PIGS -- Owned since 2005.
  • We had Hereford, Spotted, Duroc & HampX pigs.
  • We wanted to add Berkshire and/or Chester Whites.

POULTRY -- Owned since 2006.
  • We had Ameraucana, Buff Orpington, Barred  & White Plymouth Rock, Black Jersey Giants and Cornish X
    Chickens; and Broad Breasted Turkeys.
  • We wanted to add Heritage Turkey (Bourbon Red & Royal Palm)

CATTLE -- Owned since 2006.
  • We had (2) 2006 Black Angus X Bulls.
  • We wanted to add 2 milk cows.
  • Eventually we wanted 4-12 Milking Shorthorns and about a dozen Scottish Highland.

SHEEP -- We wanted to add Finnsheep.

GOATS -- We wanted to add Cashmere Goats.
Our First Farm
Back to Harris Family Farms
We are Jim & Charity Harris and we started farming December 2005. We started this adventure with no
money and no credit. That was a mistake. We thought we'd be able to get a "Beginning Farmer Loan" through the
FSA but, we couldn't. We couldn't make our Spring 2007 Balloon payment on our farm, so we were forced to
liquidate the farm and move.

We were trying to build a moderately sized, family operated, all-natural, diversified, livestock farm with a
focus on the humane treatment of our animals. We even wanted to like to grow all of our own feed and produce
all of our own energy needs, if we were to ever get enough land. We also wanted to be able to offer our non-pork
meat certified kosher or halal.

Despite having a growing following of very loyal customers, getting advertising in Bountiful Cupboard magazine &  
The Farm Fresh Atlas, having listings on several websites and getting a contract with a restaurant ready to
open in less than 2 months; the farm income wasn't happening fast enough and our off-farm income could not
support the farm and us.

What we have learned the most is that we LOVE being farmers and raising livestock. We are extremely upset
that we are being forced off of our small farm by the end of April 2007. We are going to work hard to pay off
debts, build good credit and save up money so that we can start another farm someday.
Our Pig Pictures
January 2006 - Spring 2006 - Summer 2006