[Market-farming] Economics of starting a market garden enterprise
robert schuler
sunnfarm at bellatlantic.net
Fri Dec 10 17:32:43 EST 2004
If you want to farm full time for a living and support yourself and your family the economics are not very good. Forget the silly how to farm books, they only exist to make money for the authors who then don't have to practice what they preach.
32 Years ago I was 20 years old and spent the summer on my hands and knees picking tomatoes, at the end of the season I could buy a new $4000 pickup truck, This summer I will be 52 years old and still picking tomatoes on my hands and knees and the new truck will cost $30000, two things I want you to notice, one I am 32 years older and two, tomatoes today sell for roughly the same as they
did 32 years ago. You can see that it would be impossible to buy the pickup today as it was 32 years ago.
The cost of living goes up as our ability to produce income goes down. That is the reality of market gardening. The economics are stagnant and I don't see that changing anytime soon....Bob.
Sunny Meadow Farm
Bridgeton, NJ.
MTrynoski at aol.com wrote:
> I am looking for some tips on the realities of starting a market garden enterprise(adventure) pertaining to the economics. I know that there are many variables but can anyone give me a starting point, books, personal experience etc. How many acres minimum? What kind of yields do I need to make it work. What are the best crops and marketing approaches to start with and then expand?
>
> I have some excellent land and good markets in the Chicago area. I am ready to put in the sweat equity, just need a workable business plan before I give up the "real" job. Thanks
>
> Matt Trynoski
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