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Subject: Market Farming

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Chronological Thread  
  • From: "askpv" <askpv AT ozemail.com.au>
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>, <ben AT longbeachorganic.org>
  • Cc: Permaculturevisions <permaculturevisions AT yahoogroups.com>
  • Subject: [Market-farming] integrated farming for small farms
  • Date: Wed, 18 Jun 2003 10:35:20 +1000

Hi Benjamin,
About small farming you have four good options and a fifth essential:
1. indoor farming
Fungi such as specialised Mushrooms and Sprouts are good food-plants that you grow indoors and out (depending on the weather).
2. high value farming
i would go for high value plants, possibly something rare and medicinal.  such as japanese food-stuffs
but do your research and get experience before you try the big crop and big dollars.
some plants can cost $30 or more (eg. ginseng) each, so you really need to be prepared.
3. value added farming
or you could try value adding, growing something that depends on the plants/resources you can import
such as specialised worm-farming for hobby fishermen/women, (worms like shade but not cold)
or silkworms (I do them in spring/summer) that depend on the mulberry trees i grow, you can find sources of food outside
your site and bring them in to process.  some people make specialised pickles, salsa and jams supplying recipies for their use, most people will buy these foods at market if they are every-day foods.
4. annuals not perrenials.  unfortunately in permaculture we promote perrenials because they are better for the environment, they cause little or no erosion and require less maintainence and are self-renewing.  but annuals give a better profit especially in small farms.
5. integrated farming is essential for small farms.  now, you have tiny growing space, you put a high value crop in there and nurse it along, you need pest control, you need natural fertilizer and it gives you organic waste material that you need to dispose of right, so integrate a few very pretty silky chickens. (that will trick the neighbours into understand that they are pets)
you can have the chickens housed on the concrete with a good deep litter over a small wormfarm.  when the soil is clear of plants at end of season or just before you start, let the chickens in to clean it out of grubs and fertilize and till it.  that is an incredible 3 functions and all for free even working on weekends.  then, plant the seedlings with a protect cage over them, let the chicken jump up onto the cages and root around them to keep bugs at bay.
then as the plants mature and you may need to remove the cages, fence the chickens off.

April

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-----Original Message-----
From: market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org]On Behalf Of
ben AT longbeachorganic.org
Sent: Tuesday, June 17, 2003 1:22 AM
To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: [Market-farming] New Member


Hi all!

I live in Long Beach, California and for the first time since high
school I have a place to garden. I got involved in a community garden
organization and soon discovered that my love for raising food was
bigger than I knew. I'm crystal clear that I want to be a market
garden. Problem is that I don't have a clue as to how to get started.

My house has a tiny garden space - 16 inched wide by 22 feet long. That
is where my edibles garden is. I also have veggies in container in the
concrete backyard (not much sun there) and out front. So space is a
premium.

So my questions are:

How does one get started when they really don't have the space? What
can you grow for sale that can be grown in very small spaces or
containers for market? Any of those things grow in shade? (if I can use
the shady side of the house I'd would have more container growing
area).

Anything you guys could tell me to help would be awesome.

Benjamin

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