Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with farm

Should we make our future educational organic farm a non-profit?

bengarland — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 05:11:00 -0800

Should we make our future educational organic farm a non-profit? If so, how? I inherited some old family land out in the country (about 50 acres), and my partner and I are planning to build a rammed earth passive solar house and organic permaculture farm there. Since it is in rural north Georgia, it will be one of the first (if not THE first) of its kind. For instance, we already found out that we'd be the first to hook up solar panels to the power grid in the tri-county area that the local EMC serves.

We want it to be an educational "living lab" that 4-H, FFA, Scouts, students, and other groups can visit and learn from. We also plan to have workshops on permaculture, natural building, organic gardening, etc. There are two high schools within 10 miles, the University of Georgia is 40 miles, and Atlanta is 80 miles, so we think this is a definite possibility.

Our goal is to have it be an educational outreach for the community, where people can come learn practical skills and knowledge to better themselves and the planet. We think this is especially important in rural Georgia, where (it seems from my growing up there) people aren't often challenged (or given the opportunity) to seek alternatives.

I've heard of other educational farms incorporating themselves as 501(c)(3) non-profits. My questions are:

1) Judging from the goals I outlined above, is this a good idea? (If not, why not?)

2) Can it be done for an entity that is still in the planning stages?

3) What is the best website or other guide that details the process?

cubicle farm noise

neworder7 — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:04:30 -0800

There is a laud/noisy colleague in the cubicle farm office. Any suggestions how to deal with the situation? I work in a big company - this person is very laud especially when she is on the phone. She works for another department within the company and I don't know her personally so I don't really feel comfortable having a discussion with her at all.

I contacted HR to ask their advice regarding how to deal with her. They said they will speak to her manager. I also suggested maybe they can start cubicle etiquette initiative to make people more aware that they work in shared office environment and be considerate of other people.

There has been no change and a month later I contacted HR for the second time. They said they will again speak to her manager also suggested I should speak to her myself in person.

Another person from my team also spoke to her manager and he seemed reluctant to deal with it, I am afraid nobody has spoken to her yet.

What are my options here?
1. What is the best way to deal with her without having to speak to her?
2. Is it feasible to pursue HR for the third time?
or
3. If you think as a last resort I should make the move and speak to her myself, what's the best way to do it?

I was wondering is it OK for HR to put me in a position to somewhat confronting her? I was wondering shouldn't the company have policies to provide reasonable working environment for its employees?

I work for an big international company in Australia if that matters.

Thanks.

What to wear to a wedding on an apple farm?

Pineapplicious — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 06:26:22 -0800

I'm invited to a wedding in October on an apple farm in the upper Hudson Valley, NY. We will be in a drafty barn and outdoors in the late afternoon into evening. The wedding invitation says to dress "dressy casual". It is going to be cool to cold. So, what do I wear? I'm female and in my mid-40s.

Looking for a farm-related gift for my father's birthday.

the foreground — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 07:58:14 -0800

Looking for a farm-related gift for my father's birthday. He recently bought a pretty large farm after living in the 'burbs his entire life. The main purpose of the farm is so my mother can house her horses there, but my father is quite excited to use their sizable land for other purposes too, which may or may not include raising chickens, growing all sorts of produce, and other activities that people do on farms... Also, he will have very little help in the way of manual labor, so any gifts that might make things easier or more automatic would be appreciated. Anything from books, tools, clothing, or anything else that will help him transition into the farm life. Price range <$300. Thanks!

Most iconic images of a farm?

tnygard — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 06:24:18 -0800

What do you think the most iconic images of a farm are the twenty first century?

Why does this farm field have a C.S.I. logo on it?

miyabo — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 21:25:47 -0800

Why is there a C.S.I. logo carved into this farmer's field? It's got to be an attempt at a viral ad aimed at people taking off from Sea-Tac airport. But does anyone even notice it? I haven't been able to find anything online about it, but Google's shot may be a few years old.

I've noticed that some Target stores have a Target logo painted on top, which is pretty neat. Are there any other examples of aerial-view-only advertisements?

Traveling after farm animals

RajahKing — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 19:48:13 -0800

How do you answer questions about livestock proximity when coming back to the US? What happens when you answer yes to U.S. Customs and Border Protection Declaration Form questions 11 & 12, ie "Have you or any family members traveling with you been in close proximity of (such as touching or handling) livestock outside the United States?"

I ask this for a friend who will be returning shortly from a trip to
rural Ecuador, where s/he was in close proximity to livestock and
would appropriately answer yes. Has anyone had the experience of answering yes? What happens? Questioning, quaranteening, searching of bags, etc?

Has anyone ever had the experience of lying and answered no?

How would customs officials know to be suspicious of your time spent with livestock?

I fully understand the legal and ethical obligations my friend has
here, but if s/he takes the ethical lowground and says no, what
recourse does the government have?

Inherited an acre of land. What should we do with it?

omegar — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 21:30:09 -0800

Inherited an acre of land. What should we do with it? Is there any way to make it profitable, and to help the comunity around it by creating at least some jobs? Or should we just sell?

My wife and I just inherited an acre of land. It is in Mexico (somewhere around here); it is near a highway, two hours from Mexico City. It has all utilities (plus two wells). It is in a residential/farming/other uses area. In the past it had been used to raise rabbits, deer and chickens, but that did not work out because of negligence by the caretakers, we were told. It was also used to grow onions, cucumbers, apples, bananas, pears, radish, apples, watermelons, mangos and lemons, all in a small scale (non profitable, but good). Then it was transformed into a private weekend getaway house with lots of garden (and a small river, did I mention a small river goes through the property?) Right now it has some living quarters, a small pool and some abandoned amenities (a tennis court, a jogging track) all of which needs urgent fixing and mending or could be torn down without spending too much.

So, the thing is we are wondering what to do with it. We don't want to go live there full time but it is near enough that we can go every weekend or so. We can pay for someone to manage the property and all aother expenses (assume money is no object). So far we have come up with the following solutions:
We could just sell the land, but in its current state we will wind up not getting what it's worth.
We could section it and build really nice little houses with a common pool (4 houses or so) and sell them for profit but, where's the good for the local community in that?
We could start producing something. The climate is really good and everything grows. What could we possibly produce that is not very time consuming for us and can at least not loose money in medium to long term?
We could start a small factory. Again, assuming money is of no object, what could we build? (It must require simple labor as local people are probably not trained to even use a computer)

Only four no-no's:
The thing we grow or build or wahtever cannot be loud. No loud machines, a tractor is ok.
We do not want to pollute anything. Not the river, not the land, nothing, so it must be clean.
Nothing illegal (no drugs).
Nothing to do with tourism, the area has all needed hotels already.

Any help would be greately appreciated.

What if I want a tiny farm?

zvs — Thu, 14 May 2009 20:37:05 -0800

How big is the smallest possible subsistence farm? Settle a living room bet -- what's the smallest amount of land on which a vegetable farm could feed a family of two for more than a year or two, barring famine or harsh winter or whatever? Let's say an Upstate New York-esque level of soil quality. How would I even go about solving this question?

Farm and dairy tours near NYC

HotPatatta — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 08:33:27 -0800

Where can I go to take a farm tour, pick fruit, or tour a dairy that is within a 2-hour drive of NYC? I want to escape from the city for a day and get a taste of country life. I'd like to visit a dairy and see how cheeses are made, how milk is processed, and maybe even milk a cow. A small farm that's not so mechanized and massive would be ideal. If that's not possible, I want to visit an orchard, berry field, or vegetable farm and pick something. If both of those scenarios aren't possible, is there an animal farm I can visit?

Name our farm!

youcancallmeal — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 21:47:42 -0800

Seeking a name for our impending farm. Help! Things that are relevant:

1) It's small. We'll just be cultivating an acre or two.
2) We will have small animals. A corgi. Dwarf goats. Chickens.
3) It's in Vermont. It's cold here. There are mountains.
4) It needs to fit both the farm itself and work as a brand for things like pies, jams, etc.
5) The farm is Metafilter related in that the land actually belongs to a fellow Mefite. But inside jokes have to be funny to outsiders as well.

Our first idea is Snowpatch Farm, but we think we can do better. Ideas? We want to get going on a blog, so we need a name soon!

Looking for rural blogging

Sijeka — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 08:08:10 -0800

I'm looking for pretty/ interesting blogs about homesteading and living in rural areas I'd like to read personal blogs about life in rural parts of the world - think Prince Edward Island in Canada, or Alaska, or central Missouri... the location doesn't really matter. I like blogs combining personal stories, everyday photographs, recipes and specific knowledge (i.e how to make jam, or how to butcher your chickens, what have you).

A couple of blogs I already enjoy are Meanwhile across town, Tiny farm blog, Throwback at trapper creek and Down to earth.

Bonus point for blogs also involving food politics, personal/feminist politics, and left politics as well, but I'm not picky.

What ARE these?

millipede — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 08:23:44 -0800

Please help us identify these confounding objects! Photos inside. Here are pictures of the confounding objects:

a box with rotating rods

a small chain-hook thing

a larger chain-hook thing.

They are from my boyfriend's grandmother's garage in Corpus Christi, Texas. She has passed away, so we can't ask her what they are. My boyfriend thinks they are from her parents or her grandparents, who lived in southern Texas, possibly on a ranch or a farm.

The box is especially confounding.

Any ideas?

I'm going to New Zealand- tell me everything!!

drjimmy11 — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 11:01:59 -0800

I'm going to New Zealand- tell me everything!! Please tell me everything and anything that will help me have a cool, exciting, adventure in New Zealand. I'm flying into Auckland 12/26/08, leaving 1/12/09, and have only a vague plan so far.

About me: From Los Angeles, early 30s, have traveled to UK and Europe but that's about it. I'm a writer and plan to incorporate experiences from this trip into a semi-memoir/travel narrative/fiction hybrid kind of thing I want to write. I enjoy outdoorsy stuff, music, film and cultural stuff, and just chilling someplace quiet. I am not a tremendous fan of traveling by myself, but that is what I'm stuck with in this case- anything that would help me meet locals and have someone to talk to besides myself would be greatly appreciated. I am a "pescatarian" so no lamb, but do love good seadfood.

My original goal was to take this boat trip to NZ's sub-antarctic islands. I was put on a waitlist and haven't heard back, so that seems out. My plan now is to rent a car in Auckland and drive south, exploring along the way. I'll then take a boat to Stewart Island and hopefully hike the 3-day Rakiura Track, then drive back north.

So, I have many many questions:
1) What are the cool things I absolutely need to do in the big cities, Auckland and Christchurch?
2) Accommodations: I'm told it may be crowded during the high season- will I be ok just reserving a hotel in Auckland and booking as I go- or will I regret not booking everything in advance? I am not totally adverse to hostels, but would prefer a cheap-to-moderate, clean hotel at this point in my life.
3) New Year's Eve: Anything especially cool I should do?
4) "Farm stays" This concept intrigues me. Are there any in particular that are highly recommended? Are there any that are more vegetarian friendly, ie they wont ask me to hack the head off of anything or watch as they do? (I'm also considering stopping at Stonehaven homestay in Blenheim, since by all reports it seems to be the best thing ever, and I wouldn't mind exploring the wine country a bit.
5) the south island and the Southern Alps. The south island seems to be overflowing with natural beauty- is there any one thing I just can't miss? (love LOTR books but would prefer to forget the movies, so dont really need to see where they were filmed)
6) Stewart island- anything in particular I need to know about hiking and getting in/out? Do I need to reserve accommodations for the night I get there? I have read up on the hut system along the tracks, but will it be so crowded in summer that I should bring a tent in anticipation of them not having room? How badly will I regret it if I don't bring a stove and choose to just eat cold food for 3 days? I do have the (amusingly named to an American) "Tramping in New Zealand," and it does have a list of necesssary equipment. But what one thing will I regret not bringing? And what stuff i should I try to bring over from the US, and what should I buy/rent there?
7) If I go around quoting "Flight of the Conchords," will people find it amusing, or is everyone sick of it by now?

Whew. That is a lot. Sorry.

Preparing for the Worst

netbros — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 04:43:30 -0800

What vegetables, fruits, fish and animals would be recommended for a self-sufficient survival farm? Whether it be climate change, energy shortage, economic collapse, or act of nature; there are many plausible reasons these days to consider alternatives to the western way of living. Perhaps people living in the communes of the 1960-70s were thinking ahead.

If you had a small, 10-20 acre family farm or slightly larger community property what vegetables would you plant, what fruit trees would you cultivate, what fish would you stock in the pond, and what farm animals would you raise to make your environment as self-sufficient as possible for your family and/or community in the face of a calamitous future? What considerations are required to care for all of this?

Backyard fish?

serazin — Fri, 09 May 2008 22:31:03 -0800

Can I raise fish for eating in my back yard? A friend mentioned recently that he'd visited communities in the Philippines where, apparently, folks kept small, personal fish ponds for personal consumption. Surely there are resources on how to do something like this in my urban setting. Any suggestions?

Could US farmers go without subsidies?

andythebean — Sun, 04 May 2008 19:36:02 -0800

Could US farmers go without subsidies? Without subsidies, could farmers in the United States make a profit growing the crops that they currently do? If all farm subsidies were lifted tomorrow, how much crop production would be outsourced?

Where Have All The Problems Gone?

gadha — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 05:17:19 -0800

Where can I find accurate, concise information on short-to-medium term technical problems in the data-center/server/colo markets? I'm interested in learning about the problems facing server manufacturers, data farms, etc... at any level -- software architectures, hardware architectures, algorithms, energy consumption, etc. I have looked around a lot but the information is either out of data or very commercial and tied into specific products. Is there any resource out there that will present concise, clear information about the (hopefully unsolved) technical problems in these areas?

The most COMPLEAT working abroad thread EVAR. Or, help me get out of Jersey already!

twins named Lugubrious and Salubrious — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 09:17:53 -0800

I'm looking for resources on doing paid farm work (preferably in Scandinavia, but anywhere else in Europe is fine, too). I want to work on a farm in Scandinavia for a couple of months. From what I can tell, it's incredibly hard for non-EU people (I'm American) to get working papers to go there, so my options are these (in order of most to least wanted):

1) Drill through the process and end up on a farm in Scandinavia for a couple of months. Anyone have any experience with this? How can I make this process easier?

2) Work doing something else in Scandinavia for the next couple months. My options are pretty limited -- haven't finished college yet, don't really have any marketable skills as far as I'm concerned. Past jobs have included office work, temping, waitressing, cashiering. Could I actually get away with doing something like teaching English?

3) Work in another English-speaking country in Europe where it's easier to get a visa/permit. I'm ok with this, but I've never had a driving need to visit the UK, Scotland, or Ireland.

4) Volunteer to work on a farm in Scandinavia. As far as I can tell, the papers process might still be pretty complicated. Plus, my money situation is really tight; I'd really like to be compensated in some way, not just in food and board.

So the priority here is to basically a) get to Europe this summer b) get paid, although the preference is on Scandinavia, and farm work (the only widely offered job I can see myself being qualified for).

Any suggestions? Are there positions or locations that I've overlooked?

My research has basically turned up these sort-of relevant threads:

How feasible is it for me to live and work abroad?
money for living abroad?
How do I get a job outside the UK? ASAP.
How can I move to Spain for couple of years?
Summer programs
How to find jobs around the world?
Travel jobs
12181

and a handful of links basically pulled from these pages:

http://www.transitionsabroad.com/listings/work/shortterm/farm_jobs_agriculture.shtml
http://www.pickyourown.org/jobsonfarms.htm

Any other suggestions? TIA.

That's a rap

55TaskForce — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 07:30:22 -0800

Down on the farm - does anyone remember a farm-themed radio song from 1960? I'd like to know about a song I heard several times on WCCO radio in Minneapolis, somewhere around 1960.

The song had a farm theme with sound effects like milking machine sounds. It was spoken word rather than singing. The artist sounded a little like Jim Henson.

Does anyone recall this or have more information?

I need a catchy title for a spring dinner fundraiser

special-k — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 19:09:06 -0800

Help me come up with a name for a spring fundraiser dinner for a farm alliance I’m helping a friend organize a dinner fundraiser for a farm coalition and I need to come up with a catchy name [think spring, organic, local, earthy…]. The dinner will be in May and held at an organic farm in northern California [if the setting helps inspire ideas]. Suggestions, anyone?
Thanks!

Is congealed milk solids the norm for glass-bottle milk?

shivohum — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 18:35:07 -0800

I bought some Meadowbrook Farms whole milk in a glass bottle a couple of days ago. Expiration date: Jan 21. I noticed today when I opened it and poured milk out that some of the milk solids had congealed on the inside of the top of the neck of the glass jar (and some of that came out with the poured-out milk). Is this a sign of rottenness, or of some kind of extremely wholesome milk? I can't tell from the smell.

Keeping dogs safe and exercised on land

vizsla — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 19:35:29 -0800

How do I keep two active young dogs with good jumping ability a) from being bitten by snakes b) active and happy while I am away during the day on a property of about 20 acres? What's it roughly going to cost me?

Crazy Farm Equipment?!!

DrSkrud — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 09:44:01 -0800

What's going on in these strange circular regions (pictured here) in Christmas Valley, OR? My guess: Some kind of circular crop field, with a big rotating arm that does tilling/harvesting. If my guess is right, what kind of farm equipment is that and where can I learn more about it? If my guess is wrong, what is it?

Recommend a CSA farm in Portland, please

dersins — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 10:02:56 -0800

CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farms in Portland (Oregon.) There are a lot of them. Anyone have any particular recommendations for or against? (CSA, for those who might have been wondering.)