Homesteading and Parenting in Maine with Brea Willette

Brea Willette, a farmer from Maine, discusses her diverse farm and homestead. She raises pigs, sheep, poultry, and grows vegetables. Brea shares her experiences with different livestock breeds and the challenges of farming. She talks about the size and structures of her farm, as well as the involvement of her family, including her young children. Brea also discusses the history of farming in her family and her lifelong passion for agriculture. She shares her goals for the homestead and the importance of bartering and supporting local farms in her community. In this conversation, Brea Willette shares her experiences and insights on various aspects of farming and parenting. She discusses the benefits of starting a bartering group and encourages others to do the same. Brea also talks about her successes with raising pigs and the challenges of selling meat at farmers markets. She shares her decision to drop halves and wholes of pork due to profitability issues. Brea reflects on the balance between farming and parenting, highlighting the resilience and common-sense intelligence of farm kids. She also discusses the importance of family support and childcare in farm life. Brea shares her motivation for sharing farming skills and interacting with others in the agriculture community. Lastly, she reveals her favorite category to dominate at the county fair: the most lovable pigs.

Connect with Brea on Instagram or YouTube

https://www.instagram.com/wickedquailporkhomestead/https://www.youtube.com/@wickedquailandpork537

We're glad you're joining us for another episode of Barnyard Language. If you enjoy the show, please tell a friend (or two) and be sure to rate and review us wherever you're listening! If you want to help us keep buying coffee and paying our editor, you can make a monthly pledge on Patreon to help us stay on the air.

 You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok as BarnyardLanguage, and if you'd like to connect with other farming families, you can join our private Barnyard Language Facebook group. We're always in search of future guests for the podcast. If you or someone you know would like to chat with us, get in touch.

If you have a something you'd like to Cuss & Discuss, you can submit it here: speakpipe.com/barnyardlanguage or email us at [email protected].

Takeaways

Starting a bartering group can be a great way to connect with others and trade goods and services.Raising pigs can be more profitable than other livestock, but it's important to consider market demand and pricing in your area.Farmers markets may not always be the most effective sales channel for meat farmers, as customers may not be willing to pay the higher prices.Balancing farming and parenting can be challenging, but farm kids often develop resilience and common-sense intelligence.Teaching kids how to have conversations with adults is an ongoing process that helps them develop social skills and empathy.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Farm...

Brea Willette, a farmer from Maine, discusses her diverse farm and homestead. She raises pigs, sheep, poultry, and grows vegetables. Brea shares her experiences with different livestock breeds and the challenges of farming. She talks about the size and structures of her farm, as well as the involvement of her family, including her young children. Brea also discusses the history of farming in her family and her lifelong passion for agriculture. She shares her goals for the homestead and the importance of bartering and supporting local farms in her community. In this conversation, Brea Willette shares her experiences and insights on various aspects of farming and parenting. She discusses the benefits of starting a bartering group and encourages others to do the same. Brea also talks about her successes with raising pigs and the challenges of selling meat at farmers markets. She shares her decision to drop halves and wholes of pork due to profitability issues. Brea reflects on the balance between farming and parenting, highlighting the resilience and common-sense intelligence of farm kids. She also discusses the importance of family support and childcare in farm life. Brea shares her motivation for sharing farming skills and interacting with others in the agriculture community. Lastly, she reveals her favorite category to dominate at the county fair: the most lovable pigs.

Connect with Brea on Instagram or YouTube

https://www.instagram.com/wickedquailporkhomestead/https://www.youtube.com/@wickedquailandpork537

We're glad you're joining us for another episode of Barnyard Language. If you enjoy the show, please tell a friend (or two) and be sure to rate and review us wherever you're listening! If you want to help us keep buying coffee and paying our editor, you can make a monthly pledge on Patreon to help us stay on the air.

 You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok as BarnyardLanguage, and if you'd like to connect with other farming families, you can join our private Barnyard Language Facebook group. We're always in search of future guests for the podcast. If you or someone you know would like to chat with us, get in touch.

If you have a something you'd like to Cuss & Discuss, you can submit it here: speakpipe.com/barnyardlanguage or email us at [email protected].

Takeaways

Starting a bartering group can be a great way to connect with others and trade goods and services.Raising pigs can be more profitable than other livestock, but it's important to consider market demand and pricing in your area.Farmers markets may not always be the most effective sales channel for meat farmers, as customers may not be willing to pay the higher prices.Balancing farming and parenting can be challenging, but farm kids often develop resilience and common-sense intelligence.Teaching kids how to have conversations with adults is an ongoing process that helps them develop social skills and empathy.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Farm Overview01:34 Livestock: Pigs and Sheep06:06 Farm Size and Structures07:36 Family and Children10:27 Family Farming History12:31 Early Interest in Farming14:09 Transition to Pigs and Learning Curves16:25 Agriculture in the Local Community21:34 Off-Farm Jobs and Income21:43 You-Pick Vegetable Crops22:58 Bartering and Local Farming30:29 Starting a Bartering Group31:05 Areas of Success and Failure31:25 Profit from Pigs32:55 Challenges with Farmers Markets33:07 Dropping Halves and Wholes of Pork35:14 Balancing Farming and Parenting37:30 Childcare and Work-Life Balance38:43 Teaching Kids Farming and Parenting44:35 Motivation for Sharing Farming Skills47:12 Dominating the Most Lovable Pigs Category52:26 Weather Challenges53:26 Teaching Kids to Have Conversations with Adults54:20 Where to Find Brea Online


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