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Is there really a comparison between goats and cows? They're both pretty awesome. I might just really love agriculture but I'm always up for discussing the pros and cons of goats vs. cows. If you're considering adding one or both of these to your farm here are a few things to weigh. Goats Pros & Cons People love goats. They're friendly, humorous, and fun to be around. Just don't let them get bored. Pros: Easy to manage and train (depending on the goat) Don't need that much space, so they are a great choice for small-hold farms Meat, cheese ( chèvre !), hide, wool (depending on the species) Smaller and easier to transport Handling is relatively safe and easy Minimal upfront costs and investments Adaptable to various climates and environments They eat weeds (you can even rent them out for natural weed control) Cons: With any milk animal, you have to keep breeding them Less milk than cows and hardly any cream Goat milk and meat are not widely popular (in the US) You may need to purchase electric fencing...and keep a close eye on it, goats are notorious escape artists. Cows Pros & Cons There are many reasons why many people love owning cows. Some of the reasons are; saving money, exercise, health, and self-sufficiency. Also, some types of cows are more friendly and easier to keep than others. But having a cow isn't right for everyone so here are some things to look at when thinking about a cow. Pros: All the milk you can handle - and extra for friends, neighbors or other animals. Meat, cheese, cream, butter, yogurt, hide More manure - depending on how you look at this it could be a con as well They aren't picky about what they eat Cow milks and beef are common and popular (in the US) and can provide reliable revenue stream Cons: Need more space about 2-3 acres per cow. They eat more you may have to supplement hay Hard to transport Depending on where you live finding a bull might be challenging. Using artificial insemination might be a way around this but that requires training and equipment. A larger animal and can be harder to manage Upfront costs can make it difficult to get started You'll need a milking stand & the right cow personality/training to be milked Well, which one do you think wins? I believe it all comes down to personal preference. I just want a few of both! What are your thoughts? Which is your favorite? We'd love to hear from you. Want to learn more? Check out these great resources: Best Goat Breeds for Dairy, Meat, Fiber and Fun Top 15 Cattle Breeds for your Farm Getting Started with Goat Breeding How many cows can I keep per acre? Beginner's Guide to Buying Cattle The Beginner’s Guide to Keeping Livestock Records Need help keeping track of your Goat herd or Cattle herd ? Give Farmbrite a try for Free

Each winter brings a lot of challenges for you and your herd. So we've broken down the top 7 things that can help keep your herd safe and comfortable this season. 7 Tips for Keeping Winter Livestock 1.) Test Livestock Feed for Protein and Nutrients  The energy needs of your herd change during the winter. They grow a long coat, and store fat as well as their mothering needs. Making sure they have adequate feed, salt, and supplements is vital to their health this winter. It's a good idea to review feed labels or ask for a feed analysis to best understand the value of the feed. Different cows have different winter feed requirements based on their body condition score (BCS), overall health, and whether they are pregnant or nursing. This is called the Lowest Critical Temperature (LCT). For every 1% degree change below LCT a cow's energy requirement increases which requires more, higher quality feed or supplements. Learn more about cattle nutrition needs during winter . 2.) Livestock Bedding or Winter Grazing Rotation  If you're keeping your cattle confined this winter it's time to stock up on bedding but you can also do a daily pasture rotation. This gives them a new place to bed down each day away from the mud, manure, and ice. While proper livestock bedding and shelter are extremely important if you are keeping your animals in a single paddock or other location these practices are expensive and may be unnecessary. Using a well-planned and managed winter grazing program can provide all the bedding and shelter that your cattle need through winter. A daily winter pasture rotation can allow you to reduce your winter costs for bedding and shelter and can also result in healthier animals. Learn more about how to plan winter grazing rotations . 3.) Check Your Livestock Shelters If you're planning to keep your animals in one place during the winter as opposed to managing a winter grazing rotation plan, then adequate livestock shelters are critical. Staying dry is key to staying warm. Create shelters from the wind and cold. The more your herd shivers the more calories they burn. The more stress they feel the less they will thrive. Now is a great time to look into this in your pastures. 4.) Livestock Water Access  Your herd will need extra water for their winter coat to grow, the extra feed they're digesting, and healthy rumen activity. Learn more about additional livestock water needs during winter . Additionally, depending on the conditions and type of livestock, the animals may not want to leave their shelter to get a drink. So, you must make this easy for them during the winter. Be sure to have a livestock winter watering system that can provide adequate access to fresh water throughout the whole winter. 5.) Prepare Your Farm for Winter Winter brings a time of frozen buckets, broken supply lines, and cold, slippery, and wet conditions. Get your equipment and ranch prepared for what you will need before you need it. Here's a helpful guide to winterizing your farm . Also, prepare yourself for the cold. Make sure to have good winter and foul weather gear that will keep you warm and dry while out tending to your animals. 6.) Check Your Cattle's Body Condition Score It's critical to understand your animal's health as you move into the colder months. The animal's health will determine how much feed, supplement, water, and shelter you may need to provide to get them through the coldest months. A cow's body condition score has a direct effect on their nutritional requirements. For example, at 32°F, a cow with a BCS of 5 will require 30% more energy to maintain its BCS, compared to a cow with a BCS of 2. Body condition score provides a quick and easy way to evaluate your animals well being and physical condition. Make sure your herd goes into the winter with a healthy BCS. Look for optimal body scores of 5-6. Learn more about how to check body condition scores . 7.) Stock Up on Livestock Feed Feed requirements go up 10%-15% in the winter. Be prepared to feed your herd the nutrients to keep up their energy and keep them healthy this winter. If you're planning to provide hay through the winter, check out our guide for putting up hay for the winter . Winter can be a tough time for livestock. But, good preparation will make your winter a little easier this year and help your herd come out healthier and happier in spring.

On the Farmbrite blog, we talk a lot about how easy it is to collect farm and ranch data in Farmbrite. You can even use the Farmbrite mobile app to enter information – on your iPhone – from the field, even offline. But some typing is involved. Unfortunately, not all of us are as efficient at typing on our phones as our kids (or grandkids). If you’re not wild about typing, you can dictate info into Farmbrite using speech-to-text functionality that’s built into today’s computer and phone operating systems. It can save time compared to typing with your thumbs on a phone, and it turns out it can be really useful on your laptop or desktop computer, too. If you’re like me, you probably know this functionality is there, but just haven’t gotten around to using it in Farmbrite. Here are some tips to get you started. iPhone Wherever you’d like to type, whether you’re in the Farmbrite iPhone app or something else, click where you want the text to appear and a cursor appears there indicating it’s ready for me to enter something. Then, to begin dictation, click on the microphone icon. It appears to the left of the spacebar and I’ve circled it below. Now start talking. When you’re finished, click on the keyboard icon at the bottom of your screen: Again, you’ve likely done this before, but maybe not in Farmbrite. Sometimes we need a reminder to move computer or phone techniques from one application to another. Mac Computers While speaking into your phone really beats trying to type with your thumbs, it turns out that this dictation functionality can be pretty handy on your laptop or desktop computer, too. But since there isn’t a “microphone” key on your computer’s keyboard, discovering how to get it to work can take a few more steps. To use voice dictation on your Mac, click wherever you want to enter text within Farmbrite (as we did above). Then you can choose from two ways to begin dictation: Press the Fn (Function) key twice, or Click the Edit menu and select “Start Dictation.” Choose one, then begin speaking and your text will appear. When you’re done speaking, click “Done.” For more information, including how to control your Mac using your voice instead of a keyboard and trackpad, and how to work with different languages, check out this Apple support link . Windows Computers To start dictating on your Windows 10 computer or laptop, click where you want the text to appear. Next press the Windows logo key + H to open the dictation toolbar. To stop dictating at any time, say “Stop dictation.”’ If the dictation toolbar doesn’t appear, you may need to turn on online speech recognition here: Go to Start > Settings > Privacy > Speech You can learn more about using dictation in these Windows support articles: Use voice recognition in Windows 10 Use dictation to talk instead of typing on your PC The second article also provides a list of commands you can use with your computer to move around the page, enter punctuation and symbols, and switch languages. Have an older version of Windows? While I didn’t have a Windows 8 computer on hand to try it out myself, I did find this Windows video showing how to use speech recognition in Windows 8.1. Use in Farmbrite Farm Management Software Not sure where you might use this functionality in Farmbrite? You might dictate notes into your schedule and add tasks to be completed (or make notes about their completion). Specific information about your livestock or crops could be recorded, from changing cattle feed and grazing areas to what nutrients and treatments you’re using on a particular crop. Anything to do with money, from purchases and expenses to sales, can be quickly captured this way. You might dictate notes within your contacts or capture information regarding your machinery including needed repairs and maintenance. In short, any bit of ranch or farm information that might come in useful later can be entered by voice into Farmbrite. Closing Thoughts If you haven’t tried this before in Farmbrite, I encourage you to try it. When it’s easy to capture notes, you will capture more notes. And whether you use this information for your organic certification application – or something entirely different – it’s always better to have “too much” info and background than not enough. If you’re not currently using Farmbrite on your ranch or farm, you can explore it and do hands-free data entry at no charge. Try Farmbrite for free .

As you grow as a farm or ranch often you begin looking for new ways to market your products. If you’re already selling directly to consumers online, excellent: you’re helping yourself and your community. If you’re not offering farm sales online yet, or need help selling locally to consumers, this article can help. Whether you grow vegetables, fruits, berries, meat, milk shares, herbs, or cut flowers, selling directly to consumers online creates an easy-to-manage new sales channel that can help reach new customers and increase revenue and profits. Read on for tips on how to quickly get an eCommerce website up and running using Farmbrite, as well as some general suggestions that can help any farmer or rancher selling their products online. Your Farm Website Having a website is very helpful for many reasons. Most importantly it puts you on the virtual map, helping more customers find you. At the very least your farm website should indicate what products you offer and how to get in touch with you. Ideally, it would allow your customers to choose from your available products and pay you electronically. With a Farmbrite you can create a farm website in minutes. You don’t need to know anything about websites or coding. You simply type in what you want to say on your home page and specify common-sense things like your contact information. If you have photos or a logo to share, great, if not, that’s okay, too. Here’s what I made in less time than it takes for the kettle to boil: Take a closer look. There’s a “Products” link to show visitors what’s for sale. There are also links for “Pickup Locations” and “Contact Us.” You simply type this information into your Farmbrite account and it updates the appropriate areas on your site. Farmbrite saves you time by linking information to every place it’s useful, rather than requiring you to re-enter it each time. What to Sell Online What should you sell online? Of course “everything” seems like the right answer, and that may be true in time, but start small. Selling Community Supported Agriculture or CSA shares makes great sense. You might offer CSA-style produce boxes or “grab-and-go” bags. Maybe it’s half winter greens and half assorted root crops. You know what’s the best fit in your area and each season. Most importantly, simply let people know what you’re making available and how. This gives them the opportunity to shop locally, support your farm, and enjoy fresh healthy food. Offer Conviences with Farm Pickup Times and Locations If you make it convenient, you will bring more customers. Part of the equation is how to get the food to your customers. You can do this by offering delivery and having convenient pickup times and locations. Don’t offer delivery? That’s fine, too. You can simply specify pickup times and locations at checkout. You might also clarify when orders have to be placed before pickup. For example, something like, “Orders must be placed before midnight on Thursday to be ready for Saturday pickup.” You can refine this later as you learn what works well and what does not. Highlight your Growing Methods Your website is a great place to highlight the steps you take to offer a healthy shopping alternative. Are you certified organic , biodynamic, or something else? Let your customers know. Collecting Farm Payments Online One way to make things like online ordering and subscription boxes easy is to have folks prepay for pickup orders using a credit card on your farm e-commerce site. There are many ways to offer this service to your customers. Farmbrite offers many different options where you can securely accept credit card payments. Learn more about processing payments. Set up this way, Farmbrite will notify you each time a purchase has been made. You can manage all your orders and customers within Farmbrite, while charges are made through – and deposited into – your Stripe account. Want to try taking your farm sales online ? No problem; with Farmbrite’s free trial you can experiment all you wish. But that’s just part of what Farmbrite offers. You can also explore all the other farm and livestock management features of the Professional plan for free for 14 days. Already had your free trial, or need a little more time? No problem; just let us know and we’ll set you up. Want to do More With an Online Farm Store? Having an online farm store enables you to create an online marketplace, find new customers, keep track of the orders you receive, and overall turn your passion for farming into profit. There are many e-commerce, CRM, inventory, and logistics solutions on the market today, and Farmbrite is just one. If you'd like to try a different online store, here is a link to an exclusive offer at LocalLIne. We hope you find success with your online store and selling your farm fresh offerings. Happy farming! Additional Resources A Guide to Selling Online Farm Marketing: How to Sell More Online – Farmbrite Blog Your Shop Overview – Farmbrite Help Article

With aquaponics you can simultaneously raise fish and grow plants, year round, in any climate. It’s sustainable, uses less water than conventional plant and fish production, and can produce high yields. Plus it requires no weeding. Could aquaponics be a good addition to your farm? Here are some considerations and resources to help you make that decision. What is Aquaponics? According to the National Agricultural Library , Aquaponics is: The science of aquaculture includes both the cultivation of underwater plants, and the breeding, rearing and harvesting of underwater fish, shellfish and other living organisms. The practice of aquaculture can both fulfill future food needs and sustain natural resources. Aquaponics is a combination of fish and plant production and hydroponics (growing plants without soil). Aquaponics vs. Aquaculture It’s easy to confuse the two A-words, so let’s cover some terminology. Growing plants without soil is called hydroponics. Raising fish in an artificial environment is called aquaculture. Aquaponics is the integration of the two. Hydroponic plant growers require nutrient-rich water. Aquaculture fish producers need to dispose of nutrient-rich water. Combining these systems is a brilliant and efficient idea. So much so that nature has used it ever since the first fish. Or the first fish egg. How Aquaponics Works In addition to plants and fish, the third required component of aquaponics is bacteria. The primary input in aquaponics is fish food. Fish eat the food and then produce urine (containing ammonia, which in quantity is toxic to fish and plants) and fecal matter. Heterotrophic bacteria consume fecal matter, excess food, and decaying plants to produce more ammonia as well as other compounds. In addition, bacteria convert ammonia to nitrite (NO2), and then to nitrate (NO3), which plants consume. Bacteria will naturally attach to the tank and its contents when ammonia and nitrite appear. Simplified, it looks like this: You feed the fish The fish make waste Bacteria convert the waste into nutrients Plants use the nutrients to grow (plus they filter the water) Sounds easy, right? Well, part of the trick is making the right fish/plant choices. It is essential that you select a combination that shares similar requirements in terms of temperature, pH levels, and other factors. Best Fish for Aquaponics Fish frequently chosen for aquaponic systems include: Bass, Bluegill/sunfish/crappie Catfish Goldfish/koi/carp Pacu Salmon Perch Tilapia Trout Among your first considerations when choosing fish are water temperature, pH range, and water quality requirements that are in line with your intended plants. Fish heartiness is another big factor. Trout are great-tasting and do well in colder water, but they require more careful monitoring and control of pH and dissolved oxygen levels. Salmon are similarly tricky as they are less disease-resistant than other species. Breeding habits and speed of growth are important considerations, too. However, keep in mind that faster isn’t always better, especially if you have a small tank. What fish are available – and legal – in your area will also be a factor. Eating is a big consideration, both for people and fish. This includes what food your fish will eat, whether your fish will eat each other, and whether or not anyone will want to eat the fish. Ornamental fish are popular in aquaponic systems, but some, like goldfish, cannot be eaten. There are many resources for choosing fish, including online comparison charts from howtoaquaponic.com and gogreenaquaponics.com . Tilapia are near the top of these and many other lists, as they are a hearty, great-tasting species that reproduce quickly and don’t eat other fish. They do require warmer water, however, and this can increase costs in colder climates. Bluegill is similarly tasty and hearty and can tolerate colder water. What’s more, throughout North America bluegill are easily caught and can be transferred to an aquaponic system. They can be cannibalistic, however, when breeding. Plants for Aquaponics While nearly any plant can be grown aquaponically, the best results occur when plants are chosen in tandem with fish to ensure they both thrive in the same environment. To compare plant options, both fish resources listed above also have plant sections, as does aquaponics.com . All three resources cite leafy lettuces as among the most robust and marketable plant choices. In addition to lettuces, kale, Swiss chard, and watercress also thrive readily. Other popular choices that may be better suited to more established systems include cauliflower, cucumbers, peppers, strawberries, and tomatoes. Keep in mind that many non-edible plant options, including ornamental flowers, are also frequently chosen for aquaponics. Looking for a recommendation of a proven approach? Lettuce and tilapia are a very popular combination for both home and commercial aquaponic systems. Fish Food for Aquaponics System Many of the same factors you use to choose food for other livestock (or for your family) apply to fish as well. Will you choose organic? Will you select only non-GMO options? Will you try to avoid fish meal in the name of sustainability, even if others report that their tilapia grows best on fish meal diets? Beyond these preferences, the fish you choose will play a role in the food you select. You can select species that are carnivores, detritivores, herbivores, or omnivores. Fish that require high protein diets will be more expensive to feed. Choosing carnivorous fish can be costly when they eat each other. As you might expect, omnivorous fish are easy to feed. Accordingly, you should consider food choices when selecting fish. In addition, it’s important to note that cheap food can negatively impact water quality and increase filtration needs by producing additional waste. Three Kinds of Aquaponic Systems Another point to consider when choosing plants is compatibility between each plant and the type of aquaponic system you’ll use. There are three main types; media bed, nutrient film technique, and raft. Media Bed In a media-based system, plants are grown in a media like gravel or clay pebbles, which help to filter waste. Also known as “flood and drain” systems, they are the most commonly used aquaponic system, and are compatible with both small plants and larger fruiting varieties. While they are easy and inexpensive to set up, media systems are difficult to scale into commercial use. Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) Nope, it's not the hyped up NFT ( Non-fungible token) that all the kids are talking about. In a NFT system, plants are grown in a long channel in which water flows continuously in a very thin film. Once water reaches the end of the channel it is redirected to the fish tank. Because these channels can be stacked, this type of system can be easily accessed and can make very efficient use of vertical space. NFT systems work best with greens that have smaller root systems. Raft or Deep Water Culture (DWC) In a raft or DWC system, plants are grown on (polystyrene or foam boards) that float on the water. Raft systems require much more water, which in turn makes them more stable: large fluctuations in nutrients and temperature are less likely. For this reason they are common in commercial usage, despite having increased filtration demands. Raft systems are ideally suited for smaller leafy plants like lettuce. A more detailed comparison of all three systems can be seen at ecolifeconservation.org . What Equipment Is Necessary for Aquaponics System ? First, you need someplace to put everything. Allen Pattillo and the University of Iowa created an informative series of videos on aquaponics. In “ Everything You Need to Know About Aquaponics ,” Allen indicates that the decision of what kind of building works best for aquaponics depends on whether it is easier for you to produce light or heat. If light is more costly where you live, you may choose to grow in a greenhouse. This is also a great option if you already have a greenhouse. On the other hand, if it’s cheaper for you to produce light, then growing in a warehouse with artificial light might be the best choice for you. If you choose to grow in a warehouse, you will need to shop for lights. If so, advancements in LED technology are continually bringing more efficient options to market. In addition to a structure and light, the required equipment includes fish tanks, filters, and pumps. Aquaponics Fish Tanks Fish tanks are available in a variety of shapes and sizes and in a wide range of prices. In terms of shape, round tanks offer better circulation than square or rectangular options. Tanks that result in more water surface area will produce more oxygen; short and wide being preferred over tall and narrow. Keep in mind that larger tanks not only facilitate growing larger fish (and support species that require more space), but also reduce fluctuations in temperature and pH levels, producing a more stable environment. Make certain that your tanks, or whatever they are lined in, are food-safe. Both metal and plastic can introduce toxins into your system, so this is an important point. Solid Waste Filters In addition to bacteria naturally transferring ammonia into nitrate, you will also have to actively deal with solid wastes. There are three kinds of solid wastes in an aquaponic system: settable, suspended, and floating solids. As the name suggests, settable solids settle to the bottom, where they can be collected by a swirl filter, radial flow filter, or a clarifier. Suspended solids are more difficult to collect and are more prevalent in DWC and NFT systems. Common solutions include bird netting, and screen or drum filtration. Floating solids need to be broken down, likely turning into suspended solids. This may be accomplished using the return line of your pump. Additional information on various solid waste filters can be found at howtoaquaponic.com . Water Pumps for Aquaponics System The water in your tank needs to be recirculated between 1 and 3 times every hour. The capacity of your tank is a primary factor in choosing an appropriate pump. Also important is how much elevation difference there is between your pump and where the water needs to go. Consider these three pump types for your a quaponics system : Submerged pumps are cheap and easy to install, but can create unwanted heat and are less efficient, especially problematic in larger tanks. An inline pump is more labor-intensive to install and is noisier. Airlift pumps use compressed air to move water. They are typically not submerged and tend to not be as efficient in larger tanks. Another factor is efficiency. Buying a more expensive pump that requires less electricity to run may pay for itself quickly. It’s important to remember that electricity, both for pumps and growing lights (when applicable), makes up a significant part of your operating cost. Finally, don’t confuse water pumps, or airlift pumps, with an air pump. An air pump is another vital item on your list: this is how you manage dissolved oxygen in your system. Closing Thoughts Continuously producing healthy plants – and fish – all year round in any climate is a pretty exciting thought, particularly to those of us in the colder latitudes. Like so many endeavors, adventures in aquaponics are highly scalable, so you may choose to simply start small to see if aquaponics might be a good fit for you. I hope this post inspires you to learn more. Think Aquaponics could be a good fit for your farm business? Check out this great video series from Fisheries and Aquaculture Extension Specialist D. Allen Pattillo that walks through everything you need to know about getting started with aquaponics . Resources Aquaponics – National Agricultural Library, U.S. Department of Agriculture Best Aquaponic Fish Tanks – greenandvibrant.com Go Green Aquaponics Blog – gogreenaquaponics.com Seven Rules-of-thumb to Follow in Aquaponics – The Food and Agriculture Organization UKNOW: Aquaponics" Video Series – Iowa State University Extension What is Aquaponics? – howtoaquaponic.com Aquaponics photo in the BGSU Biology Greenhouse by Mbrickn, Wikimedia Commons FarmBrite’s livestock management features work great with fish – or whatever you’re raising. Try them for free .

So you want to hire a few people for your farm. Finding the right person for the job is hard for any business but it is especially hard to find good help on the farm. Farm workers need to be very reliable workers and loyal (and stick around for the whole season) and don't mind manual labor and dirt. Some other things that you might want in your farm laborers are a can-do attitude where they are not afraid to try new things and a logical way of thinking so they can figure things out on their own. Do you have a few more you'd like to add to the list? Write them all down so that you can communicate them to your team who might be interviewing. Hiring for your farm doesn't have to be a chore. Here are a few tips to help you find the best farm workers and field hands.    Provide Farm Worker Candidates With Clear Expectations Give the low-down on the job and your expectations. If you're able to communicate what they need to accomplish and what is expected you can find out a few important things. Do they have the skills you need? Are they the right person for the job? Are they going to be happy working for you? Are they going to stay? (so you don't have to repeat this process as often.) Develop a farm worker hiring plan Before you start talking to any candidates, it's always a good idea to develop a hiring plan that outlines the number of workers you need, when you need them, how long you'll need them, and the key skills they are required to have. Preparing for farm worker interview: Define the job: Make a list of qualifications needed and tasks that you need to be done, as well as any physical labor requirements. Review your financial plan and budget for the season and settle on hourly rates. Define your hiring plan and schedule and determine how much lead time you need to find the right workers. Make sure you have all your company legal documents up to date and you are able to hire someone. Will they be a contractor? A W-4 or W-2 employee? - Know the laws and requirements for different worker types and how they might affect you. Do you plan to sponsor H2A visas for seasonal or temporary workers? Are these volunteer / WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) opportunities? Create an employment application that they fill out during the interview. Have a follow-up plan and timeline for hiring. What does the interview process look like? Who are they meeting with? Develop and document a training plan that covers farm operations, day-to-day responsibilities for the role, and any key safety and compliance requirements. Promoting Your Farm Work Positions In order to find the workers you need it's important to promote the positions you're looking to fill. Depending on where your farm is located and the types of roles you need to fill there are various resources online to help with promoting and souring season farm workers. These range from online classifieds like Craigslist to job boards, like Indeed or farm job boards to using new online tools for gig workers and WWOOFing specific sites. Do your research for your region and talk to other local farmers to see what's worked best for them. Interviewing and Testing for Motivation It's important that you find the person who is best suited for this job. That might not be a close friend or even a friend of a friend. Lots of people will tell you whatever you want to hear to get the job but you should make sure that they are motivated to work in this type of job and have the qualifications.  Farmworker Interview Questions Of course, you want to talk about the job and a potential farm employee is qualified for the job but there is a lot more that you can find out and save yourself many hassles down the road. Go over the application with them and ask questions about past jobs, time off, and other things that are listed. Have you ever done this type of work before? Go over the jobs they cited on their resume. Ask questions and get them talking about the job, what they liked, what they didn't, and why they left. What skills and experiences set you apart from other applicants? What was the hardest day you've had working on a farm before? How did you handle it? What did you learn? Are they familiar with (and have experience using) the required equipment? Have they worked with similar crops and/or livestock? Do they know their way around common farm tasks? What was one of your favorite jobs doing farm work? What are your expectations of this job? Expand and talk about the things that they talk about and anything that comes up that concerns you. What are your expectations of your boss/co-workers/anyone else they will be working with? Do you have a reliable vehicle to get to work?  How long are you looking to hold this job? (Talk about seasonal work if needed) How have you succeeded at your job in the past? And when have you failed (and how did you handle it?) It's also good to note what questions you are not allowed to ask. Things like age and race are off-limits. Here is a helpful list of interview questions that are off-limits to ask.  Provide A Follow-up Plan and Next Steps It's a good plan to know when you're going to follow up with candidates (and how) before you start interviewing. When will you be getting back to applicants? What can they expect?  What is the process? When do you need to them start? Do you have a good contact number for them? If someone nailed the interview and meets all your key requirements, there's no reason to wait to make them an offer. It's better to hire a great worker on the spot than potentially losing them to someone else. Be prepared for your new team There are many resources out there that give information on hiring and firing. Here is a link to a guide that covers farm hiring from A to Z and tackles many of the hard parts of hiring/firing.  The guide covers: Recruitment Farmworker hiring Farmworker onboarding and training Mentoring Farm operations Worker retention Termination. Finally, be part of the team.  Sure, you're the boss but it shows a lot if you work alongside your employees at times. You could also plan an employee fun time (when there's time) to bond as a team and show your employees that you care. ​ Best of luck with hiring for the coming growing season!

Health issues are foremost in ou r minds today. When discussing food safety, one topic that comes up frequently is traceability. This refers to the ability to track produce through all steps of the supply, production, and distribution process; from seed lots to dinner tables. Admittedly, this can sound like quite a bit of paperwork. Today we’ll walk through the basics of a traceability process and see that it's easy to incorporate into your farm operation. Benefits of Traceability Without accurate record keeping, claims that produce is local or organic or otherwise are just that; claims. Traceability means you can provide customers with evidence that supports and documents these claims. This evidence can also open doors to new markets. Traceability can increase customer confidence and enhance your brand’s reputation. Improved inventory accuracy – brought about by traceability efforts – can also reduce spoilage and shrinkage. However, the primary benefits of traceability become apparent when a food-borne illness (or other type of concern) occurs. Accurate record-keeping can help facilitate efficient (and less costly) recalls, minimize the impact of contaminated produce, and settle complaints and questions. Good records can also facilitate getting back in business sooner after a recall – particularly when you can demonstrate that your lots were not part of the recall. Internal and External Traceability To implement traceability, farmers need to track both internally and externally. Internally refers to where and how produce is grown on the farm. This includes information like the crop name and variety, the specific block or field, treatments, harvest dates, harvest crew, and more. External traceability requires tracking both one step back (your suppliers) and one step forward (your buyers). Tracking suppliers means recording things like lot numbers from seeds and all other inputs. Tracking buyers can be done through your invoicing. If you sell directly to consumers, tracking may take the form of maintaining a customer mailing list. Using Lot Codes for Traceability Traceability is accomplished by using unique codes associated with individual lots of produce. While the code can be any combination of numbers, letters, and colors, codes can be created in such a way that you can ascertain certain facts at a glance. These could include the crop and variety name, field or block, and harvest and packing dates. Using Julian dates (numbering 1 to 365) rather than months and days can save space and make details less obvious to casual observers. Your lot code could also include information about your spray records, soil amendment applications, harvest and packing crews, packinghouse details, and more. This article from the Virginia Cooperative Extension discusses one lot code approach in detail. These codes need to be associated with each lot, often by use of stickers or stamps. Farmbrite makes it easy to print out QR codes that can link to all of this information and can be accessed anywhere using a smartphone. Printing these codes to adhesive-backed paper makes it easy to post this information on containers and in the field. Again, no matter what code you use, each lot must have a unique code, and every container leaving your farm should bear that code . What Is a Lot? A lot is simply a specific portion of a crop. You get to decide what this means on your farm. A lot might be the entire crop harvested from the same field on the same day. On bigger farms, that might represent several lots. While smaller lots necessitate more record-keeping, there are related benefits. Should a recall occur, smaller lots can increase efficiency and reduce the likelihood that impacted produce gets distributed to multiple buyers. Accordingly, smaller lots can result in less produce being recalled. Other Ways Farmbrite Can Help with Traceability While traceability measures can be started using a notebook, a pen, and some masking tape, technology can help. When you add a new crop in Farmbrite, you’re asked to enter information specific to your farm, like the field and bed number. You’re also asked for data specific to your inputs, like the seed company, origin, and lot number. Entered once, this information is then linked throughout Farmbrite whenever you need it. You can enter a trace number or simply have one automatically generated. Either way, it’s automatically linked to your inventory. Similarly, at harvest time, you enter in the data you need to record – once. This includes information like how much you harvested and when. This can even be done via the Farmbrite mobile app . Mock Recall The way to test your traceability system is to conduct a mock recall. To do so, you identify one or more lot numbers, and then contact the associated buyer(s). You might select a lot you know you sold to a buyer with whom you have a long relationship, or you might select the lot at random. Either way, let the buyer know you’re conducting a mock recall, ask how much of the lot they have sold and how much they have left, and then document their response. Time is of the essence. A typical recall needs to be completed within 2-4 hours because, in a real recall, you’d want to reach buyers before the food is consumed. If you sell directly to consumers, reach out to them by phone if possible. Again, explain you’re conducting a mock recall to ensure their safety, and indicate that you will follow up with an email. In the email, ask them how much they’ve consumed. You will want to keep their email reply in your records. In all cases, be clear that the product identified in the mock recall CAN be distributed and consumed, and that you are simply taking these steps to ensure food safety. If you run into any hurdles in your mock recall, consider the test a success, as it has identified areas in which you can improve your traceability and recall processes. Final Thoughts Clearly, implementing accurate traceability can have significant benefits in the event of a foodborne illness. However, it also has benefits on non-emergency days. Traceability can provide your buyers and customers with more reasons to purchase from you. Farmbrite can not only save the time it takes to track the information necessary for traceability , but it also offers easy accessibility to this info. Try Farmbrite for free . Additional Resources Farm Food Safety Plans & Traceability – University Massachusetts Amherst How and Why to Conduct a Mock Recall – Carolina Farm Stewardship Association National Good Agricultural Practices Program – Cornell University

If you’ve gotten your farm or ranch organically certified, you know that a lot of detailed record keeping is required. To ensure success, you need to be diligent about tracking, gathering, and storing data. Equally important, you need to be able to efficiently access years of archived information. With Farmbrite, you can track, store, and access the data you need for certification – and recertification – all in one place. You can even update and access this data from the field using your smartphone. Whether you’re collecting data for your first organic certification application, or have years of experience, Farmbrite can help. To learn how, let’s look at some Farmbrite features and explore how they can benefit specific aspects of the certification process. If you haven't already read it, check out our 6 step guide to becoming organic certified . Farm mapping for organic certifications In this USDA-provided Organic System Plan template , the first information requested after filling in your “State” and “County” is a map. Mapping your farm is easy in Farmbrite. To ensure accuracy, Google maps are built in. Farmbrite helps you identify the borders of your farm or ranch and color code items like property boundaries, fields, beds, buildings as well as animal and growing enclosures. Once you’ve marked these areas, you can print your customized map or save it as PDF to share – or to edit further in other applications. Reports for Organic Farms In the certification application process you need to provide information about what you’re doing today, AND detail what’s taken place on your farm in the past. How quickly and easily can you access production practice information and management history for the last 3 years? Not everyone can immediately recall all the details from memory; some of us struggle simply to find where we saved specific files in the file cabinet or on the hard drive. It’s a lot easier if all the information is in one place. Farmbrite stores historical data – and so much more – and lets you access it in a variety of reports. In addition to general accounting reports, which provide visibility into things like “Profit & Loss” and “Spending by Category,” other reports are livestock- or crop-specific. Check out the dozens of pre-built standard farm reports that are included with Farmbrite, including some that provide a break down of all your cropping activities to assist with and streamline your certification or audit process. Crop Traceability As a grower, every aspect of your internal and external farm traceability information can be stored in Farmbrite. This includes seed-to-harvest records; lot numbers, batch numbers, trace numbers, grade, and more. You can track soil treatments and amendments as well as pest and disease treatments with detailed notes and images. Once this information is stored, it can be easily accessed at any time through Farmbrite’s standard farm reports or can be included in any custom report you create. Livestock Reporting Livestock operations are also fully supported, but through their own unique set of standard reports. From feed and nutrition records to grazing rotation practices, Farmbrite simplifies recording and organizing the vital details of any livestock business and provides dozens of pre-built farming reports to help you understand the key aspects of your cattle, sheep, goat, chicken or other livestock business as well as to simplify data gathering and organic certification reporting. Custom Farm Reports We’re not know-it-alls and we recognize that every agricultural operation has unique needs and data requirements. We don’t think we know everything about your business. And while Farmbrite is uniquely responsive to customer suggestions of what to add next, we also left the keys out for you. With custom reports, you can create your own report to look at different aspects of your farm data and help answer any questions you might have. We believe this kind of flexibility is essential, as no one knows your business like you do. Creating a new, customized report is easy and flexible and allows you to choose what data to include, how to organize and summarize your data and even include charts and graph. Learn more about building custom farm reports in Farmbrite. Sharing your Farm Data Throughout Farmbrite and in all reports you can easily print or download your data. Data can be exported and used in Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets or any spreadsheet program. It can also be used to import your farm data into other applications you might use, like Quickbooks. Learn more about downloading your farm data from Farmbrite. This means you can easily copy all the data you captured in Farmbrite into other documents (including forms and applications) as necessary. You can also import this data into nearly any software, so you’re never constrained or locked into any one workflow or process. Beyond Reports In addition to maps and reports, many other areas of Farmbrite can also facilitate the kind of record keeping required for organic certification (and recertification). For example: Farmbrite’s farm schedule, calendar, and task list all capture day-to-day actions that are crucial parts of the production practices you need to track. Everything you record under “ Equipment ” – from how long you’ve had a piece of machinery, to where it’s been used, and how it was cleaned – can be pertinent. Farm Inventory and farm input usage and details The QR codes Farmbrite associates with your fields, crops, equipment and animals can help you track pertinent information, both in the field and the office. And more... Additional Benefits Farm Data - Easy In, Easy Out Farmbrite makes it easy to capture and report on all you farm activities, even when you're offline . Tip: Don’t like to type ? You can enter data in Farmbrite using speech-to-text functionality that’s built into today’s computer and smartphone operating systems. Once you enter data in Farmbrite, it’s at-hand whenever you’re near a computer or your smartphone. Whether you need to simply refresh your memory, copy and paste some text, or export some reports, the information you need is just a few clicks away. Farmbrite also reduces the need to reenter information you’ve already entered once, increasing efficiency and minimizing the frustration of double entry. What if Requirements Change? We're here to help and grow with you. We know that requirements for any kind of certification can change over time and that sometimes it seems like you’re dealing with moving targets. Not to worry, Farmbrite is adaptable, flexible and customizable for your operation. In addition to offering open-ended features like customized reports, Farmbrite itself is improving all the time, and we always welcome your input. Have a great idea or need help, contact us anytime . Wherever you are in the organic certification process, thank you for your good work. If we can help. Just let us know. Not sure if Farmbrite will work for your farm or have additional questions? Check out our extensive help documentation or join us for a free demo or training , we'd love to help you with your farming goals. Not using Farmbrite yet? Try it for free today and see how it can streamline your organic certification or recertification process.

Different climates help different plants grow, and as highlighted in our previous article  ‘7 Interesting Facts About Agriculture’ , certain plants require cold weather to flower. Here are some other plants to think of growing on your farm that thrive in temperate climates: Blueberries Packed with flavonoids and antioxidants, blueberries are said to lower the risk of heart disease and cancer. As Michaela Logue explains in a  LinkedIn  post, they're an excellent source of fiber and micronutrients, and they are also free of unsaturated fat. Blueberries thrive in acidic soil. It’s also a good practice to expose your blueberries to full sunlight if you live near the coast, or in partial shade if you live in hotter inland areas. Keep the plants moist (but not soaked) and fertilized during the growing season. Growing Garlic Before becoming one of the most common root vegetables in kitchens, garlic used to be prescribed as a medicine across many major civilizations.  Garlic is easy to grow and all you have to do is to plant the right varieties at the right time in the right soil. For instance, soft-neck garlic is better adapted to warmer climates. Rice Regardless of variety, rice is a staple food for many countries, especially those in Asia. Rice has a variety of applications – from Mexican stir-fries to sushi rolls and everything in between. Rice is so versatile that, last year, Americans consumed around 4.29 metric tons of rice. Planting rice is easy, but the challenging part is growing it through harvest because you’ll need 40 continuous days of warm temperatures. Aside from a hot and sunny condition, rice also requires tons of water so this plant is ideal for farmers near lakes and ponds. Rice is an adaptable plant that can be grown in a wide range of climates. Here is an example of a farm in Vermont where they are growing rice commercially. Tomato Known as the major dietary source of the antioxidant lycopene, tomatoes can improve heart health, skin, and vision and help in the management of diabetes.  The Spruce ’s article highlighted that when growing tomatoes, you should deeply bury the stems along with the roots and avoid overcrowding the seedlings. Tomatoes are plants that love the heat and they won’t start growing unless both the soil and air temperatures are warm. That being said, remember to preheat your soil by covering the planting area with black or red plastic for a couple of weeks and expose the plant to strong, direct sunlight for long hours every day. Spinach As reported in  BBC Good Food ’s article, spinach is an excellent source of vitamins K, A, C, and folate. It’s also rich in manganese, magnesium, iron, and vitamin B2. All these nutrients help make spinach effective in fighting oxidative stress, preventing cancer, improving eye health, and moderating blood pressure. Spinach is fairly easy to grow: just remember to plant the seeds an inch apart and bury them ½ inch into the soil. Make sure to keep the soil moist and adjust the spaces between the seeds to three to five inches when they’ve finally germinated. Here is an article that provides great information about spinach varieties. Artichoke Native to the Mediterranean climate, artichokes are loaded with nutrients that help lower ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol and increase ‘good’ HDL cholesterol.  Women Health’s Mag 's article explained that this perennial plant can help strengthen your gut, boost your immune system, and ease the symptoms of IBS. Artichokes like nitrogen-rich soil. They are also large and thus should be spaced at least four feet apart. To prevent artichoke roots from rotting, your soil must have good drainage but at the same time be able to retain water long enough to allow the roots to take it in during hot summers. Onion Aside from being a common root vegetable used to flavor and give a mouth-watering aroma to food, onions are loaded with antioxidants, nutrients, and cancer-fighting compounds such as vitamin A, which is a sulfur-containing compound that has been shown to decrease tumor development and slow the spread of ovarian and lung cancer in test-tube studies. As explained in  Good Housekeeping ’s guide to growing onions, this wonderful crop can be grown from transplants, sets or seeds. Onions grow best if you keep them weeded but remember to use a sharp hoe to cut off intruders instead of pulling or digging up weeds, as doing so could damage the onion’s shallow roots. With so many powerhouse plant options available to grow in many different climates it opens up many options for growing them commercially. I hope this has given you some new ideas to explore and some of their benefits as you plan your growing season. Written for Farmbrite by Jennifer Birch See how Farmbrite can help grow your superfoods!

Why Raise Crickets? Simple, Protein Did you know that crickets contain 2 - 3 times more complete protein than a beef steak of the same weight? Crickets also provide more iron, vitamins, and fiber. Cricket protein is considered a “complete protein”. That's because it contains all 9 essential amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, valine, methionine, tryptophan, threonine, lysine, histidine, and phenylalanine). These amino acids are essential and can only be delivered through your diet. Cricket and Insect Based Foods Cricket granola, cricket ice cream, silkworm chips, and mealworm burgers​ are things that we never thought we would be eating let alone thinking of these things being gourmet and highly sought-after items. Humans have been using insects for protein for a very long time. It may have been a matter of survival before but maybe it still is, but as we look for more sustainable sources of protein insects are getting high marks. It turns out farming insects is a lucrative business model as well. For any sized farm, this might be a great investment to look into. But, it's bugs. To that I say... ​ One person will turn up their nose to what you find to be your favorite meal. The perfectly cooked steak could be deemed by some to be disgusting and so it really depends on who is cooking the meal and who is eating the food. Or possibly it all comes down to marketing.  Eating Insects Grasshoppers, termites, hornets, ants, crickets, weevil grubs, and mealworms, all of these are prized in other countries for their taste. Ants are small but powerful and are actually among the highest sources of protein in the world. One type of leaf-cutter ant from South America has been described as having a bacon-like taste. I think we are only limited by our imaginations in coming up with delicious ways to make insects more palatable and delicious. Insects For Animal Feed We already package up mealworms for our chickens but what about our other omnivorous livestock? Still can't get over the fact that it's a bug? Bugs Are Nutritious and Delicious Too. There is a cookbook, "On Eating Insects" by Josh Evans that describes the taste of Danish forest ants like this, "Like lemon rinds seared on the grill, with a hint of brown sugar." I don't know about you, but to me, that sounds delicious and something I'd like to try. It's estimated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United States that 2 billion people eat bugs. That's not a bad percentage of people to market to. Athletes, health enthusiasts, and environmentally conscious individuals are always looking for environmentally friendly sources of lean protein, essential amino acids, and omega-3 fatty acids. For some people,e the thing they can't get around is that it's an insect. Maybe they should be marketed more like shrimp, clams, or other crustaceans; the insects under the sea. Just reverse it and call them, the lobsters of the land. Is Cricket Farming Profitable? It takes way less to raise these little guys than other animals or protein sources. In North America, it's also considered a gourmet item and is imported from other countries that have been perfecting their insect recipes for hundreds of years. In Seattle, at Safeco Field, they serve crunchy Chapulines otherwise known as Grasshoppers.  According to the research firm Global Market Insights, The American market for edible insects exceeded $55 million in 2017 and is projected to increase more than 43 percent by 2024.  Using Less and Getting More Insects need 6 times less feed than cattle, 4 times less than sheep, and 2 times less than pigs to produce the same amount of protein. A lot of global land use is for cattle today. They also need less space and produce less waste. For that reason, you can get into this business with very little overhead.  They're not going away. Bugs have been on the planet for 400 million years (way before us), represent 80% of the species on the planet, and outnumber us, by...a lot. There are 2,100 known types of edible insects, so it might be time to look into this as a viable business model for your farm.  Here's one farm that's leading the way into this market but there is plenty of room for others there as well. Any takers?

All the doom and gloom reporting on farming is disheartening. An increasing population, hunger, food waste, crop failures, and farmers getting out of farming. Feeding 9(+) billion people in the coming years seems like a daunting task but from the farmers I know and meet through Farmbrite, I believe we're up to the task.  Instead of getting discouraged by these numbers, we should work to be better producers, growers, ranchers, and farmers. We have 30 harvests before 2050 and we need to get smarter about our farming practices. My grandfather repeated the old adage to me many times, "work smarter." He was a successful, hardworking businessman and farmer. If we value this kind of thinking we can succeed in any business, farming not excluded.  ​In an effort to feed this growing world population, small farms get overlooked because they are not producing as much and don't make as much. I think they are an undervalued player in our food resources. These farms feed themselves, their employees, as well as producing for others. The unreported amount of food doesn't get calculated in the amount produced and their hard work is often discounted. On the other hand, large farms are the powerhouses of farming. They are organized, mechanized, and have coherent processes helping them run a streamlined agricultural business. Those streamlined processes sometimes come at a high cost to natural resources.  Let's not let this get personal. Why does it have to be one or the other is better? To bring about change we have to take the emotion out of it and work together. Here are some interesting statistics about both large and small-scale farming. Global farm statistics One acre of land can grow a variety of crops, including 50,000 pounds of strawberries or 2,784 pounds (46.4 bushels) of wheat depending on the climate. (We can grow a lot of food on a small amount of land.) The amount of feed (grain, forage, etc.) a dairy cow needs to eat to produce 100 pounds of milk has decreased by more than 40% on average in the last 40 years. (We're getting more efficient.) A staggering 40% of all food grown in the U.S. is never eaten. (We could be much more efficient and reduce waste.) The USDA counted 2.1 million farms in the 2012 census, more than half of which reported farm commodity sales of less than $10,000. (Small farms are out there working hard and could use some help.) In 2017 according to the USDA, there were over 321,000 young farmers (under the age of 35) in the U.S. up from 2012, when there were 208,000. (More people are interested in getting into agriculture.) The average farm in China and India is about 3 acres. (Small farms can be efficient and feed many people.)  Large farms in the EU produce 71% of their agricultural output but account for just 6.3% of total farms. (UK large farms are producing very well.) Large industrial farms in the U.S. with over $1 million in sales account for 4% of all farms but 66% of sales.  (US large farms are producing very well.) Since 1994 the number of farmer markets in the US has grown to 8,720, and increase of 7+% from 2013. (People like supporting their local farmer-large or small.) Check out this post to learn about other global agriculture land use statistics . It's been said that small farms are less efficient, have a hard time finding land, are failing like many small businesses do in the first 5 years, and aren't really "farms" at all because they don't support themselves from farming. Large farms make a bigger splash in the capitalistic pond and so get more press. They also are able to buy better/newer machinery/resources, are sometimes subsidized, and often have been farming longer which often means they have efficient processes and possibly inherited the land and don't have to find/buy/or lease land. But don't count out the small farm. Small farmers are on the rise, willing to share their information with others, and are oftentimes working for that dream while holding a second job off the farm.  Down Doesn't Mean Out.  All this means is small farms need more efficiency in their farming practices. Using more mechanized planting (using DIY options), vertical farming, cover crops,  no-till farming practices , better storage, pest and weed control, more efficient tools for planting, weeding and harvesting, and all and all better processes. YouTube is filled with videos helping small producers grow smarter and be more efficient with growing practices. If we spread ideas across  Another win for the small farmer is that they tend to grow diversified crops instead of one mono-crop on their land and use crop rotation which builds the soil and keeps carbon in the soil keeping the planet cooler.   Both- and thinking. Large family farms have more resources, possibly subsidies, better machinery, and own the land which helps them keep their heads above water -even when it's flooding. But it means they often use practices that are harsh on the environment or wasteful; large quantities of pesticides, large-scale tilling, and leaving food waste at harvest. They also may not be growing food for food-they are growing food for biofuel, animal feed, and processed food. It also means they are good at growing a lot of food. Which we're going to need if we're going to feed all these people. We just need to be smarter about how we go about it. But large farms need our help just as much as small farms. Their costs are high and their risk is greater. They need to support themselves and their families just like we do.   So, there seems to be a market for both types of farms. The use of crop diversity and smart growing practices is better for our health and the environment but we need the larger producers to continue to grow some types of crops in large quantities. How about a truce? We can work to find ways to support the small farm growth and be successful and help the large farm have better growing practices. One tool is our support. Even as farmers we sometimes need to buy food we're not growing. As consumers, when you shop, buy food from local small farms and support the large farms that are working toward sustainable practices in the grocery stores. Do your research and know who you're buying from. Another way is as farmers we can spread the word about our own practices and what works and what doesn't. We can also be better farmers by using tools and growing practices that are shown to be more efficient. Lastly, we can think outside of the box and try new things; start a local growing co-op. You're produce and your neighbors produce can be sold together. Let's get innovative; I'm not talking about expensive gadgets but things like vertical farming, aquaponics, aeroponics, and more innovative ways of growing food.  The solution is in how we work smarter together. ​ ​

Mob grazing is a term used to describe ultra-high-density grazing. Another way to think about this is working to mimic the grazing of wild herds. This means, many animals, relatively close together, on a small piece of land, for a short duration of time. Wild herds graze together this way to keep away from predators and keep moving as they're eating. In the process they cut down the grasses, leaving plant matter and waste on that area. The land the herd leaves behind has been eaten down but mostly just the top of the plant which lets the plant recover. and establish deeper roots. This all protects and builds the soil they leave behind. What is Mob Grazing? Mob grazing is a term that was coined during a University of Nebraska grazing tour. It is also called tall grass grazing or holistic planned grazing. It is a grazing system where you move your animals in groups to graze small areas for a short amount of time followed by a long rest time to recover. According to Doug Peterson, who is a part of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, during one of these tours, someone referred to ultra-high density grazing as mob grazing and it stuck. Mob grazing is not a new concept, but is part of a larger movement towards regenerative agriculture practices. It has been studied by agriculturalists for many years in many different types of agricultural practices, most recently in cattle. The key to mob grazing is multiple moves in one day and watching the performance of the land in each area and the health of your livestock as well. It's important to track which areas have been recently grazed and wait to graze there until the land has had time to break down the matter left behind and grow back. How Do You Get Started Mob Grazing? Divide your grazing land into multiple areas where you can easily move the herd along throughout the day. The longer you rest an area the better results you'll see. This is called ultra-high stock density. Portable fencing and water sources will also need to be factored in as well as stocking density. What is Stocking Density? Stocking density is determined by the animal pounds per acre. Let's use the example of 100 head of cattle each weighing 1,000 pounds on 1 acre of land. That would be 100,000 pounds. So, on half an acre the same amount of cows would be 200,000. Your stocking density depends on the amount of land you have and how many heads in your herd. How Long Should You Rest Land Between Grazings? How long do you rest your land between grazing ? It depends on how many head, how much land, what type of livestock what type of pasture, what type of forage you have, etc. Generally, you have a 45-120 day rotation but that could be longer if you have more land. Boost Cow Health With Soil Enrichment Plant diversity is another key aspect of this type of grazing. Cows will eat their favorite plants as they graze. (I mean, don't we all do this?) As plants go through these grazing cycles they aren't eaten down and they are allowed to go through their life cycle which produces healthier plants and pastures. Planting a diverse range of plants in your mix will accommodate these favorite grazing options for your cows. The plants will also germinate and grow in different stages of the year. Some start early and others are available later. This gives diversity in the nutrients the cows are taking in as well. If this sounds like a recipe for healthy happy cows and pasture, you're right. Mob grazing is an excellent way to help restore the health of depleted soils and is a critical aspect of regenerative agriculture. Regenerative agriculture utilizes various different agricultural and ecological practices, with a focus on minimal soil impact and extensive practice of composting. At its core, it's a diverse set of practices that work to prioritize soil health. These practices include permaculture and organic practices, including low-till or no-till, the use of cover crops and crop rotation, composting, mobile animal shelters, pasture cropping, and the integration of grazing livestock (cattle, sheep, goats, chickens, etc). These approaches work together to to increase food production, improve yields and farmer revenues, reduce the need for synthetic inputs, such as herbicides, pesticides, and chemical fertilizers, and improvements to topsoil health. Learn more about regenerative agriculture . Reduce Costs With Regenerative Grazing There are some costs associated with a change over to this type of grazing which I talk about a little later but you will see a reduction in costs specifically for cattle. For one you don't have to fertilize and reseed the pasture each year. Secondly, minerals and feed are supported by the land. Not to mention, the lifecycle of parasites and flies is diminished if not broken. Regenerative For More Than Just Cattle You can use this style of grazing for any herd livestock. It has been studied over the years with varied degrees of success. Grazing Goats Goats love weeds and will clean them up along with grass. You can mob graze your goats in an area for a few hours and then move them. If you're wondering how long you should let your goats graze , you can let goats graze for a few hours on high-quality grass and then move them to a different section of pasture. Grazing Sheep I'm going to be honest, sheep are a little bit tougher to bring over to this type of grazing. They need a higher protein (shorter grass) than some of these other animals so you'll need to take that into account. Goats are easier to fence but it's not impossible for sheep. The area for sheep will need to be larger since they are easily spooked and might stampede. They will also need different fencing like netting or 3 or 4 wires to keep them in. It is recommended to use about 19 to 26 paddocks for intensive sheep grazing. That would mean a rest period of 45-120 days if rotated 2 times a day. Grazing Chicken with a Chicken Tractor Yep, chickens can be mob grazed too. Think of this like a chicken tractor where you use a mobile chicken shelter to move the flock on a regular basis (varies depending on your flock size and pasture). Multi-Species Mob Grazing Different species will forage for different plants and some eat the whole plant and some are more selective. Grazing them together can be useful for those reasons. Cattle and sheep have classically been grazed together as well as horses and goats. Pigs and chickens are also great to add to this mix as well. Tips To Get Started Mob Grazing: Start small- start with small-scale mob grazing or just try a small area first and see how it goes. Graze pastures in the summer, and meadows in the winter Monitor the livestock and make your plan flexible for what they need It can be used for conventional or organic systems Maximize the grazed period and consider supplemental feed if there is less forage than planned. Plan a rest period Some resources for further reading: https://extension.msstate.edu/sites/default/files/newsletter/forage-news/2011/7.pdf https://grassland.unl.edu/documents/2014%20Volesky%20final.pdf Savory Institute Regenerative Agriculture 101 About Holistic Planned Grazing Did you know you can easily use Farmbrite to track your mob grazing and regenerative agriculture ? Give us a try for free.

Cattle have been part of human culture and society for over 10,000 years. As humans moved from nomadic hunter-gatherers to cultivating crops and farms the domestication of livestock quickly followed. Today there are well over 800 distinct breeds of cattle that humans have domesticated or have played an active role in selectively breeding. Fun Facts About Cows. You may already know about this but cow milk is delicious! You can also make so many things with it. I mean, where would we be without cheese pizza? There are over 800 different cattle breeds . Cattle are herd animals and so need to watch out for predators. Cows can see almost 360 degrees. Cows are big animals and they chew a lot of food! Cows spend about 8 hours a day chewing and chewing 40-50 times a minute. Eating machines. And all those cows take up a lot of space. Cows and other livestock use over 77% of all the arable agricultural land on earth . Cows sleep standing up. But they also lay on the ground. The rumen, their stomach with 4 parts, can hold up to 50 gallons of food. Just for perspective, a bathtub can hold about 30-50 gallons of water. Those cows convert feed, like grasses and grains, into muscle, bone, and fat. The hamburger debuted at the Worlds Fair in St. Louis in 1904. A Holstein has lots of black spots which are unique and like fingerprints. Cows can live for more than 20 years. The average age is only about 2 years old though. They are mostly raised for meat. How long are cows pregnant ? Cows are like humans. And just like people, cows are pregnant for 9 months. Cattle are truly remarkable animals, with a rich history, fascinating behaviors, and an essential role in agriculture and ecosystems worldwide. Whether you're a cattle farmer, a wildlife enthusiast, or just someone curious about these gentle giants, understanding their unique traits deepens our appreciation for their contributions to our lives. From their social intelligence to their environmental impact, cattle continue to amaze and inspire. The next time you see a herd grazing peacefully, take a moment to reflect on the incredible stories they carry within their hooves. Do you have cattle? Farmbrite can help you keep track of your cattle farm, give our cattle and livestock software a try. Additional Cattle Resources: Cattle feed conversion calculator Top cattle breeds for your farm Beginner's guide to buying cattle How to be successful at a cattle auction Free cattle record book Cattle management software

1.) Add Light to the Chicken Coop If you want to have them lay all year you will need to supplement their light. They need between 14-16 hours of light to lay. If they don't get this they will molt and stop laying. Some people give their chickens a break but that isn't usually the case for working hens. 2.) Keep Your Chickens Entertained In the summer they have plenty to dig up, run after, and keep them busy. So, in the inter months your flock might get a little bored and they might end up pecking at each other. Give them something to do. Give them a pumpkin, cabbage head, squash, or block to pick apart instead. Chickens are amazing compost turners. Add a compost pile to your chicken run and let them turn the soil for you. 3.) Heating Your Chicken Coop Depending on your climate you may not need a heater and truthfully heaters can be a safety hazard. A hen's body temperature is 106 ° F and their feathers are a natural insulator. The hens will roost together and will keep each other warm. But there may be times when you need to give them a little more warmth. If you use the deep bedding method (adding more shavings on top of the other shavings) it will add to the insulation and increased heat due to the composting materials. 4.) Adding Ventilation to Your Chicken Coop Although on very cold nights you might want the option to close up the coop, it is better to have ventilation and air circulation in your coop. All the decomposing matter and buildup can cause an overwhelming amount of ammonia buildup in your coop. Also depending on the types of chickens you raise they have adapted (or have been bred) to be cold-hardy). Installing high windows that open and close (and have predator-proof screens on them) is a great option for this type of ventilation. 5.) Moving your Chicken Coop Depending on your type of greenhouse you could also move the chickens into an unused greenhouse or chicken tractor for some portion of the winter. They would be protected from the elements. They will dig up the ground and fertilize at the same time. Just make sure it doesn't get too hot. At the same time, you could add a cover crop to the chicken run which will supply them food in the spring and summer. 6.) Chicken and Snow Chickens will run around in most weather. But if you have deep snow for long periods of time you may want to add some straw or hay to cover the snow so it is easier for them to move around. When the weather is particularly cold, be on the lookout for frostbite on chicken beaks and feet. 7.) A Room with a View Sometimes it's nice to get a different view. Creating some different spots to roost will give your chickens many options. Your chickens may especially enjoy a different spot to roost if you live in a climate where you get deep snow. 8.) Watering Chickens in the Winter Keep a heated water so that the hens have access to fresh water that isn't frozen. It's important to have available and clean water. 9.) Winter Chicken Egg Production Collect the eggs in the morning and evening so that they don't freeze. You'll know that the egg has frozen because it expands and cracks. 10.) Keep the Chicken Coop Dry Hens will spend more time in the coop during the winter. Stop moisture and leaks so that they have a dry environment to roost. 11.) Keep Pests and Predators Out of Your Chicken Coop The winter brings other hungry animals, small and large. You don't want them in the coop and transferring diseases to your flock or killing your birds. Block up small holes and areas that could bring in unwanted guests. Learn more about how to protect your chicken flock from predators . 12.) Chickens Love Dust Baths Chickens give themselves dust baths to keep down mites and other unwanted pests. In the winter it's harder to find a patch of dry ground to give yourself a nice dust bath. So, adding one to your coop is a nice way for chickens to keep up their hygiene and also give them something to do. Add some dirt and sand to a large container and add it to their coop in a dry spot. Incorporating these 12 tips into your winter chicken care routine will help ensure your flock stays healthy, warm, and productive through the colder months. With proper preparation, thoughtful attention to their needs, and a little extra care, your chickens can thrive even in the harshest winter weather. Remember, a happy and healthy flock rewards you with fresh eggs year-round, so take the time to winterize your setup and enjoy the season with your flock. If you need help keeping track of your poultry operation take a look at Farmbrite for your poultry management .

If you raise chickens, turkeys, geese, ducks, guinea fowl, quail, pigeons, emus, ostrich, peacocks, or raise poultry of any type on your farm you've come to the right place. Farmbrite has been working hard for the last several years helping poultry operations make better business decisions and keeping their poultry farm, backyard chickens, small-scale poultry farms, or backyard chickens organized. We've collected 15 of the top ways that our customers use our software. Top 15 ways That Our Poultry Customers Say They Get the Most Out of Farmbrite: Scan a QR code to add quick notes on your chickens Print out a QR code for each of your coops or grazing tractors and easily scan it on your mobile phone to streamline recording egg harvests, feedings, environmental information, and much more. Learn more about using QR codes on your farm . Track treatments, feedings, and other inputs You can quickly and easily record all of your livestock treatments , feedings, and inputs in Farmbrite to track your animal health. But you can also automatically track the farm inventory you're using as part of these activities and get notified when you're running low on critical livestock inputs. Measure your Flock(s) and Track the Feed-Conversion-Ratio of Your Chickens Farmbrite makes it easy to track the weight of your birds and check them against breed growth standards and targets, but did you know you can also see how effective your feed is by reviewing your feed conversion ratio and the animal's average daily gain? Use Standard and Custom Reports to Identify Trends Farmbrite comes loaded with dozens of pre-built dashboards and standard reports to help you make sense of all the farm data you've collected. If those reports don't answer your questions you can always build your own with an easy-to-use custom report builder. Learn more about how to analyze your farm data . Streamline Traceability of Egg Harvests Keeping good farm traceability records is critical for any farm operation. Streamline your traceability by leveraging Farmbrite's automatic trace ID and harvest tracking. These features automatically assign a unique ID to every harvest that can be easily found using a QR code scan or search and provide details about the history of the harvest. Leveraging automatic inventory spoilage and age alerts to never lose track of when harvests are going bad. Track poultry parentage for breeding and genealogy If you're breeding chickens or other poultry for certain physical or egg characteristics then you know how important keeping detailed breeding and genealogy records is. Farmbrite's livestock breeding and genealogy features make it simple to keep one of these. Graze your chickens in tractors with the grazing rotation feature Many farmers are using chicken tractors to free-range their chickens or incorporate their chickens or other poultry into multi-species rotational grazing . If you're doing any type of livestock grazing you know how important it is to keep track of herd and flock movements, pasture rest days, animal units per acre, and more. You can leverage our livestock grazing features to keep track of and manage all your grazing needs. Keep Track of Egg Inventory Your chickens and other poultry and going to lay eggs and if you're raising layers and selling those eggs keeping detailed records for your flock production and egg inventory is critical. Never lose track of how many eggs you have in your cooler and how old those batches are. Farmbrite's inventory features seamlessly integrate with our livestock production tracking to help keep track of overall farm inventory on hand and alert you when you're running low or when eggs (or other inventory) are about to expire. Create a Quick Bill of Sale with Farmbrite If you're selling livestock whether full-grown or chicks generating accurate sales records to provide your buyers can be cumbersome. Farmbrite streamlines the sale of livestock and automatically generates a print-ready livestock bill of sale while also automatically updating your livestock records and recording the associated income from your sale. Learn more about generating livestock bills of sale . Use Tasks & Calendar to Remember To Do Items There is never a shortage of work to be done around the farm and it can be easy to lose track of everything you or your team needs to get done. Integrated scheduling and task management help you keep track of all your important tasks so you never forget what needs to be done and you have accurate records of all the work your team's completed on your farm. Boost Sales by Selling Your Eggs, Meat, and Poultry Classes Online If you're not selling directly to consumers you might consider launching a self-service online farm store using Farmbrite's built-in farm eCommerce site to expand your egg sales reach. Even if you don't sell directly to consumers you can easily capture and track your orders, manage deliveries, and streamline inventory picking. You might also consider sharing some know-how with your local community with poultry care classes. There are many home chicken or poultry enthusiasts out there who would love to learn from you. Assign tasks to your farm workers using tasks Keep track of all the work your team needs to complete and easily delegate, assign, manage, and track the work that your whole team is doing. Track the financial data of your poultry flock Keeping detailed financial records is critical for any business's success. Using Farmbrite's integrated farm accounting software it's never been easier to track your costs, view your income, understand breakeven and ROI, evaluate profitable enterprises, and streamline farm taxes . Quickly track egg yield Not sure what your lay rate is, how well your flock is producing, or which coop is producing more eggs? Not sure what is impacting your egg quality or production counts? Stop guessing and let Farmbrite help you track your flock's egg production to ensure your birds are healthy and happy and producing the highest quality eggs. Store images, notes, and files on specific animals or flocks Stop struggling with loose files, photos, and records for your operation or worrying that you might lose that important record. Keep all your farm records, data, files, and photos safe and secure in one place and never lose them again. Give Farmbrite a try with a free 14-day trial to see how we can help you with your poultry operation.