Part 1: Making Money with 1 Acre

K.B. · #41 01/29/14, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zong

I don't know how to make a decent map. I copied a picture of a grid, and tried to do it with the "Paint" program, and it looked like a 3 year old did it. So, I gave up on that, but will look later on to see if there is a different free program somewhere I can download.

Google maps recently updated their sat images for our area - may be worth checking to see if your area has a nice high-res image to work with. You can capture the image (control + print screen), and then mark it up in paint, powerpoint, etc...

simi-steading · #42 01/29/14, 06:45 PM

I just found out today that if you get a permit, it's legal to grow hemp in WV...

Wish I had more than an acre to work with... Not many growing it now, and it will become more in demand I'm betting..

Only problem is, you'll have Unkle all up in your face making sure you're keeping it legal..

Jennifer L. · #43 01/29/14, 06:59 PM

Asparagus or berries, and do a U pick operation. I think that would be the most money you could make on an acre.

Rustaholic · #44 01/29/14, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zong

I don't know how to make a decent map. I copied a picture of a grid, and tried to do it with the "Paint" program, and it looked like a 3 year old did it. So, I gave up on that, but will look later on to see if there is a different free program somewhere I can download.

I use water from the washing machine, bath tub, and kitchen sink for my gray water. Run it into a drum and sometimes throw in some chicken manure or something. In the morning, before the sun gets going good, I determine how much more water I need, and start filling. Since I know how much water my spigot puts out per minute, I set the timer for X minutes, and open the valve at the bottom of the drum of water. Which feeds a 1 inch well pump line that runs through the garden with poke holes spaced appropriately. For instance, since I plant tomatoes 2 ft apart, I would have the holes in the water line 2 ft apart, and plant the tomatoes, line up the water line, set the stake(wherever I use them), pull up my mulch, and so on. Doing it all as I go, so when I get through planting, I'm more or less through with the work.

Probably not really clear, but if I need 55 gallons to water with, and get 30 from gray water, then I'll run in 25 more as I'm watering.

I get everything going around here so I'm ready by April 15. I promise I'll make some videos and post them. Here's one from last year.

This is one from 4 or 5 years ago. I deleted it after 200,000 or so views because the comments got stupid. 2 other people posted it, and I asked them to delete it, and they did. Yet, here it is again. Just goes to show that if you make a video about potatoes, it lives on forever. This was made when I was fat, too. LOL. 88 pounds ago.

I like both of those videos, Zong. I grew up with Lots of Red Raspberries, Black Raspberries, Blackberries and Strawberries. Probable 1/2 of an acre all together. I had to pick them all. I also grew up with a half acre of taters and we never had any weeds around them because that was my job too.
I will never forget the first year after the land was tilled. It had been a hay field for many years. The manure went back on the hay field so the land was in great shape. When we dug those potatoes we filled a bushel basket with every two hills. The potatoes were HUGE. A small one for a family of four and a medium one with company. That never happened after that first year but we always got a good crop. We had a wall of large tater bins in the basement.

Rustaholic · #45 01/29/14, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tinga

I've know a few people that keep rabbits. They keep meat breeders and then what I call "ornamental" rabbits. The offspring from the meat breeders and "ornamentals" pays for the feed/supplies. They don't keep ALOT of rabbits, just enough to keep some extra meat on the table

I would just do New Zealand Whites because they can be sold to 4H kids and they are of a good eating size. The hides are nice to work with too.
You can feed a few just with garden scraps and extra produce.

bigjon · #46 01/29/14, 07:36 PM

Bees and plants.bees make plants-plnts make bees

rustyshacklefor · #47 01/29/14, 08:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MoonRiver

http://www.greentechmedia.com/articl...hydroponically

things that make you go hmm

I looked into these, the initial price is crazy high. So if someone has a do it yourself plan I am in.

ChocolateMouse · #48 01/29/14, 09:07 PM

So, people say animals aren't worth anything but... Rabbits can grow UP (stacked cages) and around here they sell for $6-7/lb in groceries. To raise them yourself here is like $1.60/lb and you'll have trouble beating that price with buying grocery chicken. Most of my rabbits sell to people who are just looking to be more sustainable, alive as breeders. They sell for $15-$30 a pop at only 6 weeks which is around $10/lb. I only sell the good ones as breeders and eat or sell the rest as meat for $5/lb. The biggest problem is the initial investment in cages and learning.

(I should note, feed prices are based off of buying all the feed, and being smart enough to feed a lot of hay, also bought.)

K.B. · #49 01/29/14, 10:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rustyshacklefor

I looked into these, the initial price is crazy high. So if someone has a do it yourself plan I am in.

FWIW...DIY automated strawberry towers are shown in the video at the link below (aquaponic farming).
http://www.naturalblaze.com/2013/12/...ino-based.html

countrygal · #50 01/30/14, 07:16 AM

If you decide to do a petting zoo, you will probably need a license and need to be inspected regularly, including surprise inspections by the gov't.

I don't want them on my land!

Tarheel · #51 01/30/14, 07:29 AM

1.5 acre organic micro-farm, feeds 200 members weekly. Yes it can be done.

http://www.themarketgardener.com/abo...artin-fortier/

"After much research and many discoveries, our journey led us to what is now a productive and profitable micro-farm. Every week, our market garden now produces enough vegetables to feed over 200 families and generates enough income to comfortably support our household. Our low-tech strategy kept our start-up costs to a minimum and our overhead expenses low. The farm became profitable after only a few years of production, and we have never felt the pinch of financial pressure."

Rustaholic · #52 01/30/14, 08:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by K.B.

FWIW...DIY automated strawberry towers are shown in the video at the link below (aquaponic farming).
http://www.naturalblaze.com/2013/12/...ino-based.html

Thanks K.B. I am going to make some of those towers. Looks like a simple hardwood block to make. I have PVC and a couple heat guns.
Make a slit, heat and insert wooden block.
I was just looking around at this idea and it seems PVC is no good. I do not understand why that did not jump right out at me.
Now I will have to check out CPVC
Thing is here I will have to put them in a greenhouse because in the Winter they would be frozen rock hard and that wouldn't be very good for the fish.

I will heat it with a Rocket Mass Heater.

simi-steading · #53 01/30/14, 09:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by countrygal

If you decide to do a petting zoo, you will probably need a license and need to be inspected regularly, including surprise inspections by the gov't.

I don't want them on my land!

\

This is the reason I'm second thinking bees on our property... You have to register them with the state and are supposed to provide unfettered access to the state any time they want to come inspect them.

Granted, they may only show up once every blue moon, but that's one time too many for me..

I've thought too about just putting the hives out of sight and the heck with the state, but no idea what forgiveness would cost me if I got caught..

simi-steading · #54 01/30/14, 09:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rustaholic

Thanks K.B. I am going to make some of those towers. Looks like a simple hardwood block to make. I have PVC and a couple heat guns.
Make a slit, heat and insert wooden block.
Thing is here I will have to put them in a greenhouse because in the Winter they would be frozen rock hard and that wouldn't be very good for the fish.

I will heat it with a Rocket Mass Heater.

Or, you could use guttering... a lot cheaper..

I've been thinking about doing something like this so I can have strawberries, but get them high enough off the ground the deer won't eat them..

Part 1: Making Money with 1 Acre - Homesteading Questions

Part 1: Making Money with 1 Acre - Homesteading Questions

Rustaholic · #55 01/30/14, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by simi-steading

Or, you could use guttering... a lot cheaper..

I've been thinking about doing something like this so I can have strawberries, but get them high enough off the ground the deer won't eat them..

I really need vertical.
Metal downspouts would be a real bugger to form I think.

OK Yankee · #56 01/30/14, 10:45 AM

OK, this is about the best I can do for a map. The red is thornless blackberries. Along the sides and a big patch in the corner. The green is 2 varieties of strawberries. The blue is grapes, and the brown is my "gazebo", a screened in porch-like area with ceiling fan, refrigerator, and across the back, shelves for storing orchard tools and such.
numbers: 1 is peach trees. 2 Japanese persimmons. 3 pawpaws. 4 apples. 5 plums. 6 pears. 7 cherries, 8 fig, and 9 pomegranate. There is another fig bush, 2 peach trees, and 2 nectarine trees outside the perimeter.

All is enclosed with 2-4 ft of chicken wire and 3 1/2 ft of field fence above that.

The drawing is not exactly to scale, nor are the placements exact, but it's all pretty close. My directions for spacing plants was to space them the same distance apart as the expected height of the tree would be. I got everything with dwarf rootstock, and try my best to keep it pruned around 8 ft. After all, I'd hate to see myself at my age climbing a ladder to pick fruit. That would be just crazy.

The orchard is 50 ft wide and 90 ft long. At the end, to your left, I've cleared a further 60 ft to be used later. Strawberries multiply so fast, I put 600 in there last spring after I cleared the area, but couldn't keep up with them after the season ran out. Still, they'll still be there, once I clear away the weed growth. Or, I may use it otherwise. I have no compunctions against planting trees in the middle of a strawberry patch, either.

jcatblum · #57 01/30/14, 09:11 PM

Of course tomatoes are always a good seller, but everyone grows them. When you have a good year so do the other 20 people at the market.
One of the conferences I attended several yrs ago laid out 3 best financial producing crops for my area. Off the top of my head I remember
Blackberries
Okra
Purple Hull Peas
I have all the notes somewhere, but they laid out the real expenses, including labor. Blackberries are more labor intensive to start & more money at first, but pay off for many yrs to come.
When I first started planting out here I did a 1/4 acre of asparagus. This will be yr 3 & should tell me how much has survived the droughts & animals. I seriously think the rabbits eat the tips faster than I can spy them popping out of the ground. Stupid rabbits!

MoonRiver · #58 02/04/14, 10:28 AM

At least the post got me a little motivated.

I ordered organic insecticides and fungicides so I can spray my small orchard. I started the orchard about 5 years ago and have never gotten any edible fruit out of it. I also made up a spraying schedule to remind me when I need to spray. Did the same for berries and nut trees.

Also bought some grubex to kill the grubs. Moles are really tearing up the yard this winter.

Centralilrookie · #59 02/04/14, 05:06 PM

I think Zong has the right idea. Becoming proficient in gardening and raising small livestock will save ones hard earned money, which is much like added income. Maximizing the production of ones available space will leave more area for any other income producing ventures that would work in that local.

am1too · #60 02/04/14, 06:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MoonRiver

At least the post got me a little motivated.

I ordered organic insecticides and fungicides so I can spray my small orchard. I started the orchard about 5 years ago and have never gotten any edible fruit out of it. I also made up a spraying schedule to remind me when I need to spray. Did the same for berries and nut trees.

Also bought some grubex to kill the grubs. Moles are really tearing up the yard this winter.

Its cheaper and better to feed the soil than it is to buy the poisons that will eventually kill your soil. Healthy soil makes healthy and happy plants. Insects and plant disease mostly attack the weak plants.

I don't know what my neighbor did but the insects ate his garden to the ground in short order while I had a 7 ft mater and beans that pulled down the fence.

I use no chemicals. I use lots of compost.