Thank you for being a small farmer that stands up for commercial agriculture. I’m involved in both plus teaching agriculture. Commercial ag is not trying to kill anyone. America has the safest and cheapest food supply in the world. There is a place for small farms and large commercial farms. 98% of farms are still family owned in America. Some are large and some are small. Thank you for the truth. I enjoy all of your videos.
I'm in a state where they promote pavement and development so much it's sad.... But on a positive footnote if you're on a quarter to an acre property anywheres near these places that have lost the good farming culture ...and you present it. All the neighborhood will buy the better produce and eggs and meat from you if they have a choice over the store. I witnessed a man that worked at selling all his star fruit from one tree in retirement which he fed massive compost piles to ... And sold to tourists for #4 and $5 dollars each. There was no competition left in the city. One tree bank account. Another man started his egg buisness had the only birds in town ..he made his city worthy pay to hold down expensive land. I've seen $30k u pick orchard in a busy town on an acre that was only 1st year production. I've taken a small city lot and paid my mortgage bill with backyard tomatoes in dutch buckets. It's just some inspiration for the folks close to bigger cities. It's five bucks right now in the store for a frozen bag of vegetables. I've never seen it like that before
Chris please post a couple quick videos like this one each week and I believe you will make money off the vids. You are a unique wealth of knowledge and you aren’t afraid to share. People can sense it even if they don’t know it. Your following will grow quickly if you constantly share your knowledge and thoughts.
I've got a lot of topics I could cover that would really help people I think . Problem is getting the videos done a lot of times I just don't feel good enough
Me and my husband have obviously gone crazy we sold our city house to buy a farm in the middle of nowhere oklahoma and we are wanting to build up to supply our families food and also do a little business off our excess . we are very in the hole with ourselves right now. We do have our first sow ready to farrow next month. I just found your channel and your farm reminds me of my grandpa's farm that i basically grew up on. Nice videos very helpful
You'll do fine as long as you keep realistic goals . Limit spending and build/find a market for the extra ,value added products have really helped us .
As Chris said. Know your market, and I would add know your competition. You need to treat each little venture as a separate little business. Again as Chris said watch your inputs. DONT GO IN DEBT. I sell eggs both duck and chicken now. Two years ago I couldn't give them away. Local honey sells really well here. I sold out last year in under an hour. Great advice as always Chris.
You're so right, Chris! Heck, I do not even make enough to break even! I'm still in the negative! At this point, everything I grow is for our own consumption. I keep seeing other channels bragging about making 4k to 5k per pig? Really dangerous to the new homesteader who's starting their new path. Really bad and misleading information out there! By the way, when are you making another live? Thank you for keeping it real! 💯
Everyone around me has a new john deere or kabota . I have old 50s equipment . Truck I bought new in 06. 280,000 on it. Our family farmed for generations. We just raise most everything for ourselves. And some we do for bartering.
Lifestyle and tradition bingo! Glad to watch another great video from this channel. So much goodness in this video. I unsubscribed to alot of channels that were just fairy land channel. Far from reality. This is one channel that is worth my time. God bless and prayers for health and happiness on your farm.
Absolute truth. We raise quite a few pigs and sell a lot of piglets and pork, but the step between breaking even on animals and actually making a profit on them is awfully wide... To say nothing of actually making a living off it! Thanks for the video Chris!
CZcams has sent here, I'm an Australian city boy and a nurse. I understand your point on you don't do this for the money. Your point on dairy farming, you're probably correct historically diary farming was probably a community effort
You always have a lot of great advice ! I never really made much money when I tried to sell stuff . I like to grow just for our own needs . One thing that I sold that people wanted was sweet corn . Your garden is looking awesome ! Thanks for sharing !
I can sell sweet corn and potatoes pretty good and a little of everything else but it's hit and miss . Salesmanship and marketing are where I have trouble
What hit home was towards the end when you said “tradition”. That’s the fuel that keeps us going. I enjoy doing things the way my elders did I take pride in that. Good to touch base on local markets. Can’t sell what nobody wants👍 Thank you for another good video take care till next time
Thank you for the education of your homestead because i will not buy expensive equipment most Facebook market and as well i grew up on the farm and i will always find out what is selling and not as we'll what the peoples looking for again thanks
Don't be scared to experiment a little . Sometimes things sell you never thought would we made good money selling corn stalks for decorations last year
i hope your health not only holds out but improves.. thank you for encouraging others to take the chance they have been wanting to.. and absolutely.. dont start by going into debt for anything.. just grow some food for your family even if it is just a couple tomato plants or some beans and lettuce.. get a feel for it and share some great food while making memories and learning new skills..
So much truth in this one Chris. You always give the best honest advice on stuff that benefits all the different types of homesteaders and hobby farmers too. We recommend your channel to all our feeder pig customers as a way to help spread some of your wisdom and grow your channel some. Thanks for doing what you do because I know you've helped so many people that you can't even believe.
Thanks for the encouragement! It's not all about the money makes me feel so much better about maybe just farming small and doing it for life style rather than fretting about whether I made any money, but I should try to break even. Need to save money for when I'm too old and broken to work 🤣
I raise sheep and goats, my family likes lamb, not really goat though. Depending on the year I can sell babies, and finish some to eat and sell, market prices can very a lot from year to year or time of year. finished animals sold on craigslist were ethnic on farm slaughter, not sure I like that though. the closest sale yard has only a couple of buyers and they keep prices real low.
@@katherinecade7191 I made good money on goats for years , several different ways . We can't let people slaughter on the farm here or dress them ourselves for sale . The market kinda fell out in 2000 2001 and I had 350 meat does and a few hundred bucks and wethers we rented out to eat brush . We had a small dairy milking about thirty Alpines I was still making a small profit but had too many things going on and had to drop something .
I started raising Berkshire pigs last year and this man is telling the exact truth you will not get rich off of this he is the most truthful man on youtube farming thanks Chris you have been a bigger help than you think
I drive truck otr. Grain growing seems to be something I can do part time till I get some more land and can figure out steady cash flow items to sell. In the meantime slowly aquiring equipment while i got a w2 income. Fruit and fodder trees seems to make living for some people. Especially more rare things like paw paw trees.
Great advice for any industry, really. Value add, do what works, keep it simple, know your market, minimum viable product. This man is wise. Thanks for the video. I enjoyed it immensely.
I've seen that most people have the most trouble with the financial end of things, I've always struggled with marketing and advertising traditionally we relied on word of mouth and having as good of a product as possible
Thank you for your honesty. I’ve noticed that other CZcamsrs say that they wouldn’t be able to make it without CZcams. How do you mount up the garden rows? I got a tractor with a tiller and the only thing I can think is to get a ho and start moving dirt by hand instead of using a tractor.
Two stakes and a string with a hoe. Make a groove in the soil. Place seeds in the groove per instruction on the package.cover with one or two inches of soil.
Always appreciate a man that just tells it honestly. My wife enjoyed growing eggplant last year but seems to be limited on usage. They are neat vegetables
@@RaisedOutdoors I think that's the way I had it too . Egg plant , zucchini, broccoli , brussel sprouts, garlic , parsnips, cauliflower aren't traditionally eaten around here
Little jealous you guys got your garden planted and we are still waiting for all the snow to melt off of ours here in northern MN. Thanks for the video.
Buddy, I'm listening to everything you're puttin down. One way I'm saving on my gardens habit is if I grow it I don't have to mow it. I just can't stand seeing a half acre of bottom ground not in a nice stand of sweet corn. I definitely put out more than I get back money wise but it makes me happy to play around with old junk equipment and produce something good to eat. Justifies my antique tractor habit too.
So I just had the pleasure of spending a little over an hour on the phone with Chris, about a simple email I sent to him showing interest in a breeding pair. 3 minutes in to the call I felt like I was talking to an old friend with a world of knowledge. Thanks for the call Chris and thanks for sharing the knowledge. I look forward to shaking your hand and hauling a couple pigs 7 hours south. Keep on keeping on. You're doing good work.
Ian with on the city. Want raised like that. I want me a small farm cause I want to retire and have something to do and stay active and go my own stuff cause we both know it is better if you grow it yourself. Even if it cost you some it still a good feeling knowing if the grocery store closed tomorrow you could still live.
We've always raised way more than we need , sometimes just to give away to older folks that couldn't tend a garden anymore. A lot of people have a dream of living this life but need it to be profitable enough they can survive they need the truth so they don't lose their life savings trying
Garden suggestions: winter squash, dry beans (I'm trying Jacob's Cattle as an experiment among my others) , tobacco (pest control, big experiment here in the north). ... Look at getting open pollinated heirloom seed to plant, that way you cut your "$100 seed corn" bill after the first year and if you get a marketable variety you can sell via your youtube channel, either for grinding or for seed (like $5 per half-lb could fetch $500/bu). You could probably test with hunters two different corn piles and see what the deer eat first (perhaps even a short youtube video clip sales evidence) -- then grow and sell what the deer demand. Twelve-row Hickory King is fun for huge hominy and authentic tortillas. I'd mentioned in another video, one hog farmer said after switching to heirloom corn his litter sizes increased by 20%. Egg layers need higher protein corn to keep production up and could be locally valuable like you said chick sales are for you. Note that heirloom corn needs more in-row seed separation to perform well (10-12in vs hybrids that often get planted closer to 6in, a mistake I made last year). Order a bit of heirloom corn and try in areas around the yard you haven't dedicated yet (my wife isn't happy about the front yard corn field but these are uncertain times, and I add sunflowers).
My family has been thinking about the future fantasy of a homestead. So many videos on youtube paint a glamorous and ideal view of the lifestyle. It was a god send to find your channel and get a healthy does of realism. The information you provide is down to earth and straight to the point. Keep it up. I enjoy hearing about how realistic it is to make profit and what is actually required of you to accomplish your homesteading goals. You seem like someone who is actually in the thick of it, rather than some wishful thinker with an abundance of resources to burn on the outskirts.
Outstanding video Chris. Good, solid common sense advice. I like how you sell your field corn for deer corn and then take the money and buy shelled corn for your feed. Your gardens and raised beds look great. I plant mostly summer stuff tomatoes, squash, cucumbers ect. and it's just a little early yet for me up here. I'll start planting probably the last of April, first of May. Y'all take care!
Hey y'all! I've been missing the livestream. Some good solid advice there! We generally don't try to sell. We have to watch our spending, be we count it worth the cost to raise our own vegetables. I'm still working on the fruit. Also My children are grown, but they still like to come shopping in our pantry. I hope we all can have a great growing season!
Good to see you guys back, looks like you're 3 weeks to a month ahead of us, true and common sense words spoken, appreciate it, hopefully you'll have a good gardening spring and summer.
4:09 so true, you don’t need to lay textbook beads, just functional welds, and if people find out you can do it, you’ll have side jobs. all the welders where I live have a reason to not do a job.
Thanks for the video Hope you had a nice Easter How about some carrots would they grow in your north Carolina heat or maybe some raspberry bush thanks for the video
Kohlrabi and Jicama. The first can be chopped up and served in coleslaw or stir fry, the second has a nice crunch and tastes lightly of apple and is fantastic in salad.
as for suggestions for something to grow i would think about some real strawberries with flavor the kind you cant find anymore because they are all grown for size now instead of taste
You're completely right about the used equipment. I grew up on a farm of repaired auction finds. When you can buy a used tractor for less than the down payment on a new tractor you do it, even if you can't fix it yourself -- get a local guy to fix it as you get money. You can rattle-can spray paint it to keep from frightening the neighbors if you want. The new machinery breaks down as often as the old and is much more complicated and expensive to fix -- and because you bought new that is likely your only tractor where if you buy used you often find a spare backup tractor along the way and can get the job done. Same with the 'gotta have a pickup'; slap a hitch on that SUV eighty percent of the population seems to drive and pull a trailer.
Hey Chris your videos are awesome and I appricate your honesty and wisdom on pigs I just got in to the pig game this year I got 2 gilts thinking bout breeding them next year was wondering if you vaccinate your piglets or do you not have to
Figure 100 bushel of feed per acre your sows will eat 5lbs a day for 3/4 of the year, little more during gestation x 4. Then your feeders full feed old rule of thumb was 3 to 1 ratio feed to gain. Ideally you get 8-10 weened twice per year so 80 hogs a year roughly x 1000# of feed.
Andrews pretty close . Yield on corn can very from 70 to 250 bushel an acre depending on soil type , rainfall , variety, spacing and about a dozen other things . I usually plan on 4 acres for mine but it's good corn ground and usually picks at least 180 . If your selling most of the pigs as feeders it takes about 100 bushels a year per sow and that will cover the piglets and boar whatever you feed topping out will be added to that 3 or 3.5 to 1 on feed conversion is probably a safe bet
@@andrewhamilton2121 per acre . 200 is the goal nowdays on good land and it rains a little. 100 was a good crop when I was a boy but its gone up steadily
Thanks for the information I planned on plating about 8 to 10 acres. I just wanted to make sure that was going to be enough. I plan on letting them graze it after it is picked to.
Thank you for being a small farmer that stands up for commercial agriculture. I’m involved in both plus teaching agriculture. Commercial ag is not trying to kill anyone. America has the safest and cheapest food supply in the world. There is a place for small farms and large commercial farms. 98% of farms are still family owned in America. Some are large and some are small. Thank you for the truth. I enjoy all of your videos.
Most people don't have a clue about how food is produced and believe anything said on Facebook especially the negative.
This man is real and knowledgeable.
Breaking even and getting to eat your own food for free is about it!
We're not doing to bad , with everything it's over a thousand a month clear . Diversification is key
A penny saved is a penny earned.
Every little bit counts. -KJ
Very true
I'm in a state where they promote pavement and development so much it's sad.... But on a positive footnote if you're on a quarter to an acre property anywheres near these places that have lost the good farming culture ...and you present it. All the neighborhood will buy the better produce and eggs and meat from you if they have a choice over the store. I witnessed a man that worked at selling all his star fruit from one tree in retirement which he fed massive compost piles to ... And sold to tourists for #4 and $5 dollars each. There was no competition left in the city. One tree bank account. Another man started his egg buisness had the only birds in town ..he made his city worthy pay to hold down expensive land. I've seen $30k u pick orchard in a busy town on an acre that was only 1st year production. I've taken a small city lot and paid my mortgage bill with backyard tomatoes in dutch buckets. It's just some inspiration for the folks close to bigger cities. It's five bucks right now in the store for a frozen bag of vegetables. I've never seen it like that before
In the city or close by does make a better market that's for certain
Chris please post a couple quick videos like this one each week and I believe you will make money off the vids. You are a unique wealth of knowledge and you aren’t afraid to share. People can sense it even if they don’t know it. Your following will grow quickly if you constantly share your knowledge and thoughts.
I've got a lot of topics I could cover that would really help people I think . Problem is getting the videos done a lot of times I just don't feel good enough
Me and my husband have obviously gone crazy we sold our city house to buy a farm in the middle of nowhere oklahoma and we are wanting to build up to supply our families food and also do a little business off our excess . we are very in the hole with ourselves right now. We do have our first sow ready to farrow next month. I just found your channel and your farm reminds me of my grandpa's farm that i basically grew up on. Nice videos very helpful
You'll do fine as long as you keep realistic goals . Limit spending and build/find a market for the extra ,value added products have really helped us .
As Chris said. Know your market, and I would add know your competition. You need to treat each little venture as a separate little business. Again as Chris said watch your inputs. DONT GO IN DEBT. I sell eggs both duck and chicken now. Two years ago I couldn't give them away. Local honey sells really well here. I sold out last year in under an hour. Great advice as always Chris.
Honey sells good here too and we've sold a bunch of hatching eggs this year
Back to not being able to give eggs away. I sold my ducks and actually made money on the ducks overall.
You're so right, Chris! Heck, I do not even make enough to break even! I'm still in the negative! At this point, everything I grow is for our own consumption. I keep seeing other channels bragging about making 4k to 5k per pig? Really dangerous to the new homesteader who's starting their new path. Really bad and misleading information out there! By the way, when are you making another live? Thank you for keeping it real! 💯
Misleading information is very dangerous. Remember those folks claim high profits because it gets views
Everyone around me has a new john deere or kabota . I have old 50s equipment . Truck I bought new in 06. 280,000 on it.
Our family farmed for generations. We just raise most everything for ourselves. And some we do for bartering.
I've bought new equipment and learned the hard way it wasn't worth it . I don't want a payment on anything
I believe the youth of today everywhere should be viewing these exact kinds of videos and opening their minds to the agriculture way of life.
I wish they would take an interest
Lifestyle and tradition bingo! Glad to watch another great video from this channel. So much goodness in this video. I unsubscribed to alot of channels that were just fairy land channel. Far from reality. This is one channel that is worth my time. God bless and prayers for health and happiness on your farm.
I'm just trying my best to help people succeed
Absolute truth. We raise quite a few pigs and sell a lot of piglets and pork, but the step between breaking even on animals and actually making a profit on them is awfully wide... To say nothing of actually making a living off it!
Thanks for the video Chris!
Its definitely more of a go broke slow thing than a get ritch quick one
CZcams has sent here, I'm an Australian city boy and a nurse. I understand your point on you don't do this for the money.
Your point on dairy farming, you're probably correct historically diary farming was probably a community effort
In the old days it was profitable big dairy's can't stay afloat now . Growing up one farm per neighborhood kept a milk cow
Great video Chris and Darlene . Wow you laid it down straight. Thanks for the honesty .
Give me a call
@@HomesteadingtheHardWay I will this week
You always have a lot of great advice ! I never really made much money when I tried to sell stuff . I like to grow just for our own needs . One thing that I sold that people wanted was sweet corn . Your garden is looking awesome ! Thanks for sharing !
I can sell sweet corn and potatoes pretty good and a little of everything else but it's hit and miss . Salesmanship and marketing are where I have trouble
What hit home was towards the end when you said “tradition”. That’s the fuel that keeps us going. I enjoy doing things the way my elders did I take pride in that. Good to touch base on local markets. Can’t sell what nobody wants👍 Thank you for another good video take care till next time
I believe in keeping as many of the old ways alive as possible
Thank you for the education of your homestead because i will not buy expensive equipment most Facebook market and as well i grew up on the farm and i will always find out what is selling and not as we'll what the peoples looking for again thanks
Don't be scared to experiment a little . Sometimes things sell you never thought would we made good money selling corn stalks for decorations last year
i hope your health not only holds out but improves.. thank you for encouraging others to take the chance they have been wanting to.. and absolutely.. dont start by going into debt for anything.. just grow some food for your family even if it is just a couple tomato plants or some beans and lettuce.. get a feel for it and share some great food while making memories and learning new skills..
Nothing wrong with starting or being small . Folks can do a lot in a back yard
Thanks for you're honesty Cris. A lot of truth to that.
I hope it's helping folks
So much truth in this one Chris. You always give the best honest advice on stuff that benefits all the different types of homesteaders and hobby farmers too. We recommend your channel to all our feeder pig customers as a way to help spread some of your wisdom and grow your channel some. Thanks for doing what you do because I know you've helped so many people that you can't even believe.
I hope im making a small difference anyway
Thanks for the encouragement! It's not all about the money makes me feel so much better about maybe just farming small and doing it for life style rather than fretting about whether I made any money, but I should try to break even. Need to save money for when I'm too old and broken to work 🤣
A lot of people just try to sell anything they overproduce to cut down on cost
I raise sheep and goats, my family likes lamb, not really goat though. Depending on the year I can sell babies, and finish some to eat and sell, market prices can very a lot from year to year or time of year. finished animals sold on craigslist were ethnic on farm slaughter, not sure I like that though.
the closest sale yard has only a couple of buyers and they keep prices real low.
@@katherinecade7191 I made good money on goats for years , several different ways . We can't let people slaughter on the farm here or dress them ourselves for sale . The market kinda fell out in 2000 2001 and I had 350 meat does and a few hundred bucks and wethers we rented out to eat brush . We had a small dairy milking about thirty Alpines I was still making a small profit but had too many things going on and had to drop something .
Chris your a gem sir . Thanks for your cold hard wisdom . 😊
Hope it helps
I started raising Berkshire pigs last year and this man is telling the exact truth you will not get rich off of this he is the most truthful man on youtube farming thanks Chris you have been a bigger help than you think
I want to see people succeed at this . Knowing how it really works makes a big difference
I'm partial to cherry tomatoes for those close beds myself. I don't like being far from a garden snack so I'm growing a lot of them this year.
That's a good idea Geeky
Good evening and lots of love from Ohio! How wonderful to see y'all again! I hope your feeling well these days. Have a great night and God Bless.
Thank you, I have good and bad days
I drive truck otr. Grain growing seems to be something I can do part time till I get some more land and can figure out steady cash flow items to sell. In the meantime slowly aquiring equipment while i got a w2 income. Fruit and fodder trees seems to make living for some people. Especially more rare things like paw paw trees.
Grains a good fit for a full time job especially soybeans
Great advice for any industry, really. Value add, do what works, keep it simple, know your market, minimum viable product. This man is wise. Thanks for the video. I enjoyed it immensely.
I've seen that most people have the most trouble with the financial end of things, I've always struggled with marketing and advertising traditionally we relied on word of mouth and having as good of a product as possible
Thank you for your honesty. I’ve noticed that other CZcamsrs say that they wouldn’t be able to make it without CZcams.
How do you mount up the garden rows? I got a tractor with a tiller and the only thing I can think is to get a ho and start moving dirt by hand instead of using a tractor.
You can build or buy a bedder , I'll try to do a video on mine tomorrow
@@HomesteadingtheHardWay oh that’s awesome! Thank you!
Two stakes and a string with a hoe. Make a groove in the soil. Place seeds in the groove per instruction on the package.cover with one or two inches of soil.
Thank you for your plain, simple and honest take on everything! It's nice to get information from someone who is not hunting clicks.
Glad to help if I can
Always appreciate a man that just tells it honestly. My wife enjoyed growing eggplant last year but seems to be limited on usage. They are neat vegetables
That might not be a bad idea , we've never eaten much of it
@@HomesteadingtheHardWay I’ve tried but Eggplant Parmesan is about as far as I’ve gotten. I’m sure there’s a good way to fix it
@@RaisedOutdoors I think that's the way I had it too . Egg plant , zucchini, broccoli , brussel sprouts, garlic , parsnips, cauliflower aren't traditionally eaten around here
@@HomesteadingtheHardWay same here
@@HomesteadingtheHardWay though we do eat garlic. And occasionally cauliflower. Cauliflower would be a good one
A good sweet watermelon or squash could be something to grow in spare container. Or maybe some Spanish peanuts or Valencia peanuts.
We've got squash and watermelon, I might could try a peanut just to see what they'd do
Little jealous you guys got your garden planted and we are still waiting for all the snow to melt off of ours here in northern MN. Thanks for the video.
Big difference in the growing season down here , we're pretty much year round
Great video, thanks for checking in! Great looking garden.
Thank you
Buddy, I'm listening to everything you're puttin down. One way I'm saving on my gardens habit is if I grow it I don't have to mow it. I just can't stand seeing a half acre of bottom ground not in a nice stand of sweet corn. I definitely put out more than I get back
money wise but it makes me happy to play around with old junk equipment and produce something good to eat. Justifies my antique tractor habit too.
I hate unused land myself, a good field of corn is a beautiful thing to me
Actually instead of squash, watermelon or peanuts. Get ahold of some murasaki sweet potatoes. Extremely tasty.
We going to have a half acre or so of Georgia red sweet potatoes this summer
So I just had the pleasure of spending a little over an hour on the phone with Chris, about a simple email I sent to him showing interest in a breeding pair. 3 minutes in to the call I felt like I was talking to an old friend with a world of knowledge. Thanks for the call Chris and thanks for sharing the knowledge. I look forward to shaking your hand and hauling a couple pigs 7 hours south. Keep on keeping on. You're doing good work.
Ian with on the city. Want raised like that. I want me a small farm cause I want to retire and have something to do and stay active and go my own stuff cause we both know it is better if you grow it yourself. Even if it cost you some it still a good feeling knowing if the grocery store closed tomorrow you could still live.
We've always raised way more than we need , sometimes just to give away to older folks that couldn't tend a garden anymore. A lot of people have a dream of living this life but need it to be profitable enough they can survive they need the truth so they don't lose their life savings trying
Garden suggestions: winter squash, dry beans (I'm trying Jacob's Cattle as an experiment among my others) , tobacco (pest control, big experiment here in the north). ... Look at getting open pollinated heirloom seed to plant, that way you cut your "$100 seed corn" bill after the first year and if you get a marketable variety you can sell via your youtube channel, either for grinding or for seed (like $5 per half-lb could fetch $500/bu). You could probably test with hunters two different corn piles and see what the deer eat first (perhaps even a short youtube video clip sales evidence) -- then grow and sell what the deer demand. Twelve-row Hickory King is fun for huge hominy and authentic tortillas. I'd mentioned in another video, one hog farmer said after switching to heirloom corn his litter sizes increased by 20%. Egg layers need higher protein corn to keep production up and could be locally valuable like you said chick sales are for you. Note that heirloom corn needs more in-row seed separation to perform well (10-12in vs hybrids that often get planted closer to 6in, a mistake I made last year). Order a bit of heirloom corn and try in areas around the yard you haven't dedicated yet (my wife isn't happy about the front yard corn field but these are uncertain times, and I add sunflowers).
My family has been thinking about the future fantasy of a homestead. So many videos on youtube paint a glamorous and ideal view of the lifestyle. It was a god send to find your channel and get a healthy does of realism. The information you provide is down to earth and straight to the point. Keep it up. I enjoy hearing about how realistic it is to make profit and what is actually required of you to accomplish your homesteading goals. You seem like someone who is actually in the thick of it, rather than some wishful thinker with an abundance of resources to burn on the outskirts.
Glad to help , if you need to know anything specific just let me know
Put some Georgia collards in them empties!!!!
It's heirloom cabbage collards down here , we'll have an acre this fall
Where is your red cup? I really like your videos, learned a lot
I'm glad to help
Chris, we always love your practical wisdom. Good to see you! We started some raised beds made from straw bales. Cheap! So far they are working!
I like cheap especially when it works !
Outstanding video Chris. Good, solid common sense advice. I like how you sell your field corn for deer corn and then take the money and buy shelled corn for your feed. Your gardens and raised beds look great. I plant mostly summer stuff tomatoes, squash, cucumbers ect. and it's just a little early yet for me up here. I'll start planting probably the last of April, first of May. Y'all take care!
I try to have something growing year round
Hey y'all! I've been missing the livestream. Some good solid advice there! We generally don't try to sell. We have to watch our spending, be we count it worth the cost to raise our own vegetables. I'm still working on the fruit. Also My children are grown, but they still like to come shopping in our pantry. I hope we all can have a great growing season!
I hope so too , it's about time everyone had a good year
Kohlrabi is a fun idea for the empty planters. They taste like the core of a cabbage. Grate it up for slaw. It's different for sure
I'll check that out , thanks
Nice to see you back. Hoping to see more of ya since its warming up. I'm going to get 3 pigs at the end of the month
They're here waiting
@@HomesteadingtheHardWay ?
@@Billy.t.94 I might have you mixed up with someone else , I'm holding some
@@HomesteadingtheHardWay probably so I'm all the way in mississippi. If I was closer to you I'd by from you
@@Billy.t.94 that would be a long drive. Maybe we'll figure out an economical way to ship one day
Good to see you guys back, looks like you're 3 weeks to a month ahead of us, true and common sense words spoken, appreciate it, hopefully you'll have a good gardening spring and summer.
So far it's been an excellent year
I've got potatoes and onions coming up, haven't set out or planned anything else, but probably will I'm the next few weeks
Good day Chris, I appreciate your straight forward information. I'm a beginner. Very helpful. Thank you.
Any questions you have let me know
Good to see your videos again Chris. Great information as always
Glad to see yall.
Hope to be up here a little more
4:09 so true, you don’t need to lay textbook beads, just functional welds, and if people find out you can do it, you’ll have side jobs. all the welders where I live have a reason to not do a job.
Good point !
Thanks for all the info it really does help.
Glad to hear that
Thanks for the video Hope you had a nice Easter How about some carrots would they grow in your north Carolina heat or maybe some raspberry bush thanks for the video
Honestly we've never tried to grow carrots, neither do any of my neighbors come to think of it
Kohlrabi and Jicama. The first can be chopped up and served in coleslaw or stir fry, the second has a nice crunch and tastes lightly of apple and is fantastic in salad.
I'll check those out , thank you
Thank you greatly for keeping it simple and right to the point. I love watching your videos.
Hope it helps
I really appreciate the honesty. Thank you.
Hope it helps
Appreciate y’all so much. Thank you!
Thank you for watching
as for suggestions for something to grow i would think about some real strawberries with flavor the kind you cant find anymore because they are all grown for size now instead of taste
I've been planning on planting some of the old variety strawberries for a couple of years but something always gets in the way
Thank you for your videos
Hope they help
Thank YOU Both! Cheers from Canada.
Glad to help
You're completely right about the used equipment. I grew up on a farm of repaired auction finds. When you can buy a used tractor for less than the down payment on a new tractor you do it, even if you can't fix it yourself -- get a local guy to fix it as you get money. You can rattle-can spray paint it to keep from frightening the neighbors if you want. The new machinery breaks down as often as the old and is much more complicated and expensive to fix -- and because you bought new that is likely your only tractor where if you buy used you often find a spare backup tractor along the way and can get the job done. Same with the 'gotta have a pickup'; slap a hitch on that SUV eighty percent of the population seems to drive and pull a trailer.
That's a good point about new machines breaking down as much as the new . I wish I had thought to put that in the video
Thanks for sharing
Glad to help
Thank you for this video.
Glad to help
Agree about living in the city. I just like the dirt
Hey Chris your videos are awesome and I appricate your honesty and wisdom on pigs I just got in to the pig game this year I got 2 gilts thinking bout breeding them next year was wondering if you vaccinate your piglets or do you not have to
We don't unless something is going around in the area. It's usually not necessary with pigs outside of heavy confinement
I like your video very good information thanks
Nothing but the truth on this video thanks
Hope it helps some folks out
Interesting!
Butter Beans or Purple hull peas or cherry tomatoes ❤❤❤
Cherry tomatoes might do well
Amen
I have missed seeing you on here lately
Hope to be up more this summer
@@HomesteadingtheHardWay can’t wait to see them
I just got into pigs. I was wondering about how many acres of feed corn do I need to plant to feed four sows and their litters for the year.
Figure 100 bushel of feed per acre your sows will eat 5lbs a day for 3/4 of the year, little more during gestation x 4. Then your feeders full feed old rule of thumb was 3 to 1 ratio feed to gain. Ideally you get 8-10 weened twice per year so 80 hogs a year roughly x 1000# of feed.
Andrews pretty close . Yield on corn can very from 70 to 250 bushel an acre depending on soil type , rainfall , variety, spacing and about a dozen other things . I usually plan on 4 acres for mine but it's good corn ground and usually picks at least 180 . If your selling most of the pigs as feeders it takes about 100 bushels a year per sow and that will cover the piglets and boar whatever you feed topping out will be added to that 3 or 3.5 to 1 on feed conversion is probably a safe bet
@@HomesteadingtheHardWay that 180b per acre or for your 4 acre plot?
@@andrewhamilton2121 per acre . 200 is the goal nowdays on good land and it rains a little. 100 was a good crop when I was a boy but its gone up steadily
Thanks for the information I planned on plating about 8 to 10 acres. I just wanted to make sure that was going to be enough. I plan on letting them graze it after it is picked to.
Plant you some squash or some of the people around where I live grow muscadines but you couldn't grow em in that empty pot
Hey Chris I’m from the area that you are from. I’d like to get contact information
You can email homesteadingthehardway@gmail.com
Anyone know how much farming CZcams channel make per 1k views?
I think it's by watch time , some big channels make a fortune 2 or 300 k a year
Plant some horseradish
I've never grown any , we don't really use it
@@HomesteadingtheHardWay Sell it
Egg plate
Good idea
Do you have any videos teaching castration? I'm leasing ground on 4 different organic farms and I want to get into pigs next.
We have some videos we can send you on messenger but we can't put them up here