Hi. We bought 10 acres of land that was previously part of a 100 year old farm. I built a house, and got a lawn in on about 4 acres of the land. I'd like to farm the other 6 acres which is a nice field. Currently there is just field grasses growing, and I've brush hogged it down. The field grass is pretty nice but the field is rutted bad with some holes that were dug when they tried to perk the land, so it beats me up when I mow it. I'd like to plow it fresh and start over, but I'm new to this. I have a 55 HP tractor and have access to farming attachments. I'd like some advice on what a good cash crop is for a beginner, and how should I prepare the field?
New to farming, need advice
- Thread starter Anglerdad
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oosik
Epic Contributor
No idea about cash crops in your area. Many ways to prep your field. Plow - disk - drag harrow. Rototiller. Just disk, if its heavy enough then drag harrow. Harley rake - if you can find one to rent.
If you plant a "cash crop" - who will tend the crop, who will harvest the crop? If you - then better be prepared to purchase farming implements. If somebody else - better find that person and get the "deal" closed before you even prep the field.
There is an AWFUL lot more to farming than just field preparation and throwing down some seed.
A good start for first timers - local Agricultural Extension Service.
If you plant a "cash crop" - who will tend the crop, who will harvest the crop? If you - then better be prepared to purchase farming implements. If somebody else - better find that person and get the "deal" closed before you even prep the field.
There is an AWFUL lot more to farming than just field preparation and throwing down some seed.
A good start for first timers - local Agricultural Extension Service.
LouNY
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Oh, farming is easy, anybody can do it;
step 1, start with a million dollars
step 2, after a few years ask yourself where it all went
step 3, start over
step 1, start with a million dollars
step 2, after a few years ask yourself where it all went
step 3, start over
oosik
Epic Contributor
Unfortunately - a lot of us have either seen or had the direct experience LouNY is talking about.
Again - your Ag Extension service or something like that is the place to start. Soil analysis will be the start to telling what can grow on your land. What amendments may be necessary - what crops can be grown for cash. What crops can be grown for which there is a market. What equipment will be required to plant and bring these crops thru harvest. Will crop storage be required - how much.
Maybe LouNY's estimate is low. Best to find out before you jump off blind.
Again - your Ag Extension service or something like that is the place to start. Soil analysis will be the start to telling what can grow on your land. What amendments may be necessary - what crops can be grown for cash. What crops can be grown for which there is a market. What equipment will be required to plant and bring these crops thru harvest. Will crop storage be required - how much.
Maybe LouNY's estimate is low. Best to find out before you jump off blind.
Dadnatron
Veteran Member
There are lots of things you could do, but you should first, look around your area and see what is being done by others, who make their living off the land. One option might be to plant apple trees and make an orchard, being that you are in Michigan. Another might be to grow grapes and/or lease the land to a local vinyard for HIM to grow the grapes on your property. HOPS are a big thing, and you could put in hops, although, I've heard that their might be more of a 'glut' for local hops than there was 5 years ago. But, it would be worth looking in to.
Basically, anything reasonable in YOUR SPECIFIC area will be... being done there. So, the best thing you can do, in my opinion, is to find out what others are doing around you, and see whether it makes sense on 6ac. Feed corn WON'T make sense... but 'sweet corn' sold at the local farmer's market might be the perfect opportunity to make some good extra money.
IF your not opposed to livestock, put your land in grass and rotate 'pasture raised chickens' around your place. There is a BIG market for both pasture eggs and meat. There is a LOT you can do with 6ac, but you have to think about it differently than corn/soybean rotation.
Basically, anything reasonable in YOUR SPECIFIC area will be... being done there. So, the best thing you can do, in my opinion, is to find out what others are doing around you, and see whether it makes sense on 6ac. Feed corn WON'T make sense... but 'sweet corn' sold at the local farmer's market might be the perfect opportunity to make some good extra money.
IF your not opposed to livestock, put your land in grass and rotate 'pasture raised chickens' around your place. There is a BIG market for both pasture eggs and meat. There is a LOT you can do with 6ac, but you have to think about it differently than corn/soybean rotation.
motownbrowne
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I'm a market farmer AKA truck farmer. We grow veggies on about 2 acres. We crop very intensively and with very little unused space in the field. It's a ton of work and doesn't pay real well. But, for us it beats working for someone else and we get to eat really good food.
If you want to make money on a few acres, be prepared for a LOT of work. Like others have suggested, you need to figure out what there is a demand for in your area and then figure out how much time and equipment you will need to grow it at a price that's competitive. In our area there is no shortage of Amish growers as well as retirees who underprice their products at the farmer's market. It's pretty tough to compete with those guys because they don't need to make enough profit to actually operate a business.
You could specialize in a few crops which would allow you to tool up a little better for each crop. Potatoes for example. You can grow a lot of taters on an acre or two. A potato planter and a potato digger can be had pretty cheaply. A basic toolbar with a setup for trenching and also for hilling and a small PTO or 12V sprayer would round out the set. You could do something similar with corn, carrots, squash, pumpkins, etc.
Of course actually growing the crop may prove to be the easy part. If you actually want to make money on that amount of leave you'll need to grow a high value crop instead of hay or soybeans or something. As such you'll end up with a product that requires some equipment and labor for harvest and also post harvest. Coolbots have really brought down the start up price for growing veggies, but you still have up be able to harvest, wash, cool, package, store, and deliver your crop. All of those steps require tools, time, and space. And, of course, that's assuming you have a buyer...
If you want to make money on a few acres, be prepared for a LOT of work. Like others have suggested, you need to figure out what there is a demand for in your area and then figure out how much time and equipment you will need to grow it at a price that's competitive. In our area there is no shortage of Amish growers as well as retirees who underprice their products at the farmer's market. It's pretty tough to compete with those guys because they don't need to make enough profit to actually operate a business.
You could specialize in a few crops which would allow you to tool up a little better for each crop. Potatoes for example. You can grow a lot of taters on an acre or two. A potato planter and a potato digger can be had pretty cheaply. A basic toolbar with a setup for trenching and also for hilling and a small PTO or 12V sprayer would round out the set. You could do something similar with corn, carrots, squash, pumpkins, etc.
Of course actually growing the crop may prove to be the easy part. If you actually want to make money on that amount of leave you'll need to grow a high value crop instead of hay or soybeans or something. As such you'll end up with a product that requires some equipment and labor for harvest and also post harvest. Coolbots have really brought down the start up price for growing veggies, but you still have up be able to harvest, wash, cool, package, store, and deliver your crop. All of those steps require tools, time, and space. And, of course, that's assuming you have a buyer...
A farmer wins a million dollars in the lottery. When the interviewer asked "What are you going to do with all that money?" the farmer replies "I'm gonna buy me some new equipment and keep farming until the money is all gone!"
smstonypoint
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Motownbrown offers excellent advice. There's a wealth of information available on specialty crops. Enterprise Budgeting Tools | Agricultural Marketing Resource Center is an example.
I think you will find that these crops are labor- and management-intensive. You also need access to suitable markets and marketing skills to be successful.
Good luck.
Steve
I think you will find that these crops are labor- and management-intensive. You also need access to suitable markets and marketing skills to be successful.
Good luck.
Steve
Sonny580
Veteran Member
A GOOD cash crop????---it ain't corn or beans, taters would probably go , IF ya got a buyer!--I would do wheat, IF it grows there.--that requires a combine, so that's out for you.---Weeds????--- Hay would require min. equipment, but still need market.
Anything you try is going to depend upon finding a market!--I grow BIG gardens, ( 4 acres + ) but can't even give away the veggies.---This is not an area where this works.--Maybe up there it would.--check with others in area and get ideas from them too! thanks; sonny580
Anything you try is going to depend upon finding a market!--I grow BIG gardens, ( 4 acres + ) but can't even give away the veggies.---This is not an area where this works.--Maybe up there it would.--check with others in area and get ideas from them too! thanks; sonny580
