Building a Farm and Family From the Ground up with Laura Cook
Laura Cook is a first-generation farmer who has built her farm from scratch on forested land in New York State. She raises goats, pigs, chickens, ducks, and turkeys, and grows mixed vegetables in a large greenhouse. Laura and her husband work together on the farm, with Laura focusing on herd health and marketing, while her husband handles construction and maintenance. They sell their products directly to consumers through their website, farmers markets, and a farm stand on their property. Laura is also involved in community composting, diverting food waste from landfills and using it to create nutrient-rich compost for their farm. Laura Cook and her husband run The Cook Farm, a small-scale farm in New York. They both work full-time on the farm and are also involved in homeschooling their son. They prioritize organization and have weekly family meetings to plan their schedules and priorities. Laura believes that farming and homeschooling go hand in hand, as they provide practical knowledge and opportunities for learning. Raising a strong-willed child is a challenge, but Laura values her son's independence and critical thinking skills. Their future goals for the farm include sustainable growth and profitability that allow them to be on the farm full-time and support their son if he chooses to continue farming.
Connect with Laura Online
- https://www.instagram.com/the_cook_farm/
- https://www.cookfarmny.com/
- https://www.facebook.com/cookfarmny
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Takeaways
- Laura Cook is a first-generation farmer who has built her farm from scratch on forested land in New York State.
- She raises goats, pigs, chickens, ducks, turkeys, and grows mixed vegetables in a large greenhouse.
- Laura and her husband work together on the farm, with Laura focusing on herd health and marketing, while her husband handles construction and maintenance.
- They sell their products directly to consumers through their website, farmers markets, and a farm stand on their property.
- Laura is also involved in community composting, diverting food waste from landfills and using it to create nutrient-rich compost for their farm. Running a small-scale farm and homeschooling require organization and planning
- Farming provides practical knowledge and learning opportunities for children
- Raising a strong-willed child can be challenging but rewarding
- Future goals for the farm include sustainable growth and profitability
Chapters
- 00:00 Introduction and Laura's Farm
- 06:25 Selling Farm Products
- 14:45 Community Composting
- 24:20 Composting and Agriculture
- 30:49 Composting and Sustainability
- 35:55 Balancing Work and Farming
- 39:23 Reasons for Homeschooling
- 43:37 Organization and Planning on the Farm
- 49:13 Parenting a Strong-Willed Child
- 53:01 Future Goals for The Cook Farm
