Don't make these mistakes! Small farm pitfalls to avoid

[@TikiETapas]

I learnt how to rebuild a tractor motor by forgetting to check the oil

[@JustaFewAcresFarm]

LOL Richard! Learning by necessity!

[@jupitercyclops6521]

Cows are the only animal (besides a few kinky humans) that will just stand there and not bother to move when anothet is peeing and or pooping on their own face. All they had to do is move, but they just "moo"

[@dwightstjohn6927]

I did that with a borrowed truck. Violated dad's most basic instruction: no matter what the owner/operator states, you check the fluids. Cost 200 for an engine block back in my junior college days. Ouch. The guy who borrowed before me had done NO maintenance, while claiming he was Gods' gift to vehicle. I've never forgotten.

[@dwightstjohn6927]

@@jupitercyclops6521 I had European cattle that would drop their calves right in the crap. My N. American cattle NEVER did that. They'd crawl under the fence on their knees to seek a clean spot. Apparently, for the last 600 plus years, cattle are often "compounded" in Europe and the feed is brought to them. My guess is the mothering ability on certain levels were bred right out of them. along with "travelling proclivity". Ranchers complained way back in the seventies/eighties and, of course, were "blown off" by European breeders and even University Professors, two groups that had "all the answers". I'm still figuring out the questions.

[@jupitercyclops6521]

@@dwightstjohn6927 Hahaha! Interesting. I'm pretty green really. Back in the day I had a summer job at a farm/ feed lot owned by the family of a good friend. They were good people. Lot of great memories. Grew up in the sticks but we seldom had livestock. When I was 12 my dad bought a couple impregnated sows. I got to keep a feeder in exchange for taking care of them. It wasn't long before we had 70 head. (This was before the corporate mega farms) Looking back at it, I know the reason my dad went into the venture was to teach me responsibility. Every day. Rain or shine 100° or 0°.. The good old days for sure. Have a good one Dwight

[@dethjonescustoms1167]

One of the biggest things my wife and I have learned from our 10 years of small ranching is this list we came up with. We are both around 60 now but when we got started we discovered that it was WAY TOO EASY to forget to take care of yourself. These simple rules we came up with have saved us from exhaustion, which inevitably leads to mistakes and potential injuries. When you are an hour from the nearest hospital you need to be mindful. So, here's the list. Rest before you are tired... Once you are already tired you will start screwing things up and may even injure yourself. Drink before you are thirsty... We live at 7500 foot elevation and our typical humidity is in the teens. Add a hot sun to that mix and you NEED to stay hydrated! Eat before you are hungry... This is most important if you have a work day planned. Running out of fuel in the middle of a big project is not only inconvenient, but you get weak, less focused, and less coordinated...again possibly leading to injury. Take at least one day a week off of heavy chores... The body needs to recover and rest is necessary to stay sharp. Staying sharp when working around machinery and livestock is absolutely crucial. Stay "in the moment" while working... Letting your mind drift away while you are working around critters and machinery is a recipe for problems. Lots of stuff to remember...like making sure gates are locked, water is turned off, etc. These are the big ones to remember... you can add your own details depending on your circumstances.

[@michaelclifton3010]

Excellent videos. My biggest mistakes was 1. Starting ranch too late. I bought my property at 58. I love the work (usually) but my body certainly talks back. 2. Every building I built turned out to be too small. Whatever size you think you need , double it and it will still be too small.

[@dranchatclearwater6193]

Hey Pete! Just like you I'm a fifty-year-old small farm farmer, with one big difference... I'm the wife! My husband has a day job so I definitely appreciate your bits of wisdom. This one may not pertain to you but it might help someone else: 1. Think twice about purchasing goats. 2. If you do not have excellent fencing that would keep in wild bison, do not buy goats. 3. Sheep eat the same thing goats do and are much less hassle. 4. If any doubt, referred to #1. Thanks for all you do!!! Keep up the good work.

[@tonyhamilton4861]

Try goat netting with a 12 joule fence charger. Works pretty good for me.

[@actionjackson9290]

After watching Shaun the Sheep, I can see why

[@uberintj]

LOL. You're 100% right...but I love our goats. I call them the little Houdinis. Oddly, at least for us, the escape artists seem to come in waves. Some years they aren't too bad, other years, the whole lot will NEVER be in the right field.

[@highoctain113]

My wife and I just bought our first farm less than a year ago, and the mistakes we are making are piling into mountains... But mistake number one, buying animals when we are not ready for them, not having a defined direction of travel yet, we basically have a petting zoo, but we are figuring out what we are doing the hard way.

[@ronnieg6358]

Practical advice. Put the water troughs outside the pen and let the cattle drink through a 'hole' in the gate.

[@chevyon37s]

They’ll still poop in them.

[@llewelyn9084]

We had trough outside their pen with just a head hole and timber planks covering rest. Yes they still shit in it so we installed a 20x5 inch door at bottom of trough to clean out. Was clean in few minutes

[@claesmansson9070]

Cattle drinking cups

[@jmoore2781]

A small 2” PVC siphon will be a lot quicker and cleaner way to get 90% of that water out...

[@jhetrick01]

+1 Written business plan and +1 understanding your production costs. In my case we started with the idea of "don't care what it costs for our own use, assume that if we want 2 of something, but can raise 4 for the same effort, we can sell the additional 2 to break even on everything but labor". This was not so true once we started really tracking production costs. Selling to neighbors and friends is a good way to start, but, don't get caught in the trap of underselling to them because they're friends or family :). On the flipside, don't underestimate the value of barter. I've been able to trade with other local farmers (mostly conventional) for help or goods and the return has been immense. If I can help them on their farms for just a day, I learn a different perspective. I don't have to keep a bull, I can barter to drop a few of my cows off when I need to breed them, usually for some labor. This is the same for equipment. I can offer to small-square a few racks for a friend with a large round baler because he likes having them in the barn when he's calving. I like having small squares, but, in the winter, feeding large rounds is much easier. We trade, and I don't need a large round baler and he doesn't need a small square baler. I think our biggest mistake so far, has been becoming distracted with multiple potential enterprises while we explore our niche. Rather than focusing on one or two while we learn and grow, we had a little of everything because it was fun. I think that slows down the process of getting to production.

[@dwightstjohn6927]

the barter thing worked really well for me, as back in the day I belonged to a horse and pony club, which basically meant the people I knew had money!!. Also, during the Great Depression my uncle said you didn't grow what you couldn't use yourself, barter, or sell for cash. Good advice today.

[@Torome86]

I raised a dozen turkeys last year on pasture. I had pre-sold 5 of them and the rest went into a small freezer(i had them butchered in July) so that I could sell them as I could. I went away for a couple weeks because I am in the Reserves and during that time the power went out for two days after a big storm. The power came back on and my Dad looked in the freezer and they were all still frozen solid, so we left it. A few weeks later there was a pretty bad smell hanging around, upon opening ithe we were greeted by the most godawful stench of death. The freezer never turned back on with the power, eventually thawing out and rotting. Lost all that meat. The ones that I had pre-sold though were apparently the best turkeys my customers ever had though!

[@fomoco300k]

I regret buying animals before the infrastructure they needed was in place. Now I’m constantly playing catch up with fences, water, etc. I regret not knowing more about what to look for in my starting out stock. It’s easier to cull an animal before you buy it, but you have to know what to look for. I also regret each and every time I hesitated or procrastinated when I should have acted and lost an opportunity that may never come again. So, mistakes are inevitable, but you have to get out there and try something in order to know what works and what doesn’t. Thanks, Pete for sharing your hard earned wisdom. Helps us all in the long run.

[@pvandeborne]

I’m in woodworking but it would apply to any business. I learned this from my friend years ago and it has helped me a lot because I was pretty disorganized in my younger years. Often it takes a lot of brain power and focus to do certain tasks properly and efficiently. I found if you keep some order in your surroundings and you put things back in the same place every time it takes less energy to find those things (like tools)when you need them. This way you keep your focus on the important details and job at hand and your not wasting brain power on looking for your hammer or whatever. Like my friend said to me one day, “I only have so much room in my head and I don’t want to fill it with unnecessary information that should be processed automatically through organization”

[@poorfarm-nn6ii]

My big mistake has been helping others with their farms and not starting one of my own. I have helped keep machines running, welding stuff, spent my time and my tractor and implements to help others for nothing. I have learned a lot but it’s made me zero money, cost me a lot of money, and my farm hasn’t even started yet. I should be putting my time and effort into building my family farm instead of doing the work for others. I’m going to begin by getting my pasture and hayfields back in healthy conditions while clearing some more land for pasture. That way when I’m ready to get animals going I’m not trying to play catch up on the rest. I really enjoy your videos!!

[@donaldmiller8629]

2poor2farm 13 , Highland cattle are really good at improving pastures. Check out @Swedish Homestead .

[@dwightstjohn6927]

being "overanimaled" with freeloaders is the biggest challenge. We've all done it. And God help you if there's another vote or four on the farm on who's getting the axe. Getting over the emotional "investment" in your animals is the toughest mental challenge.

[@highoctain113]

This is where my wife is at right now. I know that our animals purpose is to provide us with food, she has a hard time letting a chicken become our dinner.

[@donbright3340]

75 yrs of age,grew up on farm and moved on to a profession.I admire your honesty about the worry and hard work with trying to make a profit in small farming.

[@larrymoore6640]

As my Dad always said to us, Boys in life you're going to make mistakes, just remember to learn from them. A business plan is a good idea but should always include flexibility.

[@PKBees]

I am glad I found you. There is much to learn here, even as a hobbiest. I am 68 and after years of wishing and not actin, we have acquired 10 acres of pretty rough land. We have cleared the huisatche and mesquite off the areas we want cleared and are setting up a small bee ranch. It’s just a hobby, but every time I go out and work with the bees or the land I come home rejuvenated. Oh, and the weather, your clothing, your equipment and buildings ... they all take me back to my grandparents’ farms I used to visit as a child in the 1950’s.

[@heartlandfarmsllc952]

I bought a International Harvester tractor cheap 2 years ago, because it needed engine work. I still haven't repaired it. I let some health issues get me down. I ran across your you tube videos last week and they have given the inspiration to get going again. Thank You Very Much !!!

[@amymyers6898]

I appreciate your hard work and I'm proud to support your farm--and that I am shopping local. I can attest to the fact that your products are far superior to the large commercial growers, even the ones that are offering free range, organic options. It's hard for you, but it makes us all feel better about what we buy. THX

[@JustaFewAcresFarm]

Hi Amy! You should know...you've been with us since the beginning! Thank you so much!

[@inashamsia]

Love this comment!

[@screddot7074]

I now work on a 30 year plan that I tend to revise daily. The plan changes, seldom does the goal change.

[@rosalieroku3818]

Just came across your channel. Thanks for your excellent work. You've done an amazing job creating a comprehensive, rigorous, and definitive guide to small sustainable grass-fed livestock farming. But the most important part is your sharing the heart, the love, the culture that is farming. I was in school in the early 80s when waves of family farms were "failing" (financially). My right wing roommate coldly said "If they can't compete in the free market, they shouldn't be farming. " While I thought to myself "Farming is the very foundation of civilization. If a farmer can't support their family farming, we are all in trouble. "

[@dcs4555]

this is not a political forum but ok. i lived thru that and had it affect very close friends & relatives. to make it political is not helpful. but the roommate said a univeral truth. and you followed with a truth. you handily left out the economic crisis of those days tho. we also went thru a dust bowl, and the gov created ccc, and bailed out farmers on several occasions. but at least now we're seeing more self sustainable farming coming back. its nice. and they're alot smarter(as to biz sense) i think. jm2c

[@AnglesideFarm]

Back when I had a dream of going from 18 sows to growing to 40 sows when I was in my 20’s, I went to my farm creditor with hopes in obtaining a loan. His words I’ll never forget and they hold true to this day......He said “steady as you grow, you’re not there yet” I didn’t get the loan

[@maddog2771]

My wife and I are food plot farmers I guess you can say , we work 1 acre of land , we made a lot of mistakes with equipment at first , mistake #1 was to small of food plots for what we expected in crops. Mistake #2 was buying a 26" walk behind tiller because it was harder to work for the size of the food plots . Mistake #3 buy the wrong tractor to do the work with , Now we have the right tractors and equipment for the tractor and now we are 15 years into it and just started turning a profit from it , now we have three tractors and one with a loader on it We have plows tillers coltavator and a seed planter , the tractors are small but enough for our little plot of land.

[@EcklecticCraftJunkie]

I learned through the school of hard knocks that another’s opinion of me is more about them than it is me. Also I learned that minding my own business is a full time job, and that keeps me from minding other peoples business! Love to you and your family, Pete!!

[@garryspencer2019]

Hi Pete, spent my life as an accountant in multi national companies & the second half of my career managing two major banks. Loved my career, however since retirement have watched & grown a love for the land. You cannot believe how much joy & satisfaction you bring to someone that although grateful for my life, dreams of life on the land. Thank you for sharing your adventures.

[@johnkranias3458]

A mistake you haven't addressed as yet (i haven't been thru all your video's as yet) is don't work for the banks, both my pop and father said to me make the banks work for you and they're were both right. Before planning on a venture on the farm i think about it for a week or month then i act and so far it has worked out. Both my pop and dad would buy hay and silage when feed got short, i seen this as dead money. So when i seen property for sale that could supply both i purchased them, more than enough for myself so i also sell stockfeed, i overhears a couple of oldtimers in a cafe one day talking about women as farmhands, this surprised me. What did i do?, yep employed six young ladies and they do everything after being trained up, haymaking, silage harvesting and calfving. You sir are not making mistakes, you are learning :) Edit; just thought of one of mistakes i made, late wife asked for a dog, sure i said "what type i asked and she replied a "Pug" i nearly choked on my supper, two days later i come home with an 8 week old fawn Bullmastiff, yep. i slept in the barn with the pup for a week :)

[@JustaFewAcresFarm]

That is one excellent comment, John! We operate a debt-free farm because I don't want the banks in my business. Seen too many farms fall apart because of debt, and paying interest on top of the money we need to make a living adds too much stress to life. Sounds like you've been around the block a few times!

[@waldjagerausbayern7956]

Hello from Bavaria near Germany. I want to get rid of the fact that I already follow many farmer channels and you are really the most down-to-earth. without self-expression and advertising channel. I also have a small 56-acre farm with 17 dexters, 25 deer, chickens and turkeys. Everything is ecological and besides my small company with employees. practically as a hobby and for the mental balance. I can teach a lot about you. But also see smaller things in your mind that take time. No matter you make your thing stand out. you can be proud. Stay as you are and bite above all healthy.

[@jayhay1237]

Golden points of advice. I was "lucky" enough to have two mentors. That was good to start, but realized after a couple of years that I could do better doing a lot of things differently. So blessed we are in the information age? Neither of my mentors even own a computer and can't spell www. Today, I use a thousand mentors. And believe me when I say to beginners: these are golden points of advice.

[@lyon406]

THE FIRST WINTER CAN KILL EVERYTHING. Plan on your clothing, equipment storage, movement between the buildings, snow removal and disposal. When I first started on the farm it was a pain to go to the barn when there was 2 foot of snow. Later we would run to the truck and drive it into the barn, there was no need for heavy clothing. We also worked on vehicles in a very old garage. We had a salamander but if it was windy you froze. The next spring we ordered a 25x25 garage kit and built it in the old garage. Now we could paint any time. Grapes have certain times when you need a lot of people at once. We fixed that too. We took a sample of our grapes to a local winery. The first taste and the winery said they would buy our grapes. He called us later and said that we had the best grapes he has tasted in a long time. They were 1969 Concord. He made us a better deal by providing a trimmer, and the men and equipment to pick the grapes. Plan on expanding, but don't do it right away right away with expensive equipment.

[@shannonoconnor9671]

I teach my kids (5) that its not the mistakes you make you dwell on, its all in how you recover from your mistakes. If you make the same mistake more than once then its a habit. My greatest mistake thus far in farming was starting off with bottle calves. Good experience for the kids but the profit margin is very thin. Bottle calves are very time consuming and can be more expensive than starting with yearlings or calf cow.

[@richardanderson2411]

Like you, equipment sizing has been a major issue combined with estimating the amount of covered storage. I love the simplicity of older equipment, but farming technology has moved on and older tractors can't run some of the more modern equipment. Also one must add aging into the equation. Equipment that fits your capability at age 40 often falls short close to 3 decades later (which is where I am). My original equipment still runs just fine, its my body that needs more power assist.

[@andrewwalsh8773]

I have learned so much from Pete in the few short weeks that I have found his channel here on youtube. I aspire to have a homestead or small farm someday. What a great operation he has.

[@okskeeter278]

Taking the time to look around at the beauty is great advice.

[@gwheeler7105]

This comes from an old engineer I worked with. I'm an I&E tech, but he taught me K.I.S.S. Keep it simple stupid. If you're faced with an issue KISS, don't overlook the simple things as most the time it's not as complex as you can sometimes let your mind make it. Another way to look at it is if you're already looking way off you'll trip over what really is the issue...

[@louisberhup5797]

Mistake 1. Not having this video to watch and learn from 27 yrs ago. Lol. Mistake two, over producing beyond my maintenance capabilities. If you can't keep up on watering and weeds better, reduce your initial operational size to fit what your able to manage.

[@russsherwood5978]

my number 1 mistake?? listening to people that only tryed something once then quit, never trying more times,, my number 2 mistake?? not having/ making/writeing down plans for up a 10 year plan,, number 3 mistake??not educating/researching ideas.. i could go on and on.. be blessed and safe,,, thank you for the tips

[@JustaFewAcresFarm]

Hi Russ, those are great "learning experiences!" Thank you!

[@sammuldoon4387]

Mistakes on my 10-acre property in the Adelaide Hills of South Australia; Not buying into Dexter Cattle when I wanted to over 20 years ago. We (now I) could have had the setup, instead our first cattle were Friesian (dairy) steers, when it came time to sell the stock agent tried hard to get us our money back, fortunately it was not as big a loss as we thought it might be, but it certainly was not a profit! Then we went onto Hereford steers, raising them up and selling them on at market with cartage fees and stock agent fees. Looking into Dexter's back then with an association and membership to have regular support and a turnover of bulls, we could have set up fencing properly with inside paddocks for when the neighbours have bulls on adjoining fencing, or we had bulls on our land. Now this is what I am facing 22 years later with my little herd of 5 (the newest being just a month old). I thought my paddock fencing was done, but the internal fencing is about to be done. The past 22 years has really been spent restoring a 130-year-old cottage, back then the living conditions trumped the outside environment on focus and spending, a mixture of both would have been beneficial now. I certainly agree with you Pete about overspending, a new tractor is good, but my recently acquired Leyland 154 tractor is really all I would need, not the $24,000 John Deere I priced a few years ago. Keep making your clips, they are informative and entertaining.

[@josiegladysgardens9245]

I’m working hard on making mistakes, so can tell you later how big my goof ups are. But here’s the first one - starting a cabin on piers on clay soil. Yes, 2-4 feet of clay over shale. After a couple of rains, the floor framing racked. It had to be torn down. So we started over and did it the way my sister (the designer) initially told me it should be done, i.e. knee walls on concrete footers. Lesson: don’t be stubbornly cheap, because it will cost more in money and time sooner than you think.

[@AngeliqueKaga]

Pete, I'm not a farmer, but I enjoy watching you explain things.

[@jarvisdriggers5494]

Don’t put your water troughs by your gate openings. Bad idea on my part. I did it for ease of access now I have mud pits at the heavy use areas. Live and learn. Thanks for the great info!

[@davidphillips5051]

I’ve learned that usually I don’t start making mistakes until I get up for the day. I’m really enjoying your video’s. I own a carpet cleaning company and I’m looking at retiring and moving to MO. A small hobby farm 20-30 acres and your video’s are extremely helpful.

[@Techguyz1]

One thing you could do is design you barns to be cleaned with a tractor instead of by hand. My uncle did that in his barns and it saved a ton of time.

[@magicdaveable]

It is even more challenging when your over 70. My tiny farm stopped making a profit when I stopped raising chickens (eggs/meat).

[@zeddiamond7170]

I learned that the NEXT time I purchase a older model haybine, I look and consider the condition of the crimping rollers more carefully and don't just take the work of the seller. I was told that it wasn't a "big deal" that some of the rollers had some rubber missing from them since I was most likely going to be cutting pasture grass and not alfalfa. " You won't need to crimp pasture grass much!".... The rubber is STILL flying off.....I think I got taken....

[@louiserawle8999]

I love listening to this guy he is brilliant,loads of common sense ,really interesting.

[@denniswebster1421]

Hello my name is Dennis. My wife and I are starting a homestead in Missouri. I am 50 and just getting started. Thank you for your insight.

[@donaldmiller8629]

dennis webster , I think it's great that you are starting a homestead at such a young age . I am just now developing my small homestead but I am 77 1/2 years old. So everything is done rather slowly. Keep on keeping on .

[@PeopleAlreadyDidThis]

Dennis, here’s another thing to consider. We bought acreage at age 38, but not to actively farm. At 50, it was much harder to keep up with the place. Now at 60, I am stunned at how fatigued I am, how much constant low-level pain I have. There’s no way I could keep up with livestock. I pray your mileage varies.

[@TC-oy8mp]

I have a vast knowledge about farming . if u have a problem . . . I might be able to help . . . . now . . . before I ran into the two of u on KZbin I had zero knowledge about farming . now I have a bunch. U two are the greatest. Thanks

[@jenniferlennartz5995]

A big mistake of mine was taking on a half dozen or so Jersey bull calves that were given to me for free. They ate me out of house and home and I pretty much gave them away at the sale barn. I had sucker written on my forehead in the beginning :) Hard lesson learned.

[@matt2118]

You give some excellent advice. I have, unfortunately, made a lot of mistakes you’ve mentioned. Under sized equipment, had to buy twice and still could use a bigger tractor. Not having a clear plan, under pricing my beef . Then finally, I had to change from cow/calf to steers. Small farming is tuff ! As the old saying goes “ if you want to make a small fortune in small farming, start with a big one!” 😂 there’s truth in that !!

[@jasongoltz9026]

You're right. Too many farms know their overall profit/loss, but cannot determine where in the operation those profits or losses happened.

[@jasperaj1]

Being in a similar position as you moving from a well paid office job to farming (mainly vegetables), I can say that a lot of your advice is absolutely right. Great video once again.

[@cadesertdude]

Pete, I’d like to thank you so much for making this video. To my mind, the two best tips you provided were, first, the absolute necessity of making a business plan, a concept which can and, imo, SHOULD be applied to families as well and second, not beating yourself up about charging, as you’ve put it in other videos, “a premium price for a premium product”. Small farmers think they have to compete with the large commercial growers but, in fact, it is the big guys that can’t compete with the small farmer, because the quality, taste and longevity of the product is INCOMPARABLE!!

[@joeyfiola3852]

I run a 25 ewe flock and worst mistake I made was not making a complete facility & fencing plan and looking at all the options. Portable electric fencing has changed the way I do things. Still taking fence apart to make more gates and relocating some fence lines. Making a few more pen then you need is also a great ideal.

[@mpaul6047]

New to creating a homestead , my whole place is full of " mistakes". Wish I had placed barn with better access to it, or easier way to move manure besides pulling it in a sled, , easier loading of pigs, .......and the list goes on. I adapt, I learn, and I grow every day from working on the homestead, even after 12 years. Thank you for all your hard work and these great videos!

[@JustaFewAcresFarm]

Hi m paul, I often have to remind myself that no farm is perfect and we shouldn't feel bad about that. That's why I try to be open about our farm's faults too.

[@theheritagefarmer755]

I just discovered your channel last night, and I have to say I'm absolutely in love with your videos. I grew up on a small horse farm that never made any money. A normal year would see us loosing several thousand dollars just to keep the hay burners fed. Now I'm looking to break off, and start my own small farm doing much of what you do, but part time while working for the RR. My thoughts have been I just want to do it as a hobby, and so long as the farm would pay for itself- I would be happy. But now I'm thinking it could be a small second source of income. I really really appreciate you taking the time to share your knowledge in these videos. Please keep up the good work!

[@JustaFewAcresFarm]

Thanks Christopher! Farming as a hobby or side income takes a lot of stress off vs. needing to make a living from it. Notes like yours make my day!

[@kylewaffle2015]

What a great farm and great family. You are a great inspiration for all want to be farmers. For years I told myself I could never farm for years because I thought it was something you had to be born into. You’ve inspired my wife and I to take this leap!

[@t.lledsmar6052]

Pete I got a pro tip for ya. When emptying out a stock tank, a siphon is awesome, get it started, route the waste water somewhere away from the pen, and walk away. You can go do other chores while it drains and you won't get as wet 😎

[@fauna3515]

My chicken coop was two small twice

[@rlredifer410]

I’m encouraged to see I’m not the only one whose made these mistakes. Many of yours I’ve done myself.

[@tomscorner3656]

Mistakes I made is over estimating what I can do. I 68 years old and my mind think I'm a 16 year old. I'll start something and have to get help to finish it.

[@tashialund332]

Our biggest discouragement: starting a small farm in the middle of tillable land and who farm sections. We are surrounded by people who are a whole lot bigger than us and can undercut and enjoying doing that all the time. Love/hate relationship with electric fencing.

[@brucevogel2693]

Small Farming in the Great White North has taught me to ensure I have got great drainage. Ice build up in the pens and walkways is a serious OHS issue. So, you made me laugh when you emptied the cattle trough! Keep up the great work, love your video's.

[@normanblack9502]

I love your videos and have told many others about your utube site. What you are doing for others is wonderful.

[@lourdesaguirre4882]

I can’t articulate enough how helpful you are right now I my decisions. Thank you so much Pete!

[@farmerfun3969]

We are a small family farm in the Saginaw Bay area in Mich. I was raised on a small dairy farm in southwest Mich. The biggest thing I learned from my dad's mistakes is do not waste money on junk equipment. Buy the best you can afford. By no means new . We just bought a corn picker now there is a lot of them out there but we waited and did a lot of looking, we finally found a very nice one. It is a little pricey but will last the rest of our farm life.

[@chevyon37s]

my rule of thumb is always make your shops and barns 50% larger than you think you need/ want! And don’t keep animals in the same building as your equipment! Also I’m of the “buy once cry once” mentality so saving a little more up front to build that bigger building, buying the better tools and equipment usually works out to cheaper and more efficient in the long run!

[@JustaFewAcresFarm]

Words of wisdom Drew. I can't say how many times I've kicked myself for building my shop too small. Thank you.

[@aaronteng201]

Even though I'm not a farmer, I enjoy learning and watching your videos

[@brianvaughn1004]

My biggest mistake I have made this far in my farming adventure is feed my cattle inside the barn for the duration of the winter, and not having my barn set up to be easily cleaned out. Still pitch forking it all out by hand into my spreader.

[@JustaFewAcresFarm]

Hi Brian, I did that for a few years before we had a loader. That's old time farm work!

[@wetrock2766]

I see that I need to focus on the task at hand without thinking of the other stuff I have to do next, cross that bridge when you get to it. It adds useless pressure to occupy ones mind with too many things at the same time, that being true for all things in life.

[@janicecoxharrell8570]

Love to watch your videos! So many good memories.

[@Jim80903]

Found you only recently. Had a small farm in SW Oregon. Sure wish I had a business plan. Now, someone else has that farm. Pete, thanks for sharing your wisdom!

[@nicklewis7291]

This is valuable information. I'm not quite retired from the Army yet but, I do hope to farm full-time as soon as I get out. The business advice you offer as well as "The Shepardess" channel will definitely come into play. No offense to the other farm channels but, you offer the most useful advice.

[@aussiepressconferences.4755]

Every video is a joy, thank you.

[@jasonmurrell3002]

Man I love these videos. Wholesome approach to farming, and life! Not a farmer yet, but making plans to be one. Thanks Pete (and Hillary) for your wisdom.

[@LarryStrawson]

Lots of good points in video and in comments but one thing that I think is important is to have no debt when going into farming. If that means a generational farm passed down or working part of your life at above income to have land and home paid for before you start or starting with a much acres as you can afford to pay for with savings (even it its just 5 acres). Farming is a great lifestyle but low margins and debt on land, home, and machinery will lead to almost certain default. So having a business plan long before you start farming ( 5 to 10 years) will save a lot of heartache. On another note having electric waters ( or even nose pump bowls) will save you a lot of time and effort for watering your pigs and cows Pete. Keep up the great work on the videos, I come from a medium sized cow calf operation (500 head) and can relate to almost everything you do in these videos :-)

[@autenriethfamilyfarm7285]

Thanks for your videos, they are great and very similar to the things we are doing on our small farm. One of my favorite mistakes was when preparing an area for our piglets adjacent to our cow pasture, I bought cattle panels thinking it would keep the cows from bothering the piglets. What I didn’t think about was the size of the holes in the cattle panels vs hog panels. The first piglet we put in there immediately wiggled through the cattle panels and made it 1/4 mile from the barn before my wife tackled it. Luckily a single strand of electric remedied the issue.

[@henleytim]

Planting and harvesting are two very different things. You might have the right implements to plant but do you have the right implements to harvest? And if you do have those implements do you have a market and sales force that is large enough to sustain the sale and purchase of all your goods. You’re better off doing a pilot to see if your distribution channels can support the volume you are able to produce. On another note I’m so glad I didn’t pre-sell in the first year. It would have ruined my reputation. Start with a 1/4 acre and see if you’ve got the chops for it before you waste your seed. Sunflowers may be beautiful but they’re tough work if you don’t have a solid plan for harvest, distribution, AND sales/marketing.

[@buddasdad]

Buy a barrel of pure antifreeze. Even though it may cost $300 to $500, it is worth having on hand. When I was deployed, I forgot to put antifreeze in my case bulldozer and my Farmall MD tractors. When I returned I had three engines cracked to pieces. Now I go around to all my equipment in the fall with my antifreeze tester and my 55 gallon drum of antifreeze and make sure everything has adequate freeze protection. $500 for a barrel of antifreeze is cheap compared to the cost of trying to find a 200 cid Case combine engine.

[@philipingram1667]

I just found you and am getting a vicarious thrill from watching you do all the hard work! Your analytical approach is refreshing and while you do speak to the life style component, I appreciate understanding the downs as well as the ups. I would have loved to have done what you are doing but I am closer to the end (at 66) and don't want the responsibilities that go with building a successful endeavor like yours. Great videos - keep up the great work

[@JustaFewAcresFarm]

Thank you Philip! I never regret leaving my white collar job at 44 years old and restarting our family's farm.

[@donaldmiller8629]

Philip Ingram , I am 77 1/2 and just now beginning to develop my small homestead. Why not ? I have to live somewhere , right ? Why not live somewhere that I enjoy ? My younger brother lives in a seniors apartment. He gets to watch TV such as Oprah and the View all day . Ugh ! Plus he has to worry , did he park his car to close to the lines ? Yes , it is measured every day ! Me ? I park anywhere I want to on my 6.5 acres. But usually in my three car garage. By the way , his rent is three times as much as my mortgage payment. I will probably leave my homestead to my kids. My brother ? Well , his kids do not get his apartment.

[@MGBDCM]

Very good advice for any kind of business. Thank YOU Pete!

[@patrickcourtney1032]

I’ve never lived or worked on a farm, but l enjoy Pete’s videos. They are entertaining and educational.

[@mathewmerkl576]

A mistake my dad admits to is not starting haying sooner he always thought it wouldint work out with his job or always have break downs so after years of him renting his land out i invested the money on the machines and we do it ourselves already made back the money spent on some older machines and if its something i dont want to do anymore i can sell the equipment for more than what i paid for

[@stuckinthepast300]

I actually just published a video on one of my mistakes, not that I hinged on it being a mistake but the fact of the matter is I got a free Trail mower from where I work and I end up putting enough money into it that I could have bought a fully functional Trail mower, sometimes it really is better just to spend on the nicer thing

[@klucko1996]

Wow ! I just watched two of your [first I think shows ] , Yes I think shows cz they were and are so much more than just a [how to do it ! ] Video. I'm 85 yrs. now, a disabled Korean War Vet, and started farming a few years ago , here in the Philippines, which is where I live now ! I love my new life and expect to put your input to great use ! Thank you so very much for your sharing. If my rice crop is good in 2021 maybe I can become a paying reader. But I'm still scraping by now , But life is great !! Thanks again , Regards and God Bless ! Kennyman

[@terencecjsmith6521]

Awesome channel. I bought a farm in South Africa early this year and I am starting to develop it slowly, but it's doing to take time. I am still working a normal job, but the plan is to transition over to farming completely in about 5 years. I am getting some really good tips from this channel.

[@sojournstudents7992]

Not a farmer but I’m sure glad that you were willing to be vulnerable and transparent with your viewers. I appreciate you being real with your audience. I enjoy watching your videos both as an educational aspect as well as entertainment value. Have a merry Christmas!

[@MrSegraves1]

Thinking I had to start with "purebred/pedigreed" animals first/not appreciating the learning curve. When I started with rabbits, I went out and bought expensive pedigreed rabbits. They were high quality animals but I lost most of them due to the learning curve (summer heat) and in the end it was a waste of money. After repeating this mistake a few times, I got frustrated and bought some cheap mutt rabbits. I still have those mutt rabbits and they have turned out to be excellent producers. Ultimately I'll end up buying some other pedigreed rabbits down the road, but I now appreciate not going "all in" before I have a grasp of what I'm doing.

[@barry3565]

Small business, small farm.....tough business ! I hear you ! Long long time ago farming business is self sustainable business and everyone admires and respects you, but now..... Good luck !

[@sharonloves]

Thanks for sharing your experiences.👏👍

[@What..a..shambles]

Good video 👍🏻never cut sticks and leave branches on the ground to get lost in grass 🤣Start coppice of firewood sooner and finish projects properly so they have a better chance to succeed be that planting an orchard or building a mobile coop

[@evanshomestead1313]

Cant agree enough about building big enough the first time! man i made this mistake so many times.. have the plan that works , then build smaller and convince yourself it'll work! BUILD IT THE RIGTH SIZE THE FIRST TIME!

[@brianmcgovern6207]

Great video again... I wouldn't have time to write all the small mistakes I have made... Here's just a few... Tractor to small... Buying a cattle trailer that needs fixed up instead of buying one thats ready for work.... Buying a slurry pump that only lasted 2 years... Have learned . Stop looking 4 a bargain because in this game u get what u pay for...

[@kimtanner8711]

I found this channel because we are looking to move and start a herd of Dexter cows. I am staying because of the diverse content. Blessings !!!

[@buddasdad]

Poke a tiny hole in the Foil of bar oil jug instead of tearing it off. That way you don't slop oil everywhere at the end of filling the chainsaw oil reservoir.

[@NWTejas]

Thank you, Pete.

[@crazycoyote1738]

You can drill and install a pvc pipe with a ball valve in the bottom of each water tank, and after scrubbing or when they poop in it, you can direct the water to a far away location, not accumulating it in the barn.

[@JustaFewAcresFarm]

That would be easy to do. The tank already has a threaded outlet at the bottom with a plug in it.

[@timpedzinski230]

I wish I was able to farm like you. Bot for lack of land I have only a small flock of chickens that I raise to sell eggs. I started by building a coup 8 years ago. My first lesson was If you buy straight run you will get mostly roosters. My second lesson was you need to have a way to identify how old your hens were. The first 4 years I only bought Rhoad island Reds. When I got to year 5 egg production was starting to take a hit but I didn't know who to cull. I got some leg bands after that but better yet we started rotating breeds. Mistake #3 was now that I knew how old they were I needed to plan to replace the 3 year olds each year. 2years back I didn't do that and again egg production suffered this year. This year I will be culling at least 12 and and that will give me a 2-3 year old flock of 30 Hens. Last year I cuilt a Suscovich chicken tractor and raised a few Cornish cross. Lesson #4 was CC's grow fast! So when you start them you need to be ready to process them on schedule or you end up with 7-9 pound birds. No matter thy do taste good. I just spent more feeding them than necessary.. Still learning and having fun!

[@jodiedwards9436]

Great video I get a lot of enjoyment watching. I am thank of buying a bigger farm. I was raised in up state NY about 20 miles west of Saratoga,we move to massachusetts in 1993.we have about 13 acres.I now all about getting burnt out.from 1997 till 2003 we milked goats.by 2003 we were milking 120, just my wife and I. She is a RN and worked in a nursing home 40 hours a week.We are thinking about moving back to NY.I watch your videos and get excited, the only thing is I'm 60 years old now.I know I'm over the hill and don't if I can do it again.Thank for the video and all the information.

[@travisgoodrich7608]

After a friend of mine told me about you and here on KZbin I just want to say thank you there are alot of questions we have had on our small farm that you have addressed now when im eating my lunch I find myself watching your videos thanks again

[@edwarddeyojr.793]

Very good advice,,,enjoyed listening,,and watching,,

[@Coyoteridgefarm17]

You guys are awesome! Thank you for all the great information. I’m working a great job with an MBA but I’m putting away savings to get back to farm life just like your story! I miss farm work!

[@JustaFewAcresFarm]

Thanks Travis! That's the way to freedom!

[@bslturtle]

@@JustaFewAcresFarm Freedom, that is what this is all about for me!

[@puremayhem3540]

Great advice and channel.. I’m always trying to better things and save time, money, and my back so I get ideas.. like building a small ramp for your feed wagon to sit on so your storage wagon can be pulled beside it to fill it.. keep up the good work