He's Changing from Chicken Tractor to Free Range Chicken Netting (Bean Hollow Grassfed)

Typically, farmers go looking for the farm they want to have, but Mikes farm found him. When he and his wife returned home to care for his aging in-laws, the 200 acres began to call after him. Could he really make a profitable business off a small regenerative farm? He wanted to know. Ten years later, he believes the answer is yes but not without needing to be adaptable. For example, he has seen how raising chickens and turkeys outside of a tractor is more beneficial for the soil and chicken. He has also found the best way to make sure his first time customers become repeat customers. However, he is aging and he doesn’t want to do this forever. So, his hard working farm intern will be taking over the farm one day with all the wonderful things she has learned from him.
Bean Hollow Grassfed
Flint Hill, Virginia
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[@KR-os6nn]

I really enjoy the interviews, can you let the farmer talk more without interrupting? He has a lot of wisdom to share.

[@BreakingNewRoots]

Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoy it. I appreciate your feedback. I try my best to keep the conversation going two ways. 😊

[@jamestinsley9460]

I agree thankyou

[@KPVFarmer]

Great questions and content. Please let farmers finish what they are saying and not finish their sentences for them. Keep rock’n your farm tours!

[@BreakingNewRoots]

Thank you! I try my best to keep the conversation going two ways. ❤️

[@johnthompson3606]

Another great interview.. everyone is trying new ways of doing things..Kathy 😊

[@lindahansen9395]

Your interviews are so great. I love how you allow the other person to talk as long as they want but then your questions provoke great information and conversation. Keep it up.

[@BreakingNewRoots]

Thank you so very much!! I really appreciate that!! ❤️

[@alysiachristensen5475]

Excellent episode!!!

[@BreakingNewRoots]

Thank you so much!!! His property is beautiful and I loved his insight!!

[@larahemilton]

I love your interviews. I really appreciate that alot of the people that you are interview are not your typical generational farmers but instead people from all walks of life that are bringing ideas from other businesses to farming. I have learned so much from so many of these people. Thank you for all you do.

[@BreakingNewRoots]

Hi!! Thank you!! ❤️ honestly, I really love that too!! There are so many different kinds of people out there doing all kinds of things and I really believe it should be shown more! ❤️

[@Autumnswirl71]

Love this, I've used chicken tractors with my meat birds for 5+years. This spring, I set up almost exactly what he is doing, and I love it. Difference being I just have meat birds in the net, it is hot, and no livestock guardian dog. No loss so far and they are due to be processed this coming weekend. I do lock them into their tractor every night and let them out every morning, then move the tractor when its empty- so much easier!

[@MistressOP]

Try the ridge dale system (blind goose at night) you basically take them in at night. You can even feed them a small amount to go inside shelter. But you start them off tractor in a hoop then the older they get the more you let them out at night and in the morning. good vid. Hard to find solid dogs breeds who can deal with that heat. I agree covid was a sad blessing 25:51 for direct sale. Just built out a customer list and a staycation list, and everything. A lot of the onfarm/onranch stuff that was profitable but not insane became good and mostly stayed. It was one of those always be prepared for rainy days, not all your eggs in one basket and they laugh at you for doing the side stuff and it worked out. Like, even the plant breeding seed saving, seed selling worked out. Every far flung thing just landed.

[@BreakingNewRoots]

Oh yeah that is a good idea. I’m glad you enjoyed the video! There are so many things that came out of the period of time.

[@binyominribiat8394]

Excellent interview Great & informative!

[@BreakingNewRoots]

Thank you so much!!

[@Kelly_Mae]

The young woman that volunteered and became an employee must be so excited to know she’s going to get this farm one day! It will be life changing for her family! 🥹 So much great info! We are a young family that came from nothing, our parents never had anything and still don’t. We finally bought 10 acres and will be raising grass to turn into profit as well. Our long term goal is that we will replace my husband’s income so that he can come home from his blue collar job and we can full time farm and even buy more land. Our other goal is to have all the land paid off as quickly as possible and to be able to give land to our children when they grow up. Our boys are already showing signs of wanting to farm when they grow up, love the work, and love learning about the soil and animals. We homeschool as well, and they are truly farmers and entrepreneurs at heart and we plan to nurture that as much as possible! God willing.

[@BreakingNewRoots]

That’s amazing!!! I hope you have all the success!! ❤️❤️

[@heidiDonato]

Was interesting don’t know alot about chickens

[@BreakingNewRoots]

Oh yeah? I liked to see someone else going to the model that i liked so well.

[@SarahPerine]

I’m jealous of these farmers that just use shade structures! Even with two wonderful LGDs patrolling the farm, guard geese and electric netting, the coyote pressure and owls make it too dangerous for my farm.

[@BreakingNewRoots]

Oh no! I’m so sorry to hear that!! Have you talked with DNR? Maybe there’s a way to push them away from your livestock?

[@SarahPerine]

@@BreakingNewRoots thank you! We have ODFW here in Oregon and they can come trap. Unfortunately my dogs would have to be locked up while they trap and that just won’t work. I’m trying more prevention strategies and also have a rifle ready if the opportunity arises. But maybe what I’m trying to do is akin to an independent coffee shop opening in a sea of Starbucks. The competition could have been something I saw ahead of time.

[@BreakingNewRoots]

@@SarahPerine Oh man! but what an analogy, haha! Maybe its time for a pivot? Do you have other farm products that aren't vulnerable livestock??

[@jrobertgrack9342]

Absolutely love what you've accomplished. Fortunately, your location gives you more grazing days than someone say in MN, WI, IA, and MI. In those locations this type of operation would need more reliance on buildings for sheltering animals and then also equipment for the scope of care. I'm a big believer that row crop agriculture is a waste of what nature has given us. Why are we pumping the ground full of fertilizers, herbicides and insecticides which in turn kill the natural organisms in the soil and us humans which decades later presents now all sorts of diseases and cancers which weren't prevalent 50, 60 plus years ago? We can see all day on tv the complaints of the rising costs for food, but no one bats an eye for the cost they pay for life's extra accessories of tvs, electronics, cell phones, nike shoes, ecetera. Plus, why are we killing farmland to make ethanol? Why is it that we throw away so much food because it isn't perfect? Blemishes on apples, tomatoes, ecetera. We don't need to have such big meal servings. Look at the size of people compared to 50, 60, plus years ago. There s an audience for quality foods and the audience is slowly growing.

[@BreakingNewRoots]

I completely agree. And while location is a big factor for how our food can be raised, there are farmers in colder weather climates doing it too. We hope to find them and talk to them as well! ❤️

[@matthiaseze5717]

Thank you for the interview. Please can you connect me with the farmer. I'm interested in working with him. Seriously.

[@BreakingNewRoots]

You’re welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed it. His website and social links are in the description. 😊

[@justinskeans3342]

Some gem marketing idea 💡

[@BreakingNewRoots]

I agree!! Loved his ideas!

[@HoofbeatsWaggingtailsRanch]

I just subscribed to your channel. Great videos!

[@BreakingNewRoots]

Hi!! Thank you so much!!! ❤️