[Slugmar]

This last year I put 1/2 acre of a garden in behind my house expermenting with different items. It did okay.

During this I took my father to the farmers market in are area and showed him the potentional of a market garden well he wants to jump right in and do a great big garden. 5acres.

I want to start small build a customer base and expand from there starting at one maybe 2 markets and maybe only do 2 acres and leave the rest for cutting hay.

we own about 40 acres 30 of that we cut hay and do alot of custom hay farming on. we usually make around 20k a year off the hay. I think the garden has a potentional to bring in that much or more just with 2 to 5 acreas.

along with the garden I would be selling farm fresh eggs and have for pick up at the farm beef/pig/goat/chickens/turkeys. I think with these items we can start a small customer base and expand from there.

I dont know why im concered I love gardens and animals maybe im just worried that it will all crash and burn on the first year. I want this to work for acouple reason.

the main reason is I want it to build into a small business for my kids and my nephew for the farm can help send them to college to get a better education.

any advice,tips and suggestions would be helpful
- Confused in Northern California

 

[steff bugielski]

2 acres of garden is a lot of work. I would start small. Especially if you have animals and hay to do. I sell right here on the farm. Started real small and now have enough folks coming to me I do not need to travel to the markets. I do have the advantage of being on the main thoroughfare.

 

[Callieslamb]

Do you already have the equipment you would need - as in tractor? If I didn't have one of those - I would start small. Do you already have a base of customers? If not- I would start small.

How much to people make in profit at the Farmer's market you went to? Is there room for more growers?

 

[Gabriel]

1/2 acre you can work by hand, 5 acres... I don't think so. You WILL make mistakes and it's best to keep them at a cost you can afford to lose. This was my first year to sell produce and I made alot of mistakes. Nothing too costly but if I'd started larger I'd have had to get a j-o-b somewhere else to make back the money I lost or borrow it from the bank. Neither is a good option imo. I'm expanding and expect to make more (different) mistakes next year. My motto is "never risk what you can't afford to lose".

One thing I learned: pigs. When growing organically the product isn't always as pretty as customers want and there's more of that than my family can eat or store. Pigs, otoh, aren't picky. They also sell well!

 

[AnnieinBC]

If you are concerned that you will "crash and burn" why not start small and do 1 farmer's market? If next year is a success, then you will have better idea as to whether you should expand again....just a thought.

I'm toying with the same idea you are, just not on that big of a scale....but I know there were days here that I already could not do everything that needed to be done, so thus my hesitation to go even bigger....

Gabriel has a really good point...we raise pigs and they eat a LOT of garden veggies...saves on their feed bill and we can make money by selling the pigs at the end...

Good luck to you, please keep us posted as to what you decide!

Annie

 

[Judi Reilly]

I started small this year,,sold at 1 farmers market,,for what I had..I did very well..plus I added my carmel rolls when I was skimpy on produce,,this fall I tilled up and prepared 3 new spots,,adding flowers to the mix..I'll dig up 2 more spots in the spring..all in my house yard,,,hence the name "Backyard Acres"..I have 2 more larger spots to dig into if I decide its worth it..I plan on attending 2 markets next spring..one close,,the other about 35 min. away..I've set some goals, reasonable ones,,but if they don't make it..I'll have to revamp things..but thru hard work,,rains, faith and lots of prayer...think I may be ok...its only me doing all this..but thats all I have to do now..plus help hubby when needed..I don't do field work anymore..so plenty of time to play in the gardens..
So...go for it..just not so big at first..Good Luck...

Judi

 

[Slugmar]

We have all the equipment need to do a big garden right down to the d4 cat if i want to push it all up in a big pile if I get upset with it. and we do have a pretty loyal customer base from are haying last five years that picked right out of my garden and threw me some extra cash. Eggs seam to fly out of the fridge so much that the wife maid me order more chicken for she could have some hehehe everytime she turned around I was selling them before she could bake them. at 2.50 a dozen they sell fast.


I guess im just worried about all the work I meen all it is, is work. Just looking at it just seams like alot of work. But there is a great potintal to earn.

 

[AnnieinBC]

Only you can know how much will be too much. It's great that you have equipment! But, how busy was it for you this past summer? Too busy? How much help will you have with the work? Are they ways you could streamline some of it to make it more efficient?

I love working in the garden....but I don't want to expand sooo much that ALL I am doing in summer is working from sunup to sundown in the garden....cuz then I don't think I'd love gardening anymore, lol....and I don't want that to happen.

Annie

 

[Kim_NC]

I echo going small. Even with equipment, 5 acres of garden is a lot of work for just a couple folks. I would not do more than an acre to start... 1 1/2 acres at the absolute most. That will give you plenty to start a first season at a local market - and figure out what to do from there.

You could plant an additional acre in fruit...small fruit like berries, and some dwarf fruit trees (apples, peaches, plums, cherries etc). The berries will bear within a year. Dwarf trees will bear in 2-3 years.

During the first season...
- You'll learn what sells well, and what doesn't

- You'll get customer requests and have good solid ideas for crops to expand next year

- You'll learn a lot about your crops, what you like to grow, what's best in your soil, etc

Then take all that knowledge and build on it for the following season. Add on...but add on in a smart way, based on what you learned.

I would definitely dedicate more time/space to eggs and chickens. They won't make you rich, but they're easy and they draw customers. For example...this was our first year at our local market. (We've only bought our small farm here 18 months ago.) Our fresh eggs drew many customers to our stand at the market. After that, they became vegetable customers, or they bought jams, relishes or baked goods from us as well. Several then got on our list for broiler/roaster chicken, pastured beef and pork.

What a nice venture for you, your Dad, and the youngsters in your family! Start small though so you're not overwhelmed and any mistakes are not costly.

 

[Slugmar]

Well im still tossing Ideas around in my head but this is what I'm currently thinking.

we have a very big customer hay base as it is and they will most likely buy veggies and such my egg base is growing by word of mouth right now that were thinking of starting a delevery system on saturdays.

Im thinking of going 2 acres, in the front of the field two plots of 208ft by 208ft. Why 208ft well 208x2 =43,264square ft just a little under 1 acre probaly just do 210 by 210 so ill be a little over 1 acre in each plot.

if I spread the rows 3 ft apart to be able to get my tractor down them with my small rototiller they would be easy to clean and just black garden tarp the rows. So if I did this that would give me about 69 rows per plot at 200 ft that alot of garden.

I think im going to also try and sale meat birds and turkeys also. I bought 4 turkeys this year butchered 3 and sold on for 60$ and had offers on the others.

so far that the plan I have in my head. Its nice to have this place to bounce ideas off of people and get suggestions wish I had more friends in my area I could talk to about this kind of stuff most of them are into computer games.

and my wife and Dad both work day shifts why I work night so its hard to communicate with them during the week except for acouple hours here and there or on my days off.

anyway back to the Idea bored designing a bigger chicken coop for more chickens.

 

[AnnieinBC]

Slugmar, if you do end up doing meat birds and you are looking to market them, this is what we did last year.

We gave one meatbird all cleaned up to our neighbours. Also to the lady who cuts my hair. And to two fellows my husband works with. Just gave one to them. That started the ball rolling.....we totally sold out of our meat birds this year. We did last year as well.

This year I gave one of the meat birds to one of my garden customers (I only have 2) and said Thank you for buying my veggies all season. She called me a week later and ordered 6 birds for next year.

Just another thought for you. The thinking and planning are some of the most fun parts!

Annie

 

[Kim_NC]

What a clever idea, Annie! I may consider that. Maybe I'll do a drawing among Farmers Market customers, give away a total of 5 or 6 meat chickens.

 

[AnnieinBC]

The Very Odd time I have a good idea, lol.....I gotta get over and check your website Kim, I remember someone hear saying it was awesome....this weekend I hope to.

Annie