Hello everyone, I am new to Countryside and very new to this Forum. I am a 42 year old small farmer. I (for now) work off our farm as well as a supervisor in industry.I grew up on a small farm and have been farming of some sort all of my life. We farm 73 acres 40 tillable and 33 woods. We use horses and a small 4 wheel drive tractor. I hope to replace the tractor with another horse when I leave my off farm job. We run a fledgling CSA ,raise Hereford cattle , market hogs , keep chickens and bees. We make maple syrup in the spring. I log with the horses in winter. We have had goats and a milk cow in the past and plan to introduce them again soon along with a small flock of Kathadin sheep. Like all of you we struggle with fences and finances,but would never leave this life we love. I make it one of my life missions to pass on as much information as I can,especially to our growing brood. I have two boys by a first marriage and my second wife blessed me with five children and ten grandchildren already made! I hope to share with the Countryside family as much as I can and look forward to converseing with many of you.If any of you are also Small Farmers Journal subscribers , I have a "letter" in the current issue on pg 14. "A New Plan" is the title. Again , I say hello and wish all of you well. Ralph in N.E. Ohio

-- Ralph in N.E.Ohio (Roadapple@suite224.net), November 25, 2001

Answers

Welcome Ralph bring the whole family. sit a spell and make new friends.

My wife, daughter and I live on 2.38 acre's here in NC. Looking forward to reading your post.

-- Kenneth in N.C. (wizardsplace13@hotmail.com), November 25, 2001.

Welcome Ralph and family.

Hope you find this site to be as enjoyable as I have. Drop in from time to time with your questions, and most importantly with your answers.

Talk to you later.

-- Bob in WI (bjwick@hotmail.com), November 25, 2001.

welcome, Ralph. I homestead on 3 acres, and also work on a farm about the same size as yours. At the farm, we have a large plant nursery and sell annual and perennial flowers, vegetable plants, water plants, herb plants, vegetables, herbs, maple syrup, apples, bunched flowers and cider. We also have a CSA program at the farm that is quite successful. I will be taking my barbados ewe to a kathadin ram on Wednesday to assist in the production of two or three sets of lambchops for this spring! There's a farm just down the road where Maine Extension is conducting a program aimed at purifying and improving the Kathadin breed. (The ram I will be using was sold from this farm.) What kind of bees do you have?

-- Sheryl in Me (radams@sacoriver.net), November 25, 2001.

Ralph, Welcome to you and your family. It's always nice to hear from new people here on the forum. It was nice reading about your farm. I haven't read Small Farmers Journal yet but I'm considering trying it. What do you think of that magazine?

-- Murray in ME (lkdmfarm@megalink.net), November 25, 2001.

Thanks to everyone for the warm welcome.

I'll try to answer the questions that have been asked. Pardon my misunderstanding about the bees, I keep honey bees. I'm sure that they are some sort of Italian bee. I got them from an old beekeeper who has since passed away. One hive is pretty agressive , but,they make lots of honey !

The Small Farmer's Journal is a magazine devoted to draft horse farmers or those who want to be. I have been a suscriber since 1983. I get real enjoyment and information from each issue. The readers as with Countryside , are like family members. We all dream , struggle, and succeed! We support each other like neighbors and cheer each time a "new" member joins the fold. The Journal is another scource for homesteading topics and other useful information. It is somewhat specialzed towards draft animals of many types , but specifically the draft horse. Each issue perpetuates the "romance" of the farm experience and helps to encourage small farmers everywhere.It is a quarterly magazine and can be checked out at your local library or on line at Smallfarmersjournal.com

Again , I say thanks to all and hello !

-- Ralph in N.E.Ohio (Roadapple@suite224.net), November 26, 2001.