Money in Farming?

big rockpile · #21 10/25/06, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beginnerfarmer

Its been awhile since I been on but anyway, I am wondering is there any money in raise vegetable crops or raising cattle, sheeps, goats or pigs on a small ranch?

Small Ranch!

I'm sorry this cracks me up.I worked on a Small Ranch one time and it was several thousand acres.

I know I have a neighbor that has 135 acres,calling it a Ranch.Just seems strange it was a Farm until he bought it.

Ok lets go with Small Acreage! Green House and Vegatables are the best money but take alot of time.

big rockpile

james dilley · #22 10/25/06, 10:41 PM

Money can be made from Crops if you have A Market. Down here the best crop to plant is A Citrus Orchard.You can get 500 Pounds of fruit per tree after 4 years thats A crate per tree times 300 plus trees per acre .Thats Split with the pickers .The last prices I saw was $90.00 A box for juice fruit. You can start small. I Am waiting till I can find the tract of land I want then it will be 4 years before the whole Orchard is planted. A very good row crop would be Okra. but its labor intensive crop..

jnap31 · #23 10/26/06, 09:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mommagoose_99

Pick a veggie that really interests you and specialize in it.

Maybe that is why $ and farming is an oxymoron to you, I like diversity and will have my operation be as diverse as possible.

Marilyn · #24 10/26/06, 11:26 AM

You're in the perfect position to get the best start possible. Why don't you contact Joel Salatin or peruse his site at PolyfaceFarms.com. I have just begun to learn about him and his practices and I am amazed.

mommagoose_99 · #25 10/26/06, 11:50 AM

Hey JSnap. How many thousands of dollars do you make on your diversified farm with just two people to work it? I have other crops besides cucumbers and melons but I put most of my time and effort into the cukes and melons because in my area they make the most profit. I am sorry but unless you can afford to mechanize and have a lot of acreage, you are not going to make enough money to live on in a northern growing season. I plant about 4,000 cucumbers a year and 1,000 melons . I am not going to be rich from that.
As for my oxymoron statment. Sometimes the truth hurts.
Linda

jnap31 · #26 10/26/06, 12:46 PM

Well I will keep track of everything next growing season and be sure to let you all know my expenses and profits and even varieties grown.I expect to make enough to pay for the hoop houses and maybe an extra 1 or 2k, Though in the second year after I get home I will be doing a lot better.

**Terri** · #27 10/26/06, 02:59 PM

You vegetable raisers might be interested in this.

http://www.soilandhealth.org/03sov/0...rketgarden.pdf

It is an on-line book written by a VERY successfull vegetable grower about 150 years ago.

While some of the information is obviously out of date- you CANNOT buy manure by the ton any more- He has a LOT to say about raising vegetables, season extention, double cropping, land improvement, yeild, and marketing.

I LOVE it!

fin29 · #28 10/26/06, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Terri

While some of the information is obviously out of date- you CANNOT buy manure by the ton any more-

I buy manure by the ton all the time.

gccrook · #29 10/26/06, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fin29

I buy manure by the ton all the time.

Yes, I can buy it here by the ton, but I get composted manure free as much as I want from my neighbor.

mrglock27 · #30 10/26/06, 09:56 PM

If you just planted 2 cannibas plants and average 1/2 a pound per plant that would make you a couple thousand.

ET1 SS · #31 10/26/06, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Terri

... It is an on-line book written by a VERY successfull vegetable grower about 150 years ago.

While some of the information is obviously out of date- you CANNOT buy manure by the ton any more- He has a LOT to say about raising vegetables, season extention, double cropping, land improvement, yeild, and marketing.

I LOVE it!

Out of curiosity, why would you think that manure is no longer generated in the US?

jnap31 · #32 10/27/06, 01:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fin29

I buy manure by the ton all the time.

I did also and I have that book gardening for profit (1888) I really like it.

**Terri** · #33 10/27/06, 07:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ET1 SS

Out of curiosity, why would you think that manure is no longer generated in the US?

Oh, I suppose because my city roots are showing. He was talking about horse manure, and here in Kansas AND where I grew up, horse manure is at BEST available by the pick-up load! Unless, of course, you are satisfied with manure that is full of chemicals that will, I believe, not only prevent the growth of maggots but of veggies as well. They don't just feed them hay and grain anymore, sadly enough!

Perhaps things are different farther away from the KC metro area: land is pretty expensive where I live. Cattle herds are small and on grass, and I only know of one tiney feedlot. As for the 2 horse farms that I have known about, they wouldn't DARE have as much as a ton of munure! It would send the wrong message to the buyers of fine saddlebreds!

fin29 · #34 10/27/06, 07:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Terri

Oh, I suppose because my city roots are showing. He was talking about horse manure, and here in Kansas AND where I grew up, horse manure is at BEST available by the pick-up load! Unless, of course, you are satisfied with manure that is full of chemicals that will, I believe, not only prevent the growth of maggots but of veggies as well. They don't just feed them hay and grain anymore, sadly enough!

Perhaps things are different farther away from the KC metro area: land is pretty expensive where I live. Cattle herds are small and on grass, and I only know of one tiney feedlot. As for the 2 horse farms that I have known about, they wouldn't DARE have as much as a ton of munure! It would send the wrong message to the buyers of fine saddlebreds!

LOL--how much manure would you estimate a standard 1 ton pickup would hold?

An average horse produces about 18,000# of manure per 1,000# of body weight per year--course, a lot of that is water, but that's absorbed by the bedding that's usually mixed in when you obtain horse manure, so the nutrients are still there. That's why Eliot Coleman suggests keeping a horse just as a "fertilizer factory."

And where do you think the breeders of those fine saddlebreds are putting that manure? Probably in the back of a pickup truck...1 ton per load!

**Terri** · #35 10/27/06, 07:36 AM

Huh! I never realized that it was so heavy! No WONDER I got so tired when I got a pickup load! I was mad at myself many years ago for not QUITE being able to finish filling the bed!

Maybe it is just as well, since I have only a half-ton pickup.

fin29 · #36 10/27/06, 07:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Terri

Maybe it is just as well, since I have only a half-ton pickup.

Ahhh, so you'll need to do three loads per ton...lol.

ET1 SS · #37 10/27/06, 08:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Terri

Oh, I suppose because my city roots are showing. He was talking about horse manure, and here in Kansas AND where I grew up, horse manure is at BEST available by the pick-up load! Unless, of course, you are satisfied with manure that is full of chemicals that will, I believe, not only prevent the growth of maggots but of veggies as well. They don't just feed them hay and grain anymore, sadly enough!

Perhaps things are different farther away from the KC metro area: land is pretty expensive where I live. Cattle herds are small and on grass, and I only know of one tiney feedlot. As for the 2 horse farms that I have known about, they wouldn't DARE have as much as a ton of munure! It would send the wrong message to the buyers of fine saddlebreds!

Have you no dairys?

**Terri** · #38 10/27/06, 08:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ET1 SS

Have you no dairys?

In my immediate area?

No.

Though, now that you mention it, there IS a small one off of I-35, perhaps 45 minutes away. That is probably the closest one.

#39 10/27/06, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Terri

You vegetable raisers might be interested in this.

http://www.soilandhealth.org/03sov/0...rketgarden.pdf

It is an on-line book written by a VERY successfull vegetable grower about 150 years ago.

While some of the information is obviously out of date- you CANNOT buy manure by the ton any more- He has a LOT to say about raising vegetables, season extention, double cropping, land improvement, yeild, and marketing.

I LOVE it!

Took several attempts, but I was finally able to get the entire thing saved. Thanks for linking it here.

.....Alan.

ponyboy123 · #40 10/27/06, 10:51 AM

Mink. It takes a sustantial initial investment but, right now, the market is good. Mink don't take up a lot of space; I have 30,000 in about 2.5 acres. Plus I get 800 tons of the best fertilizer money can buy every year. As of late I am having soil samples done in search of a crop to grow that will help me get rid of some of this manure. I can't keep spreading and not take a crop off the feilds.