SlowMoneyFarm - down to earth investing, growing
Invest in SlowMoneyFarm
We aren't starry eyed dreamers, but dream big and look for ways to make it happen. In 1995 I had a conversation with a man in California about "the farm I'd like to have". After a half hour or so of discussion I said I wasn't sure how I'd ever get the money to do it. He paused and said there were many with money, but not with the vision.
Americans are concerned about their food supply. The economy is rocky, with food costs going up. For those who are interested in food choices, that is our passion. It drives us. There are 300million plus people in the USA who eat regularly. The statistics of how many are in 'food insecure' households is a reality many don't see. We seek to provide food choices, but also are determined to use a portion to help those in need. Can the two co-exist? I believe it can!
SlowMoneyFarm took shape further when discussions with a friend in Arizona sharpened the vision. This took a sudden turn when she passed away, and her son came to provide the push - it was a need to provide a legacy for his future, to leverage in ways that were beyond just us. We started where we were with what we had, which wasn't much. Some rabbit equipment, a few rabbits, some space and a can do attitude were mixed with some barter, some diving into the business learning for a better view beyond the whiskers and compost. Can this work? Two years later we have the resounding answer - yes it can!
Is it profitable? Not yet, as everything we make is leveraged into growing. This is not just for the flock, the rabbit herd but our knowledge also.
We have starter flocks of black australorps, Rhode Island Red, Dominique, Buckeyes, Brown Leghorn and some mixed layers for several projects planned. We have a solid, beautiful and functional herd of Giant Chinchilla rabbits, with 15 of them competing at the 2011 American Rabbit Breeders Association national convention show, an event of more than 22,000 rabbits of dozens of breeds. We have acquired a starter pair of chinchilla Satins, and Connor - now 13 - has his own starter herd of Silver Fox and a pair of Champagne D'Argent rabbits joining him from the ARBA Convention show. His first litter of Champagne bunnies are growing! We have a small flock of Muscovy ducks, treasured for their meat capabilities and sold online for up to $70 for a dressed duckling and eating eggs of $50/dozen. We have a starter flock of Midget White turkeys. These starter flocks will allow for hatching eggs in 2012 to expand our flocks. We have (incomplete) flocks of Ancona chickens, Americauna, white Leghorns that we need key animals to complete.
We have a used Explorer to use as a farm vehicle, important for not only travel to events but getting feed in a volume that reduces trips to town. We have a small "place in town" that we're just over a year from paying off. We have used raised beds to raise peppers, tomatoes, a variety of herbs and more which will transfer to the land. We have found that there are some things that people say they want and will pay for that they really don't (such as point of lay pullets for their own home egg production and complete, installed custom raised beds - great ideas but not enough money down interest). Was that a mistake? Absolutely not! We have some extra hens in our laying flock from those that didn't sell, and we are honing our approach and market on the custom raised beds! This allows the maximum in food choices with minimal work.
Do we know everything - absolutely not! We are constantly learning, both from the animals we keep and from people. We have attended conferences including the AgChat Foundation Social Media 2.0 Conference both years, and presented a beginning blog portion on the second year! We've learned to better use social media channels, marketing, business and more in addition to forages, breeding poultry and rabbit care. We are hands on at every stage, from breeding to birthing and feeding to composting. We research what breeds will fit with our goals. We seek to provide food choices on many levels. We've made contact with a small USDA facility that will enable us to sell meats to restaurants as well as to those who are willing to exert their food choices.
We've increased cover for songbirds, something we can and will continue to do on land. With a rural but market-accessible location on land in south central Kentucky we have access to Nashville, Louisville and Lexington as well as some access to Cincinnati, Birmingham, St. Louis, Indianapolis and up into Illinois. We've made key contacts with a network of people who support food choices.
With an eye towards growing for a select market there is no illusion that it's for everyone. If everyone wanted five dressed fryer rabbits tomorrow we couldn't fill the demand and stay small! We're not seeking high volume turnover of 100,000 pigs per year - although that certainly allows for food availability and choices. By marketing 20 home raised pigs per month we're penciling figures of $360 for the end result, with part of that going to kill and custom cut and wrap. This is for approximately 180 pounds of pork, with a total cost of about $2 per pound.Take a look at the cost of ham, sausage and pork chops in the store - most over $3! These 20 pigs per month allow for roughly $7,000 per month, before expenses. Initially this would be with purchased pigs, but in time we could raise our own pigs from start to finish. Once set up there is minimal hands on - automatic watering and feed systems allow for spending time with the pigs, observing for illnesses.
A recent discussion online with fellow farmers on the prices of lamb showed even more potential for profit. Rabbit from US farms has a tracking ability that you won't find with imported Chinese rabbit usually offered at stores. There is, among 300million people, a market for those who want that contact and tracking ability. They want to exert food choices. We want to provide it. Food choices allow farming choices. Farming choices allow financial choices, and through venture capital and angel investing we're seeking, equally, a small number of people to deal with.
Our name shows our view. In a fast food hurry up world we're focused on slow money, food choices, farming and tradition combined with technology. We hope you'll join us.
Americans are concerned about their food supply. The economy is rocky, with food costs going up. For those who are interested in food choices, that is our passion. It drives us. There are 300million plus people in the USA who eat regularly. The statistics of how many are in 'food insecure' households is a reality many don't see. We seek to provide food choices, but also are determined to use a portion to help those in need. Can the two co-exist? I believe it can!
SlowMoneyFarm took shape further when discussions with a friend in Arizona sharpened the vision. This took a sudden turn when she passed away, and her son came to provide the push - it was a need to provide a legacy for his future, to leverage in ways that were beyond just us. We started where we were with what we had, which wasn't much. Some rabbit equipment, a few rabbits, some space and a can do attitude were mixed with some barter, some diving into the business learning for a better view beyond the whiskers and compost. Can this work? Two years later we have the resounding answer - yes it can!
Is it profitable? Not yet, as everything we make is leveraged into growing. This is not just for the flock, the rabbit herd but our knowledge also.
We have starter flocks of black australorps, Rhode Island Red, Dominique, Buckeyes, Brown Leghorn and some mixed layers for several projects planned. We have a solid, beautiful and functional herd of Giant Chinchilla rabbits, with 15 of them competing at the 2011 American Rabbit Breeders Association national convention show, an event of more than 22,000 rabbits of dozens of breeds. We have acquired a starter pair of chinchilla Satins, and Connor - now 13 - has his own starter herd of Silver Fox and a pair of Champagne D'Argent rabbits joining him from the ARBA Convention show. His first litter of Champagne bunnies are growing! We have a small flock of Muscovy ducks, treasured for their meat capabilities and sold online for up to $70 for a dressed duckling and eating eggs of $50/dozen. We have a starter flock of Midget White turkeys. These starter flocks will allow for hatching eggs in 2012 to expand our flocks. We have (incomplete) flocks of Ancona chickens, Americauna, white Leghorns that we need key animals to complete.
We have a used Explorer to use as a farm vehicle, important for not only travel to events but getting feed in a volume that reduces trips to town. We have a small "place in town" that we're just over a year from paying off. We have used raised beds to raise peppers, tomatoes, a variety of herbs and more which will transfer to the land. We have found that there are some things that people say they want and will pay for that they really don't (such as point of lay pullets for their own home egg production and complete, installed custom raised beds - great ideas but not enough money down interest). Was that a mistake? Absolutely not! We have some extra hens in our laying flock from those that didn't sell, and we are honing our approach and market on the custom raised beds! This allows the maximum in food choices with minimal work.
Do we know everything - absolutely not! We are constantly learning, both from the animals we keep and from people. We have attended conferences including the AgChat Foundation Social Media 2.0 Conference both years, and presented a beginning blog portion on the second year! We've learned to better use social media channels, marketing, business and more in addition to forages, breeding poultry and rabbit care. We are hands on at every stage, from breeding to birthing and feeding to composting. We research what breeds will fit with our goals. We seek to provide food choices on many levels. We've made contact with a small USDA facility that will enable us to sell meats to restaurants as well as to those who are willing to exert their food choices.
We've increased cover for songbirds, something we can and will continue to do on land. With a rural but market-accessible location on land in south central Kentucky we have access to Nashville, Louisville and Lexington as well as some access to Cincinnati, Birmingham, St. Louis, Indianapolis and up into Illinois. We've made key contacts with a network of people who support food choices.
With an eye towards growing for a select market there is no illusion that it's for everyone. If everyone wanted five dressed fryer rabbits tomorrow we couldn't fill the demand and stay small! We're not seeking high volume turnover of 100,000 pigs per year - although that certainly allows for food availability and choices. By marketing 20 home raised pigs per month we're penciling figures of $360 for the end result, with part of that going to kill and custom cut and wrap. This is for approximately 180 pounds of pork, with a total cost of about $2 per pound.Take a look at the cost of ham, sausage and pork chops in the store - most over $3! These 20 pigs per month allow for roughly $7,000 per month, before expenses. Initially this would be with purchased pigs, but in time we could raise our own pigs from start to finish. Once set up there is minimal hands on - automatic watering and feed systems allow for spending time with the pigs, observing for illnesses.
A recent discussion online with fellow farmers on the prices of lamb showed even more potential for profit. Rabbit from US farms has a tracking ability that you won't find with imported Chinese rabbit usually offered at stores. There is, among 300million people, a market for those who want that contact and tracking ability. They want to exert food choices. We want to provide it. Food choices allow farming choices. Farming choices allow financial choices, and through venture capital and angel investing we're seeking, equally, a small number of people to deal with.
Our name shows our view. In a fast food hurry up world we're focused on slow money, food choices, farming and tradition combined with technology. We hope you'll join us.
