Farm Dreams vs Farm Reality (What It's Really Like to Start a Farm)

[@schmitt_happens1558]

The moment you realize a new video was uploaded by Gold Shaw Farm and you know you get 20 minutes of quality and wholesome content. It feels like a break for my soul and mind from the busy and loud world outside. It makes me happy seeing you fulfilling your dream, how you love your animals and how they love you (the geese just dont know how to show it properly ;)). You sir are the best example of "you only live once" and doing what makes you happy. I wish I would be as brave as you. You got my full respect. Keep up the good work. In case you need some support in terms of (digital) marketing let me know (even though you are already doing very well). Greetings from Germany.

[@HiddenSpringFarm]

nice sentiment

[@serenityhillhomestead7304]

Agreed 🥰

[@jonbettson7435]

Thank you! That saved me 20 minutes of typing! ;) And I love the pep talks!

[@plankface]

@@jonbettson7435 blahhhh - agreed.

[@plankface]

Yah. And! He plans everything with humility. (I hate him (jk))

[@pumadl1817]

Who else was distracted by that thing on his hat

[@Wh0sSpicy]

Me

[@bellasteppedonmahtoez932]

The black dot :)

[@williamlillibridge6055]

Puma DL. Me,Me,Me,Me-what Is it???

[@pumadl1817]

@@williamlillibridge6055 idk maybe some kind of seed?

[@williamlillibridge6055]

Jeremy F what's a goathead?

[@faceless1123]

When he said "sit" to Toby both my dogs sat lol

[@camicri4263]

😂😂 that's authority and well trained dogs!

[@plankface]

🤭🤭

[@imnotabirdman]

Sound like some good dogs

[@Milioem]

Good doggos

[@chelseawilhite]

Great list!!! Also: Dream: Once the farm is built, you just have to maintain, vs. reality: be prepared for the work to never end. Dream: A hard day's work will feel good and be rewarded, vs. reality: sometimes a hard day's work still feels like you're going backwards; tip: be ready to measure "success" in terms of learning instead of product. Dream: living rurally will free me from the hustle of urban life, vs. reality: it's still a hustle and if you don't take moments to connect to nature and other people it will still be empty, so make sure you connect! (This is a nice companion to your "escape people" item.) Thank you for these!!!

[@leah66]

‘When I look back at the blood, sweat, tears and other tired metaphors I’ve expended on this farm-‘ And that kind of amazingly subtle humor right there is why this is the best farm channel on KZbin.

[@theallenshire268]

When you buy animals be very intentional about it. Do not “rescue” other people’s problem livestock off of Craigslist.

[@alexzhu4756]

I learned this the hard way buying 3 pekin drakes off a lady who didn't want this many.

[@whisperingsage]

Sometimes it works though. We had a lady at church that had "rescue" Anatolian Shepherd and a Pyrenees, they bred and made babies, she gave us 4, 2 for us and 2 for a friend with goats also, and they have turned out to be quite helpful in predator defense.

[@judykinsman3258]

Ok. I’m busted. I’m never going to be a small hands on farmer. I’m 74 and just want healthy food that I know people like you will provide me. But I’ve learned from you that I wasn’t wrong to support local farmers who work so hard but equally celebrate their being a part of bringing a healthy ecosystem to themselves, their families and us with their products. You are a true American treasure and I’m so lucky you share your farm & family with me. A big thank you!!🦋💕

[@BuckFieri]

You look healthier recently. I didn't realize it until you were showing flashbacks in this video

[@janetd57]

I noticed that too! Looking good!!😌

[@mogyesz9]

@Hales Paige "not that having weight is a bad thing either" high quality coping bullshit you got there

[@larrycantdraw8995]

@@mogyesz9 You seem kinda angry, everything alright? Was your day okay?

[@palt7036]

@@mogyesz9 this

[@davidhenriksson285]

@@larrycantdraw8995 Lots of people, me included. Gets frustrated with the madness of our modern society. Like fat acceptance, coddling of criminals and other daily bullshit. He expressed himself harshly and but you can look at it two ways, either he is a troll or he cares. Since his post was in logic true and sound, I think he just cares. Have a nice day and sorry for the necro!

[@tsukino2520]

Your farm is just a wonderful representation of both hard work and fun, and I admire that. The care you put into the animals too is just.. phenomenal.

[@d.k.barker9465]

Hints from an old farmer: 1.) There are many devices you can build to fit on your tractors front bucket, just amazing. Also rig a SAFE remote control for the hydraulic controls. That will help you get your auger bit out of the ground. Also, another device is a platform to work on trees, barns, etc. 2.) Build an (upsidedown) "L" shaped lift for the back of your tractor. This is much better (and safer) for lifting very heavy things and there are simple devices you can fabricate for lifting barrels, etc There are literally 100s of devices for both front and back. Best resource is a bimonthly called "Farm Show" (out of Lakeville, Minnesota) where individual farmers display things they have made or farming experiments they've done. Check out partially underground greenhouses where even oranges are grown in North Dakota. (Harness the bitter NE winters to your advantage by growing spinach, lettuce, etc.?) 4.) Personal advice, learn to weld, it will transform your farming skills, plus its kinda good for your soul too, learing patience, etc. Thanks for your reports and your honesty! I got caught up in the "Back To The Land" movement in the 1970s, later moved to the city for my family, but I've never regretted the time on the farm.

[@TheCountessAsuka]

Thanks for the info about the tractor! So many of the attachments are expensive. If I can find a way to do it myself safely it's going to be such a big help. I agree about the welding. It's been on my 'to learn' list for quite a while. I'm hoping next fall I'll be able to start working on it.

[@d.k.barker9465]

Learning to weld: Start by collecting all kinds of scrap metal to practice on. This will also help you to learn to identify metal types where you need to use "low hydrogen", etc. Get someone to show you how to strike an arc and then practice, practice, practice. (You understand by now that "practice" means to make mistakes, right.) First project: get some pipe, (not galvanized!), and make a simple welding table, all metal. Then mount a vise on it. Good Luck, can't wait to see your first project!

[@TheCountessAsuka]

@@d.k.barker9465 Thank you! I'm pretty familiar with metal types (I make chainmaille jewelry) but it sounds like I'm going to have to relearn them all over again! I'm not upset about that though. I love learning new things. We have a family run business near us that specializes in welding, so once this pandemic is under control, I was going to ask them for help (and of course pay them to work on larger projects around the property).

[@d.k.barker9465]

@@TheCountessAsuka Other ideas: Junk metal is usually available for free around farms. 1.) Get an old junked pickup and cut off the frame and bed to make a serviceable trailer. 2. You can always find hunked trailer homes. Through away everything but the frame and wheels. Then, from here on design all smal out buildings

[@d.k.barker9465]

to fit on the trailer frame. Then you can move around as needed. Plus designing this way with a standard base will cause you to have, in effect, modular equipment etc. Another slightly different idea is to make a set of "flip over" wheels, from an old mobile home that you can put to an axle attached under your buildings for moving, etc. (Pretty soon you're probably going to abandon dragging around you're.chicken houses, etc. Its just too hard on the frames without wheels, etc) In all things "Think Modular". I wish I was there to see what you're going to accomplish! Good Luck!

[@littleozarksfarmstead]

I would like to add being able to medically treat your animals. There are basic medical supplies and knowledge to be learned when animals have injuries or develop conditions such as bumblefoot. I would like to give a shout out to Allison who supports and dearly loves our favorite start-up farmer! 🙌💗🐣👏

[@HiddenSpringFarm]

so true, I'm medicating a rescue kitten right now.

[@lauralarke7343]

Yes! Within a week of getting dairy goats they got into something they weren't supposed to and I needed to give them multiple injections a day. I didn't appreciate just how hands-on vet care is when it comes to farm animals and farm vets really expect you to help out when they come out on a call (e.g. restraining an unhappy 100lb goat).

[@whisperingsage]

the best books I have gotten at Pat Coleby's Natural Goat, Natural Sheep Natural Horse and Natural cattle. Supplementing them with all the minerals has been a profound PREVENTION that has saved us time and money.

[@SwanseaTitanFan]

Speaking for most of your viewers, we are proud of you too.

[@glengillis7775]

Well said. After watching so many of these homestead channels it give you a sense that it all easy peasy. Without the income from You Tube many I think couldn't do it at all. It is a lot for these You Tube channels to keep up. You tube becomes your new job daily filming and editing and constantly coming up with projects to keep you channel active. So you tube and the homestead work keeps you busier than just a 9 to 5 job. Just saying. For all these You Tube channel people like Gold Shaw Farm Thanks for you all hard work to entertain us.

[@HiddenSpringFarm]

Interesting you say that Glen, I bought an old hobby farm earlier in the year and started my channel back in July. It's about me transforming this old farm into an amazing farm stay. Youtubing is indeed hard long work and everything you do on the farm takes longer cause you're filming. editing alone takes me between 3-6 hours per episode depending on how my video files are organized. But although its hard and farming is hard, I love it so far. You right on about projects, but I'm lucky I'll naturally have tons of projects just to transform my property. Even uploading takes me between 9-14 hours depending on internet speeds. Thank you for appreciating the work that goes into producing videos.

[@sandy_sd10]

@@HiddenSpringFarm just subscribed! Appreciate all farmer's, I was raised on a diary farm.

[@HiddenSpringFarm]

SD gypsysailor nice and thanks

[@glengillis7775]

@@HiddenSpringFarm I just click your subscribe but on. Will give it a good going over. Thanks for your comment

[@h.s.6269]

@@HiddenSpringFarm just subbed too to check out later (I'm half asleep, lol). One thing I would suggest is mixing up video lengths and see if a different window of time works better. I've noticed a lot of homesteading youtubers tend to stay around 15 min mark so there may be a reason for it. Personally I don't always feel up to opening a 30 min video cause I plan on doing something else soon, but usually I can convince myself to postpone whatever that is for something shorter so I don't feel so bad about dodging it. Just some thoughts from a non youtuber, lol. But I'm mean well! I'll check out your channel, it looks promising

[@seanboyd2898]

"Hard Lessons Learned" is the difference between knowledge and wisdom The sum of all knowledge can be documented with pen and paper. But the ink of wisdom is sweat, blood, and tears, and it's writing is in faded scars. Knowledge can be learned, but Wisdom must be earned. (I know it sounds pretentious, but it's the only way I have ever been able to draw the divide myself)

[@amandab.recondwith8006]

I get a kick out of Pablo. He is always just hanging around and seems perfectly happy with his lot in life.

[@piquat1]

You should watch the video about Pablos story. If I were Pablo I’d be happy to be with Morgan too.

[@DipityS]

I'm sorry? 'Hanging around?' Tsk! Pablo's management - he's supervising - goodness knows how the farm would get along if Pablo wasn't keeping a sharp eye on matters 😊

[@connorbettge3810]

“an individual’s willingness to escape the clutter and rat king of humanity” is the title of my next album, thanks

[@ronaldedwards5730]

An stead of let loose the goose how about release the geese

[@Nala15-Artist]

Small time organic gardening taught me two things: 1: Without a wild space, keeping pests off your crops is hard. 2: The weather can really screw your crops.

[@mimidestiny1]

One obvious benefit, ; you look a lot more fit, lively and spry. Farm life looks amazing on you both.

[@apoch003]

Look around you. It's not just Pablo and Toby who are "besties". They're always around YOU. You are part of their gang as well!

[@whisperingsage]

My hubby has a Siamese, Jackie Chan, who LOVES him, and follows him around and climbs on him, lays on him.

[@HomesteadDNA]

The work never ends...but it's so rewarding!

[@whisperingsage]

Life is loaded with menial boring labor, there is no getting out of it. For some of us, farm work is rewarding. Growing things in the garden, fruit off the trees, eggs, baby chicks and turkeys and ducks, etc. We will appreciate that when they force the Great reset on us all.

[@MamaTtoB-P]

Not a stupid video at all dude. Very informative I really pray young people who are thinking of starting a farm see something like this before hand ✋ 🙏 😊. God bless & be with you all always ❤ 🙏 💛

[@majajani8077]

Must say it brightens my day to come home from work at 5pm to see a video from you. It's a little bit of magic and peace to the day, thanks for doing what you're doing!

[@Namahatas]

I really enjoy your videos. If I lived near you I would've helped you renovating that old barn with a lick of paint. Also restore rotten spots etc. Since you make these nice videos where you don't just show your life on the farm but also show your kind character and give me a peace of mind, I would have done it all for free. Keep up the nice work. Greetings from The Netherlands

[@elli2193]

Good thing about all issues and learnings: every time you make progress you can be really proud of yourself. And no farmer has a perfect farm - everytime there is something to make better. And that's nothing to be ashamed of. That's natural farming evolution.

[@erwinj9697]

Best thing about farming is there is always something to improve and you never get bored. The work never ends. If you're done maintaining one part of the farm the other part of the farm needs work done again.

[@MzClementine]

Oh you make me chuckle. I can just imagine, “hey Tom, I know you lent me that earth auger ...but now I need you to lend me your thoughts on how to get it out of the frozen ground...?” 😆🤣😅😂😂😂

[@dimitrivos7088]

I love how happy Toby is when you release the quacken 😂

[@errorASMR]

when that unicorn farted he was releasing something!

[@kittthegryphon748]

You found a rock. Time to get a heavier grade bolt. It went in the hole, put a new bolt in the auger and make the auger come back out of the hole. Bolts and pins break it's a fact of farming. Plus, they are designed to do that. Shearing off a bolt is a lot cheaper than twisting off the shaft of the auger when you find that rock of gibraltar.

[@keptinkaos6384]

yeah, I thought it was a built-in fail-safe too ...

[@matthewtravis387]

You can “donk it” with a piece of 4x4 or a fence post like a battering ram from multiple angles to loosen it up. Should make it easier to get out.

[@sheilasmith2053]

I love those geese! Every time I see it, it cheers me up. Thank you.

[@Irishxlily]

I haven't worked on a farm, but I've worked in an animal shelter and the biggest lesson I've learned when you have large groups of animals is to have a plan and area of your farm in case of injury or illness where you can quickly set it up to isolate your animal(s) from the rest of the group. This also includes researching and having a play book on all the different types of illnesses/injuries that can occur in the species you house before any animals get on your farm. The faster you can spot it and the faster your reaction time is, the better chance you have avoiding disaster. It also just a good idea to keep things as hygienic and animals as isolated from each other as you can possible make things to avoid cross zoological pathogens from sprouting out like 1918 Influenza (which is thought to have started on a farm in Kansas), Bird flu, Swine Flu, and now Covid19 have done.

[@catherinemiller9798]

Oh Morgan, You are such a treat. Pride in ones self is fine. Coupled with humility = good life. Winter isn't ugly, it's winter. Kisses to Allison. Cathy

[@houseofcards2]

We retired and my husband got the brilliant idea to by a farm - we did - wish i could say I was drunk or high on pills when I agreed but I was completely sound of mind, LoL. So we traded in 40 hour week for 80 hour, 24/7, no holidays off life style and would not trade for anything! Our success our our success, and our failures our ours. One important lesson learned...Never make a deadend space, always have a way to drive/walk through, always have 2 exit even if you never use the spare because one day you will need it - trust me on that, Oh, make sure it is wide enough for your tractor!!!!! Love your videos!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@valarielewis9501]

Morgan, y'all are alright by me. Love the interactions of humans and animals. May God continue to bless you and Allison.😊

[@jasont6574]

March 24th,2020 was a turning point for me. I wrote a book when I was in kindergarten back in the early 80's titled "I want to be a farmer". And for most of my adult life I was focused on my career in manufacturing. When I lost my job due to the pandemic I started to focus on my dreams of becoming a farmer. I always knew it was a hard life and I'd never become"rich". But the one thing I've learned is money is not the most important thing in life. Watching videos that you and others produce has reintroduced me to my dreams. Back in April I decided to make the plunge into a small homestead (1.13 acres). I got my 1st flock of chickens 17 layer's and 15 meat birds. I started chicken composting and watching lots of videos. Thank you for helping to inspire me to be a better Steward of my land and hopefully a better Steward of my community.

[@careyfinding3310]

Nothing about farming is easy, but it's rewarding. Besides, nothing worth having is easy.

[@diceportz7107]

The thing I'd like to add, well actually a couple of things, is if you have livestock/poultry, you have poop. If you get freaked out by dirt, you're really gonna lose it over poop. Those cute little duckling? They poop all the time. I have never seen a critter deposit so much poop. The second thing is, if you have livestock, you have made a committment and come rain or shine, -20 with a windchill of -40, you still got to get you rear out and check on you livestock, feed & water them. If you are sick, they still need food and water. This really gives you an opportunity to see just what you are made of. Now, this part is for you Morgan. Yes, you have clutter BUT! You are beating that into submission everyday. Every project you complete is 1 step closer to attaining that nice, neat, farm you and Allison envision. Keep up the good work.

[@HiddenSpringFarm]

so true. poop gets everywhere.

[@PTRMAN]

It's been a nice journey since the the start. Great to see the big fence go up and some barn repairs, too - nice milestones of progress. It is slowly becoming what Morgan had a vision for.

[@emachiavelli_]

Farming feels like a wisdom based sport. You can acquire as much knowledge as you want, but a lot of it you have to go through to understand and do better

[@sjmad2574]

Great video that shines light on the true reality for country life in general. Keep up the good work!

[@fureveryoungfarm3752]

OMG you have changed my entire winter watering routine. I never thought to get one of those hoses and take it in after I'm done. Genius !

[@theRbell3000]

I think the easiest thing people over look is you can't call in sick when you have animals to care for!

[@whisperingsage]

I have learned to set up long term feeders and waterers when possible. 50 lb gravity feeders like the chowhound. Lixit waterers, hay racks big enough to hold enough for a week.

[@carton576]

Always a pleasure to see your videos Morgan Cheers from Paris!

[@Exquailibur]

the east coast is so much different, im just as far north as you are, yet it rarely snows here and never gets much below 30f. my quail never need to be shielded against anything except tons of rain.

[@MzClementine]

It makes me so emotional. I hope people realize how difficult it is to farm. Such as cattle farming. Unless you are comfortably wealthy and I do not mean just a millionaire, can you start cattle farming. And or if you inherited your farm. Then you’re fine. But for regular Joe to want to start cattle farming. It’s impossible. When the virus hit, we made a deal with Namibia Africa: practically that’s our main supplier beef now. I tried to warn people. No one paid attention. Say goodbye to our beef. We need farmers. They keep us alive. We need to go back to our roots. Smaller footprint smaller farm better product... I have big AG and Small AG on both sides of my family... farming is a dying breed. Don’t let that happen. Please

[@HiddenSpringFarm]

here, here!

[@zestymoo]

I've been making a bigger effort to buy meat and produce locally. The meat isn't usually an issue but winter is long and dark here in Alaska so we don't always have access to plant products. But yeah, I'm getting a lot more vocal about pushing the idea of buying local. The less we rely on big corporations the better our lives will be.

[@billperry7166]

Never mind all of the time for the live stock! The maintenance on the equipment and facilities! You're a good man! Thank you for sharing.

[@jenmoores3660]

YOU ARE ABOUT TO REALLY TAKE OFF WITH SUBSCRIBERS I'M BETTING. Between the fact that your channel was recommended to me and a few of my friends (suddenly, without ever looking at farming videos) and the fact that we have all been seeing several ads play in one video, YT must be pushing your channel- Congrats! I'm enjoying the channel, especially because it isn't my typical watch.

[@patrickedwards1087]

Man, I don't really do the comments section of KZbin so much but I thought I'd mention that you definitely have one of my very favorite channels and it is because of honest and direct videos like this. I dig it. On another note, the wife and I recently bought some land in VT to start our own place. Been a dream for a long long time. Holler if you wind up around Newport!

[@greeneyeswideopen774]

I've been watching since the beginning; an the ugly is going away bit by bit. It will be beautiful when you finish. and full of great memories including losing the auger.

[@georgeclark8814]

Hi, just to help with that auger stuck in the ground get a chain with hooks on both ends and wrap it round the auger and clip the hook onto itself so it’s sought of tight. Then the other end put the hook on your tractor attachment and when you lift the arms up on your tractor the chain will tighten and pull it right out. I’ve had many of these hard lessons working with machinery👍👍

[@miklos1298]

You look so much happier and healthier than working all corporate like. So happy for you!

[@horace6851]

I live in an apartment complex close to a big patch of woods on Long Island. We've been having a turkeys visiting our yard almost every day but recently they brought a stray rooster! And we live in suburbs nowhere close to any farms... He is doing well, looks beautiful and healthy and every time I hear him crow I'm reminded of your farm. It's such a surreal experience to hear rooster crowing here... I just heard one in your video and was reminded of our visitor.

[@the_hearthfire]

I’m happy to say that after watching this- this is exactly what I want. I’ve been working on a hobby farm for awhile as well and love every aspect of it- even the dirty work. It’s so rewarding to get the hard work done. There’s something about being outside getting things done. So far in a residential area I’ve started with chickens and gardening. Getting more experience on other’s farms is great.

[@bestoddisee]

Loved the cockle burr on your hat. I get them tangled in my clothing this time of year too. Thanks for letting your audience hear some of the reality of running a farm. It will give folks a better idea of the kind of dedication it takes to keep the dream of small family farms and ranches alive. As always, well said sir.

[@kathrynjoseph2599]

I'm sorry Morgan but I don't have a farming dream. I just enjoy watching you make yours a reality. You are very entertaining in these videos but I recognize that what you're doing is hard work. I enjoy watching the results of all your efforts. I have a comment on a different topic, also. Every time I've seen a national map of the cases of the Covid-19 virus, Vermont has very low numbers. I couldn't figure out why until you made the comment that Vermont is the second least populated state in the country. I didn't know that. I think that explains the low number of breakouts there. If there aren't a lot of people around you're not sharing each other's air. Thanks for, albeit unknowingly, answering my question. I look forward to your next videos!

[@wilmaroles4375]

Grew up on a farm. Love watching your videos as I snuggle down in my small town life. Better you than me doing it all.

[@ybbal8640]

Great video Morgan, I feel like you educate a lot in a world where farming is an art that has been lost, and your journey is very real to the struggle it can be and the joy of learning that art. You are my favorite farmer to watch and relate to. Many blessings to you and Allison.

[@lyciamessersmith5348]

This KZbin video isn't stupid. It's very informative and farming and life. God bless you!!

[@TealStoneHomestead]

Love it!! I feel like most of the times that I see people give up on homesteading (particularly with rabbits, in my case) is that they try to get started as quickly as possible, even when they're not fully ready to take on the responsibility. The best thing to do is take it one step at a time, give your animals time to decompress, and don't rush the process of building the homestead. It will come with time and hard work.

[@Jan-qy6ff]

You're the cutest starter farmer ever and you're wife is the sweetest supporter, I love that she calls it a sanctuary while your drill bit basks underground lol

[@MattO109]

I dream of circumnavigating the globe solo on a sailboat but I still watch everyone of your videos, not because of the farming tricks and tips but your constant strive to making a dream a reality, it takes guts to leave a “comfortable life” in the pursuit of something more honest and productive to happiness.

[@karenpaxton]

You are a wise young man, Morgan. Reminding me of so much I need to remember atm, even not in the farming world. Thank you for sharing.

[@margie6534]

You are blessed to have the best of both worlds. Farming and a job to fulfill your farming dreams.

[@doodlebug6833]

fix a chain to the bucket of the tractor, put a big bolt and nut through the auger and chain. chain sandwiching the auger. and maybe give er a yank. best of wishes

[@reddirtranch7268]

One thing that I've learned working at our Homestead is like you said , always be comfortable with death because it happens all the time. We recently just hatched out some new baby chicks from our own chickens eggs and a lot of them ended up not making it because we rather didn't have it hot enough in there or it was too cold. Some of them couldn't even break through the shell because it was too hard and they dried up. But we learned from that and we actually bought a professional incubator. And like you said it's also good document all the stuff that you've screwed up on because at the end of the day you can learn from those mistakes and never make them again. And I document all my stuff over on my KZbin channel.

[@kaywalbright8436]

You are a great resource to learn from. Also a great encouragement to follow one's dream. You have that dream farm, its like a puzzle. One piece at a time and then before you know it the puzzle (farm) will look like that picture. God bless you and your wife.

[@virnafarm9059]

I love your honesty! We are pasture pig farmers in Minnesota and if you look through my videos in our first 1.5 yrs we have had our ups and downs for sure.

[@HiddenSpringFarm]

I always seem to love your chosen topics for your videos. This one resonates with me more though. Day in day out those animals gotta get fed. houses, barns and coops need to get cleaned. poop needs to be cleared. Things need to be built and maintained. Snow needs to be cleared. Landscaping too. I bought my farm back in Jan and I started my channel back in July. KZbin is in addition to all the farm fun (chores). Editing takes me like 3-6 hours, uploading takes me like 9-14 hours, producing the content makes everything you do on the farm take longer. But I love it so far as I know you do too since you've kept youtubing. I actually enjoy the whole process, I'm excited to give my wife a sneak peek before I upload. Plus we have day jobs. I love farm life. I only wish I could have afforded it earlier in my life. We're also transforming our property into a farm stay vacation rental. At least I finished my custom duck house before winter and my ducks are loving their new digs so much they've started to lay eggs. I'm super pumped for next spring when I start my new custom chicken coop. Your videos are inspiring to me and your guys story is so much like our own. Cheers to us farm starters. Nevermind that burr on your hat...I found it funny, only cause I'm youtubing also. while you're filming depending on which camera you use you don't always see the viewfinder so you wouldn't even know it was there. A while back my wife made me scrap an entire episode worth of content cause there was some bit of poop on my cheek. (you know how ducks are, when they flap their wings sometimes the poop goes flying lol)

[@GoldShawFarm]

Wow! Sounds like you’ve been very busy. Keep it up!

[@Gina-dz4jg]

I think you offered some really good insight and advice, yet again. Nothing takes the place of actual experience and that perfect 20/20 hindsight. I can relate to your wife's desire to have an Instagram/Pinterest perfect looking farm, house, enclosures, coops, etc., but I so appreciate that you are comfortable with "progress" in the meantime, using what you have available and prioritizing the projects. It's a journey, and you're young and have lots of time ahead of you to enjoy it. As a viewer, it's fun to follow along and share a glimpse at the things that work out great, and the ones that don't -- I can relate to so much of your duck, chicken, dog and cat adventures! We don't have nearly the acreage, but even on a much smaller scale, so many things you've covered are relatable to my life which is encouraging. It's no surprise you've become so popular!

[@zestymoo]

"Community is crazy important when you live in the middle of nowhere" so true! I grew up and still live in Alaska and that is one of the most valuable resources we have up here honestly. Our ability to come together in a not just a crisis but in every day life is incredible. A lot of people living up here are transplants who are thousands of miles away from any family and previous life they've known; it can be so hard to make a life when you're so far away from your comfort zone. And even if you're from Alaska and your family is in the state, it can still be really difficult to visit them. There are a lot of towns and villages that can only be reached by air, it's not exactly cheap to go see the fam for a weekend. But we all make due and it brings us closer as a community. You'll see lots of holidays that are celebrated with friends as well as family; and it's a completely normal thing.

[@breluedtke3810]

This is one of my favorite channels because you are just so honest. ❤️

[@VeraHannaford]

I have nearly zero desire to start or work on a farm, but I enjoy your videos for your warts and all approach-and for Toby, of course.

[@SlayermikeFishingandMORE]

If I had a farm like yours I would sell all that manure you have online, sounds crazy but people pay good money for dried goose poop and for concentrate for compost tea

[@KenS1267]

I have no idea where you are but no one in North America will pay one cent for dried goose droppings. Anyone who wants that stuff can get all they want for free.

[@gasmask7064]

@@KenS1267 well.....

[@TagW110]

@@KenS1267 Bags of dried goose shit? Probably not, but if he composts & bags it, there's money in that for sure. Now granted, it's not going to make him a millionaire lol

[@onetuliptree]

The fancy garden center I used to live near sold bags of bat gueno and other quality manures for high dollar prices, I bought some, Lol.

[@catbirdish]

Come on Ken online artisanal goose poo it’s too crazy not to work. 😆

[@crhend512]

Growing up in dairy country I was often called a farmer. That ended when I responded once that while I considered that a compliment, no way could I work that hard!

[@corrinefraser3818]

Just love love love your channel. From the Fraser 's in SUDBURY ONTARIO Canada

[@HiddenSpringFarm]

Hello Sudbury, we're in Coldwater just outside of Barrie

[@CecilliaDB]

Good video. Mindset may be the biggest adaption to farming/homesteading people struggle with who aren't raised with it. Always love the music, positivity and realism.

[@marinairathemagnificent]

Morgan: "Good morning, guys" Me: "Aaaand.... LIKE!" Love the sunrise

[@SnarkyZazu]

Hard lesson learned: Never underestimate the ingenuity and tenacity of a shetland pony hell-bent on tasting your vegetable patch

[@kmkat6]

but they're little, how bad can it be (supposed to be funny)

[@marinakukso]

thanks for the video! some of the things i've learned from ~3 years in the country so far: 1) start extremely small. 600 trees seems like a huge way to start! almost all of the first things we planted didn't work out, so it's better to plant small # of diff kinds of trees, see what works, keep mistakes small & cheap. that applies to what you build as well. 2) keep planting - always keep planting. 3) live *with* the land..you're in nature's home now. 4) if at all possible, have a non-farming-based income stream. you will relate differently to the land if you're trying to pull value out of it. this will be extremely stressful if you're new & still learning how to grow things, etc. thanks again - i especially liked the lessons about being a good neighbor & that things are not beautiful.

[@Citystead]

Take it slow is priceless advice

[@mionaganohara]

Watching your videos is consistently the highlight of my day/week/month!!

[@MrsTigercat]

I find your "warning" sign on the gate hilarious. What does Toby do with people besides wag his tail to get petted? :-) That sign should be a warning about that 7000 volt live wire across the top of the gate.

[@BlueLikeAnIKEABag]

Toby might not be so chill around a stranger

[@sandy_sd10]

@@BlueLikeAnIKEABag I agree.

[@florenceolatunji4878]

The sun rise is beautiful

[@TrueReptainlove]

I grew up on a farm, i know from childhood... farm life is not easy. Every day is a new challenge. No day can be expected to go the same way then the previous day. There are no sick days, every day you must work, every sunday, every holiday. New problems can arise every second... but for all that it costs.... its pretty worth it. To be able to look at your property and to be able to say: this is what i archieved. Its fantastic

[@arakwar]

This is something that many people don't have as an habit. Taking notes is really important. I'm now noting every kombucha batch that I do, taking notes of most slow-cooked bbq/smoker meal that I do... and I got so much better at those things than when I tried to do it without anything written down.

[@edking4344]

Use a large pipe wrench to turn the earth auger out of the ground, like taking a screw out.

[@michaelcox1071]

This^^^ - you can ‘unscrew’ the auger with a tire Iron and a pipe.

[@DizzyIzzyMom]

I love how you treat that sweet puppy. My grand dog is a Great Pyrenees and she is as sweet Toby.

[@kentancock6587]

Just a FYI, if you loose your auger on your tractor, just use a old Philips head screwdriver to connect the auger and tape it in place, then just put it in reverse and go slow till out

[@TheBeginningFarmer]

Great video and lots of truth! I came into farming with a lot of ideas, and even though I’m 12 years in now I’m still watching some of those ideas fall apart in front of me. Humility though is a good thing ... on the farm, and in life! (Also, thanks for the shout out!)

[@barbarabigelow9110]

Such a beautiful sunrise!!! Hope the sunset is just as amazing. Thank you for the sobering discussion. Good to know those things. Also you've accomplished so much!!

[@donmartin7728]

For the auger, have a pipe about 2 foot long that you can slide onto the gear head and the auger. Used only to pull the auger up enough so you can attach the auger back to the gear head.

[@wezul]

"I wanna be my own boss/a farmer so I can work less" has got to be one of the most hilarious takes in the whole world.

[@Nphen]

He mentioned his 9-to-5 job he wanted to leave. He traded that in for a 5-to-9 job. As in 5 in the morning to 9 at night!

[@wezul]

@@Nphen TOO TRUE!

[@MrAxendersp]

At least nobody is gonna fire his ass off and live on the streets....

[@BlueSpirit422]

And here I am, wanting to become a homesteader in order to escape the empty easiness of modern urban life

[@alemon9727]

@@BlueSpirit422 there is no such thing as "easiness" in life. All life styles are hard. It's only a matter of how complicated/simple, stressful/peaceful it can be. Life in the city is complicated and stressful. Life in the farm is more simple and peaceful. But both are hard.

[@davidspellman3059]

i hate to laugh at people when accidents happen, But Dude that shock from the electric fence was really funny. Im glad you didnt get hurt.

[@northernpennrailproduction3373]

Good monday Morgan!

[@daspinmonkey]

I really appreciate this video. I'm just starting out, so I don't have any animals or gardens yet. But one thing I didn't think about was keeping on top of all the weeds and grasses growing everywhere! I'm in the process of buying a ride on lawn mower haha

[@kathyknowles1342]

I find it cool and hilarious that when releasing the quacken the first ones out the door are usually the geese!

[@JerryB507]

Morgan, use the largest screwdriver that will fit through the auger pinhole to pull it out. If you can't get the holes lined up, use a chain though the screwdriver and loop it around the 3 point.

[@rkj4107]

You're exactly right about the community and the Insta/ Pinterest farming/ homesteading. The community is actually getting a little toxic in that you aren't allowed to say everything is anything but beautiful. If you even hint in some circles that something is unpleasant or ugly the flock jumps all over you. I think I need some new circles.

[@suzannem5674]

Farming and livestock care is hard work. You can't call in sick. Good advice on starting small.

[@TheNakidGardeners]

Thanks for this video. It definitely has opened my eyes to a little more on what to look for in our homestead and what to expect. thanks for sharing.

[@paotg0864]

Could be difficult but worth it, just how healthy you look compared to before...thanks for your videos we appreciate alll the info

[@user-kt7mi3yy8j]

Well said and thanks for sharing. Often people want to escape to something better not fully realizing the pros/cons. Its definitely something I am taking into consideration of the research I am doing for my own market garden in the next 2-3 years. :)

[@tompowell6723]

I have 27 years of residential carpentry. I assumed that you had previous carpentry experience. I once had stitches done by a Doctor who had worked his summers in college as a carpenter. I still remember that experience as meeting another tradesman and getting along fine and both walking away respecting each other. I had assumed that you had previously earned carpentry skills, yes your outbuildings look fine. You should be proud of them. Tom