Join Spence the Fighting Farmer for weekly episodes giving an honest peak behind the scenes at Across the Creek Farm, a first-generation full-time sustainable pastured poultry farm located in the hill & hollers of NW Arkansas that Spence started after coming home from war.
We're still here! MIke joins Spence & they catch up. There's been a lot going on since our last recording in June (!). We talk about the CFAP 2. If you're an independent poultry farmer, there's money you can apply for to make up for Covid losses. Thanks for listening!
We're moving on up pluckerwise at Across the Creek Farm. We need to upgraded our plucker & luckily we know a guy (hint: it's Mike). We also catch up with Mike about his new tractor, and catch up about goings on here at the farm.
We got some big news here at Across the Creek Farm, even as we adjust to life in these crazy pandemic times. Mike & Spence catch up & Spence shares the big news & the story behind it. We had some internet issues in this episode, so we apologize for any sound quality issues Got a question or comment? Shoot us an email at fightingfarmerspence@gmail.com
It's been awhile & since the last episode & the pandemic has popped up. Things have changed very quickly on the farm & the we've had to pivot - no restaurant sales but the online delivery site is booming. We start off with an update on Mike's cotton patch goose hatching project & it's time for the springtime pullet run plus more! We had some internet issues...so apologize for any gaps. Got a question - email us at fightingfarmerspence@gmail.com
It's been a minute. Spence & Mike are back after a rest & catch up what's been going on. The USDA's made some puzzling choices over the term pasture-raised, we've been putting up fence, basketball ended with a bang, we had a bad coyote attack on our goat herd, are finalists for a goose grant, and are taking a break from the piggies. Thanks for listening. Leave us a review if you get a chance.
Mike updates us on his geese empire & Spence is getting the goose fever - who knows maybe the holler will be a honking in 2020! In other news, there's been a series of run ins with "animal rights" people among our friends in the pasture poultry & independent farm community, including at our own farm with a local cat-lady. Spence talks about it - it's a little looney - and how he handled it for better or worse. Give us a review or shoot us an email at fightingfarmerspence@gmail.com.
Spence recaps attending a Farmer Veteran Conference in Austin, TX & so unexpected connections made with the Active Duty Army there. We talk about the new APPPA pasture raised turkey video, and Mike's foray into preserving a rare American goose breed. Got a question or comment? Hit us up at fightingfarmerspence@gmail.com
Our online store is off the ground! Across the Creek Farm needed an way to reach retail customers - so Spence (yes...Spence) built a online store/delivery service using a farmer designed platform, Grazecart. There's other options available - we discuss. Feel free to leave us an itunes or other review or shoot Spence an email at fightingfarmerspence@gmail.com with any questions.
It's been a minute, but we're still chugging along here at the farm. As we cross into fall, Spence gives an update about how things are going - a farm delivery service using Grazecart nears, hay is in, chickens are in short supply when a month ago we were worried about a surplus, and Spence details the great turkey disaster of 2019 (thanks USPS)...Mike's mic was out, so it's pretty much all Spence this go around. Thanks for listening!
As summer comes to an end, we've had our first really troublesome predation on our flocks - the culprit: a trash panda of course! But we finally got the profit stealing poultry bandit. Spence & Mike discuss dealing with singular troublesome predators & the importance of staying on top of predation. Note: the cover pic for this episode is the set up that caught the lil' villain
We got bit by the cash flow bug here at ATC Farm recently. Cash flow is a challenge that nearly every for-profit farm has to constantly stay on top of an manage. We didn't and it bit us in a bit of a bind. Spence & Mike talk to us about it.
Our old boar, Wilbur, came to the end of his breeding days recently. What do you do with an intact boar that weighs over 800 lbs? In this episode, Spence talks about the science of boar taint - a potential off-flavoring found in some intact boars & shares how butchering a massive old boar turned out. Like the podcast? Give us a review on your favorite podcast. Got a farming question - shoot it to me at fightingfarmerspence@gmail.com
Got our first cutting of hay in - woot! Spence gives a farm update & then we talk about the wobbles - things that are off in our life that we can't see ourselves and the value of having someone speak into our blind spots whether in farming or life in general.
Time to answer some listener questions! Also, Mike is planting some pumpkins...or should we say punkins. Probably! Got a farming question for Spence - email him at fightingfarmerspence@gmail.com. If you dig the show, feel free to leave us a review.
In the midst of historic flooding locally, we've been faring well. Just busy & a little wet, and our hearts go out to those who've really taken it on the chin. On another note, we had a great crop of baby goats this year - wonderful, especially after the problems of last year. We tried some different things and...they worked! We talk about them on the podcast
We brought in a portable sawmill & cut the oaks we had felled this winter for siding for the store. Spence explains what board & batten siding is, what he's learned about working with green lumber, and talks with Mike about where a small sawmill would fit in the farm's future
Across the nation it's been a crazily wet spring. Spence & Mike chat about the dealing with the wet and Spence goes on tangents going over the advantages of broiler housing that he's seen as well as dealing with the occasional tornados...fun times! Like the Podcast - give us a review! Got a question - shoot us an email at fightingfarmerspence@gmail.com.
Spring has sprung and birds are on pasture! An important principle of pastured poultry is movement for the health of the birds and even more so the pasture. Spence & Mike talk about it, and the increasing faux-pasture fixed models that big companies are using to cash in on demand by the consumer. Thanks for listening! Give us a review or shoot an email w/ any questions at acrossthecreekfarm@gmail.com
Today Spence & Mike kick around selling commercially. Plus, stories about fried chicken & chicken meatballs & polenta at some terrific restaurants. Got a question you'd like answered? Shoot it over to fightingfarmerspence@gmail.com and we'll cover it in a future episode. Give us a rating on your podcasty thing of choice if you get a chance.
Recently a tiny snail went extinct in the Ozarks. It's not the first critter we've lost - with the largest being a huge species of elk and the flashiest being the Carolina Parakeet - a foot tall lime green parrot! Is this something we should concern ourselves with, practically what do we lose? What about the faith aspect. Spence & Mike discuss it.
Despite the cold outside, brooders around the country will be heating up as spring is just around the corner. Today, we talk about heating your chicks in the brooder, sharing our experiences about heat lamps vs brooder jets. Enjoy the podcast? Leave us a review to help others find us. Got a question? Hit us up at fightingfarmerspence@gmail.com
Egg yolk color - always a sign of hens with access to pasture right? Wrong! We talk about it here. Also, first chicks on the farm in 2019! And our first brooder fire... We had some issues with sound quality recording. Apologies. Got a question - shoot me an email @ fightingfarmerspence@gmail.com. Feel free to leave us a review too. Thanks!
Today we talk about quail processing (which is short b/c of a recording glitch), more questions about chicken sausage makin', and a listener asks about our thoughts on troops fighting in questionable wars (yikes).
Hey Folks! We took some time off here in Arkansas & PA to chill with our families, but but like a Jedi Knight we've returned! The last flock of birds went to the processor in mid-Jan - they were huge so we made sausage & discuss the new recipes. Mike talks scrapple, Big Sim won a championship & played in Cowboy Stadium with a cast! The groundwork for the store is started & now we're trying to figure out how to pay for it. Sure is a lot going on - thanks for listening! Got any questions - fightingfarmerspence@gmail.com.
A fancy Xtmas tree from the sky! Where did fall go? Winter's come really really early here in the holler. Mike & Spence talk about getting ready for winter, turkeys, and a lot more in this episode. We hope you had a great Thanksgiving - leave us a review on your favorite podcasting app.
"To everything there is a season & a purpose in heaven, a time to be born & a time to die...a time to kill and a time to heal, a time time to break down and a time to build" Ecclesiastes 3:1-3.
Spence & Mike answer some questions from our listeners. Apparently I was really sleepy when we recorded this - sorry about that! Got a question? Send it to us at fightingfarmerspence@gmail.com. If you got time, leave us a review on iTunes or or your favorite podcasting service - Thanks!
Hints of fall here in the NW Arkansas. On this episode Mike & Spence talk about the trickiness of timing markets and farm production, especially when you first get started. Like the FF Podcast? Feel free to leave us a 5 star review. Got a question you'd like discussed? Hit Spence up at fightingfarmerspence@gmail.com
Wow - that was rough! Stolen & broken equipment galore, Tropical Storm Gordon & hay...it's been a difficult patch on the farm. Just goes with the territory. Mike & Spence also discuss a recent lawsuit to make the USDA stop allowing foreign raised beef, especially grassfed beef, to be labelled as American Grown. It's crazy folks... Spence is a little tired on this one - apologies, but it's been a slobberknocker in the holler lately. Thanks for listening. Feel free to leave us a review on your favorite podcasting thinggy.
Spence here - It's a rainy catch up night, and so I thought I'd record the process as I catch up broilers for slaughter. Hauling your flock to the processor is the last step of production for us pastured poultry farmers, and you can lose quite a bit of money - so in this episode we cover it all - catching, crating, pulling feed, etc. Even if you're not a farmer, you'll get a peek behind the scenes. Feel free to leave us a review on your favorite podcast thinggy of choice. Got a question for us - hit us up at fightingfarmerspence@gmail.com Thanks for listening!
Farming can be a demanding lifestyle - no news flash here. When it's not your spouses calling though, it can create a lot of friction as the farm is going to impact them as well. How do you manage it? In this episode, Spence shares some principles that have emerged over a the past decade that help to build a solid marriage while building a profitable farm. Hope it helps! Give us a review on your favorite podcast place, or shoot us an email at fightingfarmerspence@gmail.com
A field recording of Spence teaching his boys about an easy to identify, and tasty summer & fall mushroom - Chicken of the Woods. After collecting them, the guys move into the kitchen & deliciousness ensues.
In this episode Spence & Mike answer some listener questions. Sorry about the rough audio on Spence's end - it works itself out after the first few minutes. Do you have a question? Email us at fightingfarmerspence@gmail.com.
Chicken farming as we know it is a fairly recent development - but it's older than people think. We take a quick look at the evolution of modern poultry industry - especially focusing on the impacts of the World Wars to set up the growth of modern day chicken farming. A different take - but from a former soldier turned farmer, what do you expect! If you dig the Fighting Farmer, give us a review. If you have any poultry or general farm life questions, shoot us and email at fightingfarmerspence@gmail.com Thanks!
The grind of summer is rolling over farms across the nation. Spence & Mike talk about some season specifc farm observations - from the value of the boys' labor when they're not around, chickens eating horsenettle (!) an prickly, pesky week, and other plants, airsacculitis in broilers, plus troubleshooting a common scalder issue that will sink your operation over time and a whole lot more. Got a question for us? Email fightingfarmerspence@gmail.com
Whew! A broke computer & summertime workload have slowed down the podcast release. We'll be back next week but just wanted to touchbase with ya'll & tell you about Bonus Goat! See you next week!
Most family farms are multi-faceted and rely on multiple enterprises. It's really important that these enterprises work together - and not be discordant. Spence & Mike talk about what that means practically on the farm. Also, we got our first haying is over - but not without the usual hitch! Also, thanks for the kind reviews lately. Want to reach us - email Spence at fightingfarmerspence@gmail.com
What do you do when you saturate your market's demand fo whole birds? We tackle it in this episode - cut ups, hot wings, ground chicken & chicken sausage and more. Also - got the hay cut and we finally got the goats and had a run in with the long arm of the law!
From an bitterly cold start to spring to a ridiculously hot finish of springtime, growers from all across the country are facing late summer temps early. After troubleshooting heat issues with processing customers the past week Spence, with Mike riding shotgun, hit the basics for keeping poultry alive during heatwaves. Especially useful for beginning farmers.
Hemp dogbane - yep, we got it. The research says it's super deadly to everything - but that's not many farmers' experience. Then there's other references to the original scientists mistaking a houseplant for this weed. Should we stop our hay operation before it gets started? Too late - we already bought some 40 yr old equipment! Plus, Spence & Mike do their best angry momma pig impressions after Mike's first farrowing experience.
In this episode, we talk about hay making & why it may make sense for us on our farm. Poultry are relatively small and when your grass is knee high or taller - it can be a problem. Spence hits the pros & cons and talks about equipment options they're looking at for a small scale hay-operation
Spring is here & you could work 24 hours a day and never get all your farmwork done - especially if you're bootstrapping a farm start-up. Fixing the daily immediate crisis that arise without short-changing the long-term vision of the farm is hard enough - now add on the more important demands of family, personal needs (cause remember your a human being too - right?), and maybe your faith & it's easy to get overwhelmed. Guess what - you're perfectly normal - we went thru it too, and talk about it in this episode.
Carla & I just drove over 1200 mi one way to PA to pickup a trailerload of pullets. Why not just start our own laying chicks? Dollars yo - and Mike and I discuss the economics of getting a small flock up and going. Also, if you're looking for a pullet source - we talk about that too.
The first successful Spencer morel hunt means spring is here (despite what the windchills say). Mike talks about cooking spring trout & his upcoming Muscovy duck project inspired by our friend Eli - who will never listen to this because he's Mennonite - but you will and we hope you enjoy!
From mean roosters to the football field - lots of opportunities to teach our kids how to be tough on the farm. Your kids don't come with an instruction manual - so maybe this will help. Also, organic thistle control (aka a shovel) and we answer a question about the value of chicken manure for your pasture in terms of bags of Ammonia Nitrate & 13-13-13 as well as briefly answering the dimensions of our poultry housing on pasture.
It's midnight and you're watching radar as the rain comes in - by 1 am you're out in a hoopcoop with a flock of chickens & a bale of hay weathering a storm! In this episode we talk about the late night described above & about how our pasture's health & soil tilth is helping protect our flocks. Also, Mike & Spence discuss factoring labor into the cost of chickens/farm enterprise - and if there's a better way to assess your labor on the farm. We think there is!
Want to know about breeds of chickens that are raised for meat? No seriously - do you REALLY want to know about broilers? If so, this is an in depth review. We look at a 3 breed study that I did on farm for some researchers that's being submitted for publication...and also we got broilers out on pasture!
It's never good when the cops call you to let you know your shop went airborne - into the powerlines & settling in the hiway! This'll throw off your day/week & then other stuff happens - and it's usually not good. On a positive note, we answer a question from Allen S. in MS about getting started in pigs & the new auto-feeder line we installed is AWESOME! Got a question for us about farming? Shoot me an email - fightingfarmerspence@gmail.com. If you like what we're doing, please give us one of those sweet, sweet 5-star reviews on iTunes so that others can find us.
In this episode, Spence talks about farming with kids. Spence & Carla started the farm about the same time as they started their family. Farming with kids has been a challenge for sure, but it's pretty awesome - not only for the kiddos but for the parents as well. Mike shares about an upcoming project he's got planned for his son this summer - plus new sausage types - Mexican chorizo and sage & fresh ginger sausage!
On this episode of the Fighting Farmer, Spence talks about how he figures out what's killing his birds when a predator targets the flock. Discussion about possums, the much hated trash pandas (aka coons), the majesty of owls up close, and the characteristics of their kills. Also, the first batch of broilers for 2018 is in the brooder!
In Episode 08, Spence & Mike talk about getting fence built, a rough start to the goat kidding season, and rethinking labor & hiring on the farm in 2018 plus a whole lot more! Email fightingfarmerspence@gmail with any poultry questions.
© 2020-2025 Ivy Podcast Discovery LLC
