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livingontheland - [Livingontheland] What nobody told me about small farming: I can’t make a living

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  • From: herb farmer <tradingpost@lobo.net>
  • To: Healthy soil and sustainable growing <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [Livingontheland] What nobody told me about small farming: I can’t make a living
  • Date: Mon, 4 Jan 2016 11:04:21 -0700

What nobody told me about small farming: I can’t make a living
http://www.salon.com/2016/01/01/what_nobody_told_me_about_small_farming_i_cant_make_a_living_2/

I can't send this without rebuttal. Their methods are a prescription for failure. I've explained this over the years on this list. Now at 72, I grew on less than 1/4 acre for nearby farmers markets for 10 years, & made thousands in profit each year after the first, working only part time all by myself. A younger man or woman could do much better with a little more startup capital & energy. Don't go into debt for land or machinery; it'll eat you alive. Keep it very small by growing Biointensive like Jeavons in permanent beds, so you can do it all by hand without outside labor. No costly tillers or tractors needed. Sell retail only at upscale markets or farmstand. Grow superior strains of commonly known varieties that sell best. Avoid cheap crops that waste precious space. Study revenue per square foot like Eliot Coleman. Let losers grow watermelons. Use free compost in beds & use it also for mulch as needed. Keep bought amendments to a minimum. Reuse supplies & materials. Plow some first profits back into improvements like DIY season extension for year round selling. Cut-and-come-again greens grow & sell like hotcakes in the cold. Finally, if you're not selling well then raise your prices.




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