Several years ago, I noticed that while my healthy hens were robust during the growing season, their health declined a little during winter when they weren’t regularly consuming herbs or other greens. So, I started supplementing my flock’s diet with herbal tea in winter.
Since introducing wintertime teas, my chickens have been as vigorous and healthy in the winter as they are the rest of the year. I have also noticed fewer winter deaths. So, if you want healthy hens this winter, look no further than wintertime teas.
Brewing Tea
Winter can be difficult for chickens as the snowy conditions make accessing fresh greens and herbs impossible. Not only does foraging for these nutritious plants act as fun mental stimulations, but they also provide chickens with essential vitamins, minerals and other health benefits. And tea is one of the best ways to incorporate herbs into your flock’s winter diet!
Brewing tea for your chickens is as easy as brewing a cup of tea for yourself. Start by boiling 1½ cups of water. Add 1 teaspoon of dried herbs to boiling water. Cover the tea and remove from heat. Let steep for 20 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Serve to your flock by mixing 1 cup of herbal tea into 1 gallon of water.
Winter Herbs for Healthy Hens
While many culinary herbs benefit chickens, the herbs below are some of the best to boost chickens’ health during the colder months.
CINNAMON/OREGANO: While cinnamon and oregano tea may sound like something other than the tastiest combination, this tea is an herbal powerhouse. This tea is my go-to for treating minor respiratory problems. Cinnamon is also one of the best herbs to aid digestion and positively affects the G.I. tract, helping with digestion and absorption. At the same time, oregano works as a natural antibiotic and helps ward off viruses (including the avian flu) and bacteria found in many chicken runs. Both of these herbs are also considered immune boosters and anti-inflammatories.
To serve, dilute one-half cup (4 fl.oz.) of tea into one gallon of water.
THYME: During the winter months, our hens spend more time in the coop. While staying indoors during snowy days is vital for your flock’s survival, it can cause extra moisture to build up in the coop. In extreme cases, this moisture can cause respiratory issues in the flock. Thyme is excellent at boosting respiratory health and is also high in antioxidants, supporting a healthy immune system. One of the best antiparasitics in the herb world, thyme is a natural insect repellant and antihelminthic.
While thyme has many health benefits, it is also a potent herb. When brewing thyme tea for your flock, steep one-half teaspoon of dried thyme in one and a half cups of water. Dilute one cup in a gallon of water.
BASIL: If you are looking for a “one herb wonder” to treat all your poultry health problems, basil may be that herb. This herb has many beneficial flavonoids, vitamins and minerals to boost your flock’s immune systems. Basil also works as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anticancer, antifungal and antiviral.
DILL: While dill is often overlooked when brewing tea for poultry, this tender herb offers many year-round benefits for chickens. Dill is excellent in aiding in digestive health, including stimulating the appetite. This quality is essential in winter, as chickens that aren’t consuming enough food could quickly grow weak and die. Ensuring your flock’s appetite is in peak condition during the cold winter is vital to keep hens thriving through winter and ensure their bodies are healthy enough to resume laying in the spring.
Dill also aids in respiratory health and is considered an antioxidant, anticancer and natural anti-inflammatory.
An Herb to Avoid in Winter
While many culinary herbs are beneficial in winter, some members of the mint family are best to avoid when temperatures dip below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. However, the herbs listed below are safe to feed fresh or steeped in tea during the warmer months.
MINT:Everyone loves mint, including chickens, so why should you avoid mint tea during the winter months? Some experts suggest that peppermint naturally helps lower body temperatures in chickens (and humans). Drinking a hot cup of peppermint tea in winter doesn’t negatively affect humans, but our chickens out in the cold and wind may not fare well. While more studies are needed to conclude this suggestion, I am always cautious and avoid feeding peppermint or other mint varieties during the colder months.
Erin Synder
A Word on Lemon Balm
Even though lemon balm is a member of the mint family, this tea has long been known as an antitumor. Due to the high risk of domestic chickens being diagnosed with reproductive tumors, I serve lemon balm tea year-round to my flock. Because lemon balm does have the same cooling properties found in other mint, adding lemon balm tea to your flock’s drinking water in the winter shouldn’t have any ill effects.
Supplementing your flock’s diet in winter will help keep healthy hens happy year-round. And resume laying those spring eggs every flock owner is eagerly anticipating.
Whether your farm receives 10 inches or 10 feet of snow per winter, your most important farm machines (like your ATV, UTV, tractor, etc.) should be ready to handle the conditions. When winter weather gets tough, your farm machines need to keep going.
The key is to be prepared before the first snowstorm strikes. You don’t want to be scrambling to find tire chains and trade out a mower deck for a snow blower attachment when (surprise!) you get 8 inches of snow overnight and it’s difficult to walk to your barn. Nor do you want your tractor struggling to start on a cold morning when there’s much work to be done.
Let’s walk through the steps to prepare your farm machines for maximum winter performance.
Prep From the Inside Out
It’s tempting to focus on outer accoutrements that make machines visibly winter-worthy, but you shouldn’t overlook the basics: the inner adjustments that can’t be seen at a glance but are important at a foundational level.
Even before you turn your attention to winter prep, your farm machines should be up to date on regular maintenance. Do air filters need to be cleaned or replaced? Do any fluids need to be replenished? Even if you’re on top of engine maintenance, your farm machines might appreciate a deep cleaning of accumulated dirt and debris before winter strikes.
Once you’re finished, you can dive into the following winter adjustments.
Winter-Worthy Oil
Modern engine oil is remarkable. Multigrade oils such as 5W-30 stay thin enough in cold temperatures to facilitate engine starting, but thicken up sufficiently to keep the engine running safely at high temperatures. The range of temperatures they can handle is impressive compared to single-grade oils.
Oil grades (also known as weights) are measured by the SAE J300 standard. If a number is followed by a “W,” it’s measuring cold-weather performance; the lower the number, the better the oil can handle cold temperatures. Unmarked numbers measure oil viscosity at 212 degrees Fahrenheit; the higher the number, the better the oil can handle hot ambient temperatures.
In many cases, a multigrade oil works well all year, especially for farm machines kept in a heated garage where they aren’t exposed to extremely cold winter temperatures when starting. But if your workhorse plow tractor lives outside under a lean-to all winter, you may want to switch out its summer oil for one offering better cold-weather performance. Consult the machine’s manual for advice. Chances are there will be recommendations for the type of oil to use based on the ambient temperature.
Engine Heaters
If your machine lives outdoors and starting in cold weather is problematic even with a winter-grade oil, consider adding a heater to the engine. An engine block heater, an oil pan heater, a heater installed in place of the dipstick, etc. will keep the engine (and the oil) warm and improve cold-weather starting, provided you park close enough to an electrical outlet for the heater to operate.
Diesel Fuel Gelling
At temperatures below 32 degrees, diesel fuel starts to gel. As the temperature drops even lower, the gelled fuel can clog the fuel filter, preventing your engine from running. The critical temperature is known as the cold filter plugging point.
Fuel gelling is less likely to be a concern if your diesel machine parks in a heated garage when not in use; out and about on cold days, the running of the engine will discourage the fuel from gelling. But if you plan on leaving a diesel engine outside when temperatures are below 32 degrees, you’ll want to take steps to prevent fuel gelling.
Mixing diesel No. 1 fuel (which contains kerosene) with diesel No. 2 fuel can lower the temperature at which the mixture starts to gel. The appropriate ratio of diesel No. 1 to diesel No. 2depends on how cold the weather is expected to be; as a general rule of thumb, every 10 percent addition of diesel No. 1 lowers the cold filter plugging point by approximately 5 degrees, maybe a little less.
Fuel additives can similarly discourage gelling and lower the cold filter plugging point. When cold weather is in the forecast, follow the instructions to mix an appropriate amount of additive into your diesel fuel.
If this all sounds complicated, the good news is, your local gas station likely sells premixed winter-ready diesel fuel suitable for your area. So long as you switch to the winter-ready fuel shortly before problematic temperatures strikes, you should be good to go.
Fuel Stabilizers
Not every farm machine needs to be prepped for winter duty, because some will spend the winter slumbering away until spring. But it doesn’t take long for gasoline and diesel fuel to start degrading inside farm machines unused during winter, which can hurt the engines.
What’s the solution? You could drain the fuel tanks, but that takes time and allows water to condensate inside the fuel tank, which can corrode the fuel system. Instead, use a fuel stabilizer to slow down the degrading of fuel. Follow the instructions to mix the right amount of stabilizer into the fuel system, and your farm machines can be safely stored—fuel and all—during the winter off season.
Batteries
Batteries don’t like cold weather. To make sure a battery is ready to fire up an engine in cold weather, take good care of them. If a machine is going to be stored in the cold and used infrequently, considering disconnecting and even removing the battery when not in use. Store the battery in a warmer location for best results.
Aim to keep the battery fully charged as well. Starting a cold engine requires a lot of power, so letting the battery run down (whether from lack of use or too many starts in short order) can be problematic in winter.
J. Keeler Johnson
Properly Inflated Tires
Cold weather can mess with the air pressure inside your tires, causing the psi (pound-force per square inch) to drop lower than ideal. Before winter strikes, make sure the tires on your vehicles are inflated to the proper psi, and don’t forget to check them again when temperatures drop.
Maintaining the proper psi is important. While some folks subscribe to the theory that mildly underinflated tires offer better winter traction (because more of the tread comes in contact with the ground), this can damage tires and wheels, negatively affect steering and reduce driving safety. There are better ways to improve traction, which is an important point, because when conditions get tough, peak performance is all about traction.
Traction
When the ground is snowy and/or icy, maintaining suitable traction between tires and the ground can be difficult, especially for lightweight machines and those without four-wheel drive or aggressive tire treads. Those turf tires that are so kind on your lawn aren’t designed for getting a good grip in slushy snow.
There are several ways to improve tire traction. If you’re preparing a vehicle for clearing snow or navigating particularly challenging winter terrain, you may want to combine two or more of the following add-ons to boost traction and performance.
Snow Tires
Suitable snow tires might not be available for every farm machine you own, but for certain farm machines (such as a farm truck equipped with a snowplow), you may want to switch out your regular tires for snow tires during winter.
Snow tires are designed to improve traction on snow and ice. They feature deep, aggressive treads, and they’re better able to handle cold temperatures. If you opt for snow tires, install them on every wheel; don’t mix and match them with regular tires.
Tire Chains
An effective traction boost can be gained by installing tire chains, which wrap around tires to firmly grip snow and ice. While not infallible, they’re pretty much a must-have accessory if you’re going to use an ATV, UTV or even a tractor to clear snow. If your vehicle has four-wheel drive, you’ll want chains for all four tires. If you’re working with two-wheel drive, chains on the drive wheels should be sufficient. Follow the instructions to install the chains, tightening them as best you can. You may have to drive forward a short distance to check if any more slack develops; if so, tighten the chains again.
Tire chains are awesome in many winter situations, but they shouldn’t be used at speeds over 30 miles per hour. Nor should tire chains be used on dry roads; if there isn’t a cushion of snow and ice, you’ll wear out the chains and possibly damage the road as well.
To purchase the right size chains for your vehicle, you’ll need to know the width of each tire from sidewall to sidewall, the diameter of the tire and the tire height aspect ratio—all of which are likely inscribed on the sides of your tires. Many chains fit more than one size of tire, so you have a bit of wiggle room. In addition, the manufacturer may provide instructions for purchasing the right size.
Ballast
Ballast comes in many forms and has a couple of purposes. For lightweight vehicles, ballast improves traction by increasing the weight pressing down on the tires. For vehicles operating with heavy attachments on the front or rear end (such as a snow blower or snowplow), ballast carried at the opposite end counterbalances the implement weight to prevent vehicle damage and maintain proper traction for steering and drive power.
Common types of ballast include:
suitcase weights:Square or rectangular weights with handles, designed to be quickly and conveniently installed at the front or rear of a vehicle. They come in varying sizes and can be perfect for counterbalancing heavy implements.
ballast box: A ballast box installs on the three-point hitch of a tractor and can be filled with heavy items (dirt, rocks, concrete blocks, etc.)to counterbalance a heavy load on the front end.
tube sandbags: Stacking sandbags in the back of a farm truck puts weight over the drive wheels (assuming it has rear-wheel drive), increasing traction for plowing snow and gripping slippery terrain.
concrete block or cylinder: If you want to take a DIY approach, some people fuse three-point hitch pins inside a large concrete block or cylinder, which can then be picked up by the three-point hitch and used as an effective counterweight.
wheel weights: Installing weights directly on wheel rims or axles places a focus on increasing traction rather than counterbalancing a load (though they can help with that, too). As an added benefit, this approach takes weight off the frame of the tractor.
liquid tire ballast: By filling your tires with a heavy liquid, you can increase traction without straining other tractor components. You’ll need a liquid that can tolerate subfreezing temperatures, so plain water is out.
Calcium chloride has long been an option, but it’s corrosive and known for damaging wheel rims. Windshield washer fluid and antifreeze (the latter when mixed with water) are other possibilities, but both are toxic. Beet juice is more expensive, but it’s nontoxic and resists freezing to negative 35 degrees.
Snow-Clearing Attachments
Of course, improving traction won’t get you very far if your farm is buried under 3 feet of snow. Removing snow from your driveway and major pathways is critical to keep your farm in action when heavy snowstorms strike.
Fortunately, your tractor, farm truck, UTV and even your ATV can assist in clearing snow using one of three common attachments.
Daniel Johnson
Front-End Loader
A front-end loader is an effective means of shifting snow around to clear a driveway or regain walking/driving access to farm buildings. The advantages are compelling: there’s a good chance you already own a front-end loader, and it’s easy to take it off road compared to maneuvering a 7-foot snow blower attachment.
There are some downsides, however. Clearing snow with a front-end loader can be time-consuming and a bit messy. A typical bucket is oriented straight ahead and can’t be angled, which isn’t the best for plowing snow. You may have to frequently raise the bucket, turn and dump snow off the path you’re clearing.
If you don’t receive more than a few inches of snow in any given snowstorm, and if you need to clear only a short driveway and a couple of walking paths, a front-end loader can be a great choice. But for handling larger volumes of snow, a snowplow or snow blower may prove more suitable.
Snowplow
Snowplows come in many styles and sizes. Gaining control over the blade angle makes them fast and effective for clearing long driveways and pathways. They’re good at scraping snow down close to the ground, and they’re less expensive than snow blowers of similar size.
Where snowplows can struggle is in deep snow. If you get 2 feet of wet, heavy snow, your vehicle may struggle to push the plow through the snow, especially if you’re using a lightweight machine such as an ATV or UTV. Tight spaces can also be tricky for snowplows, and care must be taken to ensure that the snow piles you create are positioned where they won’t become problematic as winter drags on (and the piles get bigger).
Snow Blower
A snow blower attachment is highly effective in areas where snowstorms regularly produce a foot or more of snow. They’re not as fast to operate as a snowplow, but they can cleanly and methodically remove large volumes of snow. And because a snow blower discharges snow in a user-controlled direction as it operates, you won’t accumulate the large snow piles that can result from snowplow usage.
The main downside to a snow blower is the cost; they’re more complex than snowplows and pricier as a result. And in some cases, they’re less suitable for scraping snow all the way down to the ground; even if your snow blower features a scraping blade, you’ll have to be careful over some surfaces (such as gravel) to avoid scraping down and picking up debris that could damage the blades or discharge chute.
Snow blowers come in many sizes. A 7-foot snow blower will clear more snow in a single pass than a 4-foot snow blower, but narrower snow blowers are more maneuverable. You should also consider the number of stages; a single-stage snow blower handles a foot or less of light snow, while a two-stage snow blower is well-suited to most jobs and a three-stage snow blower aims to clear as much as 2 feet of heavy snow and ice.
Consider a Cab
Clearing snow on cold winter days can be unpleasant, especially if it’s windy and snow is blowing back in your face. Installing a cab on your vehicle can help protect you from the elements. It doesn’t have to be a full-fledged hard cab with a heater, though you’ll certainly enjoy that setup.
Soft cabs provide helpful protection from snow and wind and can be a relatively inexpensive choice for small, lightweight vehicles. See if there are cab options available from your machine’s manufacturer; if not, there may be suitable third-party cabs available.
Once your machines are decked out for winter, you may feel invincible, like there’s no task you can’t handle. But that feeling quickly goes away when your tractor-mounted snow blower is buried in a snowdrift and your tractor is helplessly spinning its wheels (chains and all) in slushy, muddy snow.
Common sense goes a long way when dealing with winter conditions. Start slow, and don’t push your machines beyond their means. Stay on top of snow clearing, and don’t let too much accumulate before you dig in. Keep up with regular maintenance and remember, the coming of spring is inevitable, and before you know it you’ll be performing all these steps in reverse to celebrate the end of winter.
This article originally appeared in the Nov./Dec. 2023 issue of Hobby Farms magazine.
Did you know January is National Mail Order Gardening Month? January is the perfect time of year to hunt through seed, garden, and nursery catalogs, shopping for the perfect plants to grow in gardens and orchards.
I love picking out varieties that I’ve never tried before, because—to me—experimenting with new and different plants is half the fun. Here are three plants that I’m excited to grow for the first time in 2024.
1. Apricot Tree
My orchard is filled with fruit trees that are hardy to northern Wisconsin winters: more than a dozen varieties of apples, three different kinds of plums, three types of cherries and even a couple of pears.
But I’m also branching out with more adventurous specimens. A couple of years ago I planted a cold-hardy Contender Peach tree that is doing well. And in 2024, I intend to plant a similarly cold-hardy apricot tree.
I haven’t seriously considered planting apricots in the past because I assumed they weren’t hardy enough for my region. But shopping through catalogs this winter, it seems there are at least a couple of varieties hardy to Zone 4.
Emboldened by this discovery, I’m going to give an apricot a try. My orchard is situated on a south-facing slope, so as with my peach tree, I’ll plant my apricot at the top of the hill (for frost protection), where it will be protected from harsh winter winds by rows of windbreak trees to the west, north and east.
By taking this approach–and by mulching it thoroughly before each winter—I’m optimistic my apricot will not only survive, but thrive.
2. Jarrahdale Pumpkins
I have a tendency to grow the same pumpkin varieties year after year. Early Prince and Casperita are my two favorites. They’ve proven productive and consistent in my raised garden beds.
But last year, I expanded my horizons with Big Max pumpkins. The plants struggled a bit with health issues, but I did manage to grow two hefty pumpkins—one of them the largest I’ve ever grown.
Now that I’ve conquered “big pumpkins,” I’m going to branch into growing different colors. I love my miniature white Casperita pumpkins, and in 2024 I’m going to plant blue Jarrahdale pumpkins.
When I saw them in a seed catalog, I knew I had to give them a try. Blue is a relatively uncommon color in nature, and blue pumpkins will be a delight to grow. The only tricky part is the fact they require 100 days or more to grow and ripen. I may start them off indoors as seedlings to give them a head start.
3. Mongolian Giant Sunflowers
I enjoy growing American Giant sunflowers each year and will plant more in 2024. But I’m going to try another variety as well: Mongolian Giant.
It seems that Mongolian Giants can grow to extraordinary size—more than a dozen feet tall, with flower heads as wide as 1 1/2 feet. I plan to grow them in a rich bed of compost soil, giving them every chance to live up to the “Giant” part of their name. I may even stake a few of them to provide extra support and see if they’ll grower taller as a result.
Can you believe it? We’ve reached the beginning of January! While each season brings its own good and bad points, the cold weather can be a challenge for me. When I’m cold, it’s hard for me to get motivated and get to work. But when I’ve made smart choices and prepared myself ahead of time for the job at hand, whether that be caring for cattle or performing other farm chores, I function better in winter.
While our cattle might be more suited for the outdoor winter temperatures than we are, the bitter temperatures, biting wind and blinding snow (although that doesn’t happen too often here) can still be unpleasant for them. Depending on what breed of cattle you have and where they originate from, some can be more tolerant of nasty conditions than others. But with some proper care and preparation done ahead of time, you can make your animals much more comfortable throughout the harsh winter days.
Here are some things to keep in mind and mistakes to avoid as you consider caring for your own cattle during the winter months.
Weather
Although you can’t do much to change the weather conditions themselves, you can work extra hard to protect your herd from the elements. Days that vary greatly in temperature with too-hot daytime hours and too-cold nights can be some of the hardest for cattle to manage.
Wet conditions can also be a challenge, especially if there’s no dry place for them to lie down. If you find that it’s especially wet and cold outside, some ways to help them cope include:
Having them out on grass or pasture rather than in a dry lot.
If in a dry lot, offer a mound of dirt that the water can run off of and where they will have a dry spot to lay on.
If needed, use equipment to go into the pen or lot and manually clear away a large space that will give them solid ground to rest on.
Water
While cattle desperately need water during the summer as they battle through the toasty months, it’s also extremely important to keep a close eye on the water supply during the winter as well. Even though there might be water in the tank, it might be stuck under several inches of ice. Ponds can freeze over, water fountains can malfunction, and stock tanks can become blocks of ice.
For frozen ponds, it’s helpful to keep an axe or other tool handy to chop accessible drinking holes through the ice. For water fountains, check them regularly to ensure that the heating elements are doing their jobs and keep any necessary spare parts on hand for quick repairs.
If putting water in a stock tank, it can be good to avoid filling it completely full so that it won’t freeze solid at the top.
Feed
Cattle “burn” through a lot of feed when it’s really cold outside as they essentially eat to stay warm. Feed rations can be adjusted as needed to help meet their nutritional requirements during the colder months.
Keep well stocked with good quality hay and grain, and avoid waiting until it’s getting cold to go buy feed.
Bedding
At times if it is quite cold out, straw bales can be rolled out on the ground for the cattle to lay down in. The straw acts as insulation and can even be used out in a calving pasture if calves are being born and need a place to lay.
When it comes to wind, offer a wind-block or some protected place where animals can get a break from the wind.
Calving
Speaking of calving, if your cow herd has early “spring calves” toward the beginning of the year, not only will you need to be regularly keeping on top of their normal needs such as feed, water and protection from the elements, but you’ll want to watch out for any other potential threats to the new calves as well.
These threats can be in the form of anything from a physical hazard in the pasture (like a ditch with frozen water that a calf could become trapped in), to an inexperienced heifer that doesn’t get the calf cleaned off and nursing in time, or even a hungry predator that is hoping to catch its next meal in your calving pasture. Regularly check in to make sure that all babies are accounted for and hopefully warmly nursing right under mama.
As you raise and care for your cattle year after year, you’ll become more accustomed to what their needs will be, where your most common problems often arise, and what you can do to become better prepared for them.
So grab an extra pair of long johns and wrap that scarf a little tighter. You’ve got cattle to feed!
Another principle is wild ecosystems that they build potential. When you have a field of corn, you start with a certain number of seeds. If you fertilize the field and have a successful year, you will get a good yield of corn cobs with much more seed than when you started. This is agriculture.
But, if you don’t dry the seed, save it over the winter, then prepare the land and seed the corn again, then the landscape will yield nothing the next year. Yes, nothing will grow that is of use to the farmer or the community that eats the corn, aside from some random weeds.
On the other hand, an ecosystem builds potential with time. If you plant a diversified field—or in our case a yard with fruits, nuts, berries and herbs—and you leave it, it will continue to produce. In five years, there will be more fruits than previously. The soil will be richer from fallen and composted leaves, and the soil will host new habitat for soil organisms to help fix nitrogen and access deeper nutrients in the soil.
This is not just a difference between an annual and a perennial agriculture, either. An orchard with only apples will be less resilient if there is a major pest outbreak than a diversified fruit forest with many different varieties. Yes, perhaps some varieties in the fruit forest will fail due to pests, but others will fill in the gaps and the ecosystem continues to build potential as a whole.
A community built from ecosystem landscapes using sustainable gardening principles will in, say, 15 years present many benefits and opportunities. Community members can harvest fruits, nuts or herbs. They can graft scion wood and sell fruit trees. They can chip pruning for edible mushrooms and so on.
The community will also have increased wellness from the beautiful and bountiful landscapes through local, nutrient-dense food. And these ecosystems also provode the health benefits of “forest bathing,” which has proven that rich colors, scents and textures of natural landscapes have beneficial effects on human mental, emotional and physical health. Wow, it really is a pharmacy!
Holistic Soil
Finally, all terrestrial ecosystems are deeply connected to their soil. And this soil is alive!
The term “holistic soil” refers to a soil that has a balance of mineral material, organic matter and pore space for air and water. Indeed, an ideal soil composition is about 45 percent mineral, 5 percent organic matter, 25 percent air and 25 percent water. This means 50 percent of the soil is actually openings in the soil aggregates for air and water (otherwise known as pore space). These macro pores and micro pores (as they can be classified) help to keep the soil hydrated and aerated, which help plants survive.
This provides good drainage in major storms and provides oxygen for decomposition of organic matter.
However, and of the utmost importance, is the fact that a well-balanced soil also helps sustain soil life. Within the soil there is a micro ecosystem of organisms: from bacteria that fix nitrogen from the atmosphere, to mycorrhizal fungi that share resources with plants and arthropods that help shred and decompose organic leaf litter into more soluble and plant-available nutrients. Soil is like a city with pathways of transport, communication, plumbing and electricity. Soil even holds houses and places of work!
When we support a healthy structure to the soil in our garden, by avoiding compaction, and providing protection over the winter through cover cropping, and regular additions of organic matter, then our “soil society” thrives and provides support for the plants we want to grow. Natural ecosystems have thriving soil life, and our garden should too!
When we use these sustainable garden practices in our gardens and yards, we maximize the benefits of wild ecosystems, such as the improved soil health and its ability to fix, store, cycle and release nutrients and water to our garden plants. This creates gardens that are more drought resistant and self-regulating for fertility.
Good ecosystem design also creates plants that are healthier and more resistant to pests! A plant that is healthy can easily acquire the nutrients it needs to grow vigorously and will more quickly develop strong shields made of lipids in their leaves to defend against the chewing insects like flea beetles.
Ecosystems are biodiverse, full of site-suitable plants, with layered form and many functions, as well as constantly building overall potential such as dynamic holistic soil rich in organic matter and teaming with life. Ecosystem design, and all the benefits it provides now and into the future, can start with simply integrating layered diversity into our yards and protecting and enhancing the soil.
In my WECK Small-Batch Preserving cookbook, I share a recipe for a savory leek paste that my friend Holly Howe contributed. Holly is the author of Mouthwatering Sauerkraut and developed this delicious, fermented recipe.
This leek paste is used to enhance soups, stews, sauteed greens and pasta dishes. It also makes a great spread for cheese and crackers or a savory spread for sandwiches.
Wash and prepare leeks by removing the outer leaves and cutting off the darkest portion of each stalk. Slice lengthwise into uniform-sized pieces. Rinse under cold water, removing any dirt and grit.
In a food processor, pulse the garlic until finely chopped, then add leeks and pulse again until roughly chopped. Add remaining ingredients.
Pack mixture into a clean pint canning jar, leaving 1 to 2 inches of headspace. Push the paste down well so that there are no air bubbles within the mixture. Apply the jar lid and tightly screw on the ring.
Fermentation
This is a 3-to-5-day ferment. Ferment at room temperature and keep out of direct sunlight.
Open the jar once daily, and (with a clean utensil) stir the mixture. Pat it back down to remove any air pockets. Taste test the paste on day 4 to determine if it’s finished fermenting. It should have a slightly sour taste, and the flavors should have melded together. An indication that the paste is finished and ready to enjoy is when the bright green color of the leeks has dulled and the leeks have softened.
Once complete, store in an airtight container and transfer to the refrigerator.
Every day of farming is filled with its own joys and challenges. Perhaps you’re new to farming and need some additional financial resources. Or maybe you’ve been farming for years and have an idea you wish you could pursue in growing production, adding a new stream of income or researching a specific crop or product.
A farm grant is a way to add needed financial resources to your efforts of growth or expansion. One way to launch into something new—whether it’s learning to farm as a beginner or gaining project momentum—is tapping into a grant opportunity.
Research, Research, Research
An internet search may appear to have tons of farm grant opportunities available to you. Looking deeply, though, you may discover that not all are a fit for your needs. For example, many posts are titled as grants but represent loan programs. Some suggest “free money” but aren’t free.
If you’re considering finding a farmgrant opportunity, be prepared to apply careful research skills to your efforts. Keep an eye out for fact sheets about specific grants. Just like weeding in gardens, you’ll need to weed out those that appear to offer some of what you need but aren’t a very close match.
While it’s tempting to pursue the “close enough” fit, this can be detrimental overall. Pursue grants that are the very best match possible. Choosing the right farm grant (or grants) to apply for is essential to your success.
Field Notes
There are many resources for grant funding. From the state level to corporate grants to federal opportunities. Here are just a few locations to begin your search:
You may also explore farm grant funding available through your state’s soil and water conservation district, land grant universities, farm bureaus and departments of natural resources to name a few.
Once you have narrowed your search, become a student of the grant you think you’d like to pursue. Read carefully and thoroughly through the request for proposal (aka RFP). Be sure you’re clear on what the grantor will fund and whether it’s a strong fit for the project for which you desire funding.
This is essential. Grant funding is a very competitive process, so pay close attention to projects that will be funded by the grantor.
Field Notes
If you’re seeking a way to start a farm or purchase land, grants are generally not an option. Instead, understand that grants may enable you to expand a specific part of your farming business or provide funds for a new venture on your existing farm.
The Grant Cycle
Just like farming, grants are generally available on a cyclical basis. As you research and identify a grant you want to pursue, you’ll need to be mindful of the proposal deadline. Meeting deadlines is a critical part of the process. If the deadline is months away, break the grant development into doable steps so that you aren’t waiting until the last minute to develop your proposal.
While planting and harvesting may be weather dependent, grant writing isn’t. If there is more than one farm grant you would like to pursue, create a writing calendar so you can prepare proposals over time.
Field Notes
Grants often ask similar questions. As you develop answers to one grant’s questions, you’re also developing content that can be recycled and tweaked for another proposal. Nothing is wasted when it comes to writing the narrative of your farm.
Courtesy USDA/Preston Keres
Tell Your Story!
Grant writing is really a story-telling process. Whether you’re part of generational farming or you’re new to the business, it’s important to put your story into words. Being able to describe yourself, your purpose and intention and what it is you’re seeking is challenging and fun. It can also be time-consuming.
Here’s where understanding the exact parameters of the grant will enable you to write and then fine-tune your proposal.
Pay close attention to the directions for the grant. Word or character counts matter if they are described with each question. If you make changes in what you’ve written, go back and be sure you’re still within the word count. Carefully read each question and answer it with close attention to exactly what is being asked. If the question is multilayered, include in the answer all aspects of the question.
A key aspect of your proposal is the budget. First, request an amount aligned with the funder’s giving. It may seem like a good idea to ask for more than they traditionally give, but this can simply get your proposal thrown out.
Be very careful with your request. Following the parameters of how the budget is to be presented to the letter. If the amount you seek needs to be outlined in detail, break it down according to what the grantor asks for. Use caution in your request. It’s recommended that you not exceed the amount the funder gives in your proposal.
Field Notes
Know your strong suit. If you’re great at telling the story of your farming business but numbers aren’t really your thing, seek help. A business partner, friend, colleague or experienced financial person can help you provide the correct numbers for your proposal.
In the end, you don’t want any mathematical errors in your budget! Triple check every detail before submissions.
Learn More
Perhaps you’ve found what seems like the perfect grant for our farming operation. Take steps to learn more! On the grantor’s website can you find a listing of previous recipients? It’s worth carefully studying their projects, funding amounts and process.
You may reach out to someone who received the grant and ask more questions. How did they go about applying? Did they apply more than once before winning an award? What did they learn from the process? Do they have any tips? Do they know a grant manager for the program they can refer you to?
If the grant manager is identified on the grant’s website, reach out to that individual. Introduce yourself and schedule an exploratory conversation. This conversation is the place to float your idea. Prepare in advance so that you’re respectful of the individual’s time.
Have your questions ready. Be as specific as possible. Remember, you’re also making a first impression. This person is likely taking a few notes about you—so you could consider it an interview of sorts. Most of all you’re seeking to build a connection that will help your proposal rise to the surface during the review process.
Whether you’re interviewing a recipient or the grants manager, be curious, respectful and appreciative! If you discover your project isn’t the right fit for this funder, stay the course, you’re one step closer to submitting a proposal in the best possible circumstances to win an award.
Field Notes
Careful review and understanding of the funds available from a grantor will remain essential through the entire process. Know that some grantors desire that you have matching funds available from your existing resources. You’ll need to be prepared to verify this in the application process.
Other funders will inquire about your track record. They want to know if you’ve received and managed awards before. Small grant awards can help you work your way toward larger awards.
Winning an Award
It can be thrilling to win your first grant award. Congratulations if that is you! Now comes another level of the process. Once you’ve been notified of your award, pay close attention to instructions that arrive with your notification. They’ll make clear the expectation of reporting on how you spent this generous gift.
Depending upon the organization, you may be required to provide receipts, detailed notes or standard accounting practices based on the size and scope of your award. You may need to solicit expertise in that case to be sure you fulfill the responsibilities related to your award.
This is another critical part of the process. Winning more awards to fund your efforts may hinge on your success in acquiring grants—no matter how small—as well as recordkeeping and management of grant funds. Ultimately, you want to be able to demonstrate your capacity for handling funds provided through
a granting organization.
Details, Details, Details
Just like farming, grant submission is all about attention to details. Whether it’s seeds and fertilizer or weather or record keeping, you already know a lot about paying attention to details. When it comes to grants, seasons with application deadlines exist. As you research grant opportunities and explore your options, look closely at submission deadlines, be observant of projects which received awards in the last three years and take time to speak to past recipients.
Another way to support your grant writing knowledge and expertise is to volunteer to be a grant reviewer with a local agency. This is an excellent way to learn more about what grant funders and administrators are looking for when reviewing an application.
Learn all you can even as you begin to make notes about your own project or idea. Successful grant proposals hinge on your attention to detail. Answer all of the questions clearly and concisely within the word or character count. Turn your grant proposal in early or on time. These details can determine whether your proposal makes it past an initial review.
Finally, try not to be discouraged if you don’t receive an award. Follow up by visiting with a grant writer to learn how you can do better next time. Perhaps find someone who will coach you through the process.
Or, better yet, reach out to the granting organization to ask questions about your proposal or the process. Find out where you fell short. Be curious about how your grant did or did not measure up compared to the competition. This is useful information, and it lets the granting agency know that you have a desire to improve your application in the future.
Grant writing is a process of relationship building. Approach the process with that in mind, stay curious and ask questions so that you can submit the best possible proposal.
What Projects Are Eligible?
If you’re wondering what farm projects grants can cover, here are some examples of topical areas that Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) grants can address.
cover crops
crop rotations
high tunnels and season extension
integrated systems
local and regional food systems
marketing
no-till and conservation tillage
on-farm renewable energy
pastured livestock and rotational grazing
pest and weed management
pollinators
small ruminants
sustainable communities
This article originally appeared in the Nov./Dec. 2023 issue of Hobby Farms magazine.
A fire crackles in the woodstove that’s nestled in the corner of the dining room. The smell of a wood fire drifts through the house, along with the scent of freshly cut pine boughs and drying orange slices. A small stack of firewood split logs sits neatly beside the stove, waiting to be added once the fire begins to die down.
Whether it’s for the radiating heat that can warm any cold body or the extra sense of security that a back-up heat source offers, investing in firewood heat for your home can be beneficial and enjoyable.
Before you dive right in and begin chopping down the shade tree in the backyard for firewood, you need to be aware of a few basic things, not only about the type of firewood you use to heat with but also how to safely cut it down and store it.
Wood Basics
The type of firewood you choose to burn might vary from region to region and depend on what trees are plentiful nearby. Around my area in central Kansas, Osage orange (hedge) seems to be a popular choice. Considered a hard wood, when burned after curing (drying), it produces an excellent, long-lasting heat.
Retired fish and wildlife expert Clarke Dirks has been cutting and heating with firewood for years.He also burns hedge but prefers to let it dry and cure about two years before use. Hedge wood can withstand this long curing period. It’s an extremely dense wood and resistant to bugs and rot.
Dirks points out that other types of firewood wouldn’t need to cure (and wouldn’t last) as long as hedge wood before burning, though. For example, species such as cottonwood, elm and hackberry could be dried in less time (probably six to eight months), while oak should be left to dry for a full year.
A general tip Dirks shares is that lighter woods should be cured for at least eight months, while hard firewoods should spend at least 12 months drying. For more information on how to choose which type of wood would work best for you, study the BTU ratings for the different types. This will tell you how much heat a cord of wood would produce. Check out the Utah State Forestry Extension chart online.
Chainsaw Basics
While an axe will never run low on gas, chainsaws offer a great way to cut wood much more quickly and efficiently. When well maintained and used safely, you’ll have a stack of firewood piled up before you know it.
Make sure the saw you choose to use for the job is adequately sized for you and the tree. Avoid something that is so large and heavy that you will tire quickly just holding it.
If looking to purchase a used saw, check on the following before handing over the money.
Observe overall signs of wear.
Notice how faded and scratched up the plastic is.
Look for any signs of oil leaks.
Check for strong compression when pulling the pull rope like you were going to start it.
If removing the muffler, notice if the pistons look scored or the inside of muffler looks burned.
Check the edges of bar for wear.
Notice if the chain is loose on the bar.
Listen to how it runs. Is it running too “rich?”
Check the air filter, as you won’t want a saw that has sucked dirt into the engine.
Look at the underside of the saw to see how much paint is worn off from wood chips.
MoiraM/Adobe Stock
Chainsaw Maintenance
Before you head out to start cutting, check your saw over and make sure it’s in good working condition. The air filter should be clean, and the chain should be sharp and have enough oil in the chain lubricant case to keep it well-oiled as you cut. As you consider the chain, make sure it’s the correct length for the saw blade and tight enough on the bar to cut well.
When it comes to fuel for your saw, avoid using straight gasoline in a two-stroke engine. Use good quality fuel, and mix it with two-stroke oil before adding to your saw. Another thing to keep a close eye on is the carburetor, which should be adjusted correctly or else it could cause damage to your engine.
(If you’re unsure of how to do this yourself, find someone that is reputable and understands chainsaws and carburetors to work on it for you.)
Cutting the Wood
Once you have any necessary safety gear and your saw is serviced and ready to go, it’s time to choose a tree that needs cleaned up.
Ideally, look for at least 6 to 8 feet of open space in all directions around the tree you select and have a path of escape chosen in case of emergency. Dirks encourages that if there is more than one person working in the area, keep a safe distance from each other and alert them if you’re working on a situation that could potentially turn dangerous for others.
Be alert! Have a plan ready in case something begins to fall in the wrong direction.
Use the right size saw for the job that you’re tackling. If it’s too small of a saw, it might not reach all the way through a large tree. Be aware also of the wind direction before you cut, and, if needed, a wedge can be cut away at the base of the tree to help direct it as it falls. Be careful, though, because cutting away a wedge doesn’t guarantee the tree will fall in that direction. Likewise, caution should be used in how you cut, to avoid the chainsaw bar and chain getting pinched inside the tree if the weight of the tree shifts. This can cause an issue when trying to get the saw back out of the tree.
If cutting up a fallen tree on the ground, begin by removing all the smaller, outer limbs and work your way back to the main trunk of the tree. Limbs can either be discarded later, or, as Dirks suggests, left in a brush pile which will allow songbirds a place to roost, woodpeckers a place to feed, and rabbits, mice and ground birds (including pheasants and quail) a place to shelter.
Once the smaller limbs have been removed, the main trunk can be cut up piece by piece, making sure that the logs are short enough that you can pick them up and fit them in your stove. Depending on the width of the tree, consider splitting them before burning. Splitting can be dangerous, so use caution when doing it, whether by hand or with one of the various types of splitters.
As you process the tree, it can be helpful to have extra people to carefully remove the logs after cutting. They can be piled up in a trailer for later transportation to wherever you intend to store them or taken to a splitter for the next step of processing.
If you’re looking to use as much of the tree as you can, send someone to gather up small twigs and sticks around the place where you’re cutting. These can be placed neatly in boxes or containers and stored away in a dry place for later use as kindling when you want to start the stove.
Clear an Area Properly
It’s good to know your objectives before you begin cutting. Dirks says that if your main goal is simply to cut firewood, choose a site that offers the easiest wood to reach and is the closest to home.
If working with a section of more heavily wooded land, he shares that there are two methods to go about removal:
thinning out specific trees just for firewood and allowing the remaining trees room to grow
spot clear-outs, where you choose an area and remove everything in that space, which allows you to come back and establish a new or different type of habitat with selected species intended to fulfill a specific purpose.
If tackling a smaller job that consists of simply removing some existing trees in a shelter belt, Dirks notes that you could go back and replace them with a variety of different options. This could be a taller tree (such as hedge), a shrub which can offer cover closer to the ground, or something such as a plum or choke cherry that can become an extra source of food.
If you have other goals in mind such as creating a wildlife habitat, look for and first remove damaged or sick trees, as this will allow the healthy trees to grow better and provide more of a habitat. If hunting is something you enjoy and you’re looking to curate a clearing that the turkey and deer will frequent, open a clearing and replant it with “plant species that will attract the wildlife species you are managing for,” Dirks says.
On his own land, the whole creek bottom piece is filled with hedge trees, offering little more than cover to wildlife. Dirks continues to work from one end to another, clearing out and replacing them with suitable tree species that provide more benefits to native wildlife. In several areas, he removed the hedge trees, allowing native grasses and forbs to grow up unhindered. Now, he finds there are deer and turkeys continually enjoying the space.
Evangelos/Adobe Stock
Stacking Wood
Once your logs have been cut for firewood, split (if desired) and hauled to their destination, begin stacking. There is a bit of an art to stacking a neat pile of wood. While some people crisscross logs through the entire pile, others simply stack them up neatly lengthwise.
Lay them in such a way that the pile doesn’t begin to lean and eventually topple. Check as you stack that the logs fit together well and the pile feels sturdy.
If you want to measure the amount of firewood you have cut, there are two common measurements: a “cord” (which is 128 cubic feet, or 8 feet long, 4 feet high and 4 feet wide) and a “rick” (which is, as Dirks put it, “1⁄3 of a cord and 16 inches by 4-by-8 feet”).
If possible, have a place inside and under a roof to store your firewood. Keeping it out of the elements will allow it to dry quicker and keep it from rotting as fast.
Insects are practically unavoidable when wood is stacked outdoors. Dirks says that like a food pantry, continue to rotate and work through the wood pile, starting first with the oldest wood. For example, pests can consist of boring beetles (that produce small mounds of sawdust next to their holes) to termites, which can destroy a whole woodpile.
With the right saw and a careful dose of caution and preplanning, you could have a nice stack of firewood right outside your back door. Use any safety gear needed, and do your best to get the job done safely.
More than Just Firewood
From songbirds flittering amongst the branches to squirrels running up and down the limbs, trees have much to provide for the wildlife that lives all around us. As retired fish and wildlife expert Clarke Dirks shares, wildlife has three basic needs: food, cover and water.
Some trees provide two of those needs: shelter and food. Whenever a tree is removed, Dirks suggests replacing it with a species of tree that will offer at least shelter, if not shelter and food.
While species of trees will vary from area to area across the country, around central Kansas, where I live, people typically cut hedge trees (also known as Osage orange). While this tree does provide cover for wildlife, Dirks says it doesn’t offer much in the way of food, except for squirrels that’ll munch through the knobby, green hedge apples in search of seeds.
On his own homestead, Dirks has cleared out hundreds of hedge trees and planted in their place a selection of hard woods, varying from black walnut and oak to pecan and persimmon. He has also added smaller, more shrublike varieties such as plum and choke cherry.
How you choose to replace the trees you remove will vary depending on your desired outcome for the plot. If you desire to return it to a habitat-state, choose your species of trees accordingly. Dirks points out that shrublike trees and bushes planted near grasslands are beneficial for small games species.
He prefers to plant shrub species that’ll have a two-fold benefit, flowering in the early spring and offering a food source of pollen and nectar for his bees yet producing fruit later in the summer for the birds. Examples of flowering shrubs that he has planted include plum, dogwood, chokecherry, blackberry, elderberry and hazelnut.
When looking to replace trees that have been cut down, Dirks tries to plant five or six trees for each one that he removes. While it might seem like a large quantity at first, he points out that they won’t all survive until maturity unless time is specifically dedicated to nurturing and watering them. Fifty years from now, he hopes that the original tree that was removed should have at least one replacement.
For advice on choosing trees for yourself (and possibly even a chance to purchase them), look to your state’s forestry commission. Most states have one.
Heating with Wood
The feeling of walking inside from the bitter cold to a warm house with the smell of burning wood is something special. Heating your home (or shop) with wood can be inexpensive once you get past the initial installation of the stove, hearth, pipe, etc.
Follow these basic tips for when heating with wood.
Use a chimney brush to clean your chimney pipe regularly and remove any build-up of creosote or soot. This can help reduce the risk of fires in the pipe when the stove is in use.
Watch for any live coals or embers when removing ashes during the season of use. Use a metal bucket in case of anything hot, and set it in a safe place.
Keep the size of your stove in mind as you cut wood. Avoid cutting logs that are too large to fit inside the stove.
Avoid burning green wood, as it often produces more creosote and can cause your chimney pipe to plug up more quickly.
Burning your stove at a higher temperature can help keep your chimney clean, but do this with caution and seek out an expert if needed.
If you haven’t already put in your stove, install high-quality pipe as it can help avoid catching your house on fire.
Check local restrictions or regulations as needed before installation.
This article originally appeared in the Nov./Dec. 2023 issue of Hobby Farms magazine.
Chyka Okarter talks about farming an Extension work in Nigeria, putting the lean farming concept into practice, and finding creative financing from within the food system.
Hear about what agriculture looks like in Nigeria—a pursuit with huge potential that Chyka feels is not being met in this country that’s slightly larger than Texas. He talks about growing up in a farming family and wanting to go into agriculture to help farmers work more efficiently.
Learn about the Feed the Future Program, USAID, and Winrock International’s work in bridging the gap between Extension and small-scale farmers where there is one Extension agent to 10,000 farmers. Chyka’s work is to train the trainers working with micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) cohorts to implement the lean principles in farm business approach. They wanted to try using the lean approach rather than the traditional Good Agronomic Practices approach, which can lead to information overload. Hear two examples—in aquaculture and in crop production—of how the six steps of the lean approach have led to big wins for farmers and the whole food chain. (Spoiler alert: One discovery changed the catfish mortality rate from 50%+ to 0% with this approach, and another is leading farmers to more precise organic fertilizer use.)
Finally, listen in on how farmers in Nigeria—a country in economic crisis—are working within the food system for an innovative financing model involving input credits.
Growing mushrooms can be a great way to diversify your wares at your local farmers market and be an additional food source for your family. But raising them does come with special considerations.
John Lawton and his wife, Susan, raise mushrooms at their Possum Bottom Farms in Whitwell, Tennessee. Lawton, a former electrical engineer, feels that it’s his analytical background that allows him to make a success of his business. He was first introduced to mushroom cultivation by a business partner in Charleston, South Carolina, who had started growing mushrooms for restaurants. The idea of raising them on his 70-acre farm quickly took root.
“We tried selling hay. But if I’ve got hay, everybody has hay,” Lawton says. “It was the same way with corn and tomatoes. But I looked around, and nobody was growing mushrooms.”
A Complex Process
It didn’t take long for Lawton to realize that a certain level of difficulty is involved. “It is complex,” Lawton says. “You have to wear many different hats. It is not just the cultivation. It is the lab work and the systems.” But it’s the level of difficulty that Lawton finds attractive.
Lawton says that one aspect of many that set his farm apart is his methods of cultivation. “We grow in climate-controlled conditions,” he says. “Most everyone else is growing at room temperature.”
Lawton describes his climate-controlled conditions as a temperature of between 55 and 60 degrees with 90 percent humidity. “We also control the CO2,” he says. “Some of the mushrooms are sensitive to CO2 because they breathe oxygen and exhale CO2 just like we do. You have to constantly flush the rooms when they are in the fruiting cycle, and you have to constantly flush the rooms to keep the CO2 from building up.”
The benefit of growing in climate-controlled conditions is that he can set the timetable for harvesting, adding that he and Susan set their harvest time for Thursdays and Fridays to be prepared for their Saturday market. Although this process is a more expensive method, it’s well worth the investment in terms of product consistency.
“It’s more expensive to grow this way and, consequently, we have to sell more mushrooms,” he says. “We operate more on a volume level where we sell a little bit cheaper, but we go for a bigger haul.”
Lawton adds that consistency in product quality and amount is what his customers seek. This practice allows him to target the largest markets in Tennessee. “The smaller markets don’t work for us,” he says.
Marketing Mushrooms
In addition to being raised in climate-controlled conditions, the Lawtons raise their mushroom on blocks. “All of the mushrooms we take to market are farmed,” he says. “We do not do any wild cultivation or wild harvest.”
The Lawtons primarily use social media, mostly Facebook and Instagram, to market their product. They also have a presence on Google and their website, PossumBottomFarms.com.
Initially, the Lawtons wanted to sell their mushrooms to restaurants because they felt this would provide a steady demand as opposed to setting up at local farmer’s markets. But what they soon discovered was exactly the opposite.
“It was much easier to sell large quantities at a farmers market,” he says. But there is a caveat. “The smaller markets don’t work,” he says. “You have to be in a large market.”
He gives examples of the markets he frequents in the Franklin, Murfreesboro and Knoxville, Tennessee, areas, he says, that cater to foodies. Lawton says that the difficulty with selling to restaurants comes mainly from staff changes and the financial stability of the restaurants themselves, which translates to a fluctuating demand.
Learning the Ropes
Raising mushrooms is a tricky business. “It took me about two and a half years to learn,” Lawton says. “That was trial and error and learning on my own,” Lawton, who now also offers consultation services, explains. The industry has a high dropout rate of about 85 percent, so Lawton tailors his consultation services only to those already past the basic mushroom cultivation stage. He cites the high failure rate in raising the mushrooms themselves, which often drives people away.
As well, mushrooms, Lawton says, are a limited market. He advises identifying your market before making your first purchases.
“Make sure you have enough of a market to justify the expense,” he says. It also helps to have a solid business plan. To that end, Lawton has developed a system that he calls full-circle farming.
“When you produce mushrooms at the volume that we do, we produce a lot of compost,” Lawton says. “We get to use that compost. It’s free fertilizer.” Lawton takes agricultural waste products such as sawdust, logs and straw that he then uses to cultivate mushrooms. “We use worms to break that back down into compost that we use to grow vegetables, so it completes the circle,” he says.
For those seeking to learn by experimentation, Lawton advises starting with shiitake logs. “They are the cheapest and easiest because they are done outdoors,” he says. “All you need is a shady spot, some logs, a drill and an inoculation tool.
Lawton explains that the purpose of starting at this level is to learn the mushroom cycle. “Learn how to manipulate the logs,” he says. “There are things that you can do to force it to produce mushrooms.”
Another thing you can do, Lawton says, is to purchase logs from another producer. “The hardest part is producing your blocks in the lab because of all of the blue mold,” Lawton says. “It’s the bane of the mushroom farmer’s existence.” Lawton adds that once the mold gets established it’s incredibly hard to get rid of.
“You have to be clean, clean, clean.”
In countries that grow more mushrooms than the United States, the model is to have a lab that produces the cultures, another that produces the growing medium and another that grows the mushrooms. “We’re getting to that stage where you can buy your blocks and not have to produce them yourself,” he says, “which will save you a lot of time and frustration because your contamination rates can be pretty high if you do not have the right setup.” But a noteworthy drawback of purchasing blocks is their expense. “You would have to sell a significant quantity of mushroom, about 100 to 150 pounds per week, to break even,” he says.
For those seeking to purchase blocks yet learn about raising mushrooms on them on a smaller scale, Lawton recommends using a small hobby-framed greenhouse kit. By adding a little humidity, he says, you can learn the process and raise mushrooms in your garage or basement.
A Scalable Product
Expenses notwithstanding, growing mushrooms on blocks are what Lawton feels makes his system very scalable. Prepared blocks are stored in a cooler at a temperature of 40 degrees. In this manner, they are held for up to two months before they are exposed to oxygen, which starts the fruiting cycle. Ten days to two weeks later, they produce mushrooms.
The process allows the Lawtons to adjust their harvest according to need and to target certain prime market periods like Memorial Day weekend, the Fourth of July, Father’s Day, etc. “It’s a little bit more sophisticated system, but it works pretty well,” he says. But, he adds, for this system, it’s critical to keep backups of important components such as exhaust fans, misting system pumps and air conditioners. Losing even one of these, at this level, could cause losses upwards of $15,000 at a time.
Another option is raising oyster mushrooms on straw. While your selection will be limited, oyster mushrooms do offer the opportunity to raise your product on several different substrates, including wheat straw, cardboard, wood chips and various types of soybean hull pellets.
“They are very healthy for you,” Lawton says. “And they are delicious.”
Additional Products
The Lawtons raise a variety of mushrooms including black pearl king oyster, lion’s mane, golden oyster and shiitake, along with mushroom powders. “Anything we don’t sell fresh gets dried and powered for our culinary products,” John Lawton says. To preserve the nutrition of the fresh mushrooms, the Lawtons dry their product at 104 degrees F.
“If you dry over 120 degrees, the chemistry starts to change and you lose flavor,” he says. One of his favorite aspects of raising mushrooms is educating the public about the nutritional aspects, recipes and flavor pairings of culinary mushrooms.
Before COVID-19, the Lawtons also sold pre-inoculated mushroom-producing logs. “They are a pretty easy way to grow mushrooms in your backyard,” he says. However, the pandemic led to an increased demand for firewood, making the hardwood logs that he sought to create these logs increasingly unavailable. He hopes to begin offering the product again this year.
Lawton says that regardless of the reason for your interest in raising mushrooms, they can be a fun learning opportunity and a profitable enterprise if you’re willing to put in the time and research.
Once you have identified your market and learned about the fruiting cycle and how it can be manipulated, Lawton advises that you’re now ready to do some research and identify someone to study under who teaches mushroom cultivation. Attending seminars on the topic is a great option while at the same time advising against watching YouTube videos.
“You only get about 80 percent of what you need to know from those,” he says. Self-taught learning experiences on a small scale coupled with more formal education, when you are ready for it, lead to lower failure rates.
This article originally appeared in the Nov./Dec. 2023 issue of Hobby Farms magazine.
