Website is LIVE!

OK OK – I am WAY behind on updating this blog. So many other things going on and a really full work schedule don’t help! BUT- things are good and moving in a positive direction. We have a contract on our Chicago condo- hooray! The garlic is in the ground. Our first beds!! AND our website is LIVE!!

If you have not already figured it out you can find it here: http://www.bigheadfarm.com

We will be renting the farmhouse across the street from the farm-lucky us it was recently vacated!

We got some good deals on a snowblower, used from a neighbor, and a Troy Bilt Horse tiller from Craigslist. We’ll start there and do a lot by hand I am sure. I wanted to get a hoop house up but that might not happen before the snows start.

We have CSA shares available. The first year we don’t want to take on too many commitments so the available shares are limited. We will base the drop off/pick up point on the addresses of our customers- wouldn’t make sense to drive into Chicago if we don’t have any customers!

Working on the plan to submit for the EQIP funding. I have to have something on paper, plans, etc. to get approvals for funding. We will probably be doing a pollinator program on the open area that adjoins the farm to our north.

Speaking of the farm to our north, we met one of the owners and they are (of course) really great people! So glad we have such great neighbors all around!!

As we get growing in the spring I’m sure there will be work if you want to spend a weekend getting down and dirty as a farm volunteer. It’s not quite agritourism but it can be fun.

I’ll try to remember to add pictures and video (of the first bed being tilled) a little later.

Still moving forward!

Today I have been in touch with one of the Ag lenders in Michigan.  My hope is now that I can secure some capital to get some small equipment and possibly lease a truck (much more handy on the farm than the Subaru!) The paperwork is on its way to me and then I get to do the application.  I have a funny quirk and that is I love filling out forms! I know, I know, call me crazy but put a tax form or application in front of me and I’m a happy camper!

Jody has been out working on the shed some more. The loft level is in, all the walls are up and the roof trusses are being built! AWESOME!  He has also been our on-farm PR with all of the folks stopping by checking out our progress. Most of the neighbors know us by now and several have offered to help. We love it and we hope to be able to offer employment in the near future. I have some big plans for the farm! Vertical growth for sure!

I’m excited that several of our friends and neighbors have expressed interest in the CSA program once we get that going. I will be working on the crop and beds schedule over the next few days so we have a solid plan come spring. I also hope to have at least one hoophouse up before snow begins so I have a place to start the seeds in spring. Don’t want to be behind schedule on that!

I am crossing my fingers, and legs, and toes, that I will be chosen to present our business model to an investor conference in NYC. My previous boss has shown interest in “sponsoring” my trip there. It doesn’t mean I will get financing but it will open up some connections to the folks who have or manage the funds.

Still need to get our appointment date with the EQIP advisor so we can make the plan on what we need to do for participation in that program and get the required approvals. That would be guaranteed money for 2010 and will certainly help with our loan application since most of it would be paid back through EQIP.

I’m ready to harvest those blackberries too. Tons of them at the front of the farm, growing wild and they will need to be trimmed back so I can manage them better next year.

Work continues

As we continue to work on getting our homestead established we continue to learn more about our land.
We spent last weekend putting up a storage shed, one that is large enough for us to shelter in if needed, up on one of the sandy hills near the center of our 40 acres. We found many fire ants and now have to research how best to control them. I was lucky not to get bit but Jody did not fare as well. He was bit twice- once while we picked some blackberries and again while setting up our fire pit.

I just read a new comment from Farmer Charlie Bob on my Independence Day post and I understand where he is coming from. I don’t know him, but I can guess that he is an established farmer, probably grew up on a farm. Perhaps he doesn’t realize that farmland is vanishing daily and more and more people just don’t want to be farmers, so what then? The fact is that farming is hard work, it is unpredictable and only experience will help you to grow more and grow better. Yes, I am from the city. I grew up in East Detroit, lived in St. Louis, Seattle, Chicago and now am settling in South Haven Michigan for the rest of my natural life. But another fact is that in East Detroit, as I was growing up, our family grew most, if not all, of our produce and some of our fruit. We had a backyard that was 50 yards long, most of it tilled vegetable garden. I ran that Troy-built rototiller when I was 6 or 7 years old- the handles were above my shoulders but I LOVED it!

I have also developed relationships with the CRAFT farmers in Illinois, participated in their Farm Beginnings program and have a large network of experienced producers who are there for each other, to answer questions, offer advice, and help each other. So yes, I have growing experience. Everyone has to start somewhere.

The other thing I have is determination.

I am determined to learn and experience what I do not know. I am determined to find the answers to the problems that I encounter on this path. I have set out on this road knowing full well that I will need to work off-farm until the farm can support itself. Sure, it would be great to get investors who believe in this farm but if I cannot find those people it doesn’t mean that I will not move forward. Everyone needs to eat and hopefully they want to eat well. I will provide food for my community, for my family.

I expect there will be more folks out there who think I am a typical city idiot with a trust fund. I say to you, you don’t know me. I have worked hard everyday of my life since I was 15 working in a chocolate factory in East Detroit for $3.00 per hour eight hours a day in the summer. After being laid-off from a cushy aviation job in early 2008, I have been working four or five jobs at a time just to pay for a condo in the city that I don’t want anymore. Sure, it took me a while to figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up, I’ll give you that. But I have always set out and accomplished the things I have decided to do. Big Head Farm is no exception.

Mowing, Fire Pit, Camping and Independence Day

The past two weeks have been continued financial challenges. The tax bill rolled in for the farm~ went up threefold because of our purchase and because we cannot claim the homestead tax exemption. On the bright side, it is not due until mid-September. That gives me a little while to pile on more work and more projects to make some more money.

Luckily we were able to spend a full day on the farm on July 3rd. It was a holiday for my full time pet job and I was not scheduled for any hours at Pier 1, I did squeeze in a secret shop assignment on Thursday night before we left.

The mosquitos were a’plenty out there! We had to dip ourselves in DEET to keep from getting eaten alive! I am hoping to find a not so chemical solution to my horrible attraction for bitey bugs. If anyone has suggestions please let me know!

I dug a nice fire pit for our cooking fire and some heat at night- it did cool down a bit. We set up camp at midnight again, seems to be the norm, arriving in the middle of the night. The dogs of course just love being out there no matter what time of day it is! There is so much for them to explore and sniff. I think they really like to sleep in the tent with us too. It’s very cuddly.

The first fire pit

So, as far as farm work goes, we have about half of the open field mowed. One of our great neighbors is helping us to get that accomplished. We also love to visit our neighborhood hardware ( or as Doug Landers would call it, Easyware) store- Lander’s Hardware in Bangor. They are really great there and Mark, the manager, lives around the corner- he’s always offering to help us out. He even came by in the evening to pick up the rental equipment for us! Then he stayed and chatted for about an hour. I love learning new things and history from the folks who live by us. Many of them have lived here for years and their families established farms a hundred years ago!

When I dug the fire pit I was very happy to see that the good topsoil went down about 12 inches and there were lots of worms! I dug way down so I could save as many as I could from the perils of the fire we were going to build there. I built up a little berm with the removed soil and Jody sprinkled some pepper seeds on it just to see what would happen.

I had to get back to work in the city on Saturday so we were up and packing early on Independence Day. Too bad, because we never seem to have enough time out there to really get things going.

One day soon we will, I am confident.

Storms rolled through…condo still for sale…government grant money

The storms last week knocked the crowns off the tops of two of our beautiful beech trees on the front of the farm- they landed across the driveway. Jody is happy for the new chainsaw emergency! I am sad and hope the trees can survive.

Everything is wet and muddy again and the work backlog is building every day. Yet, I am stuck in the city working to pay for a condo that I don’t want to live in anymore. Granted, it is a beautiful place in a great neighborhood with awesome neighbors but we want to get started growing things!

Jody went on a mission to the USDA office today and gathered some important information on how to apply for federal funds for the farm. We are looking at the EQIP program and some other stuff. Hoping now to have funding for next year. Won’t happen this year.

We may have to stick it out in the city until we can pay down some debts, buildup some capital, sell this condo or win the lottery.

I guess I should go buy a lottery ticket.

Work is underway

We have been out at the farm working on getting things going. Last weekend we spent a day pumping out the old well housing and shoveling out the sludge! WOOO it was some smelly work but needed to be done.  We caught and released a frog who had made his way into the well housing. Then we drained it with a pump, as much as we could before the pump intake clogged up  with the 11 years of leaves, old well house cover and other stuff that had fallen in. Once the water was out we were able to get into the well house and scoop the rest of the water and sludge out by hand. The dogs ran around and had a great time out there! They love to run, especially Mike. Sadie is still more of a velcro dog and she sticks right by us. After we finished with the well we went into the woods and started finding the maple trees. We are hoping that there are enough to produce a good quantity of syrup! That’s another thing we need to learn how to do. Thank goodness for the internet!! I was, of course, not just looking at the trees but also hoping to find some edible fungus! I like mushrooms and would love to forage some to cook up for dinner one of these days. Our neighbor came over, really great kid, and he helped us identify some of the trees. His mom invited us for dinner which we graciously accepted after our long day working on the well. She is a great cook- made up some corn, mashed potatoes (YUM!) and fresh Michigan asparagus. (Oh, and for the meat eaters she had a pot roast). It was very kind and we spent some time telling stories out on their back patio. They also offered us use of their tractor- an old Oliver- that needs some new tires and a rim replaced but otherwise works fine. We just love being out on the farm where people help each other out~ instead of in the city where it seems everyone is just in it for themselves. Still have that condo for sale- help support a family farm as we get started by sending this weblink to all your friends and family that might be looking for a great place to live in Chicago: http://www.4710nwolcott1e.com/ Many thanks and I’ll keep you updated on our progress!!

About 11 years of sludge had built up, along with 4 feet of water

This is the easement owned by Wolverine Pipeline

Here we are getting ready for a full day of labor!

Oh Right! the funds are there but how do i get them!

I keep reading articles and such about how the farm bill sets aside funding to assist beginning farmer and ranchers but I have yet to find out how to get to it or apply for it!
Most of the grants I have found require you to have three years of farming under your belt and that is what they call a “beginning” farmer. Well then, what am I??
Check out the latest news that my husband found today:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30508202/?pg=9#Biz_GreenJobs

I guess we are being trendy- not what I planned to do, and it is not an easy undertaking by any means. It will be a lot of back-breaking HARD work. But I know that it will all be worth it when we can share our fabulous organic produce with our community.
Man, I really want to get started…I guess the question is still this: “Does anyone want to buy our condo in the city of Chicago?”
Drop me a line if you do…
or better yet- “want to invest in the farm??” we are accepting donations!
Cheers!

Progress thus far!

We have been working on the land about twice a month, getting to know where the soil is good, where the water goes and what resources are already there. We have found some problem areas where folks have dumped refuse that will need to be cleaned up. The goal right now is to sell our city condo (in Chicago) so that we can move to the land permanently and begin building the facilities that we will need to begin production. I want to get the compost piles started- those take 3 years to mature. We still need to get soil samples to the local USDA outreach for testing and I am hoping to find mushrooms and other wild organics that can be gathered for market. I have all the paperwork for our investment prospectus just about done, just a few details that need to be researched on costs of various things. But- the incorporation is set-up in Michigan and the website is nearly finished! Can’t wait to get growing!!

Still working on getting there

Well I had hoped that by now I would be out on the farm full-time- working on buildings, installing solar and wind systems, putting up a little house. But our condo in the city has not yet sold. It is the albatross that is keeping us down. If we could sell it we’d be able to get out there and into the dirt right away!

There is lots to do yet on the property. Did I tell you yet that Wolverine Pipeline came through and cleared their easement? It was as though a tornado had ripped down one side of the land in a 60 foot swath. Everything in its path was taken out. Very disturbing. Apparently they do this every ten or eleven years if a property has not been maintained. We just didn’t get there in time to prevent it.

There are some good things going on, there are daffodils everywhere in the front of the property. I am going to re-plant those so we don’t lose any of them. Some are in standing water from all the rain and snow. The land got mushed around by the huge machines that were used to clear it. There are huge ruts in the road and so much mud! We spent some time digging trenches to help drain the water from the spots where it is pooling. We got some of it drained. We will certainly need to figure out the best way to control the water on the property, either by directing it or by making a pond for it to settle into.

We also found a few more junk piles which we need to have cleaned up. I started gathering garbage but it is really water logged and I don’t yet have a dumpster to put it into. So, it’s in piles right now. I hope to be able to find a use for a lot of the materials and recycle as much as we can. It will be hard I am sure because the only recycling that I found nearby was for paper, magazines and cereal boxes.

I’ll need to figure that part out as well- where does all the refuse go. Hopefully we will not produce much once we get going- it’s just cleaning up what others have dumped on the land that is going to be a challenge.

Digging my way out of the city

I think it would be easier than trying to find funding to help the farm startup.

I do have a shovel. I suppose I should start diggin now. I just keep hoping that somehow I will find a source of funding to get us started this year. I know that farm will pay for itself, with good planning and ideas for value-added products we can’t lose. We should have a good crop of mushrooms, yum yum. We already have a plan to specialize in peppers, all kinds of peppers.

I’d like to start out with as small a carbon footprint as possible which means finding local sources for our inputs and supplies, building energy systems, capitalizing on the resources that are on the land and connecting with our local community.

I’m taking baby steps in getting everything going, finding grants and completing paperwork for that. I’m to the point where I can get the DUNS number and complete registration on the grants.gov website. Then I have to find grants that I am eligible for, hope that I haven’t missed the deadline and follow all the rules for submission. Here we go…