Reading Material

I started thinking small scale farming before I even left St. Catharines.  I found a book at the libary called "The Dirty Life".  While a little granola for me (heavy horses for a big acreage, and processing your own cattle?!)  The idea was appealing to have a home based, outdoor business.  And this was the first book that grabbed my interest.  No row cropping genetically modified seed, no confined animals pushed full of grain, no huge dairy, or massive pasture operation.  Just enough of each animal and veg to supply their members.

After I read it, I was rather taken with the idea of local food, especially producing our own.  Maybe it wouldn't be business, but at the very least, maybe I could get a little more out of our garden next to the house....maybe get some chickens.  So I treated myself to a stroll through my local Chapter's, and found "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle"  The author's family had moved from Phoenix, to a small farm in Virginia.  They decide to give the 100 Mile Diet a try, with most of their food raised on the farm....veg, fruit, chicken, and turkey.

Now I really got to thinking!  I joined the public library here, and for a small town, there are a LOT of books on small, organic, sustainable farming, as well as quite a few on factory farming, modified seed crops, and Big Ag chasing the little guy right out of business.  Searching the blogosphere and Facebook has brought me tons of links and reading material to stock my dreams.  I read "Chick Days", a book on chick to table (either eggs or meat), I found Joel Salatin, who speaks so well in his country drawl, about the treatment of animals and how alternative practices can actually profit both land and farmer.  I watch Food Inc, an amazing documentary.  I discoved Storey Publishing which publishes Ag books, such as Chick Days and Barnheart by Jenna Woginrich, Storey's guide to Raising Sheep/Pigs/ Beef Cattle.

 

And I am spending this rainy day finishing off these two books, which I have been alternating between.  One, aimed more at producing for yourself, and the other, much more technical, talking pasture management, fencing requirements, livestock mix, and business planning.

Now, it would just be nice, if the nice people at Service Canada would finish my UI claim for the summer layoff (they are already 2.5 weeks longer than their promised time frame of 4 weeks to process) and pay me, I can stop having anxiety attacks, and move on with the next plan....how to pay for livestock, when to get it, and who our customers will be.