Market Farming

["Steven Rogers" <singingpigfarm AT earthlink.net>]

Several people have asked me how I did $150K on 1 1/2 acres. I will try to give some basics. This forum isn't really the best for in-depth discussions because of size limitations. Anyone who has read my posts in othere forums knows I can go on forever, I just love this stuff. First, Allan Balliett emailed me and said he did $49K on 1 acre. Allan, great job and you are on the right track with the right attitude. Rather than being discouraged when seeing others who had better numbers, you are encouraged because you see the potential for improving. My guess is that aren't afraid to make mistakes because you learn from them. These are two things that have helped me get to the level I am now.

1) I constantly question what I am doing and make notes about how I could do things better. I spent 15 years in telecommunications so I tend to see things in processes and systems. I notice how a change in a discrete process here affects other processes within the system. for example, the process of planting has a huge impact on your production system, especially in the areas of cultivation and harvest. I started out just broadcasting seed because that worked well for me as a gardener. Makes it easy to plant but very difficult to cultivate, which inturn makes it difficult to harvest.

2) I have no education on horticulture or agriculture. My background is in math/engineering/business management. When people ask me how I have learned how to do what I do I respond "by killing a lot of stuff." It's true. I have learned the most from my biggest failures. My successes have taught me little. When I plant something and it dies or doesn't produce an economically viable crop, I don't look for external forces to blame it on. I look at: what did I do, what decisions did I make that gave me this result. Then I ask "What if" (please don't sue me Hewlett-Packard) I made changes in what I did, what if I had made different decisions, what would be the result. Keep in mind that seed is cheap so go ahead and put in the ground, experiment, make mistakes and learn.

 

 

Steven Rogers

singingpigfarm AT earthlink.net

EarthLink Revolves Around You.