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Agri-Business Information
Welcome to the agri-business section of our website. While we have frequently discussed various elements of business management elsewhere, those conversations were usually in the context of some specific topic. For instance, cost-effective poultry diets, the financial pro's and con's of heated versus unheated hoop-houses, finding insurance coverage, regulatory compliance (and associated government wackiness of any kind), etc. Prior to now, we didn't provide all that information in one place. Starting in 2016, we're working to change that.
Farm & Ranch Production in the Real World
This section of the website will bring together a variety of business-related topics relevant to small scale agricultural production. Topics will include:
1. recent business plan samples and budgets for various agricultural enterprises
2. Farm bookkeeping and accounting how-to information, including books, classes and online references.
3. Regulatory issues and trends, particularly regarding Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), HAACP, FSMA compliance, and various state-by-state regulatory issues, such as ongoing raw milk debates, feral pig eradication efforts and how that impacts domestic swine production, etc.
4. Case studies of profitable operations from various agricultural disciplines.
5. Work/life balance issues, particularly how to build a successful agribusiness without losing your health, your sanity, your family and your soul in the process.
Some Assembly Required
Please be patient with us as we build out this new section of the
website. In many ways, we're learning as we build, because we've got
all these same issues and questions that you have. We have already seen
a variety of examples of how things can work well, and proof from real live farms and ranches where they have achieved that holy grail of a profitable, manageable, sustainable agricultural enterprise. We have also seen instances where folks have burned out, farms or ranches fell apart, or families simply gave up when things went wrong. We are acutely aware that if farming and ranching is to survive and thrive, we have to figure out how these various scenarios were created, and learn from them as much as possible. We'll share as much as we can, as often as we can,
while we continue to work on our own agribusiness. Call this a work in
progress.
Got a question? Ask us!
Want to see us cover some particular topic in this section? Just Contact Us and we'll be happy to look into it!
Our Successful Farming and Ranching Books
We released our very first self-published book. The Chicken Coop Manual in 2014. It is a full color guide to conventional and alternative poultry housing options, including 8 conventional stud construction plans, 12 alternative housing methods, and almost 20 different design features. This book is available on Amazon.com and as a PDF download. Please visit The Chicken Coop Manual page for more information.
Rabbit Colonies: Lessons Learned
We started with rabbits in 2002, and we've been experimenting with colony management ever since. Fast forward to 2017, when I decided to write another book, this time about colony management. The book is chock-full of practical information, and is available from both Amazon and as a PDF download. Please visit the Rabbit Colonies page for more information.
The Pastured Pig Handbook
We are currently working on our next self-published book: The Pastured Pig Handbook. This particular book addresses a profitable, popular and successful hog management approach which sadly is not yet well documented. Our handbook, will cover all the various issues involved with pastured hog management, including case studies of numerous current pastured pig operations. If you have any questions about this book, please Contact Us.