how we support our family on a small farm 

I love going back and watching some of your other videos every now and again

4 years after and you’re still keeping it truthful . It’s so sad that people don’t realize how important are small farmers are

*"Farming is the proper place for man. All else is thanks to those men who know their proper place, when you have forgotten."* ~ My Dad (after I made a derrogatory statement about farmers)

i know i am just a teen but i already want to own my own farm. You have really helped me know what it is like! Keep it up 👍🏻

Hi Pete, we have a small cattle ranch in a very remote part of Idaho (85 acres) and totally agree with your approach to small scale farming. I work for a software company, which allows me to work my 8 hrs remote, and run the ranch during the other 16 hrs of my day. When we decided to "restart" the ranch in 2000, it had been idle for over 30 yrs. The fences were gone, the sage reclaimed the pastures, ditches in bad shape, heavy rains washed debris (trees, boulders, etc.) down from the mountains, and carved gullies in the fields... we started with just 2 horses and 4 cows on the 15 acres that would still grow grass, purchased 20 steers in our 2th year to help with the de-brushing of about 60 acres... amazing what 20 hungry steers can do... areas we couldn't walk through due to the overgrowth, by the end of that summer, were open and navigable. Like you we run 40 to 60 yr old equipment, and I have never paid over 2500.00 a unit, for any of it... It amazes me how dependable a 60 yr old tractor is, they were built like a tank back then. The following year I applied for a NCRS small ranch/farm grant and after a ton of interviews, inspections, and government bureaucracy, the ranch was awarded the grant. This allowed us to fast-track many projects on the "to do" list, e.g., convert from flood irrigation to a gravity-fed sprinkler system, replant the pastures with a more drought tolerant plant mix, fence off the creeks and add cross fencing to the pastures for a rotational grazing program, along with a few other smaller projects like weed control and nutrient management. At first I wasn't sure we made a good decision by applying for the grant, as they impose deadlines on when certain things must be completed to get paid, which kept us humping right up to the deadline dates, but looking back, it provided 60-70% of the capital we needed to get the ranch back in shape, 10x faster, and I learned a ton about grass management and fencing from the USDA folks... We did much of the work ourselves, which allowed us to save a ton on the improvements and then move some of the monies paid by the USDA around to other projects we knew we had to hire out. The USDA proved to be invaluable... In our area we not only have cattle being hard on fences, we have Elk, Moose, and Deer. I do more fence repair from Elk movement, than from the cows. The USDA showed me by lowering the top wire to a max height of 42", it would stop 80% of the Elk damage... I was skeptical, but, it worked... I tell this story because I want perspective farmers/ranchers to know, there's a ton of resources out there (like the USDA and yourself) if you're willing to do the research to find them... like you, my friends and family keep asking me "why?" why work so hard, only to have to work hard again the next day, but they will never understand the feeling you get to see a calf born in the spring, or that calf grow into a good looking adult animal, or the pasture that was dirt last year, green and lush this year... its a reward that the average man just doesn't experience and should. In my job, it seems like projects never end, and deadlines continually get pushed out... I tell my coworkers that I wish I had the option to push out calving season, or not worry about how productive my pasture will be... if I stop for one minute, my animals will suffer and I would never let that happen. Fast forward to 2020, we are now at about 50 useable acres, supporting 25 head of grass-fed natural beef, and growing every year. I wish I would have kept a video diary like you are doing... There's been so much learned over the years I would have loved to share. This is a life I wouldn't trade for any amount of money, or time back, and one I've never asked the question "why do I do this?" Keep the videos coming!!!

Your grandfather would be so proud of you. You did a great renovation on the house and brought the farm to life. Well done.

Pete is totally fascinating. He has the knack of explaining subjects simply and clearly so even a non farmer like myself get it. Thanks maestro👍🙏

As an Attorney for 36 years who has visited Polyface farm with my family from Miami.....your living my DREAM ... keep it up

Pete gives the “dad advice” all of us need from time to time. So great.

I love what you're doing I farmed during the seventies not the best time. I'm seventy one years old if I had the capital I'd have another go at it .beside my love for JESUS and my family farming is next. May God bless you richly.

We bought a 45acre farm when we were in our mid fifties. We had enough money from the sale of our home to buy outright and erect steel framed kit buildings. We would not have done it if we had to find finance. We farmed it with the same ethos you have but are now too old to run our own stock. We have dairy calves in the summer that apparently do better than the calves reared elsewhere. So the pasture management must be working. Also we take in mountain ewe lambs for the winter which double in size on our winter grass. So why do we still lime for other farmer’s stock? We want them to do well and after all we get paid to rear the stock and take a pride in doing it well.

You know when I drive through farming areas I see very expensive brand new equipment sitting out side like tractors and combines and you know I think to my self there's over 100K$ sitting there well what I'm trying to say is that making older less expensive equipment get the job done is probably one of the most affective ways to keep your cash flow at home , Great job and mind set , thanks .

It is my dream to have my own farm. As I near 50 myself the money just isn’t there yet , but I will never give up chasing my dream. You are an inspiration to me. Thank you for being you.

One thing I've noticed is that most of your buildings appear to be multipurpose buildings which I'm sure helps a lot. As one who has farmed for a living, your advice is dead on.

IT would be so easy to say "well you inherited the land", but you created everything that makes that gift work your hard work made this happen. You get the extra benefit of keeping and upgrading significantly your families legacy. Well done

Pete, you are an inspiration and have shared wonderful words of wisdom.

I was raised on a small mountain farm. Pigs, chickens, milk cows, mules for plowing and hauling, and acres for hay and raising corn plus our gardens for raising our food. I loved to work in the garden, can and dry the food, pick berries to put up and to sell at the farmers market. It was a hard but wonderful life. I love the way you are with your animals, they know they are cared for!! You and your wife are wonderful farmers!!! Thank you for your videos.

Great story, I was on a farm to the age of 4 and it took me 10 years to stop missing it. Great way to grow up as a child and it gives you a real sense of the value of hard work. Your advice on finance is really good (I spent 25 years in finance) and the fact that you succeeded shows you got it right.

That old cream separator brought back some great memories...as a 5 or year old was turning that wickedly hard crank... great return for me....

Great video! Full of info! My wife and I have started farming. In total our place is close to 40 acres. We moved here about 5 years ago. Before we had a small place. We've always had horses and chickens and done a good deal of gardening. Last year we decided that my wife was going to leave her job at the hospital and work the farm full time. She hatches and sells chickens. Makes jellies and jams to sell give horse back riding lessons and we have some cows. It's hard getting started. We are hoping that over the next 5 to 6 years I can follow her and we can expand enough to support us both. The kids will be gone by then and it just might be doable.

I am not a farmer, I got 2 right hands, and I can't stop watching!!! really love this!!!

You and my dad would have gotten along like gangbusters. He grew up on a small family farm in northeastern Oregon. When he was in his 20's, he and his parents bought a MUCH bigger farm in Central Oregon, selling the NE Oregon farm. I grew up in the early 1960's playing in the huge (now historic) barn, climbing fruit trees, playing in ditches. My playmates were the spring calves. The farm had been a big sheep ranch before the grandparents bought it, and there were still several early 1900's hand-crank sheep shears in the equipment bay when I was a kid. My brother and I wanted to see if they still worked (I was 9 and he was 6), so we picked one, got it going, and tried it out right down the middle of my brother's head, front to back. It still worked all right. My dad couldn't stop laughing when he saw it. My mother, on the other hand, was NOT amused. We both got in big trouble for that (from Mom, anyway....). Everything on the place was second hand - my dad knew how to get a lot of bang out of his buck. Daddy bought two World War II era trucks to work the wheat, barley and potato harvests, as well as haul sand and gravel from the local pit to the winter feed lots. He overhauled all the equipment every winter in the wood-heated machine shop. I don't think Daddy ever ran into anything he couldn't fix, rebuild, build from the ground up, or overhaul. In the spring, everything got pushed out of the winter feed lots and Daddy spread a couple of feet sand and gravel from the pit in them. The compost pile every spring was left to sit for two years and then got spread on the fields. So there were always three piles "cooking"....the one that was ready to use, the one that was a year old, and the "fresh" one. We grew field corn for winter cattle silage. It got chopped when it was ready late summer and put in the silage pit. We ate what we grew, milked our own cows, made what we needed and had fun at home. It was a good way to grow up. Watching your vids brings back a lot of good memories for me.

I love this channel! Thank you!

Man this channel is so wholesome i love it

Love love this!! Thank you.

Enjoy watching the renovations on your tractors. Man, you are thorough.

Great video! God bless you all and family.

Thanks for the wonderful chat about getting the farm started.

Just found your channel and already it has been so helpful as we start our own hobby farm. Thank you, please keep it up.

Started rewatching your videos. Love them

Great expectation, thanks Pete!

Thank you for doing what you do

Pete thank you for sharing your story

You guys are awesome people!

Happy to subscribe, hope you keep the quality content coming!

Just discovered the channel and really enjoying it! Thank you for the extremely useful information! Cheers

Enjoyed your video. Also love the MD in the shed

Thank you! Just what needed 👍. Recently subscribed and love yall!

That was good. You explained it so even I could understand it. Thank you.

Thanks for the insight Pete

Great words of wisdom. Keep up the good work.

Pete, your videos are amazing. So peaceful, thoughtful, practical, and assuring. Thank you....it’s therapeutic. Bret

One of the most informative vids i've seen, Ty so much

I just love your humility! GOD Bless you and your Family

Pete is such a kind gentle farmer.

Pete...greetings from Australia! Really enjoy your channel for many reasons...practical advice delivered gently being just one. Some champion trailer reversing there at 8:00 too!

I came across one of your video's today and subscribed! I cant stop watching them! You are very inspiring for me in this point in time. Perfect!! Thank you so much.

Thanks Pete for this video! I get an education from every one of your videos!!

Subscribed! I have really enjoyed watching your videos, even the stuff you call ‘boring.’ Thanks!

thanks so much......keep up your videos....so informative and wanting me to get on with my mini small farm

Thank you Pete

Gotcha, I'm in, love your videos

i love the nature part of farming...and bringing kids up on a farm....

Found your channel and love it. Always been a dream of mind and I’m the same age as you are. Makes me want to take the leap.

your advice is so down to earth, I love it. great video!

Much respect to you.

I want to thank you so much for your honesty I really enjoy this channel I can't wait to sit down and see what the next episode will bring I started a small landscaping business in 1992 but instead of quitting my job I kept my full-time job and work the business part time hearing you remark about those things really lets me know that I started out right thank you again for your dedication

Hey Peat, Thanks for sharing this, as always great information. I wish my family and I would have been more openminded to this kind of farming 20 years ago. Were starting in at it again but now were kind of starting from scratch, but its an enjoyable start. Biggest thing for us (my wife and I) is little to no debt. Been there and done that never want that T-shirt again. Thanks again and be well my friend.

thank you for this video help me out a lot in moving forward on our up state new York farming

I like what you are doing . Great job .

Thanks for your insights! Jeff in Upstate NY

New sub here. Glad to have found your channel and look forward to more videos! God bless!

Thankyou , your vision just came up , I've been watching farmers in UK , they have Farm stores .You mite like Farmer Tom Pemberton and his father . They are live stock and Milk farmers .I learned alot but I did want to see small time farming in america , but found not so small .Look forward to seeing more of your videos . Upstate New York is beautiful too . Nan in Utah and yes your living for many of us that wished we could or did with our live .Thankyou

This is pure gold!

Great inspiring words!..

Great job 👍 we need more small farms. New subscriber liked 👍 hello from Kentucky mountains

I have to admit I did not expect much when I first found your channel. Many vids later I am subscribed and listen daily. You provide a lot of interesting and useful information

Thank you for your honesty. I am trying to get as much information on starting a farm and you’re giving me better info than most I’ve found.

Hi from Australia. Your video popped up on my feed, very informative. Thank you.

you have a great way of explaining things in simple terms.

Dream job! I can't wait to get to that point.

Wow! This is my third video of yours I have watched, and it is so much more informative than so many channels that I have watched on RU-vid! Thank you! Subscribed, and expect to be watching many more videos! I think you are going to help me get my ducks in a row! Seven acres in southeast Idaho, here.

Truly I enjoy every episode!

Heyyy you are awesome. We watch all your videos!

Thanks for all the informative videos Pete! I live in Central New York as well, just northwest of Syracuse in Liverpool. My wife and I are looking to buy acreage in the next 3-5 years, and hopefully I can live out my dream of being a family farmer/small business owner. Thanks for all your hard work and all the helpful advice to those of us wanting to enter into this way of life. Much success to you and your family!

Hello there! Your channel was just suggested to us and we watched this video. Love your vision (kindred spirit to our own) and look forward to watching more of your content. Subbed your channel! 👍

Love your explanations. I was brought up on a farm, my Dad was a large animal vet. I loved the lifestyle.

Thank you for your videos!

I just want to say that I love your videos!

Am happy, I landed on your channel sir, rich & very productive content leis here & btw, for free. Thanks so much & greetings from Uganda s usual sir.

Really enjoyed this. I watched your 2 videos of restoring your family home and wondered what life had in store for you. Now I know. Happy for your family and am a new subscriber. I restored an old home and appreciate the pride and value of retaining history.

Howdy, I was in Remsen, NY last year on a job. Beautiful country.

Just subscribed Pete. I'm completely full of admiration for what you and your wife are doing. You really are living the dream and you seem to be so much happier since you're out of the rat race. As we say over here in Ireland "more power to your elbow". Fair play to you. 👍👏

bless you sir, new sub here, you are doing exactly what i want to do, its been years since i was on a farm, your videos are very very helpful! ty

I'm just starting out in life and ever since I was young I always wanted a farm and was searchings up other farmers and found you have helped me so much thank you

Thank you! Excellent advice for all who are thinking about farming.

Thank you for sharing the financial side and the habits and mindset you need to make a small farm work. It is awesome that your family had maintained the farm for generations. I hope your children continue to conserve and value it and keep it for many more generations. It is also wonderful that you kept the skills that you learned growing up on the farm. I think it is good that you had your chance of pursuing a different career and once that season was over you were able to make the choice to come back to farming.

You are doing a great job.

A fabulous life that you have created. I live by these principles with my greenhouse business. Keep up the good work.

Just subscribed, great channel. I live about 20miles east of Binghamton NY so I can relate to the weather! Been real interested in the dexter cows, we’re on 50 acres with only about 5-8 acres of field, dexters seem like the right size for our situation. Enjoying the videos!

Great videos. I like the old equipment being used. I use a 1954 JD model 40. I work a regular job but one day....

Hello my friend . It's a really nice honest story and video. We run a modern intensive livestock farm in Canada. I am in my fifties now, and realize how am trapped in the cycle of producing more for less $ . And now , i would love to do what you do , but i am trapped in the demands what big corporations want me to produce , with my banker breathing in my neck. We have a son who wants to take over the family farm . My grandfather made a living with some beef and dairy cows. My dad expended on that with additional pig farming. When i took over , we expended in pigs . Now we run thousands of pigs , and barely make a living. But its your genes , you don't give up. Snd my son wants to grow bigger again. I guess its the energy and positivity of the youth , versus the life experience of the older generation. Keep up your videos, there really good.

Very hearts touching inspirational video, thank you so much for it! God bless you all!

Just found you and enjoying so much

You videos are fun to watch and learn from.

Just wanted to leave a comment and thank you so much Peter (wife and family) for your dedication, hard work, information and effort! Never shying away from hard work, my husband and I have recently purchased and restored home / 5 acres in south FL. and can relate to property taxes., etc. I found your channel today while trying to research and understand ag. exemption. (As another 5 acres is up for sale next to us) Lots to learn and unserstand. We love the idea of connecting to the land with a desire to make something of it and preserve it; even if a little 5 acres + for the next generation. I look forward to learning from you!!! Thank you again for the inspiration and intelligent, palatable, realistic info.! (not to mention ...Our son has been in the youtube business - fishing / outdoor adventure for nearly 6 years and we can very much apprreciate the effort that goes into your channel... along with all you are doing for your family and farm community! Awesome work! Thank you.

I just found you. I love your story and look forward to viewing all your videos!

👍 thanks for making videos. You are living the good life.

I love watching you keep up I hope you keep doing it it’s very enjoyable I was raised on a farm too and I just love it I hope y’all keep it up I like watching you listening to you and learning from y’all most appreciated

What an amazing transformation on the house. My wife would love to have a house like that.