1st Generation Farmer

[Toekneeserrano]

So growing up in Eastern Washington, and a couple years in Louisiana I learned to love as my family called "Gardening". We're talking about a acres of garden.

So this week my wife, daughter, son, 2 dogs, 2 cats, and myself bought a 6 acre farm in Yakima, WA! There has been 7 years of organic alfalfa on the property so far.

With the property we got a 1950 farm house, 2 car garage, 60x20 pole/hay barn, 1970's? Ford 3600 Tractor with a blade, harrow, auger, discs, sickle, and a bush hog mower.
The property has a spring creek. 4 fenced pastures. 100yr/old weaping willows, with water lines in place. Grapes, Blackberries, Apple Tree, Plum Tree, and a pear Tree.

Things to look forward to;

Jersey Milk Cow,
Goats,
Pig
Chickens
Rabbits (kids
and a "Garden" with added fruit trees...

This is the start of a long hard/ rewarding adventure.... Or how the previous owner put it... "Congrats, You just bought a job"

Well thats it for a start! Add or comment advise or do's and donts.... Happy Farming people!

 

[Toekneeserrano]

 

[mvwicker]

Looks beautiful, congratulations! My sister lives on a similar-size farm, in NJ, and grows organic vegetables and berries in raised beds. I never eat better than when I visit her!

 

[Baby Grand]

Nice spread! Welcome aboard & congrats on your new "garden".

 

[joshuabardwell]

Congrats! She's a beaut!

If, when you say the farm is organic, you mean government-certified organic, do be careful what you do and make sure that any inputs you put on the land don't jeopardize your organic status. I don't know a lot of details, but there are requirements such as, "Cannot have used such-and-such a pesticide or fertilizer in so-many years." If you carelessly violate one of these rules, you will lose your status for a while, and cost yourself money.

 

[creekbend]

Congratulations. Best wishes.

 

[Toekneeserrano]

@ MVWICKER - Thank you! My wife is a little Modern Martha and Im sure will be taking advantage of all our culinary options.

@ Baby Grand - "Thank you"

@Joshuabardwell - Great Point! We plan on keeping it that way. We have almost phased out all toxins, chemicals, and man made products from our life (other than some electronics and equipment), we do our best to keep things local and natural, and without making our life ****.

 

[IndyIan]

Sounds like a great place and lifestyle. We have goats and chickens and get a couple pigs every couple years and my Wife also talks about getting a Dexter cow too at some point. If you haven't had a whole lot of animal experience I would recommend starting a bit slow and small and see which ones you like and what you are going to do with them. We like the goats as they are manhandleable and taste good, the only real PITA is trimming hooves a couple times a year, but we do it with no special/expensive equipment.
Also we find a couple Maremma livestock guard dogs keep the predators away, eat very little for their size, and can happily dispose of goat and chicken carcasses for you if you do your own butchering.

 

[Reyer Farms]

Glad for y'all. Life will never be the same.

 

[Guesseral]

That's a lot of stuff on 6 acres!