Friday, February 02, 2007

Tax time!
I wish they'd go to a fair tax, or consumption tax or something. It certainly would make this time of year far easier. But likely put an industry of accountants out of business. Every year it gets a little more complicated. We bought a house in 2000, had a baby in 2001, bought another house and converted the first into a rental in 2003, had another baby in 2004, started a home-based business in 2005, sold the rental in 2006, and this year might add some 'farming' income. I am almost an expert in schedules A, C, D, E; might have to learn F next year. While the piles of paperwork (yes, I'm too cheap and untrusting to turn it over to someone who knows what they're doing - besides, the hard part is assembling the data in the first place, which I'd have to do even with an accountant) are 'taxing', my dilemma over the 'pasture' continues. We got rid of the renters and their horses, around the beginning of the year. I don't expect to see December's rent ever. But now we have to figure out just what we are doing. Looking into a k-line system kept me busy for a while, but since looking at the costs of the pump, the power pole, the hole to put said pole in, and the transformer, I don't think it'll be a project for this year. Which leaves us with the gravity irrigation for now. But we need to have SOMETHING on the land, to get the nutrient-cycle going. I thought 2 pigs might be nice to clear the little locust trees out, but it may take them several years to accomplish the task on the entire acreage. Perhaps I will borrow some cows. Or pasture 1000 chickens. Which leaves me trying to figure out what to do with 1000 chickens, to say nothing of the processing. We did buy an old Ford 8N tractor last week with a front-end loader and a rear scraper blade. We're getting a disc from a friend as soon as the ground thaws enough to release it. That may help take care of the weeds a bit, and keep the driveway driveable. I've been poring over half a dozen seed catalogues. I really like this one, but this one is nice too. Both have decent prices, for seeds and shipping. Burpee is a little more expensive. But they have a few things I can't resist too. I need to find a rototiller attachment for the tractor if I want to prep the garden I want without it taking a month.
Do I have it in me? I am fairly adept at many things, but not really expert at anything. I have many interests and passions, but am I passionate enough to stick with this, to see it through? Perhaps that depends on my goal. Am I in this to make a financially successful farm? Am I in this for a hobby, to provide clean food for only my family's table? It's hard to decide. I don't know that there is enough of me to caretake the house, cook, raise kids, educate kids, raise the garden and animals, caretake the pasture, etc. and make it pay. There may not be enough of me to even make it happen, let alone 'pay'. :)

1 comment:

Walter Jeffries said...

Aye! We hear you and agree. A flat tax above some minimum and/or a consumption (sales) tax would make much more sense than our Byzantine system which is specifically designed to be complex so that people can hire experts to weave their way through the tax code. Unfortunately, the people in power have too much vested interest in keeping it the way it is as well as making it even more complex.

Over on my Sugar Mountain Farm blog on the Piglet Interventions post you asked about sibling pigs and early pregnancy.

I'm not sure of the answers. I've read that gilts should be up to a good condition, 250 lbs and 7 months old in their second heat before breeding. But, I've had several gilts who bred at five months, had excellent litters (10 piglets), were good mothers and continued to grow themselves.

Mouse is my most prominent example - so named not because of her size but rather because of the Mickey Mouse birth mark on her right butt cheek and her left shoulder. If Disney gets upset about her using their trademarked symbol they'll have to take it up with her. Mouse of Little Pig, also not diminitive, bred at 4 months, an early accident. She's probably 600 to 700 lbs now and a fine sow.

So, if you keep them together there is a good chance of early breeding. Is that a problem. I don't know - I'm still watching on that question.

Now, inbreeding is a whole 'nother question and there is a fair bit of research on this as well as mathematics. At least for one generation it is apparently not an issue from what I have read for terminal line pigs. I would cull heavily, that is send to butcher, any resulting piglets who were not ideal rather than keeping them for breeding. But then that is always the case whether you are inbreeding, line breeding, crossbreeding or otherwise. You always want to cull towards your ideal.

Cheers,

-Walter