Being a welder, a mechanic, a plumber, a carpenter, a councilor, an optimist, a scientist, a HVAC specialist, an orchardist, a stargazer, a painter, a heavy equipment operator, irrigation expert and on and on, and finally a family man, I have come to the realization that I am a farmer.
Joe thanks for sharing your shows as you do. They are easy to find and easy to watch. I am also a big fan of the This Old House television shows and am a member of their on-line subscription based web site. As much as I love their shows their web site isn't always up to date with current show content and it can be a challenge to navigate; they also boast that members can watch every single episode of their shows on-line yet many of the early shows get cut short (end before the video is done) and they have NO technical support to help solve this problem. By offering your latest episodes shortly after they have aired on television on youtube you have made it a pleasure to follow along when I miss the televised episode.
Thank you, Jer. We have 8 seasons that need to be added as well but hopefully this winter we'll get around to doing that. Thanks for the kind words and glad you like.
Thank you. I’m not a hobby farm, but a gardener. My animals are pets, even though our chickens’ eggs are eaten by our family. I grow vegetables for the whole family including our pets. It’s not work, but home chores to keep us all emotionally and physically happier
So true animals even gardens taking a day off ya right... You take a day when the animals don't have drama and the garden stuff is done if that happens you can't plan it... You just put your feet up and sleep when you can... Unexpected frosts or storm or an animal gave birth and you need to help...
People always say farming is a lot of physical labor. But it doesn't have to be, there are things you can do to reduce some work. Im not saying its 0 work. But you can use mulch to reduce weeds
Joe, great show. Your cell phone numbers are visible on the board (if those are your real phone numbers). Might want to blur that so you don't need to change your number.
Love this episode! Hubs and I started our hobby farm 4 years ago. Even though I grew up on a hobby farm, we made our mistakes. You just pick yourself up by your bootstraps, learn and move on. I can't imagine any other lifestyle!!! Our food system is broken and I am part of the movement to fix it. Know where your food comes from.
I enjoyed this episode so much! The idea of a hobby farm is romantic but the reality is that plus hard work and sometimes heartbreak. But rewarding, too. I still work outside the home full time but I've had chickens for 6 years and am getting back to gardening, especially raising food. I now have 2 18-inch high raised beds (using your formula for filling, many thanks for that); the height is better on my back. It is slow going to build beds and do hard labor in our hot and humid summers but now that cooler weather is here I today planted collards, kale, broccoli and even cabbage. Not many of each plant but I am looking forward to seeing how they do! Been composting for many years. Plan to build more raised beds this winter. Our property has a lot of shade so that will limit me some. Anyway, I am so glad to have found your channel. Discovered when I stumbled across a rerun episode of Trading Cleats for Beets. What an inspiring episode and happening practically in my backyard! Anyway, I consider your experience top notch in a world of information overload. Keep up the good work!
Thanks, Michele for all the kind words here. We do try to keep the information practical, real, and inspiring. We'll keep them coming! Thanks for watching and commenting.
This is an excellent episode. My husband and I are third and fourth generation farmers, but hearing these good common sense yet vital inputs for those who want to get started from others who have already done it seems invaluable! Well done
Excellent, excellent show. You and your guests presented the pros and cons of gardening / farming. I grew up on my grandparents farm - cotton, vegetables and all. I try to have a small garden in my backyard each year. I love the smell of freshly - dug Earth; and I love eating freshly - dug carrots. My chickens love it when I dig earthworms for them. They know that when I get the shovel, it's earthworm time, and they usually come -a- running.
This episode is brilliant; full of many useful tips and ideas. I like the idea of taking photos to document progress because there are times when my husband and I contemplate our many jobs ahead and wonder when on earth we will find the time to achieve everything! Or even just start! But, invariably, when we look back, we realise that we have actually accomplished a lot and this always motivates us. I love your videos and the variety of topics covered make this a valuable and inspiring series. Thank you!
This video was beautiful.i recently discovered this series. I wish people would realise how much work farming is. As some one who grew up on a farm, I wont even think of getting a house pet unless we look af the last 2 years of our lifestyle as they are living beings. I am a rooftop gardener. It is my passion but I am smart enough to have done this slowly. Thank you.
