Ok, I am wanting to track this down for this coming year.. we are in the heart of winter right now, cold an snow.. but I can see the sunshine that is coming! I have faith that at the end of the year that my numbers will show a positive an then some 🙂
Costs for Jan 2017
Hay-$400.00
Feed- $21
Straw- 20
Farm Outputs:
Eggs: 4 dozen at 5 per dozen as eating eggs- $20
Manure: Finished composting down.. at least 50 dollars worth of compost produced this month.
Farm extra’s Costs
Two metal hay feeders – $80.00
Sheep loose mineral feed -$28 per bag x 2
Heat lamp with breaker switch built in $40
Farm extra’s..
hardware – $210
Ferrier -$80
Vet- $360
Fishing Paperwork- 30.00
Total Garden Costs -$ 86.60
Total Garden Return – $248.00
Total Out cost for Jan on for the farm -$1 ,297
Total output of the farm in returns -$268
Jan – In the hole -1,029
What a great way to start the year 🙂
I know that this post is coming out one day early but I will adjust if needed but as I am home on the farm and have no shopping plans..
Goals- No selling of anything off the farm is planned, the saving costs are what we would have to pay if we bought in the local free market to replace what the farm produces that improves our lives.
Its a tracking year..
and also I have had and seen a number of comments many times of folks saying, my 5 acres and under homestead needs to pay for itself.. well, I like to think mine does, I like to think that a well-run homestead can do just that! So lets see if I am right or not?
Just another Day on the Farm 
I did a quick calculation on a whim this morning. The only thing we still sell off the farm is eggs (25 dozen in January). Hay, grain, feedstore – 500.00 Grocery store 150.00 including sundries.
Unplanned costs: 250.00 to pump our septic tanks out as the line to the sewer lagoon is frozen. 200.00 to repair water well pump.
I wish I could calculate the value of the food we eat (as if we had to buy it from the store) but I don’t know what the cost of food from the store is any longer and never seem to have time to wander around and check the price of cuts of beef, pork, chicken and vegetables, bread, butter etc. etc. Maybe I’ll set something up and keep track along with you. 🙂
I use my local flyers that come to the farm to get a general idea, and use the online local stores or farms prices to get idea’s on prices.
Ah – that makes sense – we pick our mail up some ways down the road and there are no flyers delivered. The town newspaper stuffs them all in Thursday’s paper, Thursday happens to be my day off. I think one of the girls at work gets the paper – I’ll ask her to save the food flyers.
Love the overview and round up.. look forward to hearing how it works for you..