» we are a mill

we are a mill

To be a farmer means a lot more that I ever expected. It is startling what I have had to learn and consider to become a small farmer. It takes business sense and public speaking to get the word out about what you are raising or growing. You must be a mechanic to fix what ever needs fixing and a carpenter to build whatever you need to feed and shelter animals. It would help to be able to control the weather but I can’t seem to get the handle on that one yet.

We have been so blessed by customer response that we had to use all of the skills listed above (plus some tarps because of the weather thing) to set up our mill. We had to find the grain and deal with the delivery (see previous post about the fence). We had to locate a good mill and mixer and get them here (thank you Scott and Kathleen). Cleaning out a place for storing the grain and setting up the equipment took several days. We had to run new circuits for the equipment and take out a small wall in the shop. There was the back and forth with the animal nutritionist about the premix and sourcing the fish meal. We had to purchase a winch and build a ramp to get the mixer in place. We still are waiting for the hopper attachment for the augers which means we are lifting all of the grain into the mill and mixer by hand for the first few batches. And this does not seem to come close to describing what we went through.

The part of all of this that makes me most proud is not any of the dealing or building or planning. We made a leap of faith in taking on this project. At different times I wondered if all the snags we encountered were signs to stop and go a different direction. My family was, however, resolute. They would remind me that we knew it would not be easy and that the right thing seldom is. They would say we will just appreciate it more when we are done. I am proud of this family. They have trusted me and reminded me what all of this work is for. The mill is now open. It opened on the first day after Easter. It is another new beginning for our family.

Uncategorized | admin | April 6, 2010 7:54 pm

4 Comments

By Doug T., April 13, 2010 @ 10:18 am

Congrats, Paul and family!
We need this local resource, and our “foodshed” is better off with your mill here.
I look forward to eating good chickens raised on good locally milled, non soy-corn-gmo feed!
By Erin, April 14, 2010 @ 10:18 pm

Congratulations! I’ve been so excited for you and your family as you’ve made this journey. I’m still trying to get to the western side of the state to be one of your customers, but in the meantime, I’m still following along.
By Denise Kinsley, May 11, 2010 @ 11:02 am

Kudos on setting up your mill! Came here via Bruce’s blog and hope to order a few chickens from you. I like that they are available unfrozen; other pastured poultry sources I’ve found require you to purchase already frozen birds. Looking forward to reading more farm news on your blog.
By Christian, May 13, 2010 @ 12:30 pm

Very interesting and a great success story for local farms. I was wondering if you might be able to go into some more detail as to how your mill operates, was it something that needed substantial fabrication or already existed? Capacity, etc whatever you’re willing to share, thanks again!