Meadowlark Farm: A Case Study of a Small-Acreage Farm

Located on nine acres near Nampa, Janie Burns' meadowlark Farm is home to 70 sheep, 50 chickens and 30 turkeys (all fed free range). Burns also grows a variety of vegetables on 1/4 acre. She uses no chemicals. Vegetables include asparagus, assorted salad and vegetable greens (mizuna, arugula, bok choy, Napa cabbage, spinach, chard, beans), beets, radishes and turnips. In this video, created for people interested in generating income from small acreages, Janie tells how she got started and shares lessons learned during her 15 years of farming. Janie — known as the ""lamb lady"" at one Boise farmers market — also discusses her strategies for pricing and marketing her lamb and other products. Her goals are ""that my farm pay for itself,"" and ""to eat as well as I can, and to enhance my health through both my work and food.""