Kinsale?

[joemac]

I'm eying a building lot in Kinsale, I believe the development is called Kinsale Creek off of Cople Highway. What is Kinsale like? Is the area mostly rural? What's the biggest industry there? Trying to get a feel for the town. I plan to check it out in person in the next few weeks.

 

[maesy]

It's gorgeous down here. It's heaven on earth. We're rural. alot like what SoMd used to be like. We have watermen and farmers. timber is also good.

AND we have lots of retired come-heres that want golf-course or waterfront lots on the "rivah"...that move down and compain about the lack of high-speed and then get involved in local politics and think we need to change...yada yada yada...if you're THAT way i would never ever suggest moving down here

that being said, I do absolutely LOVE it here and wouldn't leave if you paid me.

 

[joemac]

I'd be one of the farmers, I'm looking to start a small livestock operation. I like it rural although lack of high speed would hurt my feelings.

 

[mbz300sdl]

I'd be one of the farmers, I'm looking to start a small livestock operation. I like it rural although lack of high speed would hurt my feelings.

http://www.hughesnet.com/

Should solve that problem.

 

[maesy]

ohh exciting! what kind of livestock?

 

[joemac]

Looking to start out with pastured broilers (meat chickens), with pastured layers and pastured rabbits at the same location. Then adding pastured beeves and forest finished swine later, probably at a different location. I also have some interest in fiber animals, in particular alpacas and merino sheep but I think alpacas are in a bubble right now. There is no way to economically justify a $10K female alpaca. I also want to start some type of market garden/community supported agriculture operation. I'm also starting beekeeping this year so I will have a decent sized apiary as well. Have to diversify and all of this will hedge against economic calamity.

Don't get me wrong, these are longer term goals. I'm majoring in agri economics/farm and ranch management so I have at least three more years of college but want to get something small started now.

 

[maesy]

that is AWESOME! oh my gosh, you're sooo more than welcome to move down here!

i like my cows and hogs. don't think i could justify 10k on an alpaca.

Where do you go to school?

 

[joemac]

I'm at the local CC across the river. College of Southern Maryland, right now I'm working on an associates degree in management development, which is like a cross between small business admin and entrepreneurship. I'd really love to get into Virginia Tech to finish out in agri econ but I hear it's really hard to get in there. The other schools on my short list are out west but I have also found a couple decent programs that have all the coursework online.

So I have to make a decision on do I get my ag operation started around here sooner and finish my course work online and get less hands on learning experience. Or do I get more hands on experience by attending campus courses but have to wait on starting something. I'm not fresh out of high school either. I'm in my late twenties and married but no kids. I was working for an HVAC company for about 7 years but my calling to work in ag was too strong. Life is too short not to follow at least what you think you want IMHO.

 

[maesy]

I went to VT last semester; I was in the Dairy Science program (I went to nursing school first but I reckon you could say I had a calling to ag also) but I didn't like how much the government is involved with agriculture. I don't like confined animal operations, I don't want to feed my cows feather meal or poultry litter either. and I felt like BIG ag was all VT was interested in. I left.

I came home to the NNK and bought my first Jersey milking cow and I'm just winging it. I'm not out to make a living off farming so I cannot make any good suggestions. I just thought I'd let you know how my experience went.

 

[joemac]

Wow, thanks for the heads up on VT. I still have six or eight months to decide if I want to just stay in an entrepreneurship field, which I think is probably best but wanted some hands on stuff too.

I was reading some kind of blurb about a school out west where a guy said something like cows should eat grass and was not only passed over for a big promotion but I think in the end let go completely.

I totally agree that I don't want my cows eating animal parts. There is a growing contingent that doesn't either. I plan to get a smaller cow that is very hardy, calves well and browses. I like the southern pineywoods cattle right now.

My biggest problem is going to be land. I am nowhere close to buying enough land to support the size venture I want. I will be forced to lease land in the short term but it may work out good because most farmers and land owners don't see the returns that grazers do, I think in my area it rents for about $150 an acre a year. I am still learning but if you rotational graze you can get your expenses mighty low.

 

[maesy]

yes, you can! Joel Salatin HAS GREAT books on grazing and farming..I love him. you should see if your library has Salad Bar Beef and read it! down here farm land rents for 45an acre/per year for small grains and that kind of thing.

I'm working on saving my money for land also...but i'm blessed to have parents with some land I can keep my cow on and get to milking soon

what size was the place in kinsale? there is lots of land around here...you need to get yourself a real estate review for the NNK

 

[joemac]

Yea, Joel is one of my biggest motivators. I have skimmed his you can farm book but plan to get a pile of grazing books.

Wow, $45 an acre is cheap. I may be wrong about my area then. If I could find some for that price I would be ready to buy stock.

I have my eye on a four acre parcel that we can reasonably afford, I'd say two are in pasture. It's a start but not as much as I'm looking for. I'm not sure exactly where it is but it is close to some type of big industrial looking operation that I couldn't tell what it was. The development I think is called Kinsale Creek and has a restaurant or bar right across from it. They have a twenty acre wooded parcel too but without the property producing an income it would be a stretch right now. It would take a few months to get some return.

 

[maesy]

awww shoot..I know you can find something WAY cheaper than a what a couple acres in a development must be going for...and find something not in a development...

 

[joemac]

Yea, I'm not sure where to start over there. I just saw this on craigslist and it was owner financing was the only reason I was considering it.