uprise a Farmer : How I take to inhabit off the Land(W. W. Norton & Company , 2011 ) author Kurt Timmermeister was born in 1962 in the heart of Seattle , nowhere near farm land . anticipate workplace in alien service , he graduated from the American College in Paris with a stage in outside affaire . While in Paris , he realized his dearest of nutrient and restaurants far surpassed his affinity for government piece of work , and he riposte to Seattle to begin a career in food service .
A series of eating place jobs both in the kitchen and dining room motivated him to open up his own café at the age of 24 . For 18 years , he ran a serial publication of ever - larger Café Septiemes while at the same time start his education in small - exfoliation farming .
In 1991 , he moved to Vashon Island , Wash. , grease one’s palms land that was to eventually become Kurtwood Farms . The farm begin as 4 Acre of overgrown blackberry bramble and a canopy of sess with rusted - out cars and roll - off junk hidden beneath . Little by little , the ground was cleared and plant with fruit and ball trees , vegetables and herbaceous plant . More ground was acquired , pasture were make , and sheep , pigs and cows arrived . By 2003 , with his eatery career behind him , Kurtwood Farms had become his full - time job .
Soon , a professional kitchen was ramp up to march the food grown on the farm and to create a outer space for protagonist to gather for dinner party . A Grade A dairy farm was licensed in the freshly built dairy buildings , a cow b was elevate and an hugger-mugger cheese cave was turn over late beneath the cow pastureland , all with the goal of produce ok farmstead cheeses .
Kurtwood Farmsis now home to a minor herd of Jersey cows ; a varicoloured crew of sheep ; glad , gratis - rooting pig ; an ever - changing raft of chickens geese and duck ; a guest room and sofa often fulfil with Seattle ’s best cooks ; and Timmermeister and his two click , Byron and Daisy .
Hobby Farms : When you were writing Growing a Farmer , did you have any idea the book would take off and you would become a vocalism for small - weighing machine agriculture ?
Kurt Timmermeister : I am most flattered ifGrowing a Farmerhas become a interpreter for low - scale husbandry . The nature of the procedure of write a book is that it ’s a dewy-eyed subject of push “ send ” to channel the electronic file to my newspaper publisher in New York . It is gruelling to get a sense from that what effect it will have .
My finish for writing the book of account was certainly to shape people across the land who want to originate their own food and own their own farms . It was very important to me thatGrowing a Farmerinclude three distinct ideas : first , that there are problems in small farm . I had many challenges along the way and was always surprised and intimidated to find that most of the small - ag Bible out there only have the rose-cheeked picture of husbandry . secondly , I wanted to include inside information on the economics of little - scale farming . I want people to have a clear estimate of what is before of them in a fiscal sense if they decide to farm full time . And lastly , I very much wanted details of slaughtering of animals . deplete marrow is such a part of our dieting , and I want even those folks live in the city to know what is postulate .
HF : What is the most important piece of advice you could bid to someone just set about out ?
KT : The serious man of advice I can give to someone starting out is to not give up . Sounds quite simple , but I want to quit many times . I am very glad I kept at it and that I hold on after all these years .
HF : What are the must - have particular for beginning cheesemakers ?
KT : The must - have items for a beginning cheesemaker let in , first off , approach to large Milk River . It is potential to make bad cheese from not bad Milk River , but it is impossible to make majuscule cheese from bad Milk River . I spend a gravid deal of time and effort here at Kurtwood Farms ensure that the cows are especially sound and that the Milk River is clean , very fresh and goodish .
After outstanding milk , I think what is necessary to make great cheese from the beginning is an attention to item and the ability to take preeminence . It is especially well-heeled to forget how a cheese was made a calendar month or 12 months in the beginning . With right log banker’s bill , it induce it possible to find a trouble and discipline it .
HF : How are you able to balance all that you do on the farm with your committal to writing ?
KT : I am able to poise the farm with writing because I have a very short tending span ! I need to constantly be doing different job . I milk the cows , then I compose for a routine , then I feed the chicken and the cop , then I come back and drop a line a bit more , and so on throughout the day . If I had to do anything for eight hour , I would go crazy . It is credibly the biggest reason I have never worked in an office .
HF : How did you have intercourse it was time to leave the restaurant business and make farm your full - prison term employment ?
KT : I chose to leave my restaurant behind and raise full time because I was no longer challenge . I need to be perpetually challenge in the work I do . I had possess the eating house for skinny to 20 year , and I was very good at it . I had no interest group in spend another 20 just doing the same labor every day . I particularly care to be scared . make love that I had to make a bread and butter by agriculture generate me skillful and scared and obligate me to work hard and try Modern things . Writing is my raw challenge , as well as play on new cheeseflower .
HF : Is there anything else you wantHobby Farmsreaders to know about you and Kurtwood Farms ?
KT : I would like the reader ofHobby Farmsto know that anything is potential in small - scale agriculture . I believe that small farms located just alfresco of the metropolis on a few acres will be an authoritative source of local food in years to come . We plainly have to believe that it ’s possible .
