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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] Economics- sustainable ag?

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  • From: robert schuler <sunnfarm AT bellatlantic.net>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Economics- sustainable ag?
  • Date: Thu, 22 Dec 2005 16:16:42 -0500

Andrew , A lot of folks who call themselves market farmers are self described farmers in name only. Most are gardeners who call their gardens... farms. That is their right but it is un reasonable to expect a garden to be economically sustainable or viewed as a viable farming business.
I moved my farm to this area 19 years ago because it has the best soils and climate for growing the highest yielding fruits and vegetables. There are hundreds of full time commercial small to medium family vegetable farms in my neighborhood. We must be doing something right...
Location is everything. You can grow vegetables almost anywhere but there are certain places where vegetables grow really good. If you live outside one of these areas you will never make it... If a person has a profession and is unemployed and someone offers him a job in his profession 500 miles away he picks up and relocates. If you want to be successful making a living growing vegetables you have to packup and move to where the best vegetable land is...
Folks who try to eeke out a living growing vegetables on clay and rock hillsides will never make. But there is a crop or animal suitable for almost any soil and climate, folks need to find what works best where they live if they don't want to relocate...

Bob.
Sunny Meadow Farm
Bridgeton, NJ.

"Andrew R. King" wrote:

Reading what you write it seems market farmers are providing a good income to those who sell seeds, green houses and farm equipment. You are providing your communities with delicious, healthy food. However your emails would lead one to say, market farming is not a viable economical model.

I would like to ask a question. Would you call begging a sustainable occupation? There were beggars in the bible and there are beggars on the streets of our cities today. 

Based on your emails, you have ideas that will make you more efficient. I hope by rethinking both production and distribution practices we can make market farming a viable economical model

Andy King

Sunflower King's Farm

Trumbauersville, PA


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