DARLINGTON, Wis. – A name like “Curious Farmer” works to draw attention. Matthew Walter – aka the “Curious Farmer” – has often been asked why he’s curious. That frequently leads to further conversation.
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Curious farmer watches nature
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A sow roams one of the pastures at the Curious Farmer farm near Darlington, Wisconsin. Pigs graze a mixture of sunflowers, forage rape, oats and other plants. Forage rape can be sown for summer, autumn or winter feed. But Brassica crops, such as rape, shouldn't constitute more than 75 percent of an animal's diet, says Dan Undersander, University of Wisconsin-Extension forage agronomist. He has suggested that farmers supplement with dry hay if continually grazing brassicas, or allow animals to access grass pastures while grazing brassicas.
Young pigs at the Curious Farmer graze on forage rape. Pigs can use pasture, but not as efficiently as ruminants. According to Pennsylvania State University-Extension, fiber digestibility improves as a pig matures. Pasture should be used at an early stage of maturity while energy content is at its greatest and fiber is at its least, according to Pennsylvania State University -Extension. Visit extension.psu.edu/swine-production for more information.
Red Angus cattle at the Curious Farmer are raised to weights between 1,200 and 1,400 pounds. They are then processed at the Avon Locker Plant in Darlington, Wisconsin.
Matthew Walter has a Bachelor of Science degree in animal science from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville; he also studied population genetics at Iowa State University. There he became one of the world's first certified swine-ultrasound technicians. He used ultrasound to evaluate more than 5,000 swine in two years. He returned to farming in 1994, near Darlington, Wisconsin.
Braden Zywicki describes how a float valve in his homemade watering system works. He's raising Cornish Cross chickens at a farm owned by Matthew Walter near Darlington, Wisconsin. The Cornish Cross has been developed for its large breast, large appetite and rapid development, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education. Zywicki is raising poultry part-time; he also works as an electrician.
A bucket atop a portable poultry pen can catch rain or be easily filled with water. Zywicki drilled a hole in the side of the bucket, squeezed a tap into the hole and then attached a hose that feeds into another bucket with a float valve. He uses the system to give water to poultry.
A monarch caterpillar feeds on milkweed. Matthew Walter has established a pollinator plot on his Darlington-area farm. He said it gives him a chance to observe how nature works.
Red Angus cattle are valued for their carcass quality, feeding characteristics, maternal instincts, calving ease and moderate size, according to the Red Angus Association of America.
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