Market Farming

[Road's End Farm <organic87 AT frontiernet.net>]

Several people have recommended internships. If you don't have much experience, I'd strongly agree with this; and even possibly if you do have experience. Every farm does things differently, and interning on several different farms will get you a variety of information. 

I have contact information for ATTRA, New England Farm Institute, and Northeast Organic Farming Association intern listings. Let me know if you want any of that.

Once you're relatively sure what you want to do and in what part of the country you want to do it: there are farms looking for partners, and also farmers who want to retire and would like to turn their farm over to another generation, but have no one in their own family who wants to farm. Either of these situations might help you get your own land without having to come up with a large downpayment. You do want to get to know the people first, and then to make sure all the legal issues are clearly spelled out before you commit yourself entirely.

Whether rented land would pay is likely to depend a great deal on the land, the cost of the land, and the market available. I have heard of people doing it that way successfully.


-- Rivka; Finger Lakes NY, Zone 5 mostly
Fresh-market organic produce, small scale

On Mar 14, 2008, at 1:35 PM, Suzi Bernhard wrote:

> Howdy all,
> I am going to be graduating from college coming up here in may.  What
> I really want to do is veggie production and farmers market, but I
> dont own any land.  From your experience, is market farming profitable
> enough to pay for rented land?  Is it best to go somewhere and get a
> job for a few years so I can make a big downpayment, or should I try
> to find land to rent and go into it right away?  Any opinions are
> defiantly appreciated.
> Thanks so much!
> Suzi Bernhard
> Farmer wannabee in NE Iowa (finishing college in central iowa)