Categories
Beginning Farmers

The Family Feast – Stufflebeam Family Farm

By Jennifer Nice

When Brad Stufflebeam sits down for dinner every night, he’s surrounded by his family.

Seated at the modest farmhouse table is Jenny, his partner and wife of 14 years, and their daughters, Carina, 10, and Brooke, 8.

The table is laden with food that represents some of Brad’s extended family—his fellow local farmers.

This particular evening, the Stufflebeams’ dinner is comprised of grass-fed bison, artisan cheese and fresh butter from their neighbors up the road.

The Stufflebeams own Home Sweet Farm, their family farm and CSA.
Photo by Jennifer Nice

The Stufflebeams currently farm 12 of their 22 acres. By dividing the cultivated land into four quadrants, they easily fill a 32-week growing season.

Bringing Market to Farm
While farmers’ markets are popular and fun for consumers and can be worthwhile for farmers, they can also be a risky endeavor.

Customers know they must arrive early if they want the best selection.

For farmers, it means getting up before dawn, driving long distances, setting up before the market opens and then driving home again after a long, exhausting day with no guarantee of profit.

The Stufflebeams started selling at farmers’ markets, but stopped for these reasons. Then Brad came up with an idea that would bring the market to the farm, rather than bringing the farm to the market.

Furthermore, his idea would guarantee availability of goods to the customers and sales to the farmers, thus eliminating the uncertainty for both.

They started “Monthly Market Day” at their farm by utilizing their network of fellow local farmers.

Customers pay a one-time fee of $38 to participate, a nominal fee Brad charges simply to raise their commitment level. (The Stufflebeams’ CSA program members are automatically enrolled in Monthly Market Day.)

“Their membership allows them to pre-order food from nine different farms,” explains Brad. “When they drive out here, sometimes 60 miles from Houston, they know the food they want will be here.”

Monthly Market Days are held on the third Sunday of each month during the growing season. Customers pre-order from the Home Sweet Farm website, where they can select local, artisan cow and goat cheeses, yogurt and sour cream; grass-fed beef, lamb and bison; pastured poultry; bread; eggs and honey, as well as a large variety of organic produce.

Brad compiles the orders from each customer, then gives each farmer one order.
 
“It’s easy for the farmers because they only have to deal with the one order I give them and they come to Monthly Market Day knowing that their product is already sold.”

The Stufflebeams charge the farmers a fee for organizing the market and they usually accept payment in the form of goods.

Monthly Market Days are open to the public.
 
“We don’t turn anyone away, but the guaranteed availability is for our members,” says Brad.

Page 2: Read more about Home Sweet Farm

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The homemade bread is just hours out of the oven. A neighboring farmer’s wife brought it by when she came to collect fresh eggs from the Stufflebeam girls.

The Stufflebeams’ Home Sweet Farm, in Brenham, Texas, is a family farm, but it’s also a community supported agriculture (CSA) farm and its 100 members comprise the rest of what the Stufflebeams’ consider their extended family.

This family farm is the center of a unique cooperative; it’s the result of the Stufflebeams’ tireless effort to provide for these families.

Their efforts represent the local food movement that’s gaining momentum across the nation. It’s spurred by people’s desire to be connected to their food source; farmers like the Stufflebeams are that source.

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Call Him “Farmer Brad”
Brad Stufflebeam grew up in a Dallas, Texas, suburb.  He describes himself as a suburban kid obsessed with sustainable agriculture.

Always self-taught, always striving to learn by doing, Brad immersed himself in books and dirt, wanting to learn everything he could about what would become his life and livelihood.

He got his professional start as a landscape designer, and focused on dry-climate landscaping, native plants and wildlife habitat, and antique roses.

“The choices I’ve made and the things I’ve done have always been toward this objective,” says Brad. “When I got into horticulture, I knew we would have a small, family farm someday.”

The Stufflebeams then started a nursery business in McKinney, Texas. It was one of the first 100 percent organic nurseries in Texas.

One of the nursery’s popular draws was Brad’s demonstration garden, in which he grew herbs and vegetables using entirely organic methods.

This garden was a small-scale representation of what the Stufflebeams hoped to have someday—an organic farm that would provide food for their community.

Luck struck the Stufflebeams twice when an offer to buy their nursery came in at the same time Brad was offered the job of operations director for World Hunger Relief, Inc. (WHRI)
 
It was an opportunity that would take them south to Elm Mott, Texas, and give Brad tremendous experience, putting him and Jenny closer to their objective.

“I was with WHRI for two and a half years,” says Brad.

“During that time, I ran the CSA and a Grade-A raw goat dairy, and I raised lamb, rabbit and organic pecans. This gave me good insight into community development, as well as world hunger and economic problems.”

Armed with the experience they needed, Brad and Jenny began looking at property on which they could start their own CSA farm. They ultimately chose a 22-acre parcel in Brenham, in south-central Texas.

“Going south would give us a longer growing season and higher-than-average rainfall,” Brad says. “Plus, the proximity to Houston, Austin and San Antonio would be a good market for us. From a historical perspective, this is a great part of Texas to be in. A lot of the state’s history was made here.”

The Stufflebeams closed escrow on their family farm in December 2004. Three months later, they were selling their organic produce at local farmers’ markets.  They worked as hard and as quickly as they could to cultivate enough crops to be able to start their CSA and provide their members with an adequate allocation.

It didn’t take long, but initially the going was rough.

“The first two years we had a record-breaking drought and then the next year we had record-breaking floods,” recalls Brad. What saved them was the fact that they had planted a wide variety of crops for their CSA members.

“During the drought, some crops failed, but the dry-weather, heat-loving crops like peppers, tomatoes and okra did great,” Brad says. “The next year, we had 36 consecutive days of rain. We lost our tomato crop and our melons, but that was only a small percentage of what we grew. Our greatest insurance is the variety we grow. There are always going to be some crops that fail, but by growing many different things, [our members] get their produce.”

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Personal Farmers
In extreme situations such as this, the fact that Home Sweet Farm is a CSA farm means that its members share the risk of growing the food. Being a CSA farm gives the farmer security in the form of a fixed income to carry him through the highs and lows of good and poor seasons.
 
The members are incredibly supportive of the Stufflebeams because they feel a sense of ownership in the farm.

Now in its third year, the Stufflebeams’ CSA program is currently at its cap of 100 members, having doubled in membership each year since its inception.

“We are one of the largest CSA farms in the state and we have a waiting list,” says Brad. “We decided to cap our membership for now so that we could grow our infrastructure. We don’t want to get so big that we can’t give our members personal attention.”

For members like Mandi Barnard of Brenham, Texas, and Angela Austin, of Chappell Hill, Texas, that personal attention is why they joined the Stufflebeams’ CSA. 

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About the Author: Jennifer Nice is a writer and editor in the agriculture and equine industry. Based in San Francisco, she divides her time between the city and Napa Valley, where she enjoys her two favorite pastimes: wine and horses.

Categories
Farm Management

10 Catering Tips

10 catering tips from Kate Savage
Photo Courtesy Kate Savage
Kate Savage, a Lexington, Ky., professional caterer and writer, has learned to persist even in difficult circumstances.

By Kate Savage

If starting a home catering business from your hobby farm is your dream, consider these 10 tips from a professional caterer.

1. Be realistic.

  • Catering is not glamourous! 
  • It’s hard work and long hours. 
  • When others play, you work. 

Try these truths on for size before you invest any money, time or effort into an extension of your endeavours.  Only the strong survive!

2. Cool as a cucumber.
Above all you must be able to handle stress and never appear flustered. 

  • And that’s not just your stress, but also the “freak-out” levels of stress your client might be experiencing. 

Realise what’s at stake for them.  Trust and powerlessness can be scary emotions for anyone.

3. Deadlines, deadlines, deadlines.
Time is unforgiving in the catering business.  Five or ten minutes leeway is acceptable when serving, but half an hour late is not, unless the client has pushed back the clock. Are you reasonably punctual?  Examine your ability to deliver in a timely manner.

4. Find your own niche.
Remember there are many categories of catering; from barbeque and beans to pheasant under glass. 

  • Establish your own area of excellence and interest.  Something you enjoy, something that makes your product different. 

If successful, you’ll be making lots of it!

5. Listen to your client.
Naturally your thoughts and suggestions are what they are looking for, but most clients have some preconceived ideas regards their event.  Prize these out.  They’ll provide you with guidance and insights.  It’s the client you’re trying to please.

6. Never apologise for your price.
Your product will always cost more than the frozen semi-equivalent bought from the warehouse megamarket. 

  • Don’t be brow-beaten or back off your price with a client that wants to negotiate a “discount”, or promises you all their friends’ events.  Nobody wins.

7. Start early.
Catering is like Christmas.  If you leave it until the last minute, you’ll wish you’d started sooner.  Many things can be organized in advance such as rentals and the work force. 

  • Over time, you’ll become familiar with the natural sequence. Until then, make lots of lists.

8. Friendly and flexible.

  • Ten minutes before serving you’re told to hold dinner – the guest of honour’s flight is late. 

Can you slap on a smile and reassure the hostess that you can ratchet down and maintain the meal indefinitely in a holding pattern?  Do it anyway!

9. Remember your place.
Probably an old fashioned idea, but it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of an event. 

  • A good rule of thumb for you and especially any extrovert servers you might employ is “if you’re having too much fun, then you’re not working.”

10. Belle of the Ball

  • Clients love to know they have thrown a social smash.  Share some of the comments and compliments that came your way. 

Part of the point is to glow in the glorious aftermath of the event – and that goes for you too!

Related Stories

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This is not exactly an Aesop’s Tale …
 … but it does have a moral.

Many years ago when I was first getting established in the catering business I was asked to provide breakfast and lunch over a ten-day period for about 30 horse farm workers.

These worthy souls were working for one farm during the Keeneland horse sales here in Lexington, Ky.; the idea behind the catered meals was that they wouldn’t have to leave their posts in search of food; and they’d be around when potential clients might appear wanting a horse showing.

The Work — Hard Work!
Both meals had to be delivered on time, piping hot and then set up, the previous one being cleared away at the same time.  It was all very crude and the “staging” area was simply a barn with a table. We had to make many trips back and forth carrying in and then carrying out–sometimes covering great distances as parking was always a problem.

My catering “corporation” comprised just me and a willing friend that I paid–when I could!

The turnaround time between meals was excruciating and it seemed we’d no sooner delivered one meal than it was time to return with another.

Lunch served, we barely had time to shop for the following day and start all over again.

It was utterly exhausting.  We knocked ourselves out trying to be creative with our menus and even to accommodate some requests. 

The Spoils?
I had hopelessly under quoted the job and we got little thanks from those we fed (who we suspected might have preferred a chance to nip down to MacDonald’s for a burger and to warm up!).

Still, I’ve never been able to compromise my product or my service, so we gave them our best and did our best.

At the time I buoyed myself up with the hope that through our stellar efforts we would get noticed and secure additional business from this prestigious horse farm. In particular, from the owners who entertained regularly and had two daughters of marrying age who would surely be good for a couple of lavish weddings!!

My mistake with this thinking was that when it came time to throw these parties it never occurred to the farm owner to employ the same caterer who had fed his stable hands!

The Happy Ending!
However, there is a happy ending and one that goes to prove hard work really does pay off.

Several years later, the farm manager of the original farm changed jobs and went to manage farms belonging to the Maktoum family – the wealthy, influential and much respected ruling dynasty of Dubai.

He remembered me and I have enjoyed the rewards and challenges of this farm’s account for over 20 years!

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Categories
News

Farm Bill 2007 Update

More About Organics

Farm Bill Links

The U.S. Senate strongly approved a farm bill that includes funding and direction for a number of organic priorities reports the Organic Trade Association (OTA).

According to Caren Wilcox, executive director of the OTA said the current bill offers steps to help strengthen the safety net for organic farming producers and manufacturers.

Some measures being praised in the Senate bill include:

  • Recognition that increased funding is essential for the National Organic Program at the U.S. Department of Agriculture at the full authorized level;
  • $5 million for organic farming data collection to help provide better price and yield information for organically-grown crops;
  • $22 million in new money for certification cost share to aid organic farmers;
  • USDA barred from charging a premium surcharge on organic farm crop insurance, unless validated by loss history on a crop-by-crop basis; Currently, organic producers must pay a 5% surcharge for crop insurance; yet, in times of loss, the producers receive not the usually higher organic crop price, but the lower conventional price.
  • Organic production added as an eligible activity in the Environmental Quality Incentives Program;
  • Soil and Water Conservation Protection Loans added as a priority for those converting to organic farming practices and adds conversion to organic production as an eligible loan purpose;
  • $80 million over the life of the bill for organic agriculture research and extension.

The OTA encouraged continued support for these types of measures.

Categories
News

Sign Up for Goat School

Goat owners! Sign up today for one of Maine’s premiere events for goat owners coming in May.

The Maine Goat School™ offers critical goat-care information on:

  • hoof trimming
  • worming
  • kidding
  • giving shots

What Else to Expect
Hosted and facilitated by Ken and Janice Spaulding, who have been raising goats for about 20 years, the two-day event also includes:

  • Presentations by goat experts and information on marketing, nutrition, stocking rates, producing meat and about raising goats, which is becoming an increasingly popular and viable business.
  • Buffet lunches including dishes made with some type of goat product, meat, milk, cheese, etc.
  • A copy of book Goat School™ (dubbed “Goats 101” by students). The book is a comprehensive guide on goats written by the Spauldings.

Want more learning opportunities?
Check out these links:

Goat School in MaineHow to Register

Call: (207) 938-3714

Email: kenjan@tds.net

Dates: 

May 10-11, Spring Goat School™ 

October 11-12, Fall Goat School™

Goat School in MaineLocation:
Stony Knolls Farm in Saint Albans, Maine

Registration fee includes the Goat School book and lunch.

At top, a goat checks out some of the students attending class. At right, Ken and Janice Spauling offer a demonstration. View more photos from past goat school events.

Categories
News

Survey: Local Livestock Breeds at Risk

© Paulette Johnson
Rare-Breed Renaissance
Sue Weaver reports on the “the rare-breed renaissance” occurring in “Raising Rare Livestock Breeds” and tells us how to get started. Click to continue.

Also, American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (ALBC) recently made some positive changes to its 2007 Conservation Priority List (CPL) noting gains for Belted Galloway cattle, Heritage turkeys, Choctaw Pigs and others. For more about ALBC, click to continue.

Even as many small farmers in North America, Europe and elsewhere are taking an interest in raising traditional and rare livestock breeds (see sidebar “Rare-Breed Renaissance”), many of the developing world’s indigenous livestock breeds are in danger of dying out.

The cause: Commercially marketed animals bred for their high yields and short-term profitability are taking over.

According to the results of a survey spearheaded by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) with the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and other research groups, the loss of the animals could mean a loss of genetic resources that help animals overcome disease and drought, particularly in the developing world.

Local breeds–nearly 70 percent of which are found in the developing world–are often better suited to their environments than commercially bred animals.

Survey Results
The survey, which includes mention of about 7,600 breeds of cattle, pigs, sheep, poultry and other animals in 169 countries, reports that:

  • 11% of the investigated breeds are now extinct (some having disappeared many decades ago),
  • 16% are currently at risk,
  • 38% are unthreatened, and
  • the security of the remaining 35% is unknown.

The Response
In response, policy-makers, breeders and livestock scientists representing 108 eight countries have agreed on an action plan to save endangered livestock breeds. In part, t
he plan aims to:

  • Create a global database of livestock breeds and their population levels.
  • Encourage countries to find ways of maintaining endangered stocks through sustainable use
  • Set up gene banks “as a backup system” in case breeds disappear, Beate Scherf of FAO’s Animal Genetic Resources Group, one of the main group involved.

The Most-Threatened Animals
Several examples of local livestock loss noted in the survey results:

  • The drought-hardy African Ankole cow is expected to be fully replaced by black-and-white Holstein-Friesians within the next 50 years. Holstein-Friesian cattle, the stereotypical black-and-white dairy cow, are now found in more than 120 countries throughout the world.
  • Red Maasai sheep are naturally resistant to intestinal parasites, but the introduction of Dorper sheep from South Africa has caused, in little more than 15 years, pure-bred Red Maasai to almost completely disappear.

Click to continue reading about the breeds involved in the survey at the ILRI website.

Categories
Farm Management

Become an Expert

By Rick Gush

About the Author
Rick Gush is a regular Hobby Farms and Hobby Farm Home contributor, freelance writer, designer and small farmer based in Italy.

The joke about the farmer who is outstanding in his field is one of our oldest agricultural giggles.

The more serious reality of the situation is that many farmers could actually benefit by pushing themselves to become “experts.”

Becoming an Expert: Farm ConsultantThis can range from being a private agricultural consultant to participating in public speaking engagements.

Practical experience can be a great teacher to the student who keeps his eyes open; many a small farmer, after a few years of working their farm, finds that they know about as much concerning their craft as any of the ag counselors at the cooperative extension or grange hall.

Many small farmers are indeed candidates for being in the next wave of experts for their particular area of activity.

In This Article

The awesome collected knowledge of the current crop of experts is impressive and can easily be intimidating to newcomers to the arena.

But ours is an ever-changing world; old experts are constantly retiring and new experts are continually appearing. Becoming an expert is not as rare as it once was; it’s actually a better time than ever before to become an expert because there are more areas of activity: There’s more information available both online and offline, and our general communication capacity is at an historic high. 

Being an expert can bring numerous benefits, from increased, respect-driven sales and consultant fees to greater market utilization and general publicity.

In short, small farmers should think about becoming an “expert” as it could improve their business and add considerably to their enjoyment.
Becoming an Expert: Classroom Presenter
Why Become an Expert?
Any consideration as to why one would want to deliberately set out to become an expert must initially be based on personal intellectual curiosity and self pride. Being an expert is essentially the result of being really interested in a subject and the pride of bringing a higher level of craftsmanship to one’s activities is a primary motivation for most agricultural experts.

A close second inspiration is certainly the potential financial benefits available to an active expert. Being an expert can be leveraged to produce a variety of income-producing opportunities, including:

  • Consulting for insurance companies and legal firms,
  • Personal consultations with other farmers,
  • Publishing writings on the subject,
  • Participation as a judge in group events,
  • Serving on committees,
  • Public speaking engagements and
  • Product endorsements.

Kit Knotts: A Great Example of an Expert
Amateur gardeners that have risen to the level of expert are an inspiration to us all. Kit Knotts is a good example, as she is the ranking world authority on the water lilies with enormous pads, Victoria amazonica. 

  • A great example of a modern expert, Kit, in tandem with her husband Ben, raises and studies tropical water lilies in her Florida garden. She writes and communicates internationally on the subject.
  • While the university experts tend to focus on the more-economically important subjects, it’s experts like Kit who carry the burden in many specialty areas.
  • Kit found a niche that appealed to her, searched out all the existing documents and proceeded to start communicating with other experts around the world.
  • Kit and Ben’s activities are now producing new important information, as they’re harvesting and germinating seeds collected from domesticated plants. Scientists will need expertise like hers in the future, when native waterlily populations are threatened with extinction.
  • Kit has a lily site at www.victoria-adventure.org

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Experts also often find that their own products are in greater demand, and that their marketing improves with their public visibility and respect. Of course, there are also a great many experts who do not leverage their expertise for financial gain. For some this is due to not marketing themselves and, for others, it can be that the intellectual pursuit is its own reward.

Being considered an expert also opens the doors for greater participation in one’s industry. Known experts receive more invitations of all kinds, and can give and receive more visits to other production facilities, join more industry committees and attend more conventions.

In general, experts can leverage their status to exert more control in their industry and help influence future industry activities. A great many industries regularly experience high levels of uncertainty and assault, and it’s the wise experts in each specialty that help guide their industries through the storms. Becoming an expert may also allow one to sidestep oncoming difficulties more easily in their own activities.

Obviously, experts in the more well-known specialties will find more opportunities and demand for their services than experts in obscure subjects.

An expert in small-farm taxes will certainly find more work than an expert in left-handed gloves.

That having been said, there’s no limit on what subjects are appropriate for future experts to consider; absolutely any subject is potentially possible.

Becoming an Expert: Experience Counts!Experts on edible snails, organic, dried apricots; farm-grown, cut flowers; and efficient manure usage will all find plenty of opportunities for giving expert counsel.

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Steps to Becoming an Expert
To be considered an expert, one doesn’t need to invent something fancy or start a new school of agricultural practice. As an expert, one serves merely as a conduit for the accumulated knowledge in their specialty.
 
They may also have opinions that others would like to hear, but an expert is first and foremost a person who knows what the other experts know. As a future conduit for the accumulated knowledge in your speciality, a beginning expert’s responsibility is to increase their access to and understanding of all that information.
 
The first step is to become a junior expert. This step can be taken in an instant and is simply a mental decision, a personal determination to acquire the required knowledge.

The single most important key to becoming an expert is communication. As a junior expert, one must learn how to communicate abundantly and efficiently. Most of us are poor communicators and we need to push ourselves quite a bit to communicate better.
 

Becoming an Expert: Study is Important, TooFive Study Habits for New Experts
Good study habits should include discipline as well as enjoyable activities. Most experts continue their learning throughout their careers and often continue study habits acquired during their early training. Some suggestions for new students:

  1. Keep a diary. Daily, monthly, whatever. Regular recording of observations and information helps create an invaluable document for future research.
  2. Read anything, not just texts. Textbooks have a limited focus; newspapers and magazines will offer a wider focus on any topic.
  3. Prepare tests for yourself. Surprise yourself with quizzes or have a friend ask questions from a textbook. Testing helps form mental imprints of complicated information.
  4. Collect experts. Meet or communicate with experts related to your area of study and take the time to maintain those relationships.
  5. Study often for short periods. Frequent and regular study habits will yield the best results. A student will learn more with 10 minutes of reading every morning than with 10 hours of intense study once a month.

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Reading a handful of books and becoming a proponent of a particular viewpoint or practice cannot make one an expert, and ivory-tower experts with little practical experience generally make poor field decisions. A good expert makes the extra effort to understand the viewpoints of a wide range of others in their field; that knowledge is available only through communication with others.

Junior experts need to communicate with other already-established experts, with practitioners in their area of speciality, with any friends, relatives, neighbors or acquaintances who will give them the time of day, and finally, with their potential customers and those whom they themselves will educate. Communication occurs in many forms; in person, in telephone conversations, in e-mails, in chat rooms, on online forums and even in handwritten letters.
 
There’s a great need to study books, as well. A junior expert must study hard, and prepare his own curriculum and study plans. In addition to texts that deal directly with one’s specialty, a junior expert must also cast a wide look at literature in related areas. A junior expert must establish study goals and study without external prompting.
 
Actually, it’s not so uncommon for a pair of people to become experts together. Two people can encourage each other, share the adventure and bring multiple viewpoints to the study table. Alone or in association with others, a junior expert must establish study and activity goals, and, above all, learn how to communicate effectively with others.

Of course, university schooling is part of the background of many experts and this path of study is highly recommended, but some small farmers may already have graduated with a degree in an unrelated subject or may have no degree at all. These people are also capable of becoming experts in their field, but the road will likely be a bit steeper.

Even within the university system, becoming an expert requires the personal determination and sacrifice that characterizes any intense study. Universities are also often connected with certification processes and to obtain the relevant documents that testify to a person’s expertise, one may need to attend classes at a local university. Even for completely self-taught junior experts, universities can be a rich source of research materials concerning most fields of study. Regardless of any school or other study programs in which a junior expert is enrolled, they should also assume the responsibility of extracurricular studies. 

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Some Experts Require Certification
For a great many areas, there are established procedures whereby the expertise and competence of individuals may be documented. Becoming certified is one of the best ways to establish oneself as an expert. Universities, trade associations, local and federal governments, and market organizations all conduct various certification programs.
 
Just learning what certifications are available for one’s specialty is an important step for a beginning expert. Finally passing through the various levels and possibilities of certification will give a new expert a boost in confidence to jettison their “Junior Expert” appellation and assert their full expertness. But it’s true that the more one learns, the more one realizes the enormity of their own ignorance. A good certified expert usually understands how little is really known about their subject and is humble concerning their own accomplishments.

One must also beware of useless certifications. Mail-order diplomas that have been bought instead of earned are not of much use. Beware also of certification programs that are not respected by true experts in the field.

Extensive documentation may not always be needed to be considered an expert in a particular field. In many cases, one can merely begin functioning as an expert, perhaps by publishing or writing for a specialty journal. Some areas of interest are obviously more well-documented than others. Becoming an expert in cardiovascular surgery is obviously going to involve a great deal more documentation and certification than becoming an expert in left-handed gloves.

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What to Expect: Working as an Expert
One of the most exciting events in the life of a junior expert is when they finally muster the confidence to begin working and giving advice in their field. Online forums make this step easier than ever, but working in person is both more terrifying and correspondingly more rewarding. Once a certain expertise has been obtained, a junior expert should consider volunteering themselves for speaking, consulting, judging and writing assignments. Serving on committees is also a good way to get one’s feet wet.

Being an expert doesn’t mean that one knows everything, but an expert should know how to find the answers for any subject questions. Wise experts are aware of their own shortcomings and are eager to consult other experts.

They know what their weaknesses are and gear their continuing study to fill those gaps as well as to establish an information network that can yield answers beyond their own competence.

They also know what their strengths are and they manage to market themselves in the appropriate directions.
 
Having the confidence to market themselves is difficult for many experts, which may result in fewer networking opportunities and thus less access to current information in their topic area. Tooting one’s own horn just slightly is good for research purposes, if nothing else.

The trick most experts use is to learn from their acquaintances and customers. The raw, live data that customers and other users and practitioners provide needs to be an important part of an expert’s own learning experience.
 
One constant in all fields is change; experts may have a remarkable grasp of past events and discoveries, but only through constant first-hand observation of case studies can an expert keep abreast of the changes occurring in their field. A savvy expert knows how to listen more than speak.

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Challenges in the World of “Experts”
Experts inevitably become aware of the effects of human incompetence and greed on their chosen field of study.

Nearly every expert carries with them a series of stories about being aware of a problem early, warning others, being ignored and then watching the problem explode out of control. Experts can expect to be criticized and to make a few embarrassing mistakes: It’s all part of the process. Experts will be ignored, abused and ridiculed, but in the long run they’ll enjoy the personal satisfaction of having mastered a subject, which is the reason one decides to become an expert in the first place.

To become an expert, one must be unusually focused. One must forgo many other activities and pleasurable events in order to concentrate on activities and events related to their junior expertsmanship. Experts are not created overnight. Junior experts might take inspiration from the English poet John Milton, who had such respect for the craft that although he knew at a young age that he wanted to write poetry, he waited and prepared himself for an unusually long time, until he was middle aged, before beginning to actually write poems.

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Categories
Equipment

Hydraulic Hoses: What You Need to Know

Time to check your hydraulic hosesA new set of hydraulic cylinders for my ATV-mounted loader showed up on my doorstep today.

The extra reach they’ll provide will boost my lift from four feet to five, just enough for me to dump mulch and other material into my pickup.

Switching cylinders will be a great time to check my hoses for wear points and abrasions. (It will also give me a couple of extra cylinders for some projects I’ve been toying with, such as a grapple fork for the loader …)

Back to the hoses…don’t take them for granted.

They are vital components and also represent one of the greatest potential farm machinery hazards. There is a reason that hydraulic hoses are multiple walled with metal reinforcement.

Depending on the size of the pump and the load it is bearing, hydraulic fluid can be under thousands of pounds of pressure.

A well cared for hose can last for years without a problem. However, excessive kinking, stretching or abrasion can cause a hose to fail.

A massive rupture can be messy, but a pinhole leak can be of greater concern. Even under low pressure it can cause problems, but under high pressure, it can cut like a knife, penetrating multiple layers of the skin and requiring immediate medical care.

Hydraulic fluid caused wounds quickly lead to gangrene and amputation.

If I have scared you, good.

If I have convinced you to give more thought to how you treat your hoses, even better:

  • Make sure they never bind, kink or stretch.
  • Treat them with care and watch for rubbing or signs of abrasion.
  • If you see signs of fluid leakage, replace the hose immediately.
  • Do not, under any circumstance, run your hand across a suspect hose under pressure!
  • Consider covering potential wear spots (not leaks) with an abrasion resistant wrap like Tite Seal Hydraulic Hose Protector. It will protect against problems, and if signs of chafing or abrasion appear, the wrap is easier (and cheaper) to replace than the hose.

Remember, take care of your hydraulics and they will take care of you.

Let me know if you’ve had any “special” experiences with hydraulics. Submit your comments and questions.

« More Shop Talk »

Categories
Equipment

Overcome Power-tool Phobia

by Rick Gush

Safety & Trouble

Most power saw accidents are the result of accidental touching, unsteady wood and lack of attention to other safety practices:

  • The main cause of accidents is trying to help the saw. Reaching in to clear a small piece of cut wood is a natural impulse, but power-saw safety requires that carpenters learn to control their helping instincts.

  • Unsteady wood often bounces under pressure from the spinning saw blade. When the wood bounces, the saw can push itself up and out of the cutting groove. Liberal use of clamps to hold wood steady is the best idea.
  • Most circular saws and table saws include an automatic safety cover. This hinged cover is kept pulled over the blade by a tension spring.

  • The most important thing to remember is to always wear safety goggles when using any type of power tool and most types of hand tools.

    Ear protection is an investment for your hearing and should always be worn as well. Always remain alert, tie back long hair and leave the jewelry on the dresser.

Accidents happen when you let your guard down and think “just this once.”

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Tools are a man’s domain and, historically, women have been steered away from them.
 
While we can understand the historical background for this prejudice, there really aren’t any good reasons why construction and mechanical repair should be restricted to men.
 
Tool use doesn’t require the brute force of a large male, and the smallest women on the planet have more-than-enough force to cut boards, pound nails and drill holes.
Farm women have a great need to understand how to fix equipment and repair structures. Knowing how to use power tools is a practical skill, and new carpentry skills can lead to many useful and decorative improvements to a farm home. 
But sadly, many women are intimidated by tool use.
 
Power saws just seem so dangerous and smashing hammers around doesn’t sound like much fun.
 
But an emergency, such as when a section of the fence breaks and your goats get loose, is not the best time to learn about power saws and other fence-building tools. A sense of urgency often leads to trouble.
What do you do when you’ve got no skills?
 
The old-fashioned way is to teach yourself. Replace uncertainty with feelings of self-empowerment by completing a simple project.

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Tool Control & Safety
Before using any tool, you should have a good mental picture of how it will work and how the action will go forward.

Litmus Test
One key to saw use is being comfortable changing the blades.

It’s also a sort of litmus test for familiarity with the equipment. If you cannot change the saw blade, you shouldn’t be using the saw.

Changing blades is a bit awkward with a circular saw because the safety guard gets in the way, but it’s really not that hard.

A determined 10-year-old could get the job done. Obviously, a carpenter should always unplug the saw before changing the blade or making height or angle adjustments.

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This mental preparation is the key to safe tool use.

A good woodworker will set up a cut with the saw and then rehearse it a few times. Only when they’re certain that everything will go smoothly will they turn on the power. 

The main requirements of effective tool use are establishing and maintaining control. Control does not mean brute power, but rather the accurate application of small amounts of force.
 
It’s a myth that one must use a lot of force with carpentry tools.
 
Minimal force is almost always best with tools, and this is certainly so for power saws, drills, chisels and other cutting tools—let the tool do the majority of the work.
 
Even hammers get the bad rap that they need to be slammed down hard on nails. Not true. Aim is about a hundred times more important than force when hammering nails; so it is with all carpentry tools.
 
A power saw should glide through wood cuts with about the same ease as sliding the turkey platter across the table to Uncle Fred. Take it easy, establish control and follow through without straining. This same basic rule applies to all tools.

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Woodworking Tools
 
Circular Saw
A circular saw is a power saw used to cut straight lines.
 
Like most power tools, the circular saw is potentially dangerous and should be given due respect.
 
Because this saw cuts straight lines, a “guide board” (a long, straight board clamped to the piece being cut) is usually used to ensure a straight cut. Guide boards are highly recommended because it’s difficult to cut a nice, straight line by just eyeballing a pencil line. For short cuts, such as a straight cut across a 2 x 4, just mark the line and cut the board with hand guidance. However, if you’re not short on time, a guide board is advised, even for cutting a 2 x 4.
Jig Saw
A jig saw has a small, straight blade that moves up and down.
 
Jig saws are meant for cutting curves, but can be used to cut straight lines when a guide board is used. This saw is smaller and easier to use than a circular saw, and some carpenters prefer to use a jig saw for rough cuts, whether straight or curved.
Electric Drill
Electric drills allow the user to drill holes and fasten screws effortlessly.
 
Electric drills usually have a switch that allows either forward or reverse spin, so always check the current spin setting before using the drill. Drills can cause injuries when the piece being drilled is not held securely; the high torque of the drill can twist and spin the piece. This quick, uncontrolled movement can injure your hands.
 
It’s advised that you clamp down the piece to be drilled. Also be careful not to drill through the piece you’re working on, damaging the surface beneath it.
Hammer
Though the hammer is the most basic carpenter’s tool, it’s also potentially dangerous, as fingers are known to get smashed while holding a nail.
 
The right way to pound a nail is to take your time, don’t hurry, and find a way to hold the nail and hit it softly without hitting your fingers.
 
Professional carpenters also know that the best way to pull a bent nail out of a board is not to pull back directly on the hammer, but instead to hook the nail with the claws and then push the hammer sideways, using the side of the hammer head as the lever to pull up the nail.
Nippers
Also known as tin snips, nippers are used to cut metal and metal mesh.

Nippers are different from scissors and pruning shears in that their blades are harder. The powerful blades can also cut fingers if they are held too close to the cut, so it’s a good idea to wear gloves when using them. The nippers themselves are not the usual hazard, but fresh-cut pieces of metal are; they can easily cut and scratch unprotected hands.

Wood Chisel
A wood chisel is used to remove wood from tight spots, such as cutting out a mortise for a hinge, or for notching.
 
Wood chisels need to be sharp and this sharp edge needs to be respected, even during casual handling. The real danger with wood chisels is when they’re being pounded with a hammer. Always work in a direction away from your body and never hit the chisel too hard.
The Project >>
Projects turn out best when there’s a clear plan of action: a list of materials, a description of dimensions and details, and a series of steps by which the project will progress.
A project plan, whether it’s the creased centerfold from Popular Woodworker magazine or an article about building birdhouses in a children’s magazine, has the completed calculations, the materials list and the step-by-step instructions. What could be easier?
 
Sometimes a project plan must undergo adjustments, especially if you don’t have all the specified tools or if the  materials available differ from the official list. Occasionally you’ll want to make changes to customize your project.
 
The best project is like a kitchen recipe: The instructions are all well and good, but adding a touch of your own can make the results much more personal.
 
Categories
Crops & Gardening Farm Management

Planning—Your Garden—Makes Perfect

gardening, managementPlanning–Your Garden–Makes PerfectGet organized early this year by charting your garden plan now before spring. Check out our planning calendars, charts, checklist tips and more.garden, charts and lists, springGet organized early this year by charting your garden plan now. Check out our planning calendars, charts, checklist tips.Get organized early this year by charting your garden plan now. Check out our planning calendars, charts, checklist tips and moreCrops & Gardening

By Kelly Wood

Get organized early this year by charting your garden plan now before spring. Check out our planning calendars, charts, checklist tips and more

Photo by Rhoda Peacher

I am a list-maker—I admit it.

I get a little compulsive, sometimes having to make lists of my lists, just to keep myself straight. I like the look of a list—it stages what you want or need to do in a nice, tidy, easy-to-read way.

I really like to cross things off of lists as I complete them. I’ve been known to write something on my list after it’s completed, just so I can have the satisfaction of crossing it off. (My husband caught me doing it the other day.) I get a nice sense of accomplishment seeing it at the end of a long, tiring day.

I use charts and lists for almost everything on my farm.

It saves my sanity, especially in the spring and early summer, when the timing of planting, hardening off, transplanting and protecting is of utmost importance.

They’re also vital in autumn when I’m so preoccupied with harvest and preserving that it’s easy to forget about planting for the cooler seasons.

If I had employees, I would start them off with a chart of what needs to be done and rely on that to be their manager for much of the time.

Get organized early this year by charting your garden plan now before spring. Check out our planning calendars, charts, checklist tips and more
Photo by Rhoda Peacher

Phenological Signs

  • Plant corn and beans when elm leaves are the size of a squirrel’s ear, when oak leaves are the size of a mouse’s ear, when apple blossoms begin to fall, or when dogwoods are in full bloom.
  • Plant lettuce, spinach, peas, broccoli and cabbage when the lilacs show their first leaves or when daffodils begin to bloom.
  • Plant tomatoes, early corn and peppers when dogwoods are in peak bloom or when daylilies start to bloom.
  • Plant cucumbers and squash when lilac flowers fade.
  • Plant potatoes when the first dandelion blooms.
  • Plant beets and carrots when dandelions are blooming (good succession planting plan, too).
  • Plant peas when the forsythia blooms.

Sources: The Old Farmer’s Almanac, University of Wisconsin Extension

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These days, gardeners and farmers can choose from several options to help schedule the work and jobs that must be handled.

Whether you prefer computer programs or actual paper forms fastened to a clipboard, posted on a wall or slipped into your pocket, there are ways to organize your garden planning duties into a format that will work for you and, more importantly, get you into your garden faster.

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Phenological Signs
Years ago, before paper was easily obtained and computers were nonexistent, people used the signs of nature to let them know it was time to plant their annual edibles.

This is called phenological planning, and it was a mainstay of the annual Old Farmer’s Almanac.

People sometimes chalk these up as “old wives tales,” such as, “When the white oak leaves are the size of a mouse’s ear, it’s time to plant corn.” (See “Phenological Signs” for more.)

However, I find some of them to be useful harbingers of what the weather is going to do. I remain convinced that the animals and plants can better sense natural timing than humans can, and it behooves us to take our cues from them.

I began to practice phenological planting several years ago—I have dogwood, forsythia, daffodils and lilacs scattered around to act as indicators. The dandelions are there, too, but not by choice.

Nature’s lunar planting method dictates that the moon’s gravitational pull has an effect on certain parts of a plant and can benefit its germination and growth.

I have a friend who religiously uses her “Planting by the Moon Calendar.” It tells what days are best for seeding, direct planting or transplanting. It also reassures her that there are certain days that aren’t optimal, thus assuaging her guilt about not doing any garden work.

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Computer Programs
With so many programs for our computers these days, any software store near you should carry garden-planning software.

I have an older program called Sprout, which allows me to make a view of my garden and then “plant” it on screen. When it’s all planted, you can print reports, such as a shopping list of seed quantities to take along to the nursery or a calendar of when to plant and when to expect harvest, all based on your planting plan.

This year, I shared in a computer reminder system.

A friend put all the dates that she had for planting certain crops into a basic computer calendar program. She asked several other gardeners to write her for one year with the dates that they planted their crops, and she recorded those, too. The calendar program pops up a reminder when certain things need to be done—you can even program it to send you an e-mail alert. This is a great method for people who use their computers daily.

Journals and Diaries
I’m adept at keeping records of some things but fall short on details of others.

I operate best with boxes that can be filled in with concrete values. For those of the same mind, A Gardener’s Journal published by Lee Valley is great—a 10-year perpetual diary, it provides areas to record planting details such as temperatures and weather, and there are five or six lines to jot other details.

You’re able to look back easily over the previous years and see what was happening on your farm at that same time.

When you use garden journals, it’s great to record mundane details.

I used it to record when certain trees began to bloom over the last few years, helping me coordinate phenological planning.

By recording things that are otherwise commonplace, you might be giving yourself clues down the road for patterns you didn’t know existed. Some of those details might not be as dull as you think at the time—it’s fun to look back and read about what was going on in our lives back then.

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Specialty Charts
I made a special magnetic chart to do my crop rotations—I got a piece of furnace sheet metal at the hardware store and sheet magnet from TAP Plastics.

I spend several days each summer with a pile of books on companion planting, germination techniques, cover cropping and my magnetic board, moving things around, referring to past plans and looking up good companions and things to avoid combining.

I chart it all out on the board, and then, when I’m sure, I write it (in pencil) on a paper sheet that has a schematic of my garden on it.

An elaborate poster I got for Christmas details all the information you’d want to know about growing annual produce in one big picture. It comes laminated, and I put grommets at each corner so I can move it seasonally from my plant-room wall in the winter and spring to the wall of my shed in the summer and fall.

Homemade Charts
The sheer volume of daily details can make work on a farm overwhelming. I often find myself en route to one task getting waylaid by another, completely forgetting what I was doing in the first place, only to come upon the tools, detritus and half-done job hours later. I need specific charts and lists to keep my bearings.

I use Microsoft Excel to make my own charts and put them into a nice, tidy form, including columns for the date and crops. I assign geometric columns and rows for whatever data I think I’ll need.

On my small farm:

  • I keep count of how many eggs I’m getting daily and how many dozens I sell.
  • Costs of feed have gone up dramatically, and this helps me determine if the girls are paying for their room and board.
  • When I milk the goats, I keep track of the quantity from each milking; this can help predict when the goats are in heat or feeling sick.
  • Whenever I pick produce, I mark it on my homemade chart with the date, variety and weight. I’ve often gone back to those records to see when I got my first harvest of certain crops or when customers can expect to see certain things for sale based on historical precedent.

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My Seed Planting Charts
I recently composed a chart for seed planting that has spaces for date, type of seed, approximate amount, bed they were planted in, spacing if necessary, and a long line for “germination or emergence details.” I store the chart on the refrigerator door where I keep my seeds.

Every time I put away a seed packet, I see the chart and immediately write down the details before I forget. I like to have clipboard charts in my garden shed to fill in as I go.

I have two different “what-to-plant-when” charts. They’re laminated, and I and keep them near the
garden: 1) by two-week increments and 2) a general guide for each month.

The lamination protects them and can be written on with a wax pencil. Anything that will be changed or replaced, like the paper copy of my magnetic board plan, gets a sheet protector with the open side down. That way I can clip it on my fence for reference, keeping out the rain, but still make changes and amendments as the season progresses.

Keep Paper and Pencil Handy
If I don’t have my individual charts with me, I find it helps to have a piece of paper and pencil.

At my best, I carry a small tablet with me in my overalls or alongside my tools in my wheelbarrow. Sometimes I’ll scribble something on a receipt I find in my pocket. This is a problem when I open the dryer and find shards of a list mixed in the lint trap. I worry for days about what I had written and am now forgetting.

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Guidelines for Chart Use

1) Always write in pencil. It doesn’t run in the rain, and it can be erased; not that it would have to be—some facts can’t be changed.

It was indeed tomatoes that I picked, but as soon as I’ve written down that I got 23 pounds of Lemon Boy, I can be assured that it either wasn’t Lemon Boy or that my husband picked four additional pounds and took them to the kitchen for dinner.

It’s no big deal to cross out details, but when it comes to the end of the year and I’m trying to tally up how many pounds were yielded for the amount of seed I planted, I’m happy to have it easily readable.

2) Keep the chart visible in your work area. If you put it in a folder or tuck it into a drawer or shelf, it probably won’t be used. I even attach a pencil on a string to some charts so it’s there when I need to make notes.

3) Check your charts often, or make using them a part of your routine. If a chart tells you when to plant seeds in the spring and you only look at it every three or four weeks, you’ll miss some important dates. If it’s a chart that needs to be filled in for your records, make sure using it is part of the routine. I bring out my weight chart every time I bring out my scale.

4) Make the records interesting—make them appeal to you so you’ll want to use them.

  • Print them on colored paper or use a nice clipboard.
  • Draw on them with garden themes or print graphic clip art.
  • Color them in or write with brightly colored pens.

I made a notebook with tabs for each crop I grow. Instead of writing the name, I drew a tiny picture of the vegetable itself. If you don’t like the appearance of the chart, you’re not going to use it. The important thing is to find the method that works for you.

All of this record keeping serves to help me as a small business owner outside of a typical office environment.

If it were needed, I have an elaborate paper trail for all of what I’ve done for the last seven years. In any business setting, that can be invaluable; although, I sometimes feel a little inundated with charts and clipboards and get tired of carrying a constant list.

I wish I had the brain that my husband has, being able to remember things reliably and readily, but I’m easily distracted, and there are so many details on a farm, I can’t keep them all straight without my reference materials.

I like getting e-mail planting updates; they bring my garden work to the forefront of my mind—until I get away from the computer, go downstairs and see the dishes that still need to be cleaned up—and find my packet of seeds from last week on my desk, and put it by the back door where my garden clogs live.

Maybe I’ll just start a list of what needs to be planted. I’ll go get paper from my desk drawer—oh, there’s that box of stuff that needs to go to the basement. And while I’m down there I’ll check the laundry. I think I heard the washer beeping …

About the Author: Kelly Wood compulsively checks calendars and fills in homemade charts for her hobby farm in Portland, Ore.

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This article first appeared in the January/February 2009 Hobby Farms. If you enjoy this article, you’ll get more like this and others especially for those interesting in rural living — from gardening to raising livestock. Subscribe online today>>