NH Honey.com	Dixie

Where to get supplies and equipment for your hobby farm:

Maybe you have good experience with certain companies - if so, please share! Here's what I have found to work well.

Cheesemaking equipment (liquid rennet, cultures, etc)
When you have a family milk cow, the first thing you discover is that you have to do something with all that milk!
You just can't drink 21 - 28 gallons of milk a week. So, the easiest way to put it to use is with cheese. Farmer's cheese, mozzarella cheese, and farmhouse cheddar are your easiest to start with. You may need to buy liquid rennet and citric acid. I've had good luck with these folks:

New England Cheesemaking Supply
http://www.cheesemaking.com/

Dairy Equpment (milking pails, filters, strainers, etc)
If you have a Jersey Milk Cow, you'll find that due to their size, their udder is rather low to the ground and a standard cow milk bucket just isn't going to work. The solution - goat milking pails. These work great. Just take a tall milk can out with you and fill it from your goat bucket as you work. You'll also need a stainless steel strainer, paper filters and a good dairy brush. Don't skimp on the strainer. Yes, stainless steel is pricey, but it won't rust and doesn't harbor bacteria.

Hoegger Goat Supply
http://hoeggergoatsupply.com/xcart/home.php

Baby Chickens and Poultry supplies

Easiest way to get free-range chicken eggs is with your own chickens! They are easy to raise, don't take much space and are a delight to watch. Start with day-old baby chicks which you can get in late winter and keep in your basement or garage for a few weeks. You can make a simple brooder with a kids plastic swimming pool. Use shavings on the bottom. Lay a broom across 2 chairs over the pool and hang your red heat lamp on the broomstick. Raise and lower the light as needed to maintain warmth. When they are 8 weeks old you should be able to move them to your hen house. Chickens aren't fussy. Build a small house for your convenience, not theirs. They are happy in any shelter. Give them lots of roost space and a nest box for each 4 or 5 hens. You can get chickens at your local feed -n-seed, but I've had good luck with Murray McMurray:

Murray McMurray Hatchery
http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/

Beekeeping (hives, tools, supplies)

There is nothing as fascinating as beekeeping. They are the MOST amazing animals and one of the best hobbies I know. Put a hive in your backyard and you not only have pollinators for your garden, you've got pounds and pounds of surplus honey for your family. Contact your local beekeeping association to find out how to get your bees for your hive.

Betterbee Beekeeping supply
http://www.betterbee.com/

Non-electric processing equipment (butter churn, butter paddle, pumps, etc)

Need a butter churn? How about a kerosene lantern? Butter paddle? These are not the easiest items to find at your local hardware store. Check out Lehmans. When I can't find something anywhere else, I check with them, and they usually have it. Originally a supplier for Amish farmers, Lehman's now has a large catalog and sells worldwide.

Lehmans
http://www.lehmans.com/index.jsp

Have Fun!! - Kathie