Any farmers on the forum?

[crazydrummerdude]

Anyone farm or grow a large garden? I'm thinking about finally using this 9 acres we're sitting on. I have tractors, attachments, etc.

I just don't know anything about crop rotation or how much work it takes to 'farm' this (small) amount of land.

Or, anyone know any sites that have this kind of info? When I google it, I usually don't find what I'm looking for.

 

[JWHITE518]

I dunno bout you, but in my neck of the woods 9 acres is not exactly a large garden. It's a small farm!

There must be some industry publications. Talk to a John Deere dealer, a seed dealer, an irrigation contractor, maybe the ag department at a university. This is something I dream about - quitting the city and buying some land to farm. And I've wondered how you would find out about how to do it. There isn't a "Farming for Dummies."

 

[BRADFORDBENN]

I dunno about farming or gardening, but I think it could be a cool rally place and GS trail

 

[tessler]

I think Statdawg is a farmer...

 

[belquar]

I do 600 sq. ft. in my back yard. This year I had corn, jalapenos, watermelon, cantaloupe, yellow squash, zucchini, cucumber, broccoli, cauliflower (a disaster), strawberries, and of course Tomatoes. I had tomatoes coming out of my ears.

My grandfather does several acres. My other grandfather ran a 200 acre farm until he got old.

This was my garden this year. First time for me.

 

[crazydrummerdude]

Well, we've got.. let's see.. 360 acres about 120 miles away that my grandparents friend farms. (We used to have more, but that same guy bought the farm he lives on.) The land that is left here was my grandpa's farm. It was his parents, then his after WWII, but this whole area is nothing but subdivisions now, and all that's left is the 9 acres.

My grandpa died when I was 7, but I think it would be really cool to "farm" what's left (he stopped farming it in the 1970's). I never really got to know him, but from what I remember, and the stories I've heard, he was as cool and generous/helpful as a guy could be.

(This summer, I'll be starting my restoration of his 1928 Ford Model A that he restored a long time ago; before someone stole it and crashed it in a ditch in front another relatives house.)(... and, you may remember this same land from my thread about that guy breaking into our shed and trying to steal our dirtbike(s).)

 

[PASSMORE]

Hi,

We have 82 acres in Northern California just a bit outside of Sacramento just before the foothills of the Sierras. Our property is gently rolling with varying soil types. I am not a full time rancher, but rather out goal is to have our property produce enough income to pay for itself. A 'side benefit' is that by continuing ag activities on the property maintains our extremely low taxes via the Williamson Act.

What the others have said has proven true in my experiences. There are grants to be had and are most easily accessed through our county's ag office (who are very helpful in all things ag as is a ag extension here locally of a reputable university).

Currently, we just finished expanding our front pond to accomodate farming large mouth bass. My neighbor to the west of me farms fish on a large scale basis and is guiding me in our efforts. I think this is key - partner up w/neighbors so that whatever you do will not be so capital intensive up front and you get some built in wisdom to boot! We are applying that model with our hay/oats crops where we partnered with another of my neighbors who has a sod operation (and the equipment).

After re-reading your post I see your question focused on crop selection/rotation. As opposed to row crops, have you considered a small orchard or grapes where you plant once and get years from it? Downside is the time to production and increased cost per acre to plant, but another route none the less...

Also, whatever you plant, what have you considered as to the sale/consumption of your production?

 

[ORCHARDRT]

We closed the orchard, 350 trees, Our backs couldn't handle 50 # bushel baskets and pruning all winter. Riding is a much better pasttime,fulltime.

 

[JWILLIS125911]

Another Resource You Might Use

The following website might provide some solid information for your purposes.

http://www.polyfacefarms.com.

I am thinking of doing the same thing on a 70 acre farm. The idea I am considering is the same as that performed at Polyface Farm - just scale it down to size.

For starters - why do you want to farm the 9 acres? For relaxation, for profit, for sustainable contributions to the local community, etc. Profitabitability using industrial practices is not likely (certainly not if you internalize all of the costs).