About Us
About a year ago we purchased an 87 acre parcel of land to start our dream farm on. We intended to build a small homestead for the function of providing for ourselves, but it didn't take long to take on bigger dreams of a legitimate farm that provides for the community, not just ourselves. We sunk all our savings and even cashed out our retirement to start the infrastructure of the farm. We have accomplished a lot in a year. But we have so much more we want to do!
Here at Olde Haven Farm, we believe in knowing where our food comes from. We believe that our animals deserve a happy healthy life with the ability to do what comes natural to them. Chickens forage for bugs in the fields. Sheep graze on lush green pastures with the goats near by. Ducks have access to ponds any time they want. We also believe in using the resources that our land provides for us, and being good stewards of our land. We do not want to destroy the land but build it up, improving soil, trees, and fields. We practice rotational grazing to allow land to recover from animals and to provide the animals with the best grazing and nutrition available.
Why you should care
The number of farmers in America keeps declining and the farmers that are left are getting older. The average age for a farmer in the US is 58.3 (2012 Census statistics). That number has continually risen over the past 30 years. While it may seem like farming is trendy right now, the statistics show that the number of new farmers dropped 20% from 2007. It’s not clear what contributes most to the lack of younger farmers. Perhaps it’s the notion of hard work that scares people, or how difficult it seems to be to make a profit off a farm, or maybe it has more to do with the big farming corporations that exist today. But unless younger people get involved in farming, we risk losing farms all together.
Project Hay
We have a hay shortage in our area right now. People just can't find the hay they need. Suppliers and farmers alike are sold out of what they can provide to others. And hay is such a vital resource to any farmer with animals. We have heard many stories of farmers having to downsize herds simply because they cannot find the hay they need to get through the winter months.
Our plan all along has been to do our own haying. We have purchased all the equipment we need. Right now we have just been cutting a smaller front field. But we have dreams of getting a larger 20 acre hayfield in the our back field up and running.
This is a picture of our back field right now:
It needs to be destumped (which will require renting an excavator and/or bulldozer) and cleaned up, then plowed, fertilized and seeded to create a 20 acre field that we can hay. The hay field is our top priority right now so we can provide hay for our animals during the winter months as well as provide hay for the community.
Costs:
Equipment Rental/Fuel Costs $3000
Manure $2000
Lime $3000
Seed $4000
Project Raise The Barn
We have slowly been building a new barn to house animals and store hay. This is exactly where we are at right now:
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The roof is on, and we have started the framing on the back.
We want to be very honest about this, we do already have a bunch of the materials for the framing and we plan on siding with wood cut and milled from our own lot. So while we still need to do a lot of work, a lot of the materials are already taken care of. But things add up so fast, here's what we still need to finish the barn:
Costs:
Screws & Hardware $1000
Additional framing materials $1000
Gravel $1000
Equipment Rental (for grading) $500
A Helping Hand priceless.
Project Paddocks A'Plenty
Here at Olde Haven Farm we believe in rotational grazing. We have sheep and goats in one fenced in paddock for a time, then before the paddock gets overgrazed we move them to the next paddock. We'd like to add at least 3 more fenced in paddocks for our sheep and goats.
An example of our current paddocks:
And this is an area that we would like to create paddocks in:
Simple as that.
Costs:
Fence Posts $1500
Field Fencing $2000
Gates (4) $600
Project Hog Alley
We've already talked about how we like rotational grazing, well it's even more important for us with our pigs. We raise our pigs in a wooded part of our land. We have paddocks to rotate the pigs through because pigs can be wonderful for the ground, but let's face it, they can also do a lot of damage if kept too long in one area.
We want to have a path that that goes pretty far back that is just lined with pig paddocks on each side of it. We've got a few already, but we are hoping for at least 10 more paddocks! That may sound like a lot, but like I said, pigs can do damage if they stay in the same place too long. Plus we have noticed that they love being able to explore new areas.
Costs:
Fence Posts $2000
Wire $400
Insulators $1000
Gates (11) $1100
Shelter Hardware & Roofing $1600
Project Water System
We currently do all of our watering by hand, meaning we carry buckets and buckets of water down the hill, and have hoses strung all over the place. Which in the Summer months may not seem that bad...we are getting good exercise, right? But as things freeze, watering seems to become this impossible task. We are lucky enough to have a well already dug right beside our new barn. But we need to set up a system to get the water out of the well and to the animals that need it. That will involve building a small well house that can be kept above freezing in the Winter that will contain the pump and equipment for a running water system.
Because of Maine's severe Winters, the piping to the paddocks must be installed a minimum of 4 feet deep to avoid freezing. We have a small backhoe attachment for our tractor but we still need to get a power beyond that will adapt the hydraulics of the tractor to operate the backhoe. Unfortunately that is not a cheap piece. Parts and labor, we are told, will be around $1000. So you will see that listed in the costs.
Costs:
Well House materials $2000
Pump and Piping $5000
Tractor Modifications $1000
Who should contribute
We want people to contribute to this campaign because they are passionate about farms or our personal farm values. We want to reach those people who can be excited about providing more space for sheep grazing, who love hearing of chickens that run all over the farm instead of being cooped up in small spaces, and who enjoy hearing of farmers who value the land and the soil as much as the animals. You can be a part of this farm, even if you never step foot on it. But for some, you just want to support our family, and we thank you for that as well (even if you think we may be a little crazy). We are dreaming big, and you can be a part of that. Thank you!
Other Ways You Can Help
If you cannot give money at this time, there are other ways to help out! If you are local, we have many jobs around the farm you could give us a helping hand with. But if you are not local, there is one important way you can help: you can help spread the news of this campaign. Tell your friends who may be interested. Share the link on Facebook. I cannot even express how thankful we are for you sharing about our farm. That is what is going to get the farm up and running.
**Another way to help:
Christmas week, somebody came in and stole over $5000 worth of tools. Tools we need. We can't continue progress on the barn or much of anything else without our tools. We've had a request to put up a list of tools on Amazon, and if people want to buy a tool instead of give to the campaign, that would be welcomed as well. Unfortunately, the thieves stole high end tools, so they are not cheap pieces, even the batteries are expensive. And not all of the tools are on Amazon. But, you can view some of the tools on the amazon wish list here:
We are so excited to be able to give you updates about our farm through the campaign and on our farm Facebook page. I hope for lots of updates to give.
Update:
The shirt and mug will have something like this on them for design:
