Sold the oats. Got a check from the co-op. First money I’ve made farming. After paying for the combine and fuel I wonder what’ll remain.

This leads to a simple conclusion: commodity farming when you don’t have (or really want) commodity equipment isn’t practical. That’s OK. I wasn’t really thinking corn and beans on 25 tillable acres. Nope. Gotta go for some higher value products. CSA maybe, perennial fruits, or . . .

But here’s the rub: so far, most of the folks I’ve met who are into smaller-scale sustainable agriculture are thinking 2 to 10 acres – not 55 (or 25 tillable). So where will I find the right farmer who can create a workable, sustainable vision for this farm? I don’t know, but I’m going to keep looking!