Future of small farms

ET1 SS: Yes, I have considered that. I love the idea but don't realistically know how to make it economically feasible. I have rent to pay, and other things. It may be something that would be more possible later this year after I get my truck paid off.

Pony: I'm not sure what you mean by the "life beyond the sidewalks" so I will refrain from jumping to conclusions about that statement. Could you clarify that for me?

Starting where I am doesn't seem like a wise idea in my choice. I have been growing a summer garden the last couple years. But property and equipment are the two largest things I'm lacking currently. I can deal with leasing land and buying cheap used equipment is what I would do anyways. But with my focus to first move out of state I hate to detract from that goal. While I see what is possible now, it is not an option for me. I will not put my family after my goals. They deserve to live in a state that does not move closer to socialism every day. So I am looking at the big picture in my mind on those terms.

Buy Joel Salatin's book "You can farm" and start saving those pennies!

One down side is that the Farmer's Markets up north have a much shorter selling season than the ones down south do, which means that you would make less money. Also I have heard it said that Joel Salatin can sell ice to an Eskimo. He does talk about how he sells in the book: right now he lines up customers to come to his farm but he started out selling at Farmer's Markets and to restaurants.

I have another book on ranching but I do not remember the name or the author: The gent would look for unused land between his job and his home, look up who owned it on the tax records, and asked if he could rent it. He did very well doing this, and he could check on his livestock twice a day as he drove to and from work. He bought calves in the spring and sold them as larger calves in the Fall. You would need a way to transport the cattle, a way to load them when it was time to sell them, and a market near by so that transportation costs do not eat up your profit.

Lastly, we bought 5 acres about 20 minutes from where we live. Payments were only $135 a month and it cost about $5 gas for a round trip. I was going to expand my backyard operations onto the 5 acres but then I got sick and so now I just raise space hogs for the use of my household on that land (asparagus, wild plums, etc)

That is a problem as you go further North.

The FM I sell to goes year-round. Some in this area do, and some do not.

Folks up North certainly would have more of a issue with that. Fortunately I am not that far North.



Leasing land, or share-cropping land, are methods I see used around here. Mostly among folks who have finished a couple years Apprenticing and are ready to branch-out independent.

I am member of our regional Organic Certifying agency, we [they?] have a program that locates farm-land for this purpose. Families who can no longer farm their own land, or who will their land into land-trusts to be used for this purpose, etc.

Ours was the first agency to regulate organic in the USA. But I would think that many other states should have similar agencies doing the same stuff be now. After all Ag is making a come-back.

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OH! "life beyond the sidewalks" is a phrase used by the many who used to publish "Countryside and Small Stock Journal" magazine. Basically there are sidewalks in cities but not too many outside of cities: "Life beyond the sidewalks" is talking about life in the country or in small towns.

This forum was started by "Countryside", by the way. We eventually got too big for them to monitor.

I have seen a lot of young couples start out in farming over the years. My first advice would be move south. The Northeast is very, very expensive and the growing season is short. In the south land and the cost of living are cheaper, laws are pretty relaxed and the growing season can run year around for some things. Much easier to learn when you have some leeway and much easier to make money with a year around income from your place.
What kind of farming are you looking to do?

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Assuming your name has some relation to where the farm was, I bought a Polaris there, and a planter last year not too far away. I'm really just down hwy 14 a ways.....

Whatever we want to call them, I think the small garden farms will always be around, probably growing right now, will ebb and flow, but always be around. Its too easy and too satisfying to dig up a square of land and throw some seeds in, enjoy and share the results.

Small grain farms will likely hang on for some time, get a town job and can still farm on the side, tho we will maybe run out of machinery in several decades as nothing small is being made any more.

Paul

The farm WILL NOT BE SOLD! NEVER. That is his greatest fear and a very sore subject to me. My mother has made threats for years to do that when my Dad is gone and it will be over my dead body. I have made a promise to him and I WILL keep it. The boys may never farm. They may only hunt the land, but it will not be sold. PERIOD.

I think the future is small farms. Right now there are food hubs facilitating the connections between a farmer and her/his produce and restaurants and grocery stores. The "buy local" campaigns are bringing people out of the cities to pre-order Thanksgiving turkeys that are raised on pasture, eggs that are from free range, pastured flocks. There is more awareness at the dinner table, even schools are purchasing local produce. Its a beautiful thing Hang in there. Look, learn, and go for it. This forum is about as helpful as they come, so you don't have to be a 2nd or 10th generation farmer. Best wishes

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Smitty: What Terri said.

It's not just a place to live. It's a mindset in your approach to life.

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http://homesteadingfamilies.proboards.com/

It's a life style. I often think of selling the farm and moving to the beach with no hard daily labor. But then I would probably regret it with no farm animals, no neighbors for miles. I bet you could even hear the neighbors sneeze the houses are so close together.

It wasn't my intent to take away from the original post. I was simply trying to add my perspective that there are people who seek the life of small farming and all that it may be. But with that there are far more obstacles in the way than there ever used to be.

Smitty

I see the exorbitant price of land as the major barrier. I have known plenty of people interested in getting back to farming, but with nowhere near the funds to accomplish it. The high cost of land simply means there's zero chance of it ever penciling out. It's all due to corrupt bankers, developers, and politicians keeping prices high to line their own pockets. The higher the entry price for buyers, the more interest paid to the banker. The higher the selling price for developers, the more money in their pockets. The more money the banker and developer have, the more campaign funds in the dirty pols coffers. High land and housing prices do not benefit society as a whole. We are living that reality right now.

Two of the boats I was stationed on were homeported in Kitsap County Wa. While out there I looked at homesteading land a lot. I had friends who had been able to buy themselves some. Land is expensive there, and at the time taxes were going up a good deal each year.

Fortunately I was able to eventually find lower priced land back East.

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I worry about what will happen to small farms in the future too. I am in my mid 20s and I would love to operate a small to medium scale diversified farm, but the start up costs are just too much and I don't want to be someone's tenant farmer. My wife and I are both teachers right now and we have been looking into 20ish acre farms with the idea in mind that when our student loans are paid off, I would run a farm full time. They're a half a million dollars! That's just not realistic. It's not something we would ever be able to afford. I truly wonder who could afford that?

There is a severe learning curve in farming.

Our our farm, we see far more failures than we see successes. We have been at it fulltime for 6 years. We are not worked through the curve yet.

I rub elbows with a lot of other market farmers. My experience is not unusual.

Without hands-on training, from an experienced market farmer, your learning curve will likely be long. As is mine.

On the other hand, at market I also see the long-time experienced farms and their apprentices. I see those apprentices in their first few years on their own, too. their learning curve is entirely different. They are earning a living from the every start.

My primary income, as far, is my pension [a little less than minimum-wage]. My farm income has not become reliable yet. Not has it exceeded my pension.

You want to do it all on your own. I get it.

btw, our 150 acres and 2400 sq ft farmhouse was less than $100k.

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ma was raised on a farm during the depression,grew up hating it.when her marriage failed,she bought this little farm (32acres - ramshackle house and1 barn) barn was warmer...besides working in the city she raised me and potatos,with an occastional calf or pig for eating.hobby?nope..according to everything i've read here.we're a farm!in a few years i'll be retiered,still working in the city-but the farm pays is own way.all sorts of veggie's now.mom's now 81-still living in the same old house.all redone and snug.it's my hope to pass this legacy to my grand daughter.i'm a farmer and i'm proud of it.

You can't even find 15 acres for under $100k around here, let alone 150, and that's raw land with no utilities, water, or improvements whatsoever. It doesn't make a lot of financial sense to even try to farm around WA or OR unless you were fortunate enough to inherit the land, or it was passed down. What's funny about this place is that it's supposedly environmentally conscious, tread lightly, all that crap, yet if you try to live in some micro house or RV which does not disturb the land, want to homestead and grow your own food, etc. it is ILLEGAL. Once you peel back the layers of bureaucratic BS, you find that they want you to build the biggest house possible, rape the land the most you can, so they can expand their tax base.

I mean you no insult.

When I lived there. It appeared to me, that they like corporate 'organic', big finance 'green', and lots of feel good 'earth friendly' kinds of things. Sorry but it was a few years ago and I do not recall specific examples. It was a trend I observed. I certainly mean no ill will toward the good people who live in the PNW.

I was honestly looking to homestead some land and live off-grid. For the entire time, we were stationed there, I used up all of my leave-time [30 days each year] searching places to possibly buy. Also we took many weekend trips, out looking. I think I really annoyed my wife by always stopping to meet realtors every place we went.

I even went up to Whistler once, for a week. Looking at immigrating there. Just as they were in the thrawl of a crown law that was making them rip-out hundreds of miles of pavement, as much of the area was being designated grisly-habitat.

I was not able to find any place that I felt we would be able to homestead.

There were some very nice places on the Olympic Penn, others I recall in Eastern Wa by the border, Greys Harbor, down into the Northern parts of Oregon.

I am happy we finally found what we have here.

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If it weren't so far away from family, I would love to check out the rural northeast. Seems right up my alley. I was born in WA, but I am not sure I'll die here.

I decided to start farming with my dad full time about 6 years ago. We grow niche vegetables and wash/pack and sell wholesale. I would consider us a "small farm" Total employees are about 8. Medium sized farms around here employ 100+. I'm constantly told that I'm a rare breed. Working more than people think is humanly possible. From July until late November I am working 20 hours per day. It's constant heavy lifting, heavy machine operating, keep on my toes at all times with 3 hours of sleep a night since July type of work. 14 hour days are the norm when it's "slow".

I just turned thirty and had a baby boy last year. I'm beginning to look at where I'm going with some serious thought and it can become very discouraging. I'm already in rough physical shape for my age. It's tough to keep a healthy family life. Heaven knows my dad never raised us kids.

I've always had aspirations of taking over the farm once my dad retires to keep the family traditions alive. When I joined him I was told that he'd retire in 5 years time. Well that time came and passed.. and he's still around. And still when/if he decides to retire, I'll be millions in debt 'till I'm nearly retired to pay it all off.

Farms are also beginning to receive heavy pressure to update to current standards of "food safety" protocol.. among a multitude of other things ($$$$). Competition is increasing. Other farms that invest in efficiency are able to deliver a superior product at a lower price. Buyers are disappearing. Small grocery stores are disappearing. Large chain stores have been blowing up.

We wholesale at the largest food terminal in canada. I know farmers who have been there since the 50's who would always tell me what it used to be like in the old days. It would be a zoo. No place to park. Farmers making a killing. Prices were close to what they are today. Times have changed.


I know what I have to offer in this world and I definitely know that there is better out there. I understand that keeping traditions alive are very important for your family. But I learned what not to do from my grandfather - who was also a farmer. He worked his ten acre plot so hard until he ended up with severe back problems. He was never able to truly be present in his children's lives and as a result, his children never cared to remain on the farm. No one's gonna remember (nor care) the month that it never rained and you were up irrigating every night. Your kids won't remember those days. They'll remember the times you never showed up to baseball practice. I know that's all that I remember from my youth.

I know all too well about the love for the land.. the attachment we get from repeated years of blood sweat and tears that remain between the rows. But at the end of the day, just as my grandfather did, we all die. We never truly own the land. We keep it warm until we're gone.