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Hops, wheat, and dry beans are popular commercial crops in that area. So are apples, grapes, and other cane berries. If it were me, I'd probably plant artichokes since they are a perennial crop that won't grow in plenty of other regions.

Start where you're already at if you can. Look at your land. What can you grow that others will want. Do you have a pond on your property? You could start with crawfish and frogs. I'm just brainstorming. I wouldn't go into major debt to get started. Work with what you have. What region...

What do you think gives you the most bang for your buck when it comes to improving pasture growth and usability? I try to use chemicals sparingly, but I'm not totally against them.

I'm very sorry to hear that. It must've been tough. Heck, I'm sure it's still tough. I wish I could wave a magic wand and fix it for you somehow. Camping in the woods together doesn't sound like such a letdown now.

What are you guys doing for Valentine's Day? Any plans in the works? I know some people don't celebrate it, but my wife and I usually go all out and take a trip. It's the perfect time of year to do so since it's before planting season. The pandemic has thrown a huge wrench in our plans this...

I've seen you guys mention it on here a time or two and I can't figure out how it works. I've heard of lasagna gardening and I'm assuming you're talking about the same thing. So, how do you get the seeds or transplants into the soil? Do you use a shovel and dig a hole for each one? That...

I don't have any employees, but I work in construction and we're required to get vaccinations like the tetanus shot. The COVID-19 vaccination is going to be required as well when it's readily available. I don't believe anyone has asked for an exemption.

This is pure speculation, but I bet it's difficult to source your first few animals since raising them isn't common around here. That could put some people off.

Yeah, that makes sense. It looks like it will make a decent trellis for climbing vegetables and such. If I build it high enough, it might even keep deer out.

I guess you could say that I play it safe every year. I grow what I know will thrive on my land when given half a chance. I see no reason to change that.

Have you ever tried to make a wattle fence? My wife likes the way they look and they seem easy enough to make, but I question whether it would actually hold anything in. Does it really work for small animals like chickens and rabbits?

This website has the best calendar for breeding swine that I've found. I use it all the time to get the timing right. I usually wait to breed them until the pasture has filled out and there's plenty of forage so I don't have to spend a ton on feed.

I have not had a good experience with the single-use livestock mats that are supposed to be compostable. They work fine as mats, but I'm questioning the compostable part because I cut mine down into small bits and it's still not breaking down. Have you tried those mats? Are they really...

When we bought the place, the barns were already in place and the floors are made of concrete. I have placed livestock mats and straw over that.

Emus and elk make my list. I think they're majestic creatures and I'd probably enjoy working with them. I've actually looked into it and there's not a viable market around here or I'd probably give it a shot.

A John Deere skid-steer loader is definitely out of my price range. Which machines are good middle of the pack vertical-lift skid-steer loaders? I'm leaning towards a Bobcat T300 due to its price and capabilities, but it almost seems too affordable which gives me pause. What do you think?

I've had not had any luck with my tomatillo plants over the past two years that I've tried growing them. Is this one of those vegetables that are best grown with nursery stock? I seem to wind up with lots of blossoms, but little fruit. Would I be better off trying a hybrid?

I don't know much about it, but my buddy has a pond and I know he's had some trouble with the water's temperature. Some fish like warm water and others like cool water. Apparently they're more likely to get sick or even die if the temperature is wrong. They're unlikely to spawn too. It's...

Some of the vertical designs are terribly inefficient. It's charming to think you can grow things in soda bottles and shipping pallets and stack them to the sky to save space, but it's not enough dirt to sustain the plant and you wind up having to water them twice a day during the summer. It...

I work in construction and I run my own farm. At work we've had problems with the skid-steers for the past few years. I don't know if it was the motor switch due to the emissions regulations or something else, but it seems like they're less reliable now. Then again, the skid-steer loader...