March weather is still a lion, meaning still fierce I guess we will skip the lamb part or gentile. 

The farm has been busy Bacon Barn # 1 is full now so I get to slack off a little. Time change sure messed with my head. We will suck it up and go on, however it would be nice for a warn stretch.

Farm size. doesn't mean a lot, as far as still being a family farm. remember it is said 98% of farms are family owned.

We can argue all day about size and all.But Seems a 1000 acres is a good amount for a person with some decent equipment to manage. 

I am not even going to talk income or revenue, lets just assume they are good enough manager to pay debt and have income to live on.

A person has children that want to join the operation you got to add acres or enterprises to produce more income.

We have a right to make a profit, we should never apologize for that. Never.

Now add 4 children then add 16 grandchildren. 

That's 21 partners not counting the spouses which may or may not be part of the operation. To potentially operate 21,000 acres supposing each has !,000 acres but working together still a family farm.

Granted this is an example that may not be duplicated a lot but I am sure it is a good example. 

Just another view on why size doesn't make it not a family farm.

Dynamics can vary this as well there may be a mix of family and non family employees also.

A family operation we work with has over 40 employees probably more by now.

Anyway I hope I have done my part to tell our story about size of farms.

This week is National Agriculture week also.

If you are reading this, I assume you care where you food comes from.

Thanks for being one of my 155 customers.

Neil

Bacon Farmer.

Family weekend.
Traveled to Michigan visited families in Northern Ohio and last stop my Children in college.
Saw an awesome play "Alice in Wonder".
Yeah it was different. yet well done,
My son amazes me each time I see him preform. I won't go into detail. He was great as King of hearts,
But His sister and him together were equally cool as Tweedledee  and Tweedledum, I see a resemblance between the play and real life shenanigans at home! They both played multiple characters.
My daughter had her first part since 6 th grad very good.
But her main job was to manage the building and operation of the set.
I hope I am accurate on this.You know Dad's
Anyway what does this have to do with food?
EVERYTHING!
The girl was asked how she got the squares to look so good, she said well I remember Dad having a chalk-line "a tool used to make straight line to build and cut materials.in construction."
Well Dad ain't no carpenter but on the farm we have to build things and fix stuff and kids play on the farm and it looks like they pay attention!
So Food and Farm is all about family so this weekend was a Family weekend.
That's  who grows your food . We are just like you big and small Farmers we do things together even though maybe sometimes not enough together time.
The interests of the next generation don't always follow the previous generation, but they gain a lot of knowledge growing up on the Farm.!
I am sure my son's and daughters  acting / teaching  careers will use some more skills I don't even know about yet.
Our best products we grow on our Farms are our Kids.

Next Time I will write about Family Farms and size.

Until Then Happy Family!
Neil
Bacon Farmer

March, "coming in like a lion" as they say; Is a statement about weather, meaning if it is mild it is like a lamb and a lion it is like fierce.If it comes in one way it will leave in the other manner. So we can look fwd to better endings! Another is " It will snow on the forsythia bush twice while it blooms" I can say I have seen it happen many times.

March is busy with new babies pigs arriving. Three times a week now.The snow had me up and clearing snow by 5am Monday so when Madonna brings the babies she can turn her trailer around and  back up to the barn. wet heavy snow drifts and soft driveways, man did I make a mess.

A lot of volunteering this month in Farm Bureau. calling and visiting people letting them know about Farm Bureau. We need to make sure members are happy and sell new members on why Farm Bureau is important to people who eat.

A new spokesperson training named EASE- Engage- Acknowledge- Share- Earn trust .

It is designed to help us have meaningful conversations about  Food and Agriculture. 

I try to do what I can because if we each do a little we can accomplish a better good for all. 

Anyway I feel it is important to open these conversions about food production and be authentic  representatives of food production. 

Such a disconnect today due to most people are many generations removed from a farm background..

Internet and Media can spread good news fast as well as bad. 

TRUTH can be hard to disseminate/ interpret.

So we all need to relate what we do and bring authenticity to the front.  

Not having  a college education I sometimes feel inadequate to convey a message. 

I am not apologizing just putting it our there doing my part.

I am often told people like me are authentic and believable.

I hope I can earn your trust.

I am one of those that live farming everyday it is part of me as I am of it.

Please trust me and others like me to produce food in the best way we know.

Neil 

Bacon Farmer

 

 

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