Here’s something my husband is probably tired of hearing: “Why don’t we google it or look it up on Youtube to see how someone else fixed it?”
I just imagine I can’t be the only one with a particular problem, so the first thing I want to do is find someone like me who has already figured out a solution. Sometimes I find a variety of solutions, and I can pick and choose all or some of the different options to arrive at something that works for me.
With that in mind, here’s an article collection full of ideas that you might find helpful for your operations.
Linger grazing
Don’t leave your pastures so quickly. Linger and learn.
Conversations with graziers about what they’ve learned along the way
Jenn Colby’s podcast “Choosing to Farm” is now in its fourth season. It’s a conversational platform where farmers talk about how they came into farming, why they love it, and what the hard days look like. They share struggles and solutions, so you’ll know you’re not alone. As one reviewer puts it, “in each relaxed interview, Jenn draws out the decisions made along the way that have shaped the farms and the lives of the farmers. I like this framing because it feels empowering to be reminded of my own decision-making power, and feels supportive to hear others taking it seriously too.”
In this article I point you to some episodes you might like. But I encourage you to check out her website for a complete list of episodes and their summaries.
Tips From Fellow Graziers For Heading Your Farming/Ranching Career in the Right Direction
Raising and direct marketing chickens, pigs, sheep and cows, all on leased land.
This 2016 podcast is full of great tips from someone who did all the above in California. I thought her insights could be helpful as we all adjust to market and funding changes we can anticipate from changes in tariffs and government support.
In the News
I found myself thinking about this quote when reading this Reuters report, Trump funding cuts ripple through rural America. It included a graphic with information I’d never seen before on the percentage of federal funding that makes up each state’s annual budget.
One of the primary concerns voiced by the rural West Virginia residents in the article is cuts to Medicaid. Across the country, rural residents rely more on Medicaid than urban residents. Federal assistance has improved health outcomes and access to healthcare in rural communities and many fear cuts would be devastating to that progress. You can read more here. I share this because I’m worried for folks.
While the Reuters article focuses on the impacts being felt by rural West Virginia, the graphic makes it clear that residents of every state are being impacted. You can read more about West Virginia’s example in the article, or check your state in the graph below for an idea of how you might be impacted.
