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  • From: "Liz Pike" <liz AT laughingbrookfarm.com>
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] More on Jumping Into Farming
  • Date: Wed, 10 Mar 2004 15:34:22 -0500

Hey Marj,

(First off, could you please format your posts into plain text?? If you
don't know how just let me know offlist.)

Before looking at property, I'd start asking some serious questions. The
answers will determine what you need. What are the other farmers around you
growing?? How are they doing financially (look at the state of their
animals, barns, buildings, equipment, vehicles, houses)?? Does a market
exist for what you want to grow?? Is there room for another grower?? Are
there growers' cooperatives in your area who can help market for you?? What
needs are not being met for the market by the present growers?? Is it
something you'd be interested in supplying?? What else, beyond land and
buildings, will you need to bring your potential crops to market?? Land is
<relatively> cheap. It's the labor, equipment, structures, repairs and
maintenance that cost an arm and a leg!

Also, the industry average is a bare minimum of 3 years needed to establish
a new market--and that's for experienced farmers. Reaching "experienced
farmer" status takes about 5 years. Can you carry that mortgage until you
"might" reach your target income? If I were you, I'd go beat the bushes
and interview as many farmers as I could, check out the farmers' markets,
roadside stands and extension offices. If there are any farming financial
institutions around, talk to them too. All of these folks will have alot of
answers to your questions and can help you avoid potential disaster and
possible mistakes that might sabotage your dreams.

If the leased land isn't suitable for vegetables, what about pastured
meats?? Consumer demand for pastured/organic/naturally raised meats is
growing fast.

Also, what else can you do from a farm to earn income?? Farms these days
stand a better chance of surviving if they have multiple streams of income.
And that's not a bad thing. Let's us use our other talents, and work during
the months we can't grow.

I wish you all the best!! Once you've had a taste of working for yourself,
great food, & the whole outdoors, farming will ruin you for other work ; ))

Liz Pike
Laughingbrook Farm
Westfield NC
http://www.marketfarming.com new content added daily!!
http://www.laughingbrookfarm.com






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