Across America, a situation has been developing and it is becoming urgent: the lack of a sheep shearer. I hear from sheep raising friends fairly frequently about how difficult it is to find a shearer. Not even to find a “good shearer,” but any sheep shearer at all.
A quick look at this sheep shearer directory shows us that overall, the industry is being underserved. In California, for example, there are only 19 shearers listed. That’s a big state to be served by 19 people, especially since California is the top producer of wool in the United States.
If you are a sheep producer yourself, you are probably already aware of the shortage. Your skills as a shearer could be the ticket to an additional income stream to help you profit from your small farm. A small investment and weeklong class later, you can be on your way to a professional shearing operation. Continue reading “Become a Sheep Shearer”
Since starting this website, I notice income possibilities more than I used to. When I was outside Safeway earlier this year, I was totally amazed at the large–and dwindling–pile of firewood bundles for sale. At $4.99 each, I could imagine how much a full cord would bring. What was most surprising is how the stack dwindled over the season.
If you have a small farm, you likely have animals and understand how difficult it can be to get away overnight. One of the main reasons is the lack of reliable care for animals. If you have the space, especially with a kennel setup, consider offering pet boarding services to fill a very real need and bring in some extra cash. The main requirement? You’ve got to love animals to want to add other people’s to the mix.
I came across a 
I love writing. From my earliest memories, I was reading and writing, spending summers in the library and developing what would be a lifelong love of words. Becoming a freelance writer was something I longed to do even as a child. We had one of those first Apple computers and I’d sit at the keys, idly tapping them without any idea what to do with them, just knowing I had a yearning that couldn’t be defined.