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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] bulk compost, peat, etc.

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  • From: Matt Cheselka <cheselka AT mksit.net>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] bulk compost, peat, etc.
  • Date: Thu, 8 Jan 2004 11:20:58 -0700 (MST)


Ok -- so it sounds like the suggestions are what I already know: "keep
your eyes open". I'm glad to know that what I *thought* would be the
answer is the answer I've gotten. Sanity checks are nice sometimes. ;)

The problem I face isn't the fact that I can't or don't know how to make
compost, but rather it's the *volume* that I need to get this little
enterprise started. I could work on making compost for the next year and
then start production next year, but if I can get some "instant
gratification" now by throwing some dollars around, I'd opt to to that.
Also bear in mind that I'm doing this as a "bootstrap business" with
practically no initial capital other than the pennies, nickels, dimes, and
sometimes quarters I can scrape away if there's anything left over after
paying all the regular bills. The point is that I've found that I *must*
be a vegetable farmer. So size and profit doesn't really matter as long
as I can grow happy veggies and get people to regularly take them home
with them and eat 'em. Selling at the farmer's market is an addiction and
I'm already hooked (I did some experimental selling of about 50-60 lettuce
plants late last year and got rid of them all in about 4 hours -- wow what
a rush!). I've currently got 880 sq ft of growing area (laugh now if you
want) and I'm working on a land leasing agreement with a fellow I know to
let me work on an acre of land he has (of which about 1/8 of it could be
put into production in the next few months). The rest needs a lot of work
(clearing out junk, gravel, a few weeds, etc.) after which I'll sow to a
green manure (I've got clover and alfalfa). So anyhow, I need some inputs
for this new area and by my calculations I need about 5 tons of compost
(and probably other ammendments like micronutrients, etc) to put the soil
(which you could currently make adobe bricks into) into a healthier state
for growing happy plants. I'm more than happy to buy what I need at this
point and be limited to what I can afford, but of course my intentions are
to create something self-supporting -- and that'll come with time and good
planning.

Thanks for letting me ramble. I'm not looking for "help" or even
suggestions. I'd really like to learn as I go and make all the mistakes.
That's how I learn best. Being told or even shown stuff doesn't work for
me. What does work is if I have questions, I'll certainly bother y'all
again.

Very appreciative,

Matt Cheselka





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