Random musings

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lukethedrifter
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Re: Random musings

Post by lukethedrifter »

http://www.aftaweb.org/latest-newslette ... ction.html

Wild simulated. But sounds like if it’s land that has been planted in corn/soy then it’s not likely the right sort of field.

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IMADreamer
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Re: Random musings

Post by IMADreamer »

Yeah she is thinking ginseng. I don't know a thing about it but she's doing her homework. I guess I will have to as well.
Last edited by IMADreamer on October 13 18, 10:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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InvincibleCakeEater
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Re: Random musings

Post by InvincibleCakeEater »

I cut myself cutting potatoes more than anything else. I love them, but they're ass holes.

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InvincibleCakeEater
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Re: Random musings

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InvincibleCakeEater wrote:I cut myself cutting potatoes more than anything else. I love them, but they're ass holes.
Related - If you guys aren't making Caldo Verde in the fall and winter you're missing out.

Diddy
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Re: Random musings

Post by Diddy »

IMADreamer wrote:My gf came to me with the idea of converting a few acres of ground into a specialty crop plot which she would sell locally or regionally. I told her she would have to show me how it was viable before we would consider taking the land out of our row crop operation. We'll I looked at some rough drafts tonight and all be damned if it doesn't look viable.
I can come up with a lot of things that are more profitable on paper. Haven’t had much luck with them in action. Lots of time wrapped up in production and marketing. And if yhe market isn’t what you anticipated you can end up eating it.

Your cash flow might be able to handle that.

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IMADreamer
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Re: Random musings

Post by IMADreamer »

Diddy wrote:
IMADreamer wrote:My gf came to me with the idea of converting a few acres of ground into a specialty crop plot which she would sell locally or regionally. I told her she would have to show me how it was viable before we would consider taking the land out of our row crop operation. We'll I looked at some rough drafts tonight and all be damned if it doesn't look viable.
I can come up with a lot of things that are more profitable on paper. Haven’t had much luck with them in action. Lots of time wrapped up in production and marketing. And if yhe market isn’t what you anticipated you can end up eating it.

Your cash flow might be able to handle that.

I can definitely see it not working out as I have been down that road too a time or two. Marketing is what I am worried about. I think it's an interesting experiment and a good way for her to get into agriculture and also get her feet wet as an entrepreneur although she's has some skill at that from the past.

Diddy
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Re: Random musings

Post by Diddy »

I put up a high tunnel and planted 80,000 tomatoes one year, some indoor some outdoor. When the indoor ones came on I couldn’t keep up and could sell at a premium. Then two weeks later peoples garden tomatoes were mature and you couldn’t give them away. I had a few restaurants I supplied but I’d priced myself low to get in the door and wasn’t making any money on it. The profit and demand is based on getting to market before anyone else. I tried sweet corn and peppers the next year. Sweet corn doesn’t pollinate well in a high tunnel and the market for peppers wasn’t there. I started raising pastures pigs and made decent money on a small scale for two years so I expanded. About that same time several more people got into raising pasture pigs and the market became saturated. Now I’m basically raising pet pigs. I lost 2k on the last year and will lose at least that this year. I have clients that I built up my first two years that have remained loyal but I can’t justify it to supply them. I was feeding out steers for people and got stuffed on one. I’d talked to him the night before and after it was hanging he called to tell me he wasn’t taking it.

I really think that strawberries look like a great investment but where I want to put them is to close to the neighbors field and I’m afraid it would just cause problems. My life is completely up in the air right now. We’ve lost two huge chunks of land in the past two years after long time landlords dies and heirs sold out. My dad is retiring and selling out so I’m left with no real good options going forward. A berry farm, and growing ornamentals like pumpkins, goards and Indian corn looks good on paper. Agritourism is huge maybe a corn maze also.

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IMADreamer
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Re: Random musings

Post by IMADreamer »

Landlord death is definitely a problem going forward. We lost two in the last year. We couldn't afford one farm, but the other we were able to buy (it was only 15 acres) and we already owned 30 acres of that field so it would have been dumb to let it get away.

Agritourism is where it's at for sure. If you could do a corn maze, hay rides, pick your own (insert product). Also think about having an event space and possible even having flea markets or something along those lines at the farm.

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wart57
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Re: Random musings

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CardsofSTL
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Re: Random musings

Post by CardsofSTL »

IMADreamer wrote:Landlord death is definitely a problem going forward. We lost two in the last year. We couldn't afford one farm, but the other we were able to buy (it was only 15 acres) and we already owned 30 acres of that field so it would have been dumb to let it get away.

Agritourism is where it's at for sure. If you could do a corn maze, hay rides, pick your own (insert product). Also think about having an event space and possible even having flea markets or something along those lines at the farm.
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