My new book, Dairy Farming: The Beautiful Way is available!

Hi Everyone,
Today is a super exciting day, I am proud to announce that my how-to book on permacultural dairy farming is now available for purchase.

You can order copies here: https://www.createspace.com/5016201

Over the past year, working on this book, many of you have encouraged and inspired me, and I am really thankful for all that energy to see this project through to the finish line.

From the back cover- "Learn step-by-step the requirements for establishing and managing your own organic dairy farm. Rooted in the traditional farming techniques of the past, and utilizing modern equipment an knowledge, Dairy Farming: The Beautiful Way details a practical and profitable system of small dairy farming."

As a self-published and self-promoted first-time author, I really need help spreading the word about this new book. Any efforts you all can make through social media and word of mouth are much appreciated!

Hooray! Happy day!

Yay! Done is the most glorious word in the English language.

Are you doing an electronic version through the usual (or unusual) distribution channels?

Ann Torrence wrote:
Are you doing an electronic version through the usual (or unusual) distribution channels?

Yes! It is being published electronically through Kindle Direct Publishing and should be available tomorrow. List price of $9.99

I hope to buy a Jersey cow in calf or with calf about April or May. I almost bought a lovely cow and her yearling heifer just before Christmas. They had been a 4-H project and so were very gentle, used to being loaded and travelled, etc. The roadblock we ran into was the regulations and hoops to jump to move them from Washington to Idaho. The cow had not been vaccinated and would have had to be vaccinated and tested, as well as a clean health check. The kicker was that these were not just cows, they were pet cows. If either tested positive (very small but not zero risk), they'd have had to go for slaughter. The owners didn't want to believe that, but I sent them all the urls I'd found on the subject. In the end they decided not to risk the testing and last I heard from them, they planned to just keep them. It's a shame, two pet cows with their manners would have been perfect for us and those girls would have had a good home for life.

Now I know why you haven't been posting as much lately.  You've been very busy.

Will you post something to YouTube for advertising purposes ?

Looking forward to the read.

Mary Combs wrote:I hope to buy a Jersey cow in calf or with calf about April or May. I almost bought a lovely cow and her yearling heifer just before Christmas. They had been a 4-H project and so were very gentle, used to being loaded and travelled, etc. The roadblock we ran into was the regulations and hoops to jump to move them from Washington to Idaho. The cow had not been vaccinated and would have had to be vaccinated and tested, as well as a clean health check. The kicker was that these were not just cows, they were pet cows. If either tested positive (very small but not zero risk), they'd have had to go for slaughter. The owners didn't want to believe that, but I sent them all the urls I'd found on the subject. In the end they decided not to risk the testing and last I heard from them, they planned to just keep them. It's a shame, two pet cows with their manners would have been perfect for us and those girls would have had a good home for life.

Moving cows across state lines seems a lot scarier than it actually is. I started my herd with animals from Montana, who were tested and then cleared for import to Colorado. The Colorado state vet postured quite a bit about not wanting to take the risk of importing Brucellosis, but ultimately it was all typical government posturing.

The bigger question is if family pet cows are going to make the grade in terms of milk production and breeding schedule. Family cows are gentle, certainly, but often times their performance traits have been overlooked, and their breeding pedigree has been based on convenience rather than herd improvement. What I am looking for is a happy medium, of family cow and production cow qualities.

Hope that helps, you will surely find the right cows if you keep looking. Idaho has a lot of dairy cows, so you should be able to find what you need close to home.

Greetings Adam, while we probably aren't ready to start a dairy farm, we do have some friends who do have a small dairy operation going where they sell raw shares. Could you list one or two things they might want to consider changing in order to bring their farm toward a more sustainable (permaculture) type operation. I know it's hard to answer without adequate background on their infrastructure, methods, etc. There might even be some state by state "regulations" regarding what you can/can't do when milking cows for other share "owners". Difficult question, sorry to heave this on ya. Just thought you might have some experience in this gray area (for me). Thanks!

my book has already shipped

Hey Adam,

Cows are your thing, a skill you have learned and practice in search of beauty, but there is another inherent skill you have acquired along the way, one that is just as important, book writing and publishing. How about talking a little bit about the process of publishing your book. As we are in the phase of re skilling ourselves (as a society), education has come to the forefront. Getting information collected, tested, organized and disseminated is where a lot of us are spending our time for now. So I would love to know more about hoe you did this process.

Specifically I'd like to know...
how you collected information?
How you got the opportunity to write a book?
How you published?
What were your biggest lessons?
How long did it take you?
What recommendations do you have for newbie authors?
Did you have to pay out of pocket?
Had you always wanted to write a book? We're you born into it, achieve it, or have it thrust upon you?
Info on hardcopy publishing vs. Digital.
And maybe some great anecdotes...

As we all know, we need Permie writers, Permie publishers, permie photographers, etc. So let's get that information out as well, I am sure there are scores of us who will benefit from it as we move forward in our various projects.


And the cow jumped over the moon,

Seth
Permie chef

Bodi Wallace wrote:Greetings Adam, while we probably aren't ready to start a dairy farm, we do have some friends who do have a small dairy operation going where they sell raw shares. Could you list one or two things they might want to consider changing in order to bring their farm toward a more sustainable (permaculture) type operation. I know it's hard to answer without adequate background on their infrastructure, methods, etc. There might even be some state by state "regulations" regarding what you can/can't do when milking cows for other share "owners". Difficult question, sorry to heave this on ya. Just thought you might have some experience in this gray area (for me). Thanks!

A couple keys-
100% pasture diet
once a day milking
seasonal calving/breeding/milking

That is the three-legged stool to stand upon!

Seth Peterson wrote:
Specifically I'd like to know...
how you collected information?
How you got the opportunity to write a book?
How you published?
What were your biggest lessons?
How long did it take you?
What recommendations do you have for newbie authors?
Did you have to pay out of pocket?
Had you always wanted to write a book? We're you born into it, achieve it, or have it thrust upon you?
Info on hardcopy publishing vs. Digital.

Hi Seth, happy to share my thoughts on these great questions-
-The information came out of my experience, which came out of a combination of vast amounts of research coupled with hands-on experimentation over the years.
-The opportunity came about because I have down time in the winter, so I had the free time to invest in this massive project.
-I self published through CreateSpace, an Amazon affiliate. The reason for this is the share of profits that I would receive. Early on, I contacted Acres USA, the largest publisher of organic agricultural books. They were very interested and offered me a publishing contract. They were great folks, for sure. But they just couldn't offer me enough of the royalties from sales to make writing a viable endeavor for me. Self publishing is a lot more work, but I can actually earn a high enough percentage of the retail price to make this project viable.
-Biggest lesson is that writing is the easy part, editing is the real work. Have as precise an outline as possible when you start, as this will greatly simplify the editing. Also, it is the page formatting, especially with pictures, that becomes a professional's nightmare. Text alone is simple. Adding a ton of images or figures means you will likely need paid professional help. Keep it simple!
-It took me just over a year from the inspiration to publishing. Though I couldn't work on the book for a good six months during that time during the farming season.
-For newbie authors my advice is write about what you know and are passionate about. Find other books that you like the format of, and seek to emulate their style. Know what you are trying to create before you get started.
-There are no out of pocket expenses self-publishing through CreateSpace. It was just my time (hundreds and hundreds of unpaid hours) that I had to 'pay' up front.
-I have know that I wanted to write since I was a teenager. I love to write. I never imagined that my first book would be about dairy farming, but that's life!
-You don't really have to choose between electronic or print with CreateSpace. My book is available through kindle or as a paperback. Publishing has gotten a lot easier over the past few years. Now it is a sales game, rather than a publishing game. Gotta sell those books!

Good luck Seth! Write us a book! I know you have the knowledge and the inspiration!

Greetings from Colorado Adam. I know this thread is super old but I wanted to thank you for your book. It inspired my husband and I to buy 2 Brown Swiss milk cows (in addition to our 3 dexters)to put on our 35 acres south of Franktown CO around 6100 elevation. We don’t plan on starting a dairy but the techniques presented in your book we are implementing. I have enjoyed reading past threads that you have created/contribute to. We bought our ladies already pregnant and one is due in October. Is it better to try and get her pregnant the heat after her birth or keep her open until the following September so the timing is correct? I know I have heard it is harder to get them pregnant the longer you wait, so perhaps we will sell her after this year. We didn’t plan on buying her because of her due date but she has a good disposition and is a very nice looking cow, we decided to buy her as well. These cows were not rejects, the owner is downsizing his heard, so we took advantage of that opportunity. Thanks again for all your knowledge you have shared it means a lot to us. My husband is a machinist and a gunsmith by trade, he owns and operates his shop here if there is anything we can do for you let us know!

Welcome, Allyson to our forum.

I am looking forward to hearing more about your adventure with both your Brown Swiss and the Dexters!