Thought I'd share this website...

[Ravenlost]

My son posted it on my favorites list and I thought I'd share it with y'all:

http://www.polyfacefarms.com/index.html

[marvella]

i gotta admit, even tho the guy is something of a cranky crackpot, he has some good ideas. i hope to slowly implement some of them on my own farm this coming year.

ravenlost, if you get a chance pick up one of his books. i think "you can farm!" gives a pretty good overview about what he is doing. i really like that he has developed a method that improves the land by farming it.

[Ravenlost]

I'll try to do that. I liked some of the links he provided.

[MorrisonCorner]

AAAAKKK! This man has fans... but he also has people who are not fans, and I am one of them. I'm not crazy about "You Can Farm" on many levels, but the tidbit that got it heaved out of my house was the list of "musts" which said that you had to be "young" to start farming.

Bull.

Then I started parsing the business plan... and while it works for him in his unique market, and it might work for you, the implication is that if is doesn't work it isn't because the plan is flawed for your market and circumstances.... but because you didn't work or sacrifice hard enough. That kind of message sends me orbital, because marketing plans are not cookie cutter one size fits all.

Anyhow, I threw the book away. Some good ideas but a lot of self congratulatory bunk.

[Ravenlost]

Hmmm...only thing I've looked at so far are the links he had posted.

[moongirl]

Just finished reading Holy Cows & Hog Heaven and I thought It was a great book. Easy to read with a lot of valid common sense points. Believe me, I work retail and can confirm it. COMMON SENSE IS DEAD! lol

[EasyDay]

Moongirl, being in retail I'm sure you can glean a lot from Saladin. I found his books had good information, but he certainly focuses on a commercial marketing. It just was't conducive to what we are doing. I did enjoy reading his books, though.

A couple of years ago, I almost went to his weekend even that he has each year on his farm in VA. Ended up not going. The folks here on HT that did go, it seems most thought that his presentations were based on marketing, too. Kind of glad I didn't spend the money.

[Beltane]

Neat website. I love reading his articles in ACRES magazine.

[marvella]

now for me, the advice to get some young helpers was good advice. i hadn't thought of that. i'm 53, and looking into making some extra income after i retire. if i try and raise eggs and chickens using his methods i'm going to need someone younger and stronger to pull the pens around every day. heck, i need younger and stronger help NOW. i'm lucky in that my son comes to help almost any time i ask. haven't quite convinced him on the egg and chicken business yet.

i also liked his common sense business plan. he says to start small, right where you are. he says one of the worst things someone who wants to farm can do is run right out and spend all their money on land. he suggests starting in your back yard, then as your maket develops, use that money to finance the next step. he also advises looking into leasing unused farm land, which is a good idea too.

so yes he has some crockpot ideas,(he says no tv, only go to town once a month if that, you must be in the fields by the time the sun comes up or you will fail, stuff like that) but underneath it, the guy has some workable, innovative ideas about how to make money farming.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Salatin has certainly been successful, has some great ideas, tremendous conviction, and energy, although I believe he inherited his land, sure does make things easier...

[dcross]

<<the tidbit that got it heaved out of my house was the list of "musts" which said that you had to be "young" to start farming.>>

Odd, I read the book not long ago and don't remember that anywhere. I do remember some advice about starting out if you aren't young, but overall the message was "Go for it".

[Lizza]

I've always liked all his books and articles. Every time someone brings him up you say something negative about him and his books/articles and I honestly can say I have never read anything that even resembles whatever thing you find offensive. We must be reading different books

Originally Posted by MorrisonCorner

AAAAKKK! This man has fans... but he also has people who are not fans, and I am one of them. I'm not crazy about "You Can Farm" on many levels, but the tidbit that got it heaved out of my house was the list of "musts" which said that you had to be "young" to start farming.

Bull.

Then I started parsing the business plan... and while it works for him in his unique market, and it might work for you, the implication is that if is doesn't work it isn't because the plan is flawed for your market and circumstances.... but because you didn't work or sacrifice hard enough. That kind of message sends me orbital, because marketing plans are not cookie cutter one size fits all.

Anyhow, I threw the book away. Some good ideas but a lot of self congratulatory bunk.