Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

livingontheland - Re: [Livingontheland] okay, now i know it works (mini-biointensive)

livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Healthy soil and sustainable growing

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: "TradingPostPaul" <tradingpost@riseup.net>
  • To: emitch@att.net, livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] okay, now i know it works (mini-biointensive)
  • Date: Sun, 18 Mar 2007 20:20:30 -0700


Yes, small is beautiful. Yes, this is "real" farming. You can't argue with
results. Yes, it's a shock when we actually see it. We've also mentioned
Eliot Coleman's operation, grossing $100,000 in one year, on an acre and a
half. I've mentioned the Alcalde station near us where the head pHD tells
local farmers they can pull in $30,000 from one acre of blackberries. I see
one thing that guy Bobby G met has in common with Coleman: both sell to
restaurants. Though both sell in other ways as well. Selling to chefs and
restaurants is a real timesaver, and it's a guaranteed market so you know
how much of what to grow and when. Marketing is half the job. Keep in mind
that none of these people start making a living in year one. It's like any
other business; you don't expect it to support you the first year. There is
that learning curve, and it does take some time to bring a place up to full
production. It's not as simple as plowing a field and planting, but the
rewards are incredible. You can work hard or work smart.

We need to hear more about that guy's methods, Bobby G! I have my bets on
his "best practices", but I'll hold off till we know more. There are
endless variations on what works best.

paul tradingpost@lobo.net

Beware of all enterprises that require new clothes.
--Henry David Thoreau

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR ***********

On 3/18/2007 at 7:42 PM E. E. Mitchamore Jr wrote:

>Struggling as I am, I'm very impressed with a "one-man operation" that
>can grow 170 varieties of 55 species, much less sell them. No, make that
>"awe-struck".
>
>E. E. "Mitch" Mitchamore
>www.hillcountrynatives.biz
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Bobby G
> To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
> Sent: Sunday, March 18, 2007 1:51 PM
> Subject: [Livingontheland] okay, now i know it works (mini-biointensive)
>
>
> we just paid a visit to a guy who lives 30 miles out
> of town who we met through the local food forum
> meetings that have started happening in our little
> (college) town.
>
> we caught up to him out in his sugar bush while he was
> getting ready for a day of maple sugaring, and left
> this guy's place convinced that you all are on the
> right track here with the bio-intensive stuff.
>
> didn't get too far into the exact methods he's using
> (whether it's Jeavons raised beds or no-till or
> whatever) but the part when he said he had grossed
> last year $30,000 off of 1-1/4 acres was then i
> realized that this get-small or get-out idea [the
> Inverse Earl Butz approach?] really is working.
>
> he invited me out to see what sort of collaboration we
> could get into, involving the new land co-op we are
> starting (but which has yet to own even 1 square foot
> of land!)
>
> i asked about customers and marketing, and here's an
> interesting thing: his best customers are the
> restaurant chefs, who can really appreciate the
> flavor, texture and color of his organic foods, of
> which he raises 170 different varieties (of 55
> species). his CSA customers are not as good
> customers, because they don't take the time to learn
> how to prepare these foods, or can and preserve them,
> nor do they want to try new, odd and perhaps exotic
> varieties of vegetables.
>
> so, okay, this is "real" farming. here is a truly
> one-man operation where the farmer does not work
> outside of the farm, because there is no need to.
> small really is beautiful.
>
> keep up the good work, y'all,
>
> bobby g
>
>
>
>
>___________________________________________________________________________
_________
> 8:00? 8:25? 8:40? Find a flick in no time
> with the Yahoo! Search movie showtime shortcut.
> http://tools.search.yahoo.com/shortcuts/#news
> _______________________________________________
> Livingontheland mailing list
> Livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/livingontheland
>
>_______________________________________________
>Livingontheland mailing list
>Livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
>http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/livingontheland








Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page