New Guy, small farm operator... Many questions

[moored4]

Hello,

I bought a 51 acre heavily forested homestead in Virginia just over a year ago. I am managing ~42 acres of mature Loblolly Pine & hardwood forest. I have ~5 acres of clearcut I need to convert to horse pasture, and I have ~4 acres of yard/ponds/misc that I am trying to tame and make useful.

I am new to this stuff (I've been a computer geek for 28+ years) ad I havbe many (likely stupid) questions.

Mossflower Woods is what we call out farm/ranch/home.

My Name is David.

Lets see if I got this Right! Your the new Guy with over 2000 post! :confused2:

 

[MossflowerWoods]

Lets see if I got this Right! Your the new Guy with over 2000 post! :confused2:

No sir. I was new to TBN and I went and found MY FIRST post and made a comment on it...

But I AM still a newbie and I still have many questions (that is why I have so many posts too :thumbsup



David

 

[MossflowerWoods]

Glad to hear your good words about TBN--always educational and entertaining to follow interesting threads.

Has your haying fever subsided or are you pressing ahead into the deep water?

Flusher,

The answer, and my feelings on this, are much deeper than I can express. I'm waiting for a TBN friend to get back from afghanistan and I'm going to seriously talk about it with him and get smarter.

Situation is he has haying equipment, and I've already committed to help him clear up the weds at his uncle's place and I'm going to help him hay it.

The point I need to consider, is do I want to get into Haying on my own in addition to his.

It is a complex situation for me because as many have pointed out, I'm a busy boy and how many things can I actually get done...

So.... The answer is really still undecided.

But I love the education, fellowship, and camaraderie I get here on TBN.

Moving way out in the sticks I now rarely see all my buddies, and somedays the only friends I have are here.

Thanks for your support and for sharing your knowledge & experiences sir.
David

 

[Bigfoot62]

. . .Honestly, I love TBN. This is a great community and y'all are keeping me sane most days. . .
I'm struggling with the idea of making my own hay . . . But clearly it is hard work, and I'm already too busy, and I'd hate to fail... So I'm soul searching over it and still undecided.

Keeping you sane? We're good, but not that good! :laughing:

The answer, and my feelings on this, are much deeper than I can express. I'm waiting for a TBN friend to get back from afghanistan and I'm going to seriously talk about it with him and get smarter.

Situation is he has haying equipment, and I've already committed to help him clear up the weds at his uncle's place and I'm going to help him hay it.

The point I need to consider, is do I want to get into Haying on my own in addition to his.

It is a complex situation for me because as many have pointed out, I'm a busy boy and how many things can I actually get done...

So.... The answer is really still undecided.

David,
As you well know, my responses are usually tongue-in-cheek. But, I'm going to try to be serious on this one.

You're a smart guy. Just keep asking the questions, doing the research, and by all means spend a few days in the hay fields with your buddy. There's nothing like first-hand experience.

I do hay because I want to. I like it. I've been around it all my life, and started working in the hay fields as a teenager. Yes, it can be hot, nasty work, but I still like it.
Is it profitable? Occasionally. Is it fun? For me, yes. Can it be frustrating? Absolutely!!!

Here's my advice for you:
Definitely, spend some time with your friend in the hay field. (that won't cost anything and you will gain some valuable knowledge)
If you decide to go ahead get your own equipment, just buy stuff that you can get most of your money back if you have to sell it. (good, clean used)

 

[MossflowerWoods]

Keeping you sane? We're good, but not that good! :laughing: Oh YES you guys are! Danged GOOD!


David,
As you well know, my responses are usually tongue-in-cheek. REALLY???? You would NEVER Joke around :confused2: But, I'm going to try to be serious on this one.

You're a smart guy. Just keep asking the questions [Just try to stop me], doing the research, and by all means spend a few days in the hay fields with your buddy. There's nothing like first-hand experience.

I do hay because I want to. I like it. I've been around it all my life, and started working in the hay fields as a teenager. Yes, it can be hot, nasty work, but I still like it.
Is it profitable? Occasionally. Is it fun? For me, yes. Can it be frustrating? Absolutely!!!

Here's my advice for you:
Definitely, spend some time with your friend in the hay field. (that won't cost anything and you will gain some valuable knowledge)
If you decide to go ahead get your own equipment, just buy stuff that you can get most of your money back if you have to sell it. (good, clean used)

BF62,

Love you like a brother man...

I WANT to jump in and do this Hay thing. I am pretty sure what Bucktaker is offering is a smoking deal. I'm gonna ask a TBN buddy in OH if he can swing by and look it over first hand. I'm pretty sure it is a great deal. I need to figure out what the fuel/food bill will look like for my transportation, and figure out if i can afford the whol kit and kaboodle.

Part of my yearns to be a real man, a farmer/rancher with tough callused hands and a keen eye for the weather and accustomed to hard work. I've been some sort of computer geek for 30 years now and I'm finding it less and less satisfying.

I've actually considered selling one or two of my Harley's to create a fund for attachments and farming... That shocked even myself...

Thank you for this advice, and off of the advice so far. I'll be back for more soon I'm sure...

Be well,
David

 

[Bigfoot62]

BF62,

Love you like a brother man... (Same here. If we lived near each other, we would be close friends)

I WANT to jump in and do this Hay thing. I am pretty sure what Bucktaker is offering is a smoking deal. I'm gonna ask a TBN buddy in OH if he can swing by and look it over first hand. I'm pretty sure it is a great deal. I need to figure out what the fuel/food bill will look like for my transportation, and figure out if i can afford the whol kit and kaboodle. (Yep, it's worth what he's asking, just for the scrap iron)

Part of my yearns to be a real man, a farmer/rancher with tough callused hands and a keen eye for the weather and accustomed to hard work. I've been some sort of computer geek for 30 years now and I'm finding it less and less satisfying. (I can sympathize, but don't give up your day job just yet!)

I've actually considered selling one or two of my Harley's to create a fund for attachments and farming... That shocked even myself... (That's serious)

Thank you for this advice, and off of the advice so far. I'll be back for more soon I'm sure...

Be well,
David

PM incoming.

 

[foreman Etexas]

BF62,

Love you like a brother man...

I WANT to jump in and do this Hay thing. I am pretty sure what Bucktaker is offering is a smoking deal. I'm gonna ask a TBN buddy in OH if he can swing by and look it over first hand. I'm pretty sure it is a great deal. I need to figure out what the fuel/food bill will look like for my transportation, and figure out if i can afford the whol kit and kaboodle.

Part of my yearns to be a real man, a farmer/rancher with tough callused hands and a keen eye for the weather and accustomed to hard work. I've been some sort of computer geek for 30 years now and I'm finding it less and less satisfying.

I've actually considered selling one or two of my Harley's to create a fund for attachments and farming... That shocked even myself...

Thank you for this advice, and off of the advice so far. I'll be back for more soon I'm sure...

Be well,
David

I just bought all new hay equipment will be here next friday. I had several folks try to talk me out of it but when I was younger,I use to run someone elses equipment during the summers and it was old and I had to work on it daily,guess thats why I went ahead and bought new,atleast I know how I take care of things.

 

[flusher]

BF62,


Part of my yearns to be a real man, a farmer/rancher with tough callused hands and a keen eye for the weather and accustomed to hard work. I've been some sort of computer geek for 30 years now and I'm finding it less and less satisfying.

David

That's where I'm coming from. Yearning for the rural life hit me when I was in grade school. Used to spend summers in central Wisconsin at my grandparents home--Auburndale, WI, pop. 350. Grandpa was a blacksmith and I really enjoyed being his "helper" while he pounded iron, etc. It took me nearly 50 years before I was able to get out of the city and move to the country. I spent 32 years as an aerospace engineer (McDonnell Douglas) before packing it in and heading north (from Orange Co, CA).

 

[CompactTractorFan]

Welcome to TBN David!!!

 

[MossflowerWoods]

Welcome to TBN David!!!

Thanks Kyle! It is about time you welcomed me! :laughing::laughing:

Be well!

David