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market-farming - [Market-farming] Farm scale, economics, and quality of life-PART 1

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  • From: JOHN A HENDRICKSON <jhendric AT wisc.edu>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org,>
  • Subject: [Market-farming] Farm scale, economics, and quality of life-PART 1
  • Date: Sat, 18 Dec 2004 22:39:53 -0600

I have received the go-ahead from list manager Liz Pike to post some
older compiled clippings from this listserve that relate to economics,
farm scale, and quality of life. Per her suggestion, I am dividing them
up into 3 posts. I should note that I took the liberty of cutting some
material from these posts and doing some minor grammatical editing.
Here is part 1 of 3. -John
----
“To me the whole thing comes down to this: What is the right scale for
my operation? The challenge is to find a size that represents a good
"fit" for the grower's management skills.”

“Our experience over the past 13 years has shown three or four constants
with all who have found financial success from a small farm: the farm
couple is the labor force, with minimal occasional hired help; they sell
organic produce primarily at retail prices (CSA and/or farmers markets,
and/or on farm); and they have a good value-added product, most often a
very nice salad mix, or, like Eliot Coleman, sell primarily off-season
which is the equivalent of value-added. They have also typically found
a way to supplement farm income during the winter, at least in the first
few years of operation.”

“We make a good living off of 4.50 acres and some greenhouse area. The
farm supports my family and a full time employee. There are quite a few
of us. We grow a variety of certified organic crops mostly regional and
a lot of specialty crops for our customers. We started out at the local
farmers market and have been expanding every year. We have a CSA that
is about 1/4 of our sales, then about 1/4 wholesale; the rest is farmers
market. We are about to start a marketing coop for local growers.”

“We grow 52 weeks a year and sell 52 weeks a year. I tell people when
we speak that the good news is, you can grow year- round, the bad news
is, you can grow year-round, no time off. If you are already 'burned
out' from the work, please carefully consider year-round veggies. Each
year we look at our profit centers and growing vegetables in the summer,
is our least profitable venture months (the winter veggies are better.
Cut flowers, perennials, winter salads, beef, all much better,
especially when you consider labor. So why do we still grow organic
veggies? 'Cause we feel that it's important that someone grows good
food for people, we have loyal customers we don't want to disappoint
(we're the only organic growers for a large area), and we enjoy growing
vegetables. But on a small, two people scale, growing even organic
vegetables would not sustain the farm. Our diversified farm, we think,
will in time, but for now, we are both grateful for my 'public job'.”

“I know how to fix my dog and my pick-up truck. I don't know how to fix
my prices, and, I really need some suggestions in this area. Every time
I raise the prices so I can make a profit the market goes and buys
somewhere else. I need the prices fixed on my arugula right now. Just
can't seem to sell it. Could be cause it got so hot an bitter but,
probably just needs a good price fixin.”





  • [Market-farming] Farm scale, economics, and quality of life-PART 1, JOHN A HENDRICKSON, 12/18/2004

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