Our two Hereford cows acclimated very well to their new environment. They found a place in the herd easily. Not only that, but they added two new cows to the herd in early winter. One of which was a bull, and one a heifer. The heifer was born first and is now getting much bigger, putting on plenty of weight. We already banded the bull, so he is now a steer and is often refered to as "Sir loin". The future is bright for GVR! 

 - Jesse

After a long period of anxious waiting, we finally acquired our first animals. Through a good friend in southern Oklahoma, we were able to purchase two heavy-bred Hereford cows. For those unfamiliar with cattle, you might not know what the term "heavy bred" means. Well, I’m here to explain.

"Heavy bred" refers to cows that have been bred and are nearing the end of their pregnancy. In other words, they are VERY pregnant. Before the cows enter the sale barn for bidding, they are typically "preg checked" to determine how far along they are (or if they’re pregnant at all). Generally, these cows sell for a premium due to the added value of the unborn calf. Yes, that's right, farmers consider unborn calves as living beings, and we’ll pay a premium for them. Perhaps society could take a hint from those who work with real, living animals about the value of life.

I had been waiting for these cows for a couple of months, but none came through the sale barn until these two. After my best friend brought them up from the border, we had a quick lunch, retagged them, and sent them out onto the property.

Last week, my wife and I checked in on them and brought them some molasses cubes. These are some of the gentlest cows I’ve ever seen. They’ll come right up to you. It’s incredible to witness God’s creation so up-close-and-personal. I love those cows, and soon, about three months from now, God willing, we’ll have two new calves, effectively doubling our herd. 

 - Jesse

On the last day of June, I had an epiphany: Why don’t small, non-scalable yet sustainable farms exist across the United States? When did we stray from the good old American dream? It didn't happen overnight, but I believe I have a good answer to those questions.

You see, the small-scale farming operation doesn't fit the mold of "high-growth, high-reward" investors or even entrepreneurs. In fact, small-scale farming is not practical, at least from a business standpoint.

For example, imagine you have 5 acres of land. You buy 100 feeder pigs in March and sell them in September with a 5% profit margin. What's your next course of action? Buy 200 pigs the next year in March and repeat the process, expecting a higher profit margin due to your scaling of operation, right? But what happens when you run out of land? This is the key issue with farming's "marketability" as a business: capped growth. In theory, you could buy more land, take on debt, and increase cash flow with more animals, but ultimately, you face the same problem when you run out of space. So theoretically, you can grow, but it always requires more land—whether you buy or lease it.

So, how and why do you run a small-scale sustainable farm? The "how" is the very question I seek to answer as we begin our journey into farming. The "why" is easily answered: We are passionate about sustainable farm life, animals, and God's living creation. We seek to reconnect with it on a more fundamental level, as humankind was designed to.

 - Jesse