I wanna be a small scale farmer - What’s most profitable? | |
Anonymous Cowarcl User ID: 35168363 Canada 08/10/2018 03:00 AM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Here, take some advice from Zimbabwe's ex-President... [link to www.youtube.com (secure)] [link to www.youtube.com (secure)] s |
norakat147 User ID: 17611598 United States 08/10/2018 03:46 AM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | I thought of blueberries. Have no clue what is realistically profitable though. I think you would have to have realistic selling avenues planned out first before you even start. I heard some people doing well with fresh greens for boutique restaurants. Another thing to think about is labor and work/manpower per dollar earned. Too much processing work and manpower equals difficult management. |
Mason504 User ID: 36618853 United States 08/10/2018 05:57 AM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
Hotel Bastardos User ID: 33655813 United Kingdom 08/10/2018 06:04 AM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
TomatoPie User ID: 76699084 United States 08/10/2018 06:23 AM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Chickens, especially the egg producers, lots of food and fertilizer. Otherwise go to your local farmers market and see what they are growing, pick the same or different crops and barter to learn from them, good luck. It might be wise to be able to identify a joke and a pun. Powerful dis~information requires individual observation and individual conclusions. When something stinks badly some have little doubt that it's bullshit. Others might have trouble identifying it because of the loss of smell due to plague. |
BBQ BOY User ID: 71292324 United States 08/10/2018 06:27 AM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Ginger root "Never underestimate the pain of a person. In all honesty, everyone is struggling. Just some people are better at hiding it than others." Everyone has to work out their own salvation. Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards. |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 76764840 United States 08/10/2018 06:28 AM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
Hotel Bastardos User ID: 33655813 United Kingdom 08/10/2018 06:28 AM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 76828490 Australia 08/10/2018 06:33 AM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Anything that fruits low to the ground will increase your profit margin. I suggest Something popular like strawberries to recoup the costs of the shrink ray treatment. A few Rc scale farm vehicles wouldn't go astray either. The saving's on clothing, food and tool's alone should ensure profitable enterprise let alone being able to accommodate yourself in a tiny home filled with the most decadent dolls house furnishings for next to nothing. |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 76359369 France 08/10/2018 06:41 AM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
CMcC User ID: 4921183 United States 08/10/2018 06:51 AM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
hardscrabble farmer User ID: 76531980 United States 08/10/2018 07:00 AM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Been doing exactly this for the last ten years. Whatever you think you're going to do be prepared to do what your land tells you that you should do. If you want to read about how we took an old piece of beat up ground and close to no experience and turned it into the best life you could ever live add .com to the end of my user name and dig in. Good luck and never forget, only the flexible survive. meh |
hardscrabble farmer User ID: 76531980 United States 08/10/2018 07:02 AM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
Vision Thing User ID: 76743495 United States 08/10/2018 07:21 AM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Take what you grow to local farmers markets and make sure to put up a sign that says organic, people will pay twice the price. I knew a guy that took regular veggies from his parents farm and did this, that why I’m cautious about buying organic from farmers markets. One acre may seem small at first, but it may be a lot more work than you anticipated. Quoting: Fred Garvin I don't think it's legal to use the word organic unless you pay a lot of money and jump through bureaucratic hoops to get certified. USDA owns that word. It's not worth getting certified for the small operation but you can say "grown without chemicals " or something to that effect. |
Vision Thing User ID: 76743495 United States 08/10/2018 07:27 AM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Also look up Mike McGroarty's Backyard Nursery stuff, he has a lot of good videos and other information about growing and selling ornamental shrubs and perennials and small trees. You could use his information to produce and sell perennial food plants for permaculture, if you wanted to specialize. Well I'd call it edible landscaping instead. Or home orchard. |
godblessya User ID: 73161113 United States 08/10/2018 07:27 AM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
A1Janitor User ID: 58658563 United States 08/10/2018 07:27 AM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
Melty Sammich User ID: 68730242 United States 08/10/2018 07:28 AM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
Anonymous Coward User ID: 76728810 Philippines 08/10/2018 07:33 AM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | So I’m seriously considering becoming a small scale farmer and have been researching many avenues of profitable farming. I know a decent amount about business and landscaping but don’t want to do that for a side income. I really want to farm but have limited space (about a usable acre). I love being outside and have a fair amount of time outside of the regular schedule that I could commit to this trade. I’m seriously considering exotic mushrooms (the legal ones folks), lavender, specialty garlic, willow varieties, and tomatoes. Has anyone had success in these areas or does anyone have insight? All I’ve been researching points to the dramatic needs of small scale farming and if I can get it going I could try to phase out of the day job or just make a great side income. Stories or insights please. I’m in zone 7. Quoting: HoleNewWorld [link to draxe.com (secure)] "micro greens" would be an idea worth looking at for small scale grows, restaurants are always searching for good suppliers~ |
Fluffy Pancakes User ID: 76824012 United States 08/10/2018 07:39 AM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Yeah, it is indeed a good list. I was going to say everything on there except Butternut squash...If you can grow it in your location, Tumeric and Ginger. Mushrooms really need climate control to be anything other than extremely seasonal. But yes, they can be very profitable if you can grow them regularly. I'm working on Lion's Mane and Reishi myself. You need to be super patient. Shiitake has worked out for me. But the other two have shown us nothing. lol. Aquaponics is really good for leafy greens and a lot of herbs. Things are bad enough, there is no need to make anything up. ~Fluffy "Never interrupt an enemy in the process of destroying himself." Quercitin and zinc...Get it. Take it. Visit howbad.info...If you took the shot, for sure. |
Fluffy Pancakes User ID: 76824012 United States 08/10/2018 07:41 AM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Take what you grow to local farmers markets and make sure to put up a sign that says organic, people will pay twice the price. I knew a guy that took regular veggies from his parents farm and did this, that why I’m cautious about buying organic from farmers markets. One acre may seem small at first, but it may be a lot more work than you anticipated. Quoting: Fred Garvin I don't think it's legal to use the word organic unless you pay a lot of money and jump through bureaucratic hoops to get certified. USDA owns that word. It's not worth getting certified for the small operation but you can say "grown without chemicals " or something to that effect. Exactly correct. The USDA owns the term organic and the hoops are extensive. Don't bother. Things are bad enough, there is no need to make anything up. ~Fluffy "Never interrupt an enemy in the process of destroying himself." Quercitin and zinc...Get it. Take it. Visit howbad.info...If you took the shot, for sure. |
hardscrabble farmer User ID: 76531980 United States 08/10/2018 08:06 AM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Take what you grow to local farmers markets and make sure to put up a sign that says organic, people will pay twice the price. I knew a guy that took regular veggies from his parents farm and did this, that why I’m cautious about buying organic from farmers markets. One acre may seem small at first, but it may be a lot more work than you anticipated. Quoting: Fred Garvin I don't think it's legal to use the word organic unless you pay a lot of money and jump through bureaucratic hoops to get certified. USDA owns that word. It's not worth getting certified for the small operation but you can say "grown without chemicals " or something to that effect. You can use the word organic without certification if your sales of that product are less than $5,000 per year. meh |
beeches User ID: 74276477 United States 08/10/2018 09:08 AM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | So I’m seriously considering becoming a small scale farmer and have been researching many avenues of profitable farming. I know a decent amount about business and landscaping but don’t want to do that for a side income. I really want to farm but have limited space (about a usable acre). I love being outside and have a fair amount of time outside of the regular schedule that I could commit to this trade. I’m seriously considering exotic mushrooms (the legal ones folks), lavender, specialty garlic, willow varieties, and tomatoes. Has anyone had success in these areas or does anyone have insight? All I’ve been researching points to the dramatic needs of small scale farming and if I can get it going I could try to phase out of the day job or just make a great side income. Stories or insights please. I’m in zone 7. Quoting: HoleNewWorld Intensive use of the land - not chemicals - will let you grow abundantly on small areas. think a 30 by 50 FOOT vegetable garden that produces enough vegetables to feed 10 adult VEGANS year-round, harvest to harvest. this is a real garden. Fenced in, rows arranged to maximize planting, covers on the ground to stop weeds. it works Liberalism is totalitarianism with a human face – Thomas Sowell |
Shurrie User ID: 74877154 United States 08/10/2018 09:08 AM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | I would also suggest that you look into Bee's! I will not say there is a huge profit in them- but, they are needed for pollination of plants! They LOVE the flowers of the garlic plant- and will pollinate them to grow more seed- then you can make specialty items like garlic infused honey! lavender is great too.. and has many uses that can be sold.. and if you are allergic to Bee's (as I am), they are still worth considering.. I wear an expensive suit and gloves to protect me from stings (but it does happen, so now I keep an epi-pen). I just harvested 21 pounds of honey from 5 frames- I have 15 more frames to harvest and quite possibly more-- look at the price of RAW honey in your local area.. here is is between $5-$8 per pound. Side note on honey, a quart jar is about 3 pounds- All of what you are wanting/planning will be costly to start- so do not quit your job yet! Spinning on the Pause...Rewind |
beeches User ID: 74276477 United States 08/10/2018 09:12 AM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | 1-1-1-1-1 is the usual row of plants, space to walk, another row of plants.... instead ... 1-11-11-1 you only need to be able to reach a plant row from one side, so double them up. even in this small example, you get an extra row of plants. Liberalism is totalitarianism with a human face – Thomas Sowell |
beenthruthat User ID: 76616230 United States 08/10/2018 09:15 AM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
BitofReason User ID: 72207572 United States 08/10/2018 09:17 AM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Largely depends on you and your communities needs. Are there farmers markets? What is popular there and what is missing. Heirloom varieties are good to market in local settings. Mushrooms are great to get in, just make sure you have a market. Surely grow what you eat, and maybe look into forming a CSA and go from there. Slow growth is not a bad thing, it allows perfection so dont rush it. Lets all take a minute to pull our head from our ass |
Azaziah User ID: 72839153 United States 08/10/2018 09:26 AM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | |
Vision Thing User ID: 76743495 United States 08/10/2018 09:46 AM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | Largely depends on you and your communities needs. Are there farmers markets? What is popular there and what is missing. Heirloom varieties are good to market in local settings. Mushrooms are great to get in, just make sure you have a market. Surely grow what you eat, and maybe look into forming a CSA and go from there. Slow growth is not a bad thing, it allows perfection so dont rush it. Quoting: BitofReason Slow growth is good because the biggest key to growing anything is good soil. Building up the soil with organic matter will pay the biggest dividends down the line. It should be your first priority, and your long term priority. I would advocate a sheet composting/permanent mulch/no till method to anyone. Read Ruth Stout's books for deep inspiration. |
Northlights User ID: 76826315 Norway 08/10/2018 09:53 AM Report Abusive Post Report Copyright Violation | You need to be able to sell the things you produce! There are lots of videos, try looking at all the Market gardeners videos. Those are about planning the farming to have several kinds of produce every week like from May-june till late in the fall. |