August 2025 vol. 1 It took me longer than expected, but I finally completed the new (and improved) egg mobile. I first hinted at this project in the newsletter (link) announcing the purchase of 500 laying pullets toward the end of May. I’ve been pecking away at it as time permitted, but I’m happy
July 2025 vol. 1 We hope you all enjoyed a wonderful Independence Day! As the old saying goes, “Variety is the spice of life,” and this past week certainly reminded us of that truth. We took a short break from the ranch to visit family, and the change of scenery brought a refreshing dose
June 2025 vol. 2 For several years we’ve been raising Red Wattle pigs. A few years back I started crossing them with a more conventional breed trying to get a better fat to meat ratio, but I just wasn’t able to achieve the results I was looking for. The Red Wattle is a great
June 2025 vol. 1 When the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus made its first appearance at an Indiana poultry farm in February 2022, roughly 30,000 turkeys were euthanized in an attempt to avert a larger outbreak. It didn’t work! Three years and nearly 200 million dead birds later, they (the experts) still don’t have a
February 2025 vol. 1 Every so often, we get a call from someone wanting to help. Most of the time, it’s someone trying to sell us something—website optimization, a better payment system, or assistance with distribution and shipping. But just last week, I got a call from someone wanting to give me something—for free. I’ll
October 2024 vol. 1 We’re very excited about the forthcoming fall weather. The little taste we’ve had so far is quite refreshing. However, the cool winds are stirring up a significant amount of dust, serving as a stark reminder of the prolonged dry spell we’ve been enduring. It’s been several months since the last rainfall,
September 2024 vol. 3 Now that we’ve undertaken a few markets closer to Austin, we’ve been selling a lot more eggs. We get a lot of questions around how we raise our hens, and notably about the color of the yolk, and whether we wash them. I’ve previously written a newsletter addressing these things, but
August 2024 vol. 2 For the past several years, we’ve happily raised Thanksgiving turkeys. Turkeys are precocious little critters and though they’re less than cute, they’re a welcome addition to our menagerie. As we sell our turkeys FRESH, it’s very important that we get our production just right – ensuring they reach market weight a
August 2024 vol. 1 Farming is learning. Regardless of age, I can’t imagine anyone claiming to be an expert. It’s an ongoing process of learning and adapting, drawing on past experience, and tweaking for today’s reality. But in order to make adjustments, it’s necessary to understand the variables and their effect on the outcome. Unlike
July 2024 vol. 2 A few of you have taken the time to forward me articles and news clippings, or ask directly, about the looming crisis in the egg and poultry industry. So when I read a recent article from Dr Mercola I was reminded that I should provide a written response with respect to
