From the Field
The Fincabout Blog
Stories from the soil, science behind the seeds, and hard-won wisdom from farmers who've been there. Grab your coffee and dig in.
Raising Pigs for Beginners: Setup, Feed, and Health
Thinking about pigs for your farm or homestead? This beginner guide covers shelter, fencing, feed, sourcing feeder pigs, health checks, processing plans, and the setup details to finish your first season with fewer surprises.
Choosing and Training Livestock Guardian Dogs
Livestock guardian dogs can be powerful predator deterrents, but they are not plug-and-play farm equipment. Learn how to choose the right LGD, set up your farm, and manage common problems before they cost you livestock or neighbor goodwill.
Beekeeping for Pollination: Hive Placement, Crop Timing, and Basic Care
Managed honey bees can improve pollination for many fruit, nut, berry, vegetable, and seed crops, but they are not the answer for every farm. This practical guide explains when hives are worth it, where to place them, how to time them with bloom, and how to protect both honey bees and wild pollinators.
Small Farm Feed Planning for Hay and Pasture
Good feed planning keeps livestock healthy, protects your pasture, and helps you avoid panic hay buying when weather turns against you. Here is a practical way to estimate dry matter needs, winter hay, pasture contribution, feed waste, reserves, and runout dates for a small farm.
Raising Goats for Beginners: Shelter, Feed & Fencing
Goats can be a fine fit for a small farm or homestead, but they need more planning than many beginners expect. This guide walks through the first setup: choosing goats, shelter, fencing, feeding, quarantine, health care, and what to have ready before bringing goats home.
Pasture Renovation Guide: Reseeding, Weeds, and Fertility
Good pasture renovation starts with diagnosis, not a seed bag. Learn how to assess soil, choose the right reseeding method, control weeds, protect new seedlings, and keep your grazing ground productive year after year.
Livestock Water Systems: Practical Planning Guide
A good livestock water system is more than a trough in the corner of a field. This guide walks through water needs, source selection, trough placement, pumps, pipes, mud control, and backup planning so your animals have clean water where they need it.
Chicken Coop Design: Space, Ventilation, and Predator Protection
Good chicken coop design starts with the flock you actually plan to manage, not a pretty picture from the internet. This guide walks through space, airflow, roosts, nest boxes, cleaning, and predator protection so you can build a coop that works in real farm life.
Small Farm Biosecurity Plan: Quarantine Basics
A practical biosecurity plan does not have to be fancy or expensive. With a few clear rules for quarantine, visitors, chores, wildlife, and cleaning, small farms can help reduce the chance of disease reaching their animals.
Farm Fencing Guide: Materials, Layouts, and Livestock Tips
A practical farm fencing guide for matching fence materials and layouts to cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, horses, poultry, alpacas, and guardian animals. Plan perimeter fences, cross-fencing, gates, water access, predator protection, and a realistic budget before animals arrive.
Silvopasture: Combining Trees, Pasture, and Livestock
A complete guide to silvopasture design, tree-pasture integration, livestock management among trees, and the economics of this triple-output system.
The Real Cost of Raising Your Own Meat vs Buying It
A detailed cost breakdown comparing raising your own chickens, pigs, and cattle versus buying meat at retail -- with real numbers and hidden costs.