasant. I talked with Mr. Heifer about the importance of saving heritage breeds and how pretty our red cows look grazing on green pasture. I learned that there is Red Poll cheese in England and that a man in Texas wants to make it here in the States.
I've thought many times that I could make a go of raising livestock for the natural, local foods market, which is growing rapidly. Every story about the inanity of shipping food around the globe (or even over the Rockies from California), or the cruelty and stupidity of feedlots (just put the cattle back on the grass instead of plowing up the grass, planting corn, and feeding the cattle corn--duh!), or the better health and taste and economies inherent in local, smaller-scale food production just makes that market grow larger.
People love pigs. Pigs are relatively cheap to buy, easy to raise, and produce 8-12 pigs per litter (a rough average). People love cows. Cows are easy to raise, benefit the grass if pastured properly, and one cow can feed a lot of people. People love chickens. Chickens are cheap to buy, easy to raise, and produce for you dead or alive. Plus, they're just wonderful to have around. A diverse farmyard is every bit of an ecosystem and the more diverse, the healthier and more efficient it is.
I paid off my second cow yesterday (2 down, 2 to go). All four cows are in their 2nd trimester, due in July or August. If all goes well, I'll have 8 cows! And I'm on my way.
So what do I need to make this happen? More time would be helpful. Our own land (and more of it, too, for optimal production). Some startup money. Not much, really. Unless you count the money needed to get us set up on our own land--well ($9,000 minimum), pond for animals ($1000 minimum), a yurt (???). Ai yi yi. It's frustrating to pretty much know what you want to do and not be able to do it.
In the meantime, I'll continue with my jobs--which I really do like, but animals aren't nearly as dramatic--and hope that Kevin's monuments make us rich.
I planted 12 tomato plants and 3 basil plants yesterday after spending the whole day with Mark. It was highly pleasant. I talked with Mr. Heifer about the importance of saving heritage breeds and how pretty our red cows look grazing on green pasture. I learned that there is Red Poll cheese in England and that a man in Texas wants to make it here in the States.
I've thought many times that I could make a go of raising livestock for the natural, local foods market, which is growing rapidly. Every story about the inanity of shipping food around the globe (or even over the Rockies from California), or the cruelty and stupidity of feedlots (just put the cattle back on the grass instead of plowing up the grass, planting corn, and feeding the cattle corn--duh!), or the better health and taste and economies inherent in local, smaller-scale food production just makes that market grow larger.
People love pigs. Pigs are relatively cheap to buy, easy to raise, and produce 8-12 pigs per litter (a rough average). People love cows. Cows are easy to raise, benefit the grass if pastured properly, and one cow can feed a lot of people. People love chickens. Chickens are cheap to buy, easy to raise, and produce for you dead or alive. Plus, they're just wonderful to have around. A diverse farmyard is every bit of an ecosystem and the more diverse, the healthier and more efficient it is.
I paid off my second cow yesterday (2 down, 2 to go). All four cows are in their 2nd trimester, due in July or August. If all goes well, I'll have 8 cows! And I'm on my way.
So what do I need to make this happen? More time would be helpful. Our own land (and more of it, too, for optimal production). Some startup money. Not much, really. Unless you count the money needed to get us set up on our own land--well ($9,000 minimum), pond for animals ($1000 minimum), a yurt (???). Ai yi yi. It's frustrating to pretty much know what you want to do and not be able to do it.
In the meantime, I'll continue with my jobs--which I really do like, but animals aren't nearly as dramatic--and hope that Kevin's monuments make us rich.
posted by lulu | 7:25 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home