A Chicken Bus and Other Lovely Portents of the Future

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From GENE LOGSDON

Returning home from a new farmers’ market in Wooster, Ohio last Saturday (Nov. 21), I passed a scene in a farm field that might have said more about where farming is headed than any economist’s prediction I have seen lately. Out in a clover field stood a big yellow school bus full of chickens [not the one shown above]. Actually the chickens were mostly scampering in the pasture or running up and down the ramp that led into the bus. We all know about chicken tractors, but this is the first chicken bus I’ve seen. I didn’t have time to stop and check it out but I presume that when the henhouse needs to be moved to another spot in the field, or wherever, the farmer just drives it. The world’s first self-propelled chicken coop. If the motor is no longer running, one can hitch a tractor to it. Easier than pulling a coop on skids, I’d think.

After that rather revolutionary if un-bucolic scene, it was easy for me to remain excited about Local Roots, the indoor farmers market where I had spent much of the day signing books and talking to farmers and their customers. I had worried beforehand that so late in the season, market gardeners wouldn’t have much to sell. Wrong. Along with all kinds of late vegetables, fall greens and fruit, various booths offered greenhouse- grown produce, grass-fed beef and lamb, fresh and frozen pork products, chicken, duck, and other poultry, eggs, goat cheeses, maple syrup, jams and jellies, breads, muffins, scones, cookies, crackers, spiced nuts, homemade soaps, goat milk lotion, wool and yarn. Most significant of all, there were lots of customers. That was doubly impressive because on the same afternoon, Ohio was celebrating its most sacred religious event: the Ohio State-Michigan football game.

Gene Logsdon on Radio

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From DAVE SMITH

Today, November 23, 2009, Gene was interviewed on our local public radio station, KZYX. Tim Bates, local organic apple farmer, interviewed Gene on his farm show. Another local, Tom Davenport, recorded it.

Here’s Gene for 60 minutes in all his humorous, contrarian glory…

http://www.vintagenet.us/F&G_Gene_Logsdon_112309.mp3
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Bite-Sized: Small cattle make big impression

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From Country World News
Via Energy Bulletin

Karl Falster and his wife Nancy own Falster Farm and Cattle, where they raise organic Miniature and standard Herefords, seven miles South of Winnsboro, in Wood County.

“Falster Mini Herefords look just like the white-faced cows you saw in the western movies of the 1950s,” Falster said. “The great taste of beef is really in that cow, our Falster Farm cows. If you want a pet, our cows are good for that too. But, our objective is to make cattle farming fun and profitable for our customers.”

Falster said the Miniature Herefords has been successful because they can be profitable, while still requiring less maintenance than a modern, or standard-sized, cow.

“For the average small farm, today’s standard size cows, well, they just aren’t a good fit,” Karl said. “And frankly, with the input resources necessary for the super-sized animals, the profit margin is down so low, and in our opinion, the beef taste is flat.

“Scientific research conducted at Texas A&M University indicates that two Miniature Hereford cows will consume less resources than the so-called standard cow by 15 percent, and produce upwards to 20 percent more delicious beef for your family, naturally marbled on a non-carcinogenic pasture,” added Falster.

When the drought hit in 2005, many of the Falster’s neighbors were forced to sell at distress prices, because of the high maintenance cost of their standard-size livestock.

“But, not us,” Falster said. “Our cows kept putting weight on in the marginal pasture we had. Their natural thrift is impressive. We sell our cattle Private Treaty and our sales kept right along — as strong as we needed. Buyers kept coming back to see us, because they were delighted and we have a good story to tell.”

One story Falster Farm is particularly excited about is their work to develop the Hershey cow.

“We are looking to line-breed for a thrifty, dual-purpose cow by combining the beef and dairy aspects into a smaller cow that is more attractive to our market niche,” he said.