Portage River Farm
Notes on our struggles and successes on our family farm in rural Michigan.
(Pinckney, Michigan)
09 Apr Thu 2009
Racing The Flock And The Clock
It is characteristic of me to put myself in challenging situations by taking on massive tasks, especially ones that involve a tight deadline. Over the years I have completed countless projects by cramming the work into long sessions that go late into the night. The projects involved in getting this farm going are proving to be no different.
As you can see, the seedlings are up and well on their way. Soon they will be demanding a more spacious home in a well-tilled garde
n somewhere. I would be happy to accommodate those wishes if only I can manage to swing the purchase of the tractor in time. As well, a visit to our farm calendar will show that there are a number of crops that should have been planted already!
n somewhere. I would be happy to accommodate those wishes if only I can manage to swing the purchase of the tractor in time. As well, a visit to our farm calendar will show that there are a number of crops that should have been planted already!
In the same way, the brood boxes are getting increasingly crowded as the chicks eat their way to maturity at an alarmingly rapid pace. They are beginning to squabble and fuss more and more. I'm sure it is due to the crowded conditions. If I don't manage to get a coop built soon, I may have to resort to creating larger temporary accommodations for them.
Luckily I have the day off today and getting a start on the coop is high on my list. I spent time yesterday having a very helpful discussion with our local extension agent about chicken rearing and got some additional helpful hints from the Michigan Department of Agriculture office. This morning, I hope to have one final conversation with the organic certification agency to make sure I don't include any prohibited materials in my coop construction. Once that is complete, it will be time to break ground and get the project underway!
John_3
12:00 AM EDT
Making It Official
A portion of the last two days has been spent filling out paperwork and setting things up so that our farm can officially be declared a business. As of today, Portage River Farm is registered with the State of Michigan and the IRS as a member directed Limited Liability Corporation. Janet and I are now owners and officers of that corporation and she generously allowed me to be the President! Gee, I feel so important!
My first official act from my high seat of power was to open up a business checking account for the farm and get a credit card for purchasing our materials and supplies. This will greatly simplify our bookkeeping since up to now it has all been mixed in with our personal finances and I've had to separate it out onto a ledger each month.
On behalf of the farm, I also applied for a business loan for the tractor and implements we are interested in buying. We should have the answer tomorrow. I'm not very confident that we will get approved because the business itself hasn't established any credit with the bank but the banker seemed to think it would be ok. It was a little odd to answer questions on the application such as filling in the farm's projected net profit for the year of $0.00! I'm sure that will get the underwriters excited...not!
My first official act from my high seat of power was to open up a business checking account for the farm and get a credit card for purchasing our materials and supplies. This will greatly simplify our bookkeeping since up to now it has all been mixed in with our personal finances and I've had to separate it out onto a ledger each month.
On behalf of the farm, I also applied for a business loan for the tractor and implements we are interested in buying. We should have the answer tomorrow. I'm not very confident that we will get approved because the business itself hasn't established any credit with the bank but the banker seemed to think it would be ok. It was a little odd to answer questions on the application such as filling in the farm's projected net profit for the year of $0.00! I'm sure that will get the underwriters excited...not!
John_3
12:00 AM EDT