February 2023 at Harmony Farms
Hello friends,
February blew in with an ice storm and left with green grass sprouting on pasture. So many lambs are on the ground already, with more to come. I plan to open reservations for 2023 lambs in the first week of April!
I am so excited to announce this!! I will be a speaker at the Louisiana Women in Agriculture Conference in Alexandria, LA on April 14th! You can buy your ticket HERE… hope to meet you there!
The new lambs were champs! They did just fine with the snow and ice. I made sure they had access to the shed to avoid being soaked in freezing rain, but they did well otherwise.
Surprise! These are not sheep… haha! Last May I bought a small herd of French Alpine does and bred them to a beautiful Boer billy. I am so pleased with the cross. The goat-herd at Harmony Farms is still in trial mode (hence, why I’ve kept it on the down-low) but I do plan to sell a few kids alongside my lambs this season!
I had my first successful adoptions this month! (Inspired by Ulf Kintzel’s video here)
I grafted 2 lambs onto a ewe whose lamb had died few days prior.
These two lambs were both twins, born to 11 month old ewe lambs. Their moms had milk enough for one, but not two. I lifted one lamb from each mom and put them on the mature ewe. The adoption took some work, but these boys are growing like weeds!
Speaking of beef, I want to give a shoutout to my friends at Mercy Meadows Ranch. They are small family owned ranch in South Texas, raising British White Cattle. They are currently running a giveaway on their grass fed beef, so check it out!
Thanks for being a part of my work! I really appreciate you all :).
-the Shepherdess
“Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
Hebrews 13:20-21
What is a Recession? (and how to prepare)
What is a Recession?
When will the next one take place?
How can we prepare ourselves to not just survive, but thrive in the one oncoming?
In the coming weeks I am going to discuss how recessions impact various farming sectors, but to lay the ground work today we will start with a general definition.
What is a recession?:
The U.S Bureau of economic analysis a recession is “a marked slippage in economic activity.”
This slippage has been historically understood as 2 quarters of negative Gross Domestic Product
However, The Bureau proceeds to state this is:
“not an official designation.”
(https://www.bea.gov/help/glossary?title_1=All&title=recession)
Given the unsteady nature of the NBER’s definition, keeping an independent eye on economic activity is important.
The reality is that recessions are not something to be feared or even evaded, but rather embraced as a part of a healthy economic cycle.
To put it into an analogy, a healthy economy is like a healthy set of lungs that requires both expansion and contraction (recession) to function. If lungs were only to expand, they would explode. If lungs were to only contract they would collapse.
And healthy economies function similarly.
Recessions help the long term economy in two ways:
#1 they clear the economic landscape of what might be referred to as “business mushrooms”: which are those businesses or services that have popped up solely as a result of extravagance brought on by prosperous times. Recessions also prune the landscape of businesses with poor management and spending practices that are being covered for, again, by the excess of prosperous times.
Alternately, recessions deepens the roots of business models that are truly sustainable, both by means of serving legitimate needs, as well as those businesses that are functioning under very wise management strategies.
Recessions only segue into calamities for the individuals who build lifestyles or businesses around the concept of continual expansion.
Which segues into perfectly into…
Who does a recession impact the most severely?
Simplified, recessions most severely impact individuals or businesses that fall under one or both of these categories:
(A) those operating beyond their means with no concept of risk management or budgeting, or (B) those whose primary income is from products or services that fall under the category of “discretionary spending”.
Discretionary spending simply a fancy way of referring to things that people can live their daily life without; things like vacations, fancy coffee, fine dining, and so forth.
While debt free is ideal, if you do have debt you need to be operating within a budget that allows you to make your monthly payments with 10-15% leftover.
This 10-15% is a hedge, should you be out of work for 10-15% of the year: either through layoffs or a job transition.
If you are a business owner, should your existing business see a 12-15% decrease in sales volume, you will be able to make decisions without panic compromising your ability to make responsible ones.
An important thing to keep in mind is that recessions do not create problems, they reveal problems.
When the tide goes out, you find out who has their backsides covered and who does not.
When will the next Recession happen?
The honest answer is nobody knows. The realistic answer is probably soon. An article by thebalancemoney.com tells us:
“There have been 11 recessions since 1948, averaging out to about one recession every six years.”
(https://www.thebalancemoney.com/the-history-of-recessions-in-the-united-states-3306011)
However, “good times” between these periods of recession have varied greatly throughout history.
One thing I can say with certainty it there will likely be at least one more Recession before your life is out, and if you are under 30, you’ll probably see anywhere from 5-8 recessions before you die.
How can we prepare ourselves for it?
I can only sit here and give you my recession plan on both a business and a personal level… an I invite you the viewer to share your wisdom in the comment section.
#1, I’m taking a hard look at my expenses and making sure that my income outpaces expenses by a minimum of 12-15%. This means cutting some discretionary spending, which is bad for the economy, but good for me personally.
#2. As a business owner, I have 3-6 months of operating expenses underneath my business at all times. While most of you know me as the Shepherdess at Harmony Farms, I am also co-owner of a collection of retail apparel brands that have been in operation for 15 years.
The concept of stashing away capital for economic upsets, or simply seasons that are slower than others has saved the companies I own from succumbing to panic driven decisions and/or completely folding during prolonged downswings.
#3. I encourage the concept of a developing side hustle that falls under the category of a DURABLE TRADE. To do so, I recommend choosing one of the 63 trades outlined in the book DURABLE TRADES which is available at ShopShepherdess.com (orders there greatly support me as I continue making these videos)
But use your weekends, use your free time in the evening to build a side business that may be a safety net in a season of economic crash.
This is what I did in 2008, one of the worst recessions in recent history. As a 14 year old I started a side business that I worked and grew while I was in high-school. That business thrived and by the time I had graduated it was a full time income for me and several other people.
When I became a farmer in 2020, I did so under this same concept of establishing a DURABLE SIDE HUSTLE. I had no experience in agriculture, but I had the resources and saw the value in adding investing in flock of sheep to my investment portfolio to add a truly durable form of wealth to my existence. Over the past 3 years, the Lord has lead me in ways to grow and diversify off my farm and what started as a side hustle is now a full time income.
So do not negate any opportunity to start small in a durable trade (even if it is not within the realms of your current skill set). Start small, and use this book for ideas on trades to start with.
And as a spoiler, you will find that shepherding is listed as number one on this list of history’s most durable trades.
Replay of Livestream with Karl Ebel
Karl Ebel in 2023: Low Input Cattle
Karl Ebel in 2022: How to Get Started in Meat Goats
Karl Ebel in 2021: How to Get Started in Beef Cattle
Farm Update (December and January ’23)
Hello Friends,
It’s time for a farm update… and this one covers December and January! I had someone write, concerned that I did not send December Farm Update. I want to assure you that all is well. I was working non-stop in December to finalize the hardcore educational resources I have been working on all year! Enjoy a behind the scenes look at December and January on the farm (and yes, we had some tiny surprises!).
We had about 5 surprise lambs! I keep my ram on property year round. Last July he broke out of confinement while I was out of town. Thankfully the weather in December and January was great. These little lambs were able to put some meat on their bones before rough February weather hit!
For those asking about the next availability of livestock: keep your eyes on April! My complete ’23 lamb-crop should be accounted for by then and I will open reservations at ShepherdessDorpers.com.
I have been feeding hay (for the most part) since November. The drought really eliminated most of my winter grazing. However, in December, good rains and warm weather caused the 3 acres of Rye Grass and Clover I planted to sprout! It wasn’t a huge crop, but certainly a nice boost!
A Spring ’22 ewe lamb growing out nicely!
I receive a lot of questions about the various supplies I use in my flock. I took some time to make a video on my “15 essentials”. I hope it helps you!
Until next time,
-The Shepherdess
Jesus said: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” John 10:27-28
LOSS AND DISAPPOINTMENT.
THE 25 SUPPLIES I USE ON MY SHEEP FARM
15 products are what I call my ESSENTIALS BUNDLE (I talk about them in this video), the remaining 10 products are important to have on hand for the long term (scroll for what they are). Enjoy an overview of all 25!
I farm a small flock of Dorper Sheep on a pasture based system in Northeast Texas. I am running approximately 50 head of purebred and registered Dorper sheep on 23 acres. At lambing 50 breeding ewes will swell to around 100-150 sheep in total.
When my family and I started farming Dorper sheep, we had just moved from the suburbs. We had no farming experience beyond a few chickens. Our first 2 years of sheep farming were very difficult. In short: we had a lot of dead sheep.
Our biggest death losses were with lambs. Our lambs would be born healthy, bouncing, and beautiful; but between 12 and 16 weeks many of them would get sick and die.
It was a very discouraging 2 years, but in 2020 three things turned our sheep farm from dead zone, to profit center. Those three things were:
- Learning how to apply the right care at the right time.
- Practicing good pasture management.
- Learning how to market sheep.
When we got the hang of these three things, the death rate on our farm dropped to 1/3 of sheep industry average in just 18 months and we began generating significant revenue through the sale of surplus lambs!!
This video is going to cover part 1 of this 3-part improvement with a list of the 25 supplies I use to administer the right care to my sheep at the right time. If you want to go deeper watch my FREE 1 Hour Class on the Basics of Raising, Grazing, and Marketing Sheep.
Extra Label Disclaimer:
A few of the products I use are FDA labeled for farm animals like pigs, cows, and goats. I use them all for my sheep under “extra-label” application. This means I have a good relationship with my vet who oversees my use of these supplies on an “extra-label” basis.
As a disclaimer, be sure you have the same vet oversight and approval when you are using products for sheep that are not FDA labeled for sheep.
25 SUPPLIES I USE ON MY SHEEP FARM:
(Each photo links to a product page for ease of purchase!)
- Cydectin Dewormer: *Culling for parasites should be a top priority as dewormers lose effectiveness the more you use them. The goal at my farm is to cull in such a way as to use them less and less of this every year.
2. Toltrazuril for Coccidia (extra-label): This is a product for horses. I use it for my lambs when they display symptoms of coccidiosis (symptoms typically look like persistent diarrhea and/or pot bellies with skinny hind quarters) I use Toltrazuril at a rate of 1 CC per 5lb body weight.
3. Drenching Gun: This is a tool for administering dewormer or other liquid supplements into the mouth of sheep.
4. VITA JEC B-complex Fortified: This is my most used vitamin shot on farm. I use it any time a sheep has been through severe physical stress (stressful lambing, high parasite load, etc).
5. ANEM X IRON (extra-label): This is a product for pigs. I use it on my farm for ewes that are very anemic. In instances of parasite overload I will follow up the deworming with both vitamin B and Anem-x to fast track the rebuilding of red blood cell count in the sheep.
6. Disposable syringes (with matching needles): These syringes are for the vitamin shots I just referenced. The two different sizes I use are 3 mil and 12 mil. The syringes also work great if you are giving an oral drench to a lamb that has a mouth too small for the drenching gun.
7. Colostrum Replacer: Colostrum intake is a life or death issue for young lambs. I always keep a high quality supplement (linked) on hand for orphans or lambs whose moms are not making enough on their own.
8. Tube Feeding Kit: This is for feeding lambs straight into their stomach. I like to use this for getting formula into the lambs stomach and will transition to a bottle once I know the lamb is for sure orphaned.
9. Lamb Bottle: This is a must for orphan lambs.
10. Nutridrench for Sheep: This is a great oral vitamin. I have not found it to be as potent or fast acting as the vitamin shots I just mentioned, but I have still found it effective, especially if you are not comfortable with giving shots yet.
11. Selenium Gel Oral Supplement (extra-label): This is a product for goats. I use it for sheep when I detect a selenium deficiency. This usually displays itself in weak legs in young lambs or white muscle disease.
12. Rubber Gloves: Important sanitary precaution.
13. Arm Sleeve Gloves: For internals at lambing.
14. TODAY (extra-label): This is a product for cows. Inter-mammary infusion for mastitis.
15. VETERICYN PLUS® WOUND & SKIN CARE: I don’t use it too often, but it is good to have a wound care product because wounds to happen sometimes.
16. VETERICYN® HOOF CARE: This antibacterial spray is a quick way to treat hooves. Limping is often not foot rot, but foot scald. However, the bacteria that causes foot scald can develop into foot rot. Quick treatment of a persistent limp is advisable.
19. Mineral Oil: Hand lubricant for situations of assisted lambing.
20. Eartags
21. Eartag Markers
Prescription Only Products:
These are 3 products I use that are available through a vet only.
23. General Antibiotic: VET ONLY. Antibiotics used to be available over the counter, but as of 2023 they are prescription only. Because I use antibiotics so infrequently and have a good relationship with my vet, the recent changes to prescription only have not made a significant difference on my sheep farm.
24. CD/T: VET ONLY A shot to guard sheep against bloat and tetanus.
25. BO-SE: Selenium-Vitamin E Shot.
I hope this info helps you!
-the Shepherdess
“Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” Hebrews 13:20-21
4 REASONS BEHIND THE “EGG CRISIS” IN 2023
The price of eggs in the United States has skyrocketed by 543% in some regions with reports of an 18 count carton selling for $12 in Nampa Idaho.
Four primary factors are affecting this price spike: Residual supply chain issues from 2020, Culls from Avian influenza, Cost of feed Inputs, and seasonal production dips.
As we look at prices on the grocery store shelves, it is important to realize that the prices we see today reflect supply chain issues from not last week, but rather last year. It takes roughly 8-12 months for the full effect of a food crisis to make it from the front end of the food supply chain to our wallets.
In Light of this we go back to April and May of 2022, when enforced culling of flocks nationwide was taking place in an effort to eradicate avian influenza. In 2022, 50.54 million birds were culled from the US food supply chain and according to the USDA 43 million oft these were laying hens.
According to United Egg Producers, the total size of the US Laying hen population is roughly 328 Million hens. Which means that 12.35% of the total number of laying hens nationwide were eradicated.
An important note is that not every bird culled fro avian influenza was a carrier. According to the following quote by Reuters:
“Birds often die after becoming infected. Entire flocks, which can top a million birds at egg-laying chicken farms, are also culled to control the spread of the disease after a [singular] bird tests positive.” -reuters
TheGaurdian.com reported that in April 2022 Rembrandt Foods, “one of the World’s largest egg factories” “begun slaughtering more than 5 million chickens using a gruesome killing method after detecting a single case of avian influenza.”
While this is not the first time Avian influenza culls have swept the nation, what makes the situation in 2022 far worse than ever before is that the international food supply chain is still in recovery made from 2020. In 2020, we saw many farmers to euthanize massive flocks of laying hens rather than continue to feed them under supply chain disruptions and crashing demand there from (star Tribune).
According to the “Chickens and Eggs” released monthly by the USDA, egg production was down a cumulative _ in 2020. In 2021 production was beginning to recover, only to be hit again by the culls in spring of 2022 which caused another cumulative __ in production deficit. According to the USDA’s Economic Research Services “As a result of recurrent outbreaks, U.S. egg inventories were 29 percent lower in the final week of December 2022 than at the beginning of the year.”
All at a time when US per-capita egg consumption is on the rise. (https://unitedegg.com/facts-stats/)
A secondary factor is the skyrocketing cost of feed inputs. Grain prices in ’22 were triple in some categories from previous years. According to a study by the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Science: “Feed costs often represent more than 70 percent of the production cost of a dozen eggs”
A third factor, and likely the one responsible for bringing the former issues to such a severe head is the biological nature of laying hens causes a seasonal crash in production (USDA chart). This significant dip is not a result of national crisis, but rather the natural biological-rhythm of a laying hen, which involves highest production points in correlation with the Summer Solstice, and lowest production points in line with winter Solstice.
Given the unsteady nature of poultry production over the past 2 years, and increased consumer demand for eggs, and increased export demand, US production has not been able to amend for the seasonal deficit. Severe shortages and subsequent price increases are the result.
While those raising backyard flocks are in a much better situation, chances are that even backyard flocks are not producing very much at this point. As mentioned, the bio-rhythm of the laying hen, backyard flocks are also experiencing seasonal production slumps.
The good news is that rapid reproductive rate of chickens and their swift timeline to maturity will make the “egg shortage issue” a faster fix than many of the other food supply issues on the horizon. My estimation is that within 6 months, eggs will one again be within normal range… but you will likely never see eggs at the prices they once were.
At my local Aldi, eggs were $.79/dozen in 2022. The price is now $4.29/dozen. It will be the same as fuel and lumber: if we settle somewhere within 30-40% of normal range society will be happy.
What will be a more pertinent issue to prepare and watch for is the price of red meat over next 6-9 months. And if you want an look at the crisis from 2022 that is setting us up for a crash in 2023, please watch this video next. (Ranchers rush)
Links for image credits and Citation:
ERS USDA
REUTERS
UNITED EGG PRODUCERS
UCANR
STAR TRIBUNE
THE GAURDIAN
AP NEWS
USDA CORNELL EDU
NASS USDA
https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/chart-gallery/gallery/chart-detail/?chartId=105576
https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/avian-flu-outbreak-wipes-out-5054-mln-us-birds-record-2022-11-24/
https://unitedegg.com/facts-stats/ https://www.nass.usda.gov/Charts_and_Maps/Agricultural_Prices/pricewh.php
https://ucanr.edu/sites/placernevadasmallfarms/files/102990.pdf
https://www.startribune.com/egg-demand-shifted-and-61-000-minnesota-chickens-were-euthanized/569817312/?refresh=true#4
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/apr/28/egg-factory-avian-flu-chickens-culled-workers-fired-iowa
https://www.nass.usda.gov/Surveys/Guide_to_NASS_Surveys/Chickens_and_Eggs/index.php
https://apnews.com/article/health-business-bird-flu-flu-animals-189a7c08d848047f00b3f7b5bec39e67
https://usda.library.cornell.edu/concern/publications/fb494842n?locale=en#release-items
https://www.nass.usda.gov/Surveys/Guide_to_NASS_Surveys/Chickens_and_Eggs/index.php
“$1000 CALVES ARE HERE.” Cattle Market Update for 2023
FULL 35 MINUTE PODCAST: https://bit.ly/CorbittWall23
Corbitt Wall: @cattlemarketsummary8392
Here is a summary of the Beef Cattle Market in 2023 after extreme drought and input costs caused a crash in July 2022.
Join my Newsletter: http://bit.ly/ShepherdessNWSLTR
BUY THE BOOK HERE: http://bit.ly/ShepherdessMERCH
EMAIL: shepherdess (at) harmonyfarms.blog
the Shepherdess: All right. Joining me now is Corbitt Wall of National Beef Wires Feeder Flash We are speaking to those who follow the cattle market which crashed in July. Could you kind of give a month to month summary from basically where we left off in July to where we are now?
Corbitt Wall: Well, it came through July with extreme drought. in some of your biggest production areas. Mainly central Texas but also in the, in the northern plains and slightly in the Midwest too in your big cattle areas of, Missouri and Arkansas and places like that. A lot of producers had to cull their herds a lot more than they had planned to, a lot more than they wanted to.
Hay has become extremely high and not affordable to people that are just having to feed hay to keep their cows. So a lot of people had to get rid of their cows, which is resulting in lighter numbers. And our market has come to us in a big way.
In the last six months and is as high as it has been since 2015, and that’s when it was retreating from the all-time record highs of 2014.
the Shepherdess: So going into fall, has there been a category that’s pulled stronger?
Corbitt Wall: Our fat cattle market has, come up a bunch. We’re right in the $1.55 to $1.57 range right now, historically the highest your cattle market has ever been on direct basis is $1.72.
We’re nearing that. I have my doubts if we’re going to hit that. Our, our light calves are, are selling very well and they’re selling very well early. We normally see your grass grazers come into the. early in the year, maybe in January and February because they wanna avoid the rush of the March and April market.
And so they’ve already come into the market because they know that numbers are gonna be tight. They just have to find something to keep those calves alive until the grass turns green. And that’s basically what they’re wanting to do.
Our cow numbers are probably the tightest right now. And then that will lead to our calf numbers being extremely tight. We’re just gonna be a lot lower on our spring born calves than we have been
the Shepherdess: Has there been any behavior in the market from either the producer. Or the Packer side that has people scratching their heads within this last six months.
Corbitt Wall: I haven’t seen as many people looking to take advantage for the big demand that there’s gonna be for replacement stock, for breeding stock. We are just now in the last few weeks, Starting to see more producers keeping heifers back, but a lot of ’em couldn’t afford to, you know, they needed to sell those heifers to, to pay bills.
And the markets come up a little bit affording some producers the option to, to keep more heifers back to rebuild their, their cow herd.
But I thought that a bread heifer or replacement quality open heifer would be higher now than, than what it is. It’s just taking longer. And most of that’s due to your input and, and, and lack of feed. But normally we would see that.
I think our high market may last three years we might have a better window to make some money for a while because your producers weren’t able to reload as quick.
the Shepherdess: In your opinion with that longer window, are we just gonna see a continuation of pretty good prices rather than what we expected… you know, short blitz.
Yeah. within the last six or eight months people say, how good’s this thing gonna get, you know, how high is it gonna get? I think we’re in it now, you know, a a 500 pound steer calf, which is what a lot of people try to raise is bringing you.
$2.25 a pound. That, that’s pretty good. A lot of top quality 600 pound calves are bringing $2 a pound. As a rule of thumb, producers usually want to yield a thousand dollars ahead from their calves. they’re doing it now. But like we said several times already, the input costs and the lack of feed is, is taking fun out if it.
the Shepherdess: And a thousand dollars today would be. something like, you know, $800 two years ago with just the cumulative rate of inflation. Yes, exactly.
ENROLL NOW!!!
Here is what’s included in the Shepherdess Masterclass!
•LAMB FOR LIFE: How to avoid common causes of death on sheep farms. (With hands-on tutorials on how to give shots, medicine, etc)
•GRAZING SHEEP 101: How to setup a grazing system that only takes 1 HOUR PER DAY to maintain. (With Hands on tutorials on how to install charger systems, ground rod systems, what fencing to use, etc)
•MARKETING SHEEP+: How I market sheep (and more) for a full time income without leaving the farm.
6 Farm on the Web Marketing classes:
•How to setup a Newsletter for your farm.
•How to setup a Website for your farm.
•How to sell products on your website.
•How to advertise on social media without paying for ads (3 classes for YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook.)
In summary you receive:
9 One-Hour Masterclass Video Sessions
3 EBOOKS (80 pages each)
14 hands on TUTORIAL VIDS (average of 5 minutes each)
2 Supplies Lists (with links to best-price sources)
5 Worksheets
1 Shepherdess Photo Filter for professional quality iPhone shots.
Enrollment BONUS:
First 20 Students to enroll receive 2 hardcopy books.
All students will receive 3 student-only LIVESTREAM Q+A’s with the Shepherdess.
… a $985 value.
Answering your questions about the Shepherdess Masterclass!
Here are some of the questions coming through about Monday’s Launch of the Shepherdess Masterclasss: a video led course for beginners on raising, grazing, and marketing sheep! I am excited to see you then!
How and where do I enroll?
Enrollment opens on Monday at 8 am CST at Shepherdess.com . At that time you will see a HUGE “ENROLL NOW” banner at Shepherdess.com… it will be hard to miss :).
Are there early sign up bonuses?
YES. First 20 students to enroll will receive 2 hard copy books on animal handling and husbandry. Temple Grandin’s Guide to Working with Farm Animals and Storey’s Guide to Raising Miniature Animals.
My schedule is busy, are these one-time only live classes?
No, these are on-demand classes. You can learn in line with your own schedule and replay each class if you need to. There are 3 student-only livestreams that I will be hosting at set times, but the classes are accessible 24/7.
Why limited enrollment?
I want to ensure a high quality experience. This enrollment window will close after 7 days. I plan to launch another enrollment cycle once the first round of students are taken care of!
I already have sheep, how will this help?
This course has a lot of marketing and business building info in it that will help you transition into a for-profit flock. Also, a lot of struggles emerge when your flock begins lambing. This Masterclass covers how to care for ewes at lambing and how to avoid common causes of death in lambs from birth to 8 months.
What does the Shepherdess Masterclass teach?
Alot. Here is the run down!
•LAMB FOR LIFE: How to avoid common causes of death on sheep farms. (With hands-on tutorials on how to give shots, medicine, etc)
•GRAZING SHEEP 101: How to setup a grazing system that only takes 1 HOUR PER DAY to maintain. (With Hands on tutorials on how to install charger systems, ground rod systems, what fencing to use, etc)
•MARKETING SHEEP+: How I market sheep (and more) for a full time income without leaving the farm.
6 Farm on the Web Marketing classes:
•How to setup a Newsletter for your farm.
•How to setup a Website for your farm.
•How to sell products on your website.
•How to advertise on social media without paying for ads (3 classes for Youtube, Instagram, and Facebook.)
In summary you receive:
9 One-Hour Masterclass Video Sessions
3 EBOOKS (80 pages each)
14 hands on TUTORIAL VIDS (average of 5 minutes each)
2 Supplies Lists (with links to best-price sources)
5 Worksheets
1 Shepherdess Photo Filter for professional quality iPhone shots.
Enrollment BONUS:
First 20 Students to enroll receive 2 hardcopy books.
All students will receive 3 student-only LIVESTREAM Q+A’s with the Shepherdess.
… a $985 value.
What are you charging for the Masterclass?
I am offering this info at a special price of $425 next week.
Will you offer a payment plan?
Yes! The payment plan is 4 monthly installments of $110.
What if I have already bought some of these classes from you in the past?
You can purchase the ones you don’t own a la carte on this page .
I’d like to share about your courses on my social media, do you have offer affiliate commissions?
Yes! CLICK HERE for info.
-the Shepherdess
“Know ye that the LORD he is God: It is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.” Psalm 100:3
A Sheep Farming (and marketing) Course for ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS
What is the Shepherdess Masterclass?
9 video-led training classes
(1 yr. access with e-books and worksheets):
•Raising Sheep (LAMB FOR LIFE)
•Grazing Sheep
•Marketing Sheep+
•Farm on the Web Class Bundle (6 step-by-step marketing tutorials for using Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, Newsletters, Websites, and E-commerce to sell products.)
-the Shepherdess
Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.” Isaiah 48:17
(2023 Update) Amish Farmer Court Verdict | United States vs. Amos Miller
2022 RECAP | SHEEP FARMING IN THE USA
1 HOUR SHEEP FARMING WEBINAR: https://bit.ly/Sheepx3Webinar
2021 LAMBING VIDEOS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qhe6…
By popular request, I am giving a full recap of Lambing in 2022. Most of my lambs were born in March and April, but I had a few surprises born here in November and December.
I am going to talk about how I prepare for lambing, the complications that popped up this season and how I addressed them, and then at the very end I am going to give you a complete look at my cast of characters for 2022 (this may or may not include a lamb with a strong resemblance to Barney Fife).
I am hosting a free webinar in January on the basics of raising, grazing, and marketing sheep. Spots are limited so reserve yours using the link below. If you are watching this after the live workshop, you will be able to watch the replay through that same link :).
I did a lot of prep in the two weeks leading up to my official lambing season. First was to make sure I had all of my supplies on hand. I am going to share with you the various supplies that I used throughout lambing. Some of these products are not easy to find on local level. In light of this problem, I spent some time getting distribution rights for these supplies and have bundled them all into what I am calling The Shepherdess Essentials Bundle which is available at Shepherdess.com. Having these supplies on hand is going to save a lot of money in vet bills and maybe even a few lives so no matter what phase of the game you are in, make sure to order this bundle of products on hand.
Second was to prep the lambing shed with fresh bedding, and run a pre-lambing inspection on all my ewes. Here I am primarily checking for parasites and deworming any ewe with a notable parasite load. A ewe’s immune system dips at lambing and during lactation so parasite loads left unchecked can become a major issues.
Issue #1 that cropped up this year was a need for assisted delivery. I assisted about 8 ewes and 6 of 8 were a result of malpresentation. A lamb presenting correctly will have two hooves pointing forward and the nose resting right on top. The problem that kept recurring was that my lambs were coming out with only one foreleg forward. This added a lot of bulk to the shoulders.
Now this is a pretty common malpresentation. Sometimes a ewe can birth a lamb that presents this way just fine, however there were two factors that did not make that the case for these 6 ewes. First, many of the ewes were first time moms and the lambs were very large singles, not the moderately sized twins that you want. For this reasons the ewe would pass the head and the foreleg but those big shoulders would get caught. Despite pushing for an hour or more, the lamb would not pass.
In assisting these ewes, I would give them some time to attempt to deliver the lamb on their own. Once it had been about 45 minutes with no progression I’d go in to assist. When I could, I would push the head back in to the birth canal and draw both of the legs forward. Most times however, the lamb was too far delivered to push it back. In such cases, I would take the leg that was coming forward and pull it out as far as I could (this frees up some space for those broad shoulders), then I would pull the lamb by the neck and leg in a sort of c-curve toward the udder.
If the ewe was still contracting, I’d pull with contractions, otherwise I just went for it.
For 2 of these malpresentated deliveries, the ewe went into labor overnight. When I did my check in the early morning I found the first ewe in some significant distress. I was able to deliver her lamb, but the ewe was really non-responsive as a result of exhaustion. I gave her a shot of Vitamin B, which is a great means of replenishing energy after a stressful situation. (Vitamin B and the needles and syringes to administer it is going to be in the Shepherdess Essentials Bundle I have linked below) She came to and followed the flock out to pasture, before realizing her maternal duty.
The second ewe had also been laboring overnight. The lamb was badly hung and had been for several hours. “Hung” means that the head had been hanging outside of the birth canal for a pretty long time. This typically results in the lamb being strangled. I caught the ewe and helped her pass this limp lamb with an extremely swollen head. I was so disappointed because to this point I had not lost any lambs. I pulled the lamb assuming it was dead. I put it up by the moms head so that she could at least see it and I just turned and said ” Thank you, Lord I am so sad this one died, but—” Then, all of the sudden the lamb let out a huge sneeze.
It turns out I issued a premature death sentence… and I have never heard a more beautiful sound than that sneeze.
She had a huge welcoming committee.
Again, I followed this birth up with a Vitamin B shot for the ewe as she was also pretty well paralyzed with exhaustion. Within just a few minutes she was up on her feet and nursing her lamb. It took a full 24 hours for the swelling in the lamb’s head to go down, but thankfully it didn’t keep her from nursing.
When it came to the mastitis I had 2 cases of mastitis I treated differently. Mastitis is an infection of the mammary glands that can inhibit the function of the udder and compromise the new lamb. The first case of mastitis I caught before the ewe gave birth. The udder was feverish and lumpy, it had a reddish-purple tint, and was almost sweaty to the touch. I made the decision to give the ewe a 3 day antibiotic regimen before delivery.
I want to make a note here about my opinion on the use of antibiotics, shots, modern medicine on the farm. When I start to talk about shots I sometimes get comments from very well-intended individuals who will say things like “healthy flocks don’t need shots” or “don’t baby your sheep”.
I welcome any opinions, but I’ll also feel free to be bold with mine: I hold to the principle that the judicious application of modern medicine within flocks is good animal husbandry.
This antibiotic regimen was finished about 9 days before the ewe gave birth. Once she raised and weaned the most beautiful set of twins. This ewe did die shortly after weaning. She was old and the mastitis was likely just a symptom of aging out. But she raised an amazing set of lambs before she left the farm.
The second case of mastitis was much more severe. I did not catch this case until the lambs were born. Her udder was rock hard on one side. For this ewe, I did an inter-mammary infusion. (which again, will be in the Shepherdess Essentials Bundle available a Shepherdess.com)
This process was really unpleasant, because I had to flip the ewe on her back and put this tool up her—- and squeeze the solution directly into her udder and then massage her udder for 60 seconds. She hated it, I hated it, we all hated it. But this allowed her to regain enough function to feed her offspring. Now this ewe was culled, but I did provide her with what she needed to get past this issue.
I also want to talk about my portable lambing jug. This little unit was a life saver! During lambing I continued my rotational grazing program. At certain points the rotation put me out of range of my main shed. The portable jug gave me a confined area to treat any issues that popped up. If I needed to treat a mom (such as in the case of mastitis) I would simply put her lambs in there and she’d follow me in for treatment. It was a little bit heavy, but I could pull it a short distance with my body weight, or an atv if the distance was longer.
Excellent maternal instinct is a Dorper breed characteristic, and the ewes in my flock are really living up to that. Once a lamb is born healthy, the ewes will do the rest.
One thing I did make sure to do this year was have supplemental colostrum ready as well as a lamb feeding tube with me at all times. (you guessed it, the feeding tube and colostrum replacer is in the Shepherdess Essentials Bundle!)
Colostrum or not really is life or death for a young lamb. If I have a ewe that is producing a surplus of colostrum, I will milk her and freeze that colostrum for a future need. Otherwise I use a good quality powdered colostrum replacer.
While a feeding tube can be intimidating, it is my go-to over a bottle. I can fill the lambs belly in 3 or 4 minutes. Once I am done the lamb hops straight back to it’s mom and resumes nursing with no problems. If you are supplementing because a ewe does not have enough milk, something to keep in mind is that the more the lamb suckles, the more milk the ewe will produce. We have found that bottle feeding can cause what is known as nipple confusion. The bottle’s will alter the sucking reflex of the lamb in such a way that it will have difficulty latching back on to the mom. The feeding tube allows the ewe and the lamb to maintain that nursing bond. I will use a bottle once I have deemed that the lamb is going to be a bottle baby for life.
The final issue I had was with a lamb that was born wobbly, weak, knock kneed, and had a curved spine. These symptons are commonly linked to selenium deficiency. I went ahead and administered .25ml of BOSE under the skin. BOSE is a selenium-vitamin E shot. The following week, I gave the lamb one more .25ml shot. BOSE is available by prescription only through your vet, so I have not included it in my Essentials Bundle, but have referenced it on the pamphlet inside of the bundle. This will give you the exact product to request from your vet.
Now for the cast of characters. As much as I try to play professional shepherdess, I always end up naming a few lambs. This year was a B theme. We ended up with… get ready for it: Bruce, the giant ram lamb. Betsy, with the black spot. Bandit with the masked markings, and Barney Fife. I’ll let you decide if there is any resemblance ;).
Merry Christmas
“The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, ‘Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.’” John 1:29
It’s hard for me to imagine loving anything more than one of these lambs (at least in the non-human realm😄).
I’d do almost anything to see them thrive, and when their life is cut short it is so painful.
It amazes me to consider the love of God the Father as He gave His precious Lamb to pay for the sins that would otherwise drag me to Hell.
“Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” 1John 4:10
Merry Christmas, Friends and thank you for a another year of support. 🐑 .
-the Shepherdess
THE COSTS OF RAISING SHEEP
ROTATIONAL GRAZING SUPPLIES LIST: https://bit.ly/GrazingWaterSUPPLIES
FREE Sheep Farming E-book: https://bit.ly/SheepEBOOK
Join my Newsletter: http://bit.ly/ShepherdessNWSLTR
Interested in purchasing my Dorper Lambs for your own farm? Join my wait-list below!
15 COSTS OF RAISING SHEEP
Here are 15 costs you need to put a pencil to if you are considering sheep ranching for profit. I am going to give you 10 startup costs, 5 annual costs, and then I am going to tell you the exactly what my sheep farm’s expenses are on a 30 acre scale.
But quickly to answer a major question that popped up in last weeks video: “Why do you focus on a gross of $100k? What about net profit?”
The simple answer is that I have already costed every enterprise on my farm.
Every enterprise on my 30 acre Micro-ranch is on track to earn a net profit minimum of 30% by 2027, with all capital costs paid off.
For me, costing comes first and not last. Long time followers of this channel will know that I have spent the last 17 years in business management for the retail apparel industry. In that industry you do not get the green light to do anything unless you can guarantee satisfactory margins.
So when I became a farmer, I followed the same rules. My goal was to convert 30 acres of grass into a desirable and profitable finished product. So I put pencil to paper and ran the numbers. It is one of the reasons I switched from beef to sheep and you can watch a video that goes in depth about that by tapping here.
Costing first allowed me to get aggressive about my goals. And I have to acknowledge here that it sometimes really painful to be honest about the costs. Like this summer when I spent over $4,000 on hay because we had the 2nd worst drought in 100 years.
I want to encourage creativity in the startup phase. There are a lot of ways to build out these 18 elements. If you don’t have a huge budget straight out of the shoot, there are low cost ways to approach some of the elements on this list. There are a few things that I would not cut corners on at the onset, but for the rest: do your best and make improvements as you go!
Startup Costs:
1. SEEDSTOCK:
Seedstock refers to the sheep (or cattle) you start your flock with. Prices for Dorper seedstock can be anywhere from $350 for quality commercial ewe, to $1,500 for a registered ewe. If you are a beginner, my advice would be to avoid registered animals for your startup. Start with a quality commercial sheep.
2. LAND
Land can either be bought, leased, or bartered for… and I have done all three. The unfortunate reality is that the price of grazing and farm land in the USA has inflated to such an extent that (in most states) you can no longer pay for the purchase of that land with any agricultural enterprise. The bright side is that leasing land is now a more viable solution that ever. The American farmer is aging and the land needs young people to maintain it. For $35 per year I can graze my animals on an acre of land that would cost me $12,000-14,000 to buy. If you are looking at ranching for profit in the 2020’s, you will want to pursue land lease and not land ownership.
3. WATER
Water is an expense to consider, as all livestock needs it. Ponds, wells, hose access, and portable tanks are all options. If there is no water access on your land, ponds and wells drilled on site can cost $15k+. A water tank on the back of a pickup truck is a great solution for sheep farming as sheep consume very little water. A 65 gallon tank costs $230 and one will provide a day’s worth of water to a flock of 60-120 sheep.
4. PERIMETER FENCE
When it comes to small scale sheep farming you need to invest in a good perimeter fence. The fencing at my farm is 6″ woven wire field fence. This costs about $478 per 330 linear ft (materials only).
5. HANDLING SYSTEMS
You will need an area to sort and care for your sheep. If you are just starting and have a very small flock, I would recommend a square pen that will pack your sheep in tight. As your flock grows consider adding a formal handling system to your farm. The tight square pen I started with cost about $500 in materials to construct. The handling system I have now runs about $10k.
6. SHELTER
Your sheep will need a place to escape freezing rain and predators. There are variety of options when it comes to how you can construct your shelter. Prices on these options range from a $500 carport from Facebook marketplace to a $20,000 custom built shed. If you bootstrap a shelter make sure you add gates to the front for predator protection.
The next 4 items are expenses tied to rotational grazing your sheep. I would not recommend starting a sheep farm unless you are able to rotational graze. Moving your sheep a minimum of once a week will cut down on a ton of health problems and save you a lot of money in medicine, mortality, and supplemental feed.
7. FENCE CHARGER
A fence charger for a small system of 10-20 acres will be $250. Larger units for hundred of acres can hit $1000+.
8. ELECTRICAL ACCESS
Solar chargers typically do not have enough power to contain a sheep. For this reason I recommend using fence Chargers that plug in to the wall.
9. ROTATIONAL GRAZING SUPPLIES
Electric polytape, step in posts, etc are fairly inexpensive. I started a really intensive rotational grazing program on 23 acres with about $300 worth of step in posts and polytape.
10. WATERING SYSTEM
If you are paddock grazing, you will need hoses that will reach the various paddocks.
Annual Costs:
11. VET BILLS
On my farm I budget in $7 per head in vet bills. It is not sustainable to haul your animal to the vet for every little emergency, however there are some big ones you will not want to handle on your own. I have about 1 sheep per year that needs vet care. Last year it was a rectal prolapse, the year before it was a c-section. Neither are conditions I am equipped to treat on farm.
12. MEDICINE
Dewormer, vitamin shots, CD/t, and the selective administration of antibiotics are the three medicines I administer within my flock. In my flock, each ewe has a medicine budget of $17.30 and this covers everything both she and her lambs need for one year.
13. SUPPLEMENTAL FEED
If you are feeding hay for the full 90 days of winter, you can expect to feed each sheep $35-45 worth of hay overwinter. This is one area that can really be reduced through management. On average I only feed for 20-30 overwinter.
14. TRANSPORTATION
You will need some way to haul your sheep.
15. MORTALITY
Sheep die, so you will need to factor mortality a a cost.
Why I’m BUILDING WEALTH WITH SHEEP.
FREE Sheep Farming E-book: https://bit.ly/SheepEBOOK
Join my Newsletter: http://bit.ly/ShepherdessNWSLTR
$100K Farm Business Plan: http://bit.ly/farmprofit
FOLLOW MY INSTAGRAM: http://bit.ly/ShepherdessIG
Today’s Livestream is intended to kick off season 3 of the Shepherdess.
THIRD LENSE:
Over the past two years I have used my videos to share my story through different lenses. In my first season I shared my day to day routine through the lens of a first time sheep farmer. In Season 2 I shared with you the data behind my decision to pivot from beef cattle to sheep as a primary enterprise for my micro ranching enterprise.
In season 3 I am going to share with you the real economics behind my decision to use sheep as a means of building wealth.
I am getting ready to share with you real information on how my sheep are a wealth building tool, but none of it is true unless you can keep a sheep alive. That free e book is going to walk you through basically the 13 things you need to hedge your investment in sheep.
As I kick off season 3 with this livestream, I am going to share a story.
THE UNTOLD STORY:
I have told you before that I am a digital marketer by trade. In May of 2020 my team and I had just finished one of our largest marketing projects ever. With the money I made there, I paid off my car, I put 10 months of rent and living expenses into savings. After I had done that, I had $11,000 leftover.
At the time, I was watching the US spend it’s way out of an economic crisis. I watched the government issue consent to put TRILLIONS of dollars into the economy through various means of stimulus.
I am not an economist, but I knew that under such conditions, money in the bank would quickly lose it’s value.
So I prayed. I asked the Lord if He would show me a way that I could invest this $11,000 and have it hold it’s value, or even increase.
Specifically my prayer was “for eyes to see an undervalued asset”.
From what little I knew of investing, I knew that the most successful investors were ones that saw value in something before anyone else did and took a risk by investing in that thing before anyone else.
Being from the digital industry, being that my jobs was in an office, I naturally expected the Lord would direct me toward a company to invest in, or precious metals, or possibly even real estate.
But He didn’t.
Instead He directed my attention to agriculture… and more specifically low-input agriculture with an emphasis on soil health.
This unyielding interest was a shock to me, this was a shock to my family, but it was something I could not shake. That interest segued into open doors. The Lord provided me with the education I needed to walk through those doors.
So long story short, I took that $11,000 and instead of buying silver or crypto, I bought 26 sheep and the fencing I needed to contain them on 30 acres.
If you are interested in what happened after that, the 100+ videos on this channel are chapters chronicling various aspects from that moment in 2020 to today,
but….
Since that moment in 2020 when I prayed for an investment opportunity for that $11,000, the United State’s cumulative rate of inflation hit 15.1%, US National debt increased by 30%.
Should I have left that that $11k in the bank it would only be worth $9,500 today.
But by investing it in sheep and zeroing in on my marketing of them, that $11K has seen an increase of roughly 40%.
Through the sale of surplus ram lambs I have sold enough livestock to cover 1/2 of that initial $11,000 investment all while my flock size has increased by 40% through the ewe lambs I have retained.
While some are pushing silver, or gold, or real estate; it is my goal in my third season of content to encourage you through what I have seen firsthand THE VALUE of using livestock as a means of building wealth.
You have to be wise about how you build your farm and you have to know how to care for sheep, or you’ll end up like everyone who invested in FTX last year.
But the dollar alone is no longer a valid measurement of wealth. We all need to be considering alternative means of storing our wealth. Even if it is small. $11,000 is not a lot of money, but I want to encourage you that even if you only a small
If you have debt, you don’t have wealth; so do everything you can to pay it off. But if you have any cash, you need to make sure you have enough in the bank to cover 6mos-1 year of expenses, and pray for ways to invest whatever is leftover.
HISTORICALLY DURABLE FORMS OF WEALTH:
Land (REAL ESTATE), Livestock, and precious metals. Sheep are DYNAMIC, precious metals are static.
One thing I want to bring to light is that modern America has severely undervalued agriculture. In fact we have shot ourselves in the foot with this.
America is about to lose 1/3 of it’s farmers. The average age of the American Farmer is 54 years old. 1/3 of farmers in America are over 64 years old. Within the next 15 years we will lose 1/3 of our farmers through either retirement or death… UNLESS.
UNLESS people like you and like me take up this mantle and on whatever scale we can and begin growing food. First taking responsibility for our families needs, then branching out into our community, and beyond.
IF you have no land, find your local farmer. Eatwild.com is a good place to start. You are going to pay more with your local farmer than you will at the grocery store where all of the food on the shelves is the product of industrial agriculture, but view the extra money as an investment in your future, your children’s future, and food security. You do not have to buy all of your food local, but try and replace one item on your grocery list with a local source.
I want people to understand that agriculture is a historically proven means of building wealth.
I want people to begin investing in it with the same energy and innovation that we give to tech startups Silicon Valley.
Because our need for real food is growing faster than our need for software development.
Our reliance on GMO’s and industrial agriculture is killing our bodies and depleting our natural resources.
We are self-destructing and I believe that those with eyes to see agriculture as an undervalued asset, and the bravery to invest in it when no-one else will will be greatly rewarded.
THERE IS SOMETHING THAT I UNDERSTAND HERE:
I UNDERSTAND A VALUE IN WHAT I AM DOING THAT GOES BEYOND DOLLARS AND CENTS. And this is what you need to get into agriculture… because there will be months and years where you make very little of either one. We need to diversify as farmers, we need to be extremely creative with the revenue streams we build on farm, and the markets we pursue and establish ourselves in.
While I intend (should the Lord allow) to make a significant amount of money off of what I am doing, I would do this whether I made money or not. I know too much to do otherwise.
We need more farmers.
-the Shepherdess
November Farm Update
Hello Friends,
November was beautiful. However, we had our first predator attack in 3 years. It was pretty bad, but not as bad as it could have been. Details on the attack below (as a warning, there is a censored image at the bottom of the email).
I have stocked ShopShepherdess.com with Farmer-Made and USA-made gifts for Christmas… Thank you for supporting the shop!
We had enough grass to graze through November! The drought really cut back on my stockpile this year. I am currently feeding hay as the winter grasses get a head start.
The predator attack was pretty nasty. They killed a ewe overnight and left nothing but skin and bones by the morning. This was the first attack in 3.5 years (the flock spends 24/7 on pasture). We have tight fencing and a mama cow that runs K9’s out of the paddock. However, I moved the cows to my grazing lease 10 days before this attack. I also found areas where the dogs had dug under the fence.
“What about a guardian dog?” I had a really bad experience with my first dog (he bit, chased, and acted in a predatory way toward new lambs). I am open to the idea of a mature/proven guardian dog, but will probably not start with a puppy again. Email me if you have leads.
As a result of the attack, the flock will be spending nights in our gated shelter.
Until next time… Thank you for your support!
-the Shepherdess
“He will feed His flock like a shepherd;
He will gather the lambs with His arm,
And carry them in His bosom,
And gently lead those who are with young.”
Join me for Grazing Sheep 101!
When I read about Rotational Grazing, my mind was blown!!!
•More grass (animal feed$$). •Less disease. •Lower death rate. •Drought resilience.
There was one problem: Coming from an office job, I had no idea how to setup a grazing system. (In fact, I had never worked with electric fence before!)
Fast forward 2 years: I have systems that allow me to take care of 46 sheep and 9 cows in LESS THAN 1 HOUR PER DAY. That’s taking care of 55 animals on 30 acres in just 45 minutes.
On Thursday (8 pm CST) I am hosting a workshop with detailed instructions on how to setup a grazing system on 50 acres or less!
I want to keep you from wasting your time and money on things that don’t work (like I did!).
I will cover:
•Sheep-Proof Permanent Fencing (with costs).
•Best portable fencing and accessories (with cost).
•Best Charger systems for Sheep (portable and permanent)
•Best practices for grazing Sheep. (Basics to get you started)
•Where to shop for supplies. (NOT affiliate links… referrals based on best price and function!)
You will also receive access to 5 tutorial videos:
•How I installed my AC Charger System.
•How I installed my Grounding System.
•How I installed my Permanent Hotwire System.
•How I installed my Watering System.
•How I Setup a Paddock (start to finish with details).
I am packing this workshop like a can of sardines. I hope to see you there!
-the Shepherdess
“He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.” Isaiah 40:11
October Recap at Harmony Farms
Hello friends,
October was golden and I am excited to share a recap with you! After working all summer, TWO HUGE projects came to fruition (more below). I want to thank you for your amazing response to both! It is a huge relief to have them completed and so well received.
(p.s. scroll to the bottom for a new shirt in honor of election month… it may or may not be what you expect. 😉)
The first project I completed was the LAMB FOR LIFE© video class and E-Book Bundle. LAMB FOR LIFE contains everything I wish we knew as beginner sheep farmers! This information took us from too much loss to sheep farming for profit! You can learn more about LAMB FOR LIFE© here.
The second project is the Shepherdess Supply co. As a beginner farmer, I was overwhelmed by the 39,723 choices out there. I wished someone with experience would just point me to the supplies that worked best. The Shepherdess Supply co is the shop I was looking for as a beginner!
Instead of 39,723 options, you will find 32 of the best options (at least “the best” I have found!). These are supplies that I keep on hand at Harmony Farms and I hope they will serve you well.
On the pasture front, I acquired grazing access to 15 acres of neighboring land. I tell the whole story in this video! There are some challenges ahead, but I am extremely grateful for the opportunity.
Okay, so (depending on who you are) it’s not really a political tee… but I like to campaign for real beef when I can😉. Now in stock at ShopShepherdess.com!
That’s all for now! Thank you as always for your support. It means more to me than I can put into this newsletter!
-the Shepherdess
“He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.” Isaiah 40:11
Season Finale (and reminder!)
Free Sheep Farming E-books and Worksheets.
Join the Shepherdess Newsletter.
I want to remind you that the first LAMB FOR LIFEⓒ workshop is tonight!
Here is what you’ll get out of LAMB FOR LIFEⓒ:
- 1 hour of video training.
- 30 minutes of LIVE Q+A afterward.
- Lifetime access to a replay of the class!
- Step-by-step on how to raise your lamb from 0-8 months.
- How to care for your ewe at lambing.
- How to treat some of the most common problems on a sheep farm.
- A list of the most effective sheep care supplies on the market.
“He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, And carry them in His bosom, And gently lead those who are with young.” Isaiah 40:11
Join me Wednesday night!
Sheep are not mini cows, and we learned that the hard way…
As beginner sheep farmers our first few years were really rough. In short: a lot of dead $heep (yes, the dollar sign is there on purpose🙈).
I want to cut that painful (and expensive) learning curve for you. That’s the goal of my Youtube channel and my free E-books and worksheets.
But I am taking it one step further. On Wednesday I am hosting a 1-hour crash course on what we did to take death rate from 30% in 2018 (our first year of sheep farming) to less than 5% in 2022!
In this class I will walk you step by step through how I raise my lambs from birth to 8 months (the time period when most death happens). This will also include pre-lambing and post-lambing care for the ewe.
A profitable flock starts with LAMB FOR LIFEⒸ!
Hope to see you there,
the Shepherdess
P.S. If you sign up you will receive a replay of the workshop via email (including worksheets and supplies lists). If you cannot attend the class live, you will still reap all of the educational benefits.
“He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, And carry them in His bosom, And gently lead those who are with young.” Isaiah 40:11
A TOUR OF THE WORLD’S MOST FAMOUS FARM | Polyface Farms with Joel Salatin
Link to receive 1 hour interview with Joel Salatin
Link to the Book Salad Bar Beef
2 years and 4 months ago I decided I wanted to raise grass fed beef beef and I wanted to make a profit at it.
I had zero experience with livestock, zero agricultural background, and to top it off my full time job was at the opposite end of the occupational spectrum: I was a digital marketer in the retail apparel industry.
Despite all of this I knew I had to do something.
So I went shopping for a book about how to raise grass fed beef and found Salad Bar Beef by Joel Salatin. At that point in time I didn’t know Joel Salatin from the next guy… but because there were cows and dollar signs on the cover (two of my primary interests) I immediately fell in love with this book.
And I started reading Salad Bar Beef:
Not knowing anything about farming.
Not knowing anything but that I had 23 acres of grass and I wanted to raise cows.
It was Salad Bar Beef that introduced me to the concept of rotational grazing and regenerative agriculture for the first time.
But Salad Bar Beef appealed to me more on the basis of economics than ecology.
What caught my attention was that this was a system of raising and grazing beef that I could launch with just a few hundred dollars in electric fencing supplies.
I read about a direct marketing mindset that made a way to earn an income off a small herd, despite nosediving live cattle prices.
I read how that with a small amount of money, and a little time every day I could earn 300% more than the average rancher by way of increased feed production on pasture… essentially turning my 23 acres into 69 acres.
So I put these methods to the test. And what you have watched on my channel over the past two years has been me, as an absolute beginner, just doing it.
And it has worked!
Two years almost to the date of reading the first chapter of Salad Bar Beef, I was in Virginia moving cattle with Joel Salatin. I was seeing firsthand the fruit of 40 years of consistent stewardship, unconventional marketing methods, and radical diversification within a farm business model.
I met his staff and his stewards and was so encouraged by both.
There are a lot of people that don’t like Joel Salatin.. and I’m not here to make you like him… But I am here to say that what he preaches in that one book works for me. His model encouraged me to start small… And his model allowed me to go from never owning livestock, to harvesting 1000lb of my own grass fed beef in just 18 months.
I met so many of you at the Polyface Stockman Grass Farmer event. It was such an incredible joy to look into the faces of a lot of the names that have been just names on a screen for the past two years.
The best thing was just seeing in your eyes the way I feel about this work.
I also want to thank my friends Bill and Judie Croft at Meadowcroft Farm for hosting me at the Meadowcroft Inn while I was at Polyface. The Inn at Meadowcroft is just 7 miles down the road from Polyface. Meadowcroft is hands down one of the most beautiful Inn’s I have ever stayed at.
Cindy and Aletha were the amazing chefs at Meadowcroft and served us fresh fruit parfaits and a hot breakfast (made with farm sourced ingredients) every morning. Chicken lady got really spoiled… like we came home and she was demanding yogurt parfaits and bread pudding every morning.
In addition to the Inn, Bill and Judie raise a large herd of grass fed beef cows and meat sheep that are organically raised and marketed through a unique supply chains. As if that wasn’t enough diversity, Bill and Judie run the Meadowcroft Cannery and I am going to link to the sandwich spread, the German pickles, and apricot jam that were my favorites… I actually bought 12 cans of jelly and spread cans before I left. All of the ingredients are organic and they are made with pure cane sugar no synthetic flavors. Their cannery website Website is linked HERE and you get free shipping when you buy 12 or more cans!
Thank you for “traveling” with me!
-the Shepherdess
“A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.” John 3:27
Building Pasture from Scratch | Adaptive Grazing with Black Swamp Cattle
-
The Art of Natural Cheesemaking by David Asher$40.00 -
Pasture Management Starter Set (2 Books)$70.00 -
Raising Sheep Book Bundle (3 Books)$107.00 -
(E-BOOK) The Basics of Raising Sheep on Pasture$46.95 -
The Basics of Raising Sheep on Pasture$46.95 -
The Shepherdess Library Bundle (5 Books)$180.00 -
The Art and Science of Grazing Book by Sarah Flack$40.00 -
Management Intensive Grazing Book by Jim Gerrish$40.00 -
Salad Bar Beef Book by Joel Salatin$35.00
My Farm Recovers from Drought! | 2022 drought in Texas
-
The Art of Natural Cheesemaking by David Asher$40.00
-
Pasture Management Starter Set (2 Books)$70.00
-
Raising Sheep Book Bundle (3 Books)$107.00
-
(E-BOOK) The Basics of Raising Sheep on Pasture$46.95
-
The Basics of Raising Sheep on Pasture$46.95
-
The Shepherdess Library Bundle (5 Books)$180.00
-
The Art and Science of Grazing Book by Sarah Flack$40.00
-
Management Intensive Grazing Book by Jim Gerrish$40.00
-
Salad Bar Beef Book by Joel Salatin$35.00
Hard Facts on the Amos Miller Case // Miller Organic Farm
Here is a report from the courtroom on the United States v. Miller’s Organic Farm case.
EMAIL: shepherdess (at) harmonyfarms.blog
Credits to @Fox News and @Rebel News for footage.
The “Amos Miller” story has gained momentum around the web as the USDA has restrained and raided his organic farming operation in Bird in Hand, PA. Amos miller produces chemical free grass fed beef, pork, chicken, dairy, and fermented foods; distributing to his customer base of 4,000.
Here are 3 facts that reveal what is really happening at Miller’s Organic Farm. 1. The USDA is specifically targeting Miller’s Organic meat processing operation, not his entire farm. Amos Miller processes and distributes beef, poultry, and pork which he processes in one of his self-made processing facilities. Animals are processed under the inspection and oversight of Amos Miller and not the USDA. According to USDA regulations, meat must be processed under the direct oversight of a USDA agent if it is going to be distributed direct to consumer. This regulation give the USDA direct control of the farm to consumer meat supply. However, setting the element of control aside, processing at a USDA facility poses problems for Miller’s customers. USDA processing facilities spray meat carcasses with citric acid, a chemical compound that produces allergic reactions in some of Miller’s customers.
2. MIller’s operation is healing not harming the public.
3. Miller is not being allowed to choose his own attorney. Federal Judge Edward G. Smith ruled that in the USDA vs. Amos Miller case “Amos Miller does not have the right to choose his own attorney”. Miller is taking his appeal to Third Circuit in Philadelphia. Miller states: “we have come to realize that the only way to save our hard working farmers and healthy foods is to legally challenge the government”. In the United States the US constitution is regarded as the highest law of the land. It was authorized in 1787, but 11 years earlier on July 4th, 1776 (a date we celebrate to this day) another document was signed which may be more relevant to us as individuals under our current administration. It is from the Declaration of Independence that I quote: “We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness…. Whenever ANY form of government becomes destructive of these ends it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it…. Accordingly, all experience has shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer while evils are suffer able, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.” I urge you to subscribe to my newsletter below for uncensored updates and please click on this video for a more in depth look at the regulations governing our meat supply chain.
Articles Cited in Video: https://lancasteronline.com/news/loca…https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/conse…
————————————–
“Buy me a Coffee” to Support my Channel: https://bit.ly/ShphrdssCOFFEE
READ MY BLOG: http://bit.ly/ShepherdessBLOG
SHOP MY MERCH: http://bit.ly/ShepherdessMERCH
—————————–
About this Channel: This channel chronicles my journey as a sheep farmer from the very beginning. My primary occupation is in business management. In 2020, I discovered the principles of regenerative agriculture and embarked on a journey with the end goal of building a profitable small farm on 23 acres by 2027. Thank you for joining the journey!
HOW THE PIG MARKET CRASHED (and beef will too)
EMAIL: shepherdess (at) harmonyfarms.blog
Until 1998 the hog market functioned similar to today’s live cattle market:
A host of independent hog ranchers, both small and large scale, would grow pigs and haul them to auction. At the auction house, processors and packers would bid against one another for the supply they needed to satisfy consumer demand.
This meant that large or small, each producer would receive a fair market price for their pigs.
And this is because of the competition on the buying end. Buyers bidding against one another will drive the price of the goods up according to consumer demand.
However, in the pork market, the large packers began to bypass the open market and establish private buying contracts with select number of pork producers. With fewer buyers in the public market, live hog prices began to decline.
This monopoly finally culminated in 1998 when the large pork packers no longer needed to bid on the open market. They had secured a sufficient supply of hogs via contract and as such, they were no longer bidders.
What happened next was a dark and final chapter in the history of independent American hog farming. The absence of buyers drove the price of hogs on the hoof down from 56cents per lb to 8cents per lb in just one weekend.
Being that a “breakeven” point for hog farmers was 32 cents per pound, nearly all of the independent American hog growers went out of business in just a matter of weeks.
The beef market is following suit, but on a timeline that is lagging 30 years behind. In fact, 70-80% of the beef that is funneled through our food supply chain is already being purchased via private contract. And the reality that live cattle prices are down 50% from 1990-2022 reflects this fact.
We are truly on the brink of history repeating itself.
Mr. Wall advocates for measures such as the Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act to preserve what remains of the free market. I have put a link below to where you can contact your senator to endorse the act.
And I am looking at you the consumer: go to Eatwild.com and find your local farmer. The monopoly that is destroying the American rancher will soon destroy the American consumer, and I would argue that it already is. In 2020 there were no food shortages. Price spikes and empty shelves were caused by the fact that the processing facet of our meat supply is too big to operate under the pressure of national emergency.
What we have experienced over the past few years is a drill, a taste of what is coming down the pipe. And it is going to get really ugly.
Find your local farmer. You do not have to buy 100% of your groceries from them, but I challenge you to buy one of your grocery items from them on a weekly or monthly basis: whether it’s beef, or pork, or veggies… start small and source at least one food item from your local farmer.
And if you are interested in growing your own meat, tap this video on how I grew and locally processed 1000lb of beef as an absolute beginner… I’ll see you there!
-the Shepherdess
RECORD HIGH CATTLE PRICES AHEAD? | 2023 Cattle Market Projection
DISCOUNT FOR STOCKMAN GRASS FARMER: https://bit.ly/GrassFarmerGathering
SHOP THE BOOKS: http://bit.ly/ShepherdessMERCH
45 MINUTE PODCAST WITH CORBITT WALL: https://bit.ly/CorbittWall
Channel Guest: Corbitt Wall, FEEDER FLASH, NationalBeefwire.com
Join my Newsletter: http://bit.ly/ShepherdessNWSLTR
EMAIL: shepherdess (at) harmonyfarms.blog
In 2014 the live cattle market saw all time record high prices, with steers at 550lbs going from $1.63per pound in 2012 to $2.95 in 2014. What lead up to these record high prices?
In 2011, a red hot drought across the Deep South drove many ranchers to liquidate and herd sizes were reduced. Once precipitation returned to these drought stricken areas, ranchers began restocking, and prices went up for a very brief period of time…
Here in 2022 we are facing the same set of circumstances and possibly the same opportunity to cash in on our beef cattle, but there are 3 things we need to pay attention to:
#1. Any upcoming price spikes will be very short term. The 2014 price spike ended as quickly as it began. If there is an upswing in 2022-24 it will follow the same pattern and will not be a long term increase in prices. With the control that the 4 major meatpackers have on the commodity cattle market, the system is rigged. For more information on why American beef is endangered, click here.
#2. The upcoming opportunity in the conventional cattle market is for established ranchers and not for newbies. If you have extra grass resource and can buy good cattle out of these drought zones, go for it! But do not, as a beginner, build a herd in hopes for return on the commodity cattle market in 2023.
#3. Grass-based operations will benefit the most from an increase in commodity cattle prices. The price of corn has tripled over the past 2 years, going from $3/bushel to $9/ bushel in some areas of the country. In systems where grain is the primary means of putting weight on cattle, input costs will eat up any increase in margins. #4. Buyer beware that a portion of what we saw in 2014 may have been artificially stimulated and here is some insight.
For me personally, I am right here in the thick of east Texas drought conditions. I believe that if you have a little bit of beef, it might not be a bad idea to hang on to it. I am spending a little bit more than I normally would to retain the small herd I have. Not because I am planning to sell conventionally, but because I know that trying to rebuild a herd over the next few years may be more difficult and expensive than what I am feeding in hay at the moment.
And I want to continue to drill it in, If you are a beginner in beef, do NOT establish career in beef cattle chasing the ups and downs of the conventional market. Start you herd with the goal of direct to consumer meat sales… buy Salad Bar Beef at shopshepherdess.com. This book will lay out a direct to consumer marketing plan for your small beef herd.
Focus on becoming a marketer as much as you are a farmer. If you learn to market direct to consumer, prices on the conventional cattle market will have very little affect on you.If you are intimidated by the concept of marketing, I have a 6-step formula for building a full fledged marketing program for your farm. Click on the link below and I’ll send you a video on the topic absolutely free.
-the Shepherdess
“So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.” 1 Corinthians 3:7
A huge opportunity.
“RIGGED AGAINST THE RANCHER?” Why aren’t cattle prices going up?
I sat in a crazy-long sale barn last weekend, amid the rush to sell cattle in drought conditions here in upper East Texas. Here is what I sold the cows in my trailer for… These cows were bred, but old (I’m guessing around 7-8 yrs) and 10 productive years is about what you can expect from a good cow. They bred late our off season which is why they were the first to go in my drought destocking process. Here are some photos and videos of those cows for reference. These cows brought an average of $720.38 each or 69 cents per pound. By the way, if you follow cattle prices in your area, please take to the comments section and let us know how they are holding out this week.
Despite the fact that cattle receipts were up 2 and 3 times at nearly every local sale barn, live cattle prices were not hit too hard. In fact, after paralleling cattle prices for this very same weekend at this very same auction in 2020-2022 some categories of cattle were actually bringing more than in previous years, despite the glut of inventory. For example a 500 lb steer brought $638/hd in 2020, $625/hd in 2021, and $700/hd in 2022. So there is an apparent increase in live cattle prices here in 2022.
But is this price increase really a price increase? The unfortunate answer is no. We have seen a whopping 14.5% (cumulative rate) inflation since 2020. If you adjust 2020’s prices for that 14.5% inflationthat steer would be $715.56 in 2022 dollars… meaning that adjusting for inflation those steers are bringing $15 less per head than in 2020.
“There are 11.85 million head of cattle on feed as of June 1, 2022. This is the highest on record for any June 1st since the series began in 1996 (since the “cattle on Feed” record keeping series began in 1996).”
Another disaster currently brewing is that breeding stock is being pulled from production and put on feed lots for the food supply chain. Feed lot numbers are at their highest since 1996, while Cattle inventories are at their lowest since 2016. In fact an article by Beef Magazine reports that a record number of heifer calfs (which are young female cows that would typically be put into breeding programs) are being put on feedlots for freezer camp instead of out to pasture for breeding.
In fact to quote beef magazine directly:
“…an increase in heifers in the feedlot mix means higher feedlot totals now but fewer replacements to produce calves later.” -beefmagazine.com
https://www.beefmagazine.com/beef/feedlot-inventories-another-monthly-record-high
What this means is that if the Lord does restore rain to our ranges, we will see a surge in live cattle prices in coming years. The natural resources necessary to support beef cattle at a lower cost will have ranchers increasing their herd size to increase the ranches revenue.
I believe in 2024, the buyers will be searching the market for the heifers that were (unfortunately) put on feedlots and into freezers back in 2022… as the laws of supply in demand dictate: if demand outweighs supply, prices will be better for the supplier.
Unfortunately, I don’t believe live cattle prices will go up enough to amend for the current rate of inflation… not to mention the increased input costs. Stocking rates required to make a conventional ranching operation profitable relies on pasture yields produced by fertilizer inputs and diesel machinery. Historically, chemical fertilizer costs have been relatively inexpensive compared to the yield increase. However, 2022 pricing makes the cost of fertilizer less justifiable… unfortunately most ranches have become dependent on higher yields to support the stocking rate necessary to turn a profit in ranching.
Despite the dismal outlook for the conventional market, I am fighting to keep a small amount of cattle in my diversified ranching operation for two reasons.
#1. In the book Quality Pasture, Allan Nation makes the statement that at the commodity level, beef and sheep as a diversified operations is economically a smart move. The sheep market tends to run in 5-7 year cycles, and the beef in 10 year cycles. A cycle refers to the time it takes for market prices to ascend from their low to reach a high, and vice versa. According to Allan Nation, these two species rarely hit their lows at the same time. In 2022, sheep may be hitting a peak, and cattle a valley. In the coming years the sheep market may soften a little while cattle strengthens a little. Running both species makes you less vulnerable to the highs and lows that each one experiences.
#2. Despite using my local sale barns to escape a drought-induced crunch: I believe that the real money in beef cattle lies solely in direct to consumer marketing: Selling beef small-scale, straight to consumers, straight off farm. And that is simply a model I want to continue to build out on my farm. It is slower going to develop a customer base for beef, but for me, as a small scale rancher, starting with 3 or 5 head the time I can spend time marketing and building a customer base: things like building my website, growing my newsletter, building a social media following, is way up here. If you are intimidated by the marketing I have outlining a 6-step marketing formula for selling products that I would love to send you if you click on the link below.
By the grace of God and with the help of a local rancher I was able to locate the round bales I need to overwinter what remains of my small beef herd. So long as I have the resources, I will be running a small amount of cattle alongside my sheep flock.
-the Shepherdess
