Farming On A Budget - Tips For Keeping Livestock Costs Down

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Farmers have a reputation for being fairly thrifty and frugal. Even though they can get a lot of financial help from the government, they still need to carefully watch their pennies as the everyday costs of farming can be extremely high. And one of the most expensive parts of running a successful farm is taking good care of livestock. If the costs of livestock creep up, it can be very difficult to make a profit on the animals. So, it is always important for farmers to try and keep their costs down to a minimum. Read on for some great tips on how to do exactly that!

Choose Calving Season Carefully

There are two options for calving your cows. You can prepare the cows so that they are ready to calf in either spring or in the summer. Some farmers choose the former option, as it gives them a chance to sell young cows as early as in the fall. However, it is also a very expensive time to calf, as you need to invest significantly to ensure the calves survive the cold spring weather. The cheapest option is to calf your cows in the summer, once the summer is favorable, and the pastures are green providing plenty of food.

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Research Winter Food Options

It’s cheap to feed cattle and livestock in the summer, as they can help themselves to as much grass in the fields as they like. However, when your livestock is all inside for the winter, you will need to pay for food. It’s a good idea to research the different animal feed companies in your area to see who can offer the best deal. You can also prepare your own food from any grass that is cut down on your land in the summer can be dried and turned to hay.

Pick The Best Breeds

Each breed of cattle, sheep, and pig has been bred to withstand different climates and conditions. For example, Highland Cattle have thick coats so that they can survive in very low temperatures. Some cows have been bred for warmer climates and have very thin coats. Ideally, you need to pick the breeds that are best suited to your climate and conditions. Picking the wrong breeds could make it difficult for them to survive, and you could end up replacing your animals frequently.

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Splitting Livestock Into Small Herds

It is a bad idea to split your livestock into small herds. These are often very difficult to manage and can lead to many mistakes being made. It will increase your labor costs, and you will also be using all of your pastures and grazing areas at all times, making pasture rotation almost impossible. If you combine all your herds, you will be saving a lot of time, money, and pasture space.

There are ways around very high livestock costs. These tips are just a few of the different ways you can prevent spending too much. And the success of your farm will increase as a result!

4 Reasons to Buy Your Produce Locally Instead of Going to a Supermarket

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Many people are scared of what they eat. Does it contain chemicals? Does it contain additives? Is it even safe to eat? These are types of questions that far too many people ask and as a result, they’re scared about eating specific foods or jumping on diet trains that may or may not work.

For whatever reason, it seems that common sense tends to escape our reasoning. This is mainly because of market trends, brands and supermarket stores dampening our ability to think for ourselves with their flashy signs, addictive musical jingles and “massive sales!” billboards. Fortunately, not everyone has been indoctrinated by these marketing schemes, and there’s still plenty of reason why you should buy your produce locally instead of risking you and your family’s health by buying from a supermarket.

1. You know the source

There are some regulations that surround the use of the words “all natural” or “sourced from”, but a lot of that can be avoided and there are loopholes that allow companies to effectively trick consumers into believing that their produce comes from a certain region or country. Add to that the unlikelihood of “fresh” produce being shipped from another country and still retaining its natural taste and nutrients without some kind of chemical or synthetic intervention.

If you buy from local markets and farmers, you understand where the product comes from and because there’s no lengthy transportation process, you can be sure that whatever the farmer is selling, it’s fresh and full of healthy nutrients that aren’t affected by chemicals and pesticides.

2. You support local farmers

Farming is a dying business due to the rise of unnatural and synthetic means to produce crops. Large corporations are buying up acres of land and draining them of natural nutrients in the soil due to the use of chemicals, and because these big corporate farms aren’t varying the produce, it invites pests that love to snack on specific crops. Their way of dealing with those pests? More chemicals!

By supporting local family farms, you help to maintain traditional green farming that is both sustainable and good for the environment.

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3. It tastes amazing

Fresh food always tastes better. Meat, vegetables and fruits are best when they are fresh from the source, and you can’t get any closer to the source than buying from a farm. There are delicious PaleoHacks recipes that are both healthier and taste better when you use fresh farm ingredients as opposed to packaged junk from a supermarket. Fresh food will do wonders for your diet, and you’ll be surprised at how great fresh food tastes when you try it compared to the supermarket varieties.

4. It builds a community

When you support local farmers, you support a community. Food always brings communities together, and nothing supports that sense of being part of a larger community than helping them out. Buy from the farmers, make delicious food, and share it with your friends and family so that they learn to love fresh local produce. You can learn about agriculture, learn why their produce tastes better, and even invite your children onto their farm (with permission) to teach them the joys of sustainable living.