Sunday Solopreneur
Read on my website – Read Time: 5 Minutes
Growing a Farm on Grit, Not Gadgets
One thing I’ve learned over the years — both as a farmer and a business owner — is that it’s totally possible to build something great without all the fancy gear.
When we started our farm, we didn’t have much. No land handed down. No equipment.
Just a dream, some spreadsheets, and a whole lot of YouTube tutorials. (Sound familiar?)
And while I’ve upgraded a few things over the years, I still ask myself this every time a shiny new tool tempts me:
“Is this going to move the needle… or is it just going to drain my wallet?”
Take haymaking. Right now, I make 4×4 round bales. I’d love to move up to 4×5 or even 5×5 — fewer bales to haul, more hay per bale, and less time unrolling for the cattle.
But here’s the catch:
To do that, I’d need a bigger baler — probably $10K–$20K.
And then I’d need a bigger tractor to run it — another $30K or so.
That’s when I have to ask:
Can I make what I already have work better?
And more often than not — yeah, I can.
A few recent examples from around the farm:
Instead of buying a pasture drag, we tied some old cattle panels together and pulled them behind the Gator to break up manure and spread it across the field. It worked great — and didn’t cost a dime (video coming soon).
We stripped down an old hay wagon, bolted on some cross beams, and turned it into a sturdy little hay hauler. Way cheaper than buying new, and honestly, more fun to build. (Video here)
Even the food we raise stretches further when you plan it right. One pasture-raised chicken gives us three meals:
- Roast the whole bird night one
- Shred leftovers for tacos the next night
- Simmer the bones for soup or broth on night three
That’s the mindset — doing more with less.
It won’t win you many Instagram likes (or maybe it will!), but it will make your business leaner, your farm smarter, and your success more satisfying — because you’ll know you earned it the scrappy way.
If you’re out there building your farm, your side hustle, or your dream — I see you.
Keep pushing. Keep Learning. And keep asking:
What can I do with what I already have?
Until next time.
with my appreciation,
Jason
Aka: The Part-Time Farmer
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