Ben Smith

Thank you, Grant. . .our situation was similar--tons of grass, but not tons of livestock yet. We are buying feeder cattle from good sources in Michigan now, and they are high in price, but very marketable. Cattle breeding and herd building will take a bite out of your bank account for sure. . .

Grant--I was looking at your earlier post with the farm overhead shot post-hay cutting. We are in zone 5 Southwest/central Michigan with beef cattle (feeders), pastured pigs, chickens, fruit trees, pasture, woods, etc--100+ acres, reverting to polyculture from monoculture. I was somewhat surprised to see the quantity of your land that you cut hay from. I realize you are mulching, and overwintering stock, but how do you replace those nutrients post-cutting so you can continue to get that high-quality pasture? Are you holding them back and grazing the entire farm after first cutting? With our similar climates, would it be possible for either of us to stockpile enough to graze all year? Would you consider buying hay from another farm?

Thanks for your work, Ben

Thanks all--really great advice. We were just in the process of looking at coming out for a week or two this winter to see what it's like in the colder season. Looks like there are a few farms that have stay-in opportunities for our family that we can use as home base while we investigate the area during the day. Thanks again. . .

Thanks Andrew...that is great to know!

Thanks Paul-we are looking to homeschool, as we do in michigan, but I know your laws are a little tighter on that. Mobile slaughter is non-existent here, but what a great thing it is. Maybe if we make it out you can teach me to fish...

Hello Paul--thank you for the local wisdom. Michigan is similar in that if you want to be near the big cities you have to pay top dollar for acreage. We would be looking for 40+ acres, as we are looking to graze and raise livestock and maintain a woodlot. We want to use permaculture practices and keep annuals to a minimum, but have a few essentials (but not to take to market). I have read that there are near 100 farmer's markets in the Puget Sound region, which sounds viable for selling meat. So, as long as the soil would permit healthy grass/legume growth, it would work for us.

Thanks for the links, too. . .

Hello friends,

We are considering moving our young family (four small children) from the Detroit area to the Pacific NW to farm. We don't really know anyone out there and we have no direct farming/permaculture connections. We grew up in the midwest, but we are making a lot of life changes and this is a major one.

Looking for some advice on this. Have any of you made a move of this size? What is the market really like for real food? Where are areas to avoid? Is this a good/bad idea?

Sorry for the broad question, but there are only so many places to go for this kind of insight.

Thanks! Ben

Hello all,

Our family of six (four young children) is searching for land to buy/rent or a family to apprentice under to practice permaculture and livestock farming. I left my job this year at an industrial meat packing company to farm real food full time. We have been "skilling up" at local farms, permies events, Polyface seminars, grazing schools, etc. for over a year and we are anxious to get going, but patient for the right opportunity. We don't have to be in Michigan, but prefer it for the excellent homeschool laws.

We are trying to avoid being near a fracking pad and industrial ag. We are also hoping to find a Christian family that shares our beliefs.

We are excited to participate in future discussions on permies.com and all of the great things going on here.

Thanks!