Sunday, January 27, 2013

13JAN27

Greetings from Baker Heritage Farms;

Monday David had the opportunity to burn a brush pile that was on one of the production plots. While the pile was burning, he was able to put in all of the T-posts we had on hand. Time to buy more posts, T-posts and two gates so we can get our fence up.

Thursday we were visited by representatives from the Natural Conservation Service. We provided them with a tour of the farm and they looked at where we are considering building a hoop house.

Also on Thursday, the John Deere 5103 was picked up by the Dealer for it's annual service.

Due to other commitments, we were unable to do any other work on the farm this week.

Until next week,

Blessings from Baker Heritage Farms

"You don't get to choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them." Desmond Tutu

Sunday, January 20, 2013

13JAN20

Greetings from Baker Heritage Farms;

Another slow week on the farm.

Debbie was accepted into the 2013 Oklahoma Beginning Farmer and Rancher Program Horticulture track and her first class was Saturday; however, as she is out of town for an extended period, David attended on her behalf. This is the same program Donald attended in 2012 and that David has applied for (though he has applied for the Livestock track) and hopes to enter in 2014.

The purpose of the BFR Program is to assist beginning farmers and ranchers with training, resources, and mentoring. The goals of the program include developing successful agriculture enterprises, operating financially viable farms, and being good stewards of the land.

The program provides an in-depth, year-long training course at the Kerr Center with instruction in business and whole farm planning. The program is provided under a grant from the USDA and is sponsored by the Kerr Center, Mvskoke Food Sovereignty Initiative, the Rural Smallholder Association; Oklahoma State University Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, and  the Oklahoma Farmers & Ranchers Association.

The program includes Enterprise Development, Business Plans & Budgets, Record Keeping, Whole Farm Planning, Goal Setting, and Intro to Marketing. In addition, the Horticultural track includes Planning, Acquisition of Supplies, Ground Preparation, Fertilization, Compost and Compost Tea, Biochar, Vermicomposting, Organic Compliance, Grazing versus mowing, Variety Selection, Irrigation, Weed Management, Insect and Disease Management, Harvest and Post-Harvest Management, Equipment Maintenance, and Marketing.

It is a very comprehensive training program and the learning continues even after the program ends. Donald is still reviewing what he learned and apply that knowledge to the farm as we build it.

For more information you can go to: http://www.kerrcenter.com/beginning-farmer/index.html

Donald spent Saturday morning putting more fence posts in around the production fields.

Putting in Fence Posts
As soon as we can, we will be placing our first seed order, as well as an order for our seed bed equipment for planting seeds for later transplant.

For now,

Blessings from Baker Heritage Farms

"Family means no one gets left behind or forgotten" David Ogden Stiers

Sunday, January 13, 2013

13JAN13

Greetings from Baker Heritage Farms;

It is a New Year and Baker Heritage Farms is hoping for a good farming year.

Debbie and Donald have been "off the farm" for the past week and a half, and Debbie will be away from the farm until probably mid-February, so David has been left to manage the operation. Due to weather there has not been a lot to do.

The seeder and sprayer were delivered and David assembled both. Once the weather clears we will put the Fish Powder down on plots 1D and re-till plots 1D, 1B and 2C. We will also be ordering Cabbage, Onion, Carrot, and Lettuce seed for direct seeding and Tomato and Pepper seed for seed beds. Donald and David set up the first seed bed table in the barn this past weekend and all that needs to be added are the lights and seed trays.

While most people have tax filing deadlines to deal with the first of the year, many farmers have additional paperwork that needs to be completed. If you are a backyard farmer, you will not have to deal with paperwork, except for preparing seed, supply, and equipment orders for the planting season. Those who have small acreage farms may have additional paperwork.

Baker Heritage Farms maintains an Agricultural Exemption Permit with the Oklahoma Tax Commission. In Oklahoma, you must have at least 20 acres and be involved in farming operations in order to qualify for the permit. Periodically we receive a U.S. Census of Agriculture form that must be completed. It is embarrassing this year as we only had 1/2 acre in production, and the crops were not even market crops; however, we still need to complete the form. As the form is quite extensive, Donald is still working on it (it also requires financial information that is not yet compiled for 2012).

In addition, Baker Heritage Farms is registered with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and forms need to be filed annually. Again, Donald is currently working on this form and will need to go to the local NRCS office to complete and file it.

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service is an excellent resource for farming of any size. You can review their services on the internet at: www.nrcs.usda.gov.

While the farm has been neglected the past several weeks, it has not been forgotten, and work goes on.

Until next week,

Blessings from Baker Heritage Farms

"It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all seeds on earth ..." Mark 4:31