Why I Left Agriculture & Closed the Farm

Narrated in the video:
I wanted to talk a little today about my agriculture business or mini farm that I recently closed down and why I did it.
Anyone who has any experience in Ag, large or small. Knows how incredibly difficult it is to be in the business. You are either fighting weather for your crops or you’re raising animals that fight every fence or die for no reason at all. You are trying to sell seed to farmers that just don’t know how they’ll afford it this year or you’re running a tractor on fumes, just one more round. Every corner of the business is tough.
There is no limit on the heavy factors that come in the farm and ranch business.
In 2019, I started a small poultry operation. Beaver Creek Acres, I called it. It did not feel worthy of the names, “farm or ranch”, with only 5 acres and 10 turkey poults. But “Acres” would do.
My plan was to provide people in my community with pastured raised turkeys for Thanksgiving and then eventually chicken as well.
I LOVED raising those little birds and giving them the best life that I could until their last day. Turkeys enjoy dying for no reason at a young age then are impossible to kill as an adult. They tested my patience and sorrows all the time.
When November came around, we butchered some ourselves but as it got bigger, in a year or so, we took them to a professional butcher.
When the turkeys were doing decently for how small of an operation I had going, I talked Levi into letting me add pork to the business. Pastured pork and poultry would be my main avenues. Someday, I wanted to add beef after more land could be bought.
Everything went pretty well. It was hard to work full time and deal with the livestock and everything that came with them. Fixing a fence after finding loose pigs after a full day at an office could be tiring. At a point, I quit working and focused on the farm. Living the dream, or so I originally thought.
And as the old saying goes, if you have livestock, you will also have dead stock.
But, What it really came down to was covid. In 2020, COVID sent prices of everything through the roof. Feed prices went up, and gas prices did go down for a while but not forever.
A big problem came when butchers became too busy to be booked in a reasonable amount of time. Everyone freaked out when the grocery stores were empty and took in their animals for the butcher. On top of that, if employees got COVID, the butcher became even more backed up!
I ended up scheduling butcher dates for months after I needed them and even booked one butcher that was 4 hours away from us for pork. I broke down and booked dates for livestock that had not even been born yet.
I got in for turkeys by the skin of my teeth and this continued to go on.
The day that I had to trailer pigs 4 hours for their butcher date was the straw that broke the camel's back.
My prices were no longer paying for the feed and slaughter costs, let alone the fencing needs and hopes to save for more land. I couldn’t justify raising my prices to match the inflation.
My customers were too few to bring them back in for the next batch if I doubled and who in their right mind was paying money for luxury meats during a crisis anyway?
So, I decided that was the last. I would keep some poultry for my own eggs and Thanksgiving meals but that was it. The day we tore down the pig pen was honestly the best and worst day of my time in the business. It is hard to describe the relief of no longer constantly being out of money while also the dread of missing having the livestock around.
The pigs had been my favorite and always had the best personalities. Saying, “no more”, was tough.
By 2021, my little farm, Beaver Creek Acres, was no more.
By the end of 2021, we had even sold all the poultry and remaining livestock equipment in order to sell our house and move into the camper for a minimalist lifestyle.
We sold the house in July of 2022 and while we love the camper, it is always hard to walk past the chicks at the feed store. I miss my livestock every day and it was a hard decision to walk away from it all.
However, I do not regret the decision. I think that if something is hurting you too badly financially, it is the responsible thing to do to back out of it. Even if that’s the last thing you want to do.
I said it before and I will say it again, Agriculture is a very hard business to be in, no matter how big or small. Especially these days. With fuel prices the way they are, feed staying high, and building materials outrageous. I have the utmost respect for everyone hanging in there through it all.
Someday, we will probably have livestock again, But I’d guess that it will be mainly for feeding ourselves as we have ridden the horse of selling and it just doesn’t feel feasible again. At least, not anytime soon.
If you’re hanging in there, good for you! If you’re considering backing out, know that you’re not alone. If you’re buying meat or wheat or soy today, Thank a farmer or rancher. They deserve it.

[@johnyb9884]

We’ll written. You made correct decision. Covid was a pivotal time for everyone

[@JamesCouch777]

I was raised on a farm and my wife and I bought 211 acres when we were in our 50's. It finally got too much and we now live on a little 42 acre farm and we are in our 70's. Yes, farming is hard. We were in the beef business and covid put us out of business as the processing dates were 2 years out. Prayers for you on your journey.

[@debo4706]

Thank you Becca for the back story . What did Levi do for work ,before you moved to Alaska ? If this is to personal just ignore . Can’t wait to see you and Levi build your house.

[@rachaelsupadventures]

Hey Becca! We use to have backyard chickens and ducks. I loved them but they were all killed by neighboring dogs or Raccoons and I live in the city currently.

[@cathyjones3403]

Covid was the most horrible thing I’ve ever experienced