# Idea for my future farm!



## Back to Nature (Feb 10, 2013)

I'm constantly thinking of ways to make a little extra money on my future farm. I had a good idea recently and wanted to know people's thoughts, and see if they've done it. Obviously I'm not trying to get rich, just find ways to pay for the farm and have a little extra money for fun.

Here's the idea; I would take a few acres of land that I don't use, and let people "rent" the space. For say, $25 per month, they could rent 100 square feet of space or so. I haven't figured out price yet; obviously it'll depend on circumstances when I actually get my property. And there could be "premium" rentals, where they can get a year's rental for only $200 or something, and if they did this option they'd also get access to a certain amount of organic compost produced on-site. Then they could use this space to grow their own plants.

What do you think of this idea? Let me know!

EDIT: Theoretically, if I took one acre, divided it into 100 square foot plots, and rented each one for $25, I could make $10,890 each month. Obviously I'm not going to make nearly that much, (I probably won't profit at all), but it's a nice thought.


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## bonbean01 (Feb 10, 2013)

If you get property near a large city with a fairly short driving distance for potential customers, you may get people interested in doing this to be able to grow a garden.  My thinking is that there are city families that may welcome a chance to grow their own produce and give their children a healthy interest in the whole growing from seed to product on their table experience.

My daughter and son in law would have jumped at something like this with their little girls if it had been available when they lived in a huge city in a condo.  Have to be more people that would love this too?

You'd need to think about people being able to access water for their gardens, and bathrooms.  Could be done I'd think


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## Southern by choice (Feb 10, 2013)

100 sq feet of space is a 10ft x 10 ft-  that is a very small space for someone to rent, even for a small garden then driving back and forth etc. consider 1/4 acre plots or 1/8 th maybe. Also you would need to consider if renting for plant crops...will you allow pesticides etc. One person may not want them but the person beside them might use them, and then there is run-off etc.
Also I would consider looking at the legal aspects of renting out "plots".  Injury mishaps, liability... consider the insurance cost and then the rental costs.

I do like how you are very visionary and are pursuing your future farming dreams!    I think it is awesome, so I didn't want this to be discouraging. Have you considered seeing if there is a farm that offers internship? This really offers a great perspective of all kinds of farming and also the business side. Having exposure to many breeds and species of livestock will help you in your future endeavors.


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## bonbean01 (Feb 10, 2013)

Good points Southern 

People would want a larger plot for growing to make their drive back and forth more worthwhile.  I never even considered nasty chemicals, probably because I was thinking of my daughter who goes organic in all things when possible when it comes to feeding her family.

And yes...good idea to look into the legal aspects first.


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## Back to Nature (Feb 10, 2013)

Southern by choice said:
			
		

> 100 sq feet of space is a 10ft x 10 ft-  that is a very small space for someone to rent, even for a small garden then driving back and forth etc. consider 1/4 acre plots or 1/8 th maybe. Also you would need to consider if renting for plant crops...will you allow pesticides etc. One person may not want them but the person beside them might use them, and then there is run-off etc.
> Also I would consider looking at the legal aspects of renting out "plots".  Injury mishaps, liability... consider the insurance cost and then the rental costs.
> 
> I do like how you are very visionary and are pursuing your future farming dreams!    I think it is awesome, so I didn't want this to be discouraging. Have you considered seeing if there is a farm that offers internship? This really offers a great perspective of all kinds of farming and also the business side. Having exposure to many breeds and species of livestock will help you in your future endeavors.


That's true... I didn't think of how small that would be.  Maybe I'd do 1/10 of an acre. No wonder the number was so huge; because the plots would be tiny!

If I allowed people to use my water, I could charge extra, correct? Because it would rack up my water bill. I don't want the government involved on my farm.. Is it possible to do this without getting them involved?

I found a possible internship at Polyface Farms, and I was very interested. However, with college just around the corner, I probably won't do it for a coupe of years at least. Maybe after I get my bachelor's degree, I'll take a break and go there before pursuing my master's.

I'm glad people are so supportive on this site! It's good to get input.

Oh, I would definitely do no pesticides. I don't want it on MY crops, and if they're doing that on my property there's a risk of it touching my crops.


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## SheepGirl (Feb 10, 2013)

Most farms have wells....which is free water (no water bill).


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## WhiteMountainsRanch (Feb 10, 2013)

*There are community raised garden beds here in San Diego on city land. They are 6' x 16' completely enclosed raised beds and they rent for $10 per month. They have 20 of them so that's only $2400 dollars a year, nowhere close to what you estimated. And it probably cost them at least that much to put all the raised beds and wiring in anyway.  Not trying to be a Negative Nancy, just ideas to think about!*


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## Back to Nature (Feb 10, 2013)

WhiteMountainsRanch said:
			
		

> *There are community raised garden beds here in San Diego on city land. They are 6' x 16' completely enclosed raised beds and they rent for $10 per month. They have 20 of them so that's only $2400 dollars a year, nowhere close to what you estimated. And it probably cost them at least that much to put all the raised beds and wiring in anyway.  Not trying to be a Negative Nancy, just ideas to think about!*


No, it's good to get input. The reason my number was so high was because my estimated plot size was measly. And I didn't think of fencing... I was going to just section off the dirt with boards; would raised beds be better?

I had a well when I lived with my country family, but I thought there was a bill. How long does a well last?

Also, the raised beds, fencing, etc. would only be an initial expense, and the rest would just be repair, right?


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## SheepGirl (Feb 10, 2013)

TBH, I'm not sure. We get enough precipitation here that our well doesn't go dry, even in the summer. I'm not sure how much water we go through daily, though, either.


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## Southern by choice (Feb 10, 2013)

It depends on the well. Some wells last 30 years, some longer some less. The depth of the well and the aqueducts that feed it.

Here in NC there are a lot of internships with farms that work with NC State, the problem is MOST of the college students filling the slots have no real intention of "farming". They just recently decided to offer internships to *REAL FARMING* kids...that are not college students. These kids have been born and raised with farming in their blood and would love to learn more unfortunately they were not welcomed into the program before. The college kids were just getting their tickets punched so to speak. :/ 

Have you considered looking throughout your area ( maybe several counties) and asking for a visit to see different farm management practices? 

We do pretty tight bio-security here but we always welcome those that are considering goats or poultry etc. We share what and how and why we do certain things, what we'd like to change. We share our philosophies, as well as others so the person can see there are more ways than one. The individual purposes play a huge role in your management practices.

Building a herd vs having and keeping a small herd for family food purposes are going to vary. Having a broad base can help a person to think about what are reasonable goals. Immediate and long terms goals both take planning.  I am researching cows now and I know I won't be getting one for at least 2-3 years. I can read a lot, search the internet etc, but there is nothing like making farm appointments and seeing the breeds, talking with those who have had them. You can find out so much more.

If you had one thing that you would like to focus on what would it be? ONE?   Poultry, goats, sheep, cattle, crops? anything...


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## Back to Nature (Feb 10, 2013)

Southern by choice said:
			
		

> It depends on the well. Some wells last 30 years, some longer some less. The depth of the well and the aqueducts that feed it.
> 
> Here in NC there are a lot of internships with farms that work with NC State, the problem is MOST of the college students filling the slots have no real intention of "farming". They just recently decided to offer internships to *REAL FARMING* kids...that are not college students. These kids have been born and raised with farming in their blood and would love to learn more unfortunately they were not welcomed into the program before. The college kids were just getting their tickets punched so to speak. :/
> 
> ...


I'll check around Michigan. And if I was only allowed to pick ONE thing (which would be a punishment) I would probably have to choose goats. What about you?


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## CrazyCatNChickenLady (Feb 10, 2013)

SheepGirl said:
			
		

> Most farms have wells....which is free water (no water bill).


The water may be free but you still have to pay the electricity to pump the water out of the ground!


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## SheepGirl (Feb 11, 2013)

True


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## Back to Nature (Feb 11, 2013)

What if I got solar panels?


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## Bossroo (Feb 11, 2013)

Back to Nature said:
			
		

> What if I got solar panels?


Bottom line... sounds good in theory, however,  considering cost of equipment, their longevity and replacement ,  they will cost one much more than buying power from the grid in the long run.


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## WhiteMountainsRanch (Feb 11, 2013)

CrazyCatNChickenLady said:
			
		

> SheepGirl said:
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*
Yep. We're on wells here. I wouldn't say it's a matter of "how long the well lasts"... ours has never gone dry, but it does require electricity to keep the pump running to keep it full, and we've had to replace the pump when it's gone out, so that's another expense. *


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## Royd Wood (Feb 11, 2013)

Back to Nature said:
			
		

> What if I got solar panels?


Your into big bucks - and technology is changing all the while
Just pay the elecy it wont be that much
I like your idea though and so many people want to grow their own, $200 - 300 a year  Yes that sounds good too but the thought of a townie banking my door down because catterpillars are on his cabbage then no thanks


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## WhiteMountainsRanch (Feb 11, 2013)

Bossroo said:
			
		

> Back to Nature said:
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*
Yes we have solar panels here. They complete (off grid) set-ups are EXTREMELY expensive, (think in the tens of thousands), so much so that we have our solar system tied into the grid because we can't afford to put the entire house on a self sustaining battery system. We do run small individual things off a battery bank, but no where near close to the whole house. AND I've heard the batteries only last like 10 years so you would be replacing them, again very expensive. *


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## Back to Nature (Feb 11, 2013)

Royd Wood said:
			
		

> Back to Nature said:
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They'll have to cope. I don't want pesticides on MY cabbage. Caterpillars are a part of nature. A gross part wen they're on our food, but a part. Do the "townies" not realize that the peanut butter they lavish on their over-processed toast has little bug bits in it? 



> Your into big bucks - and technology is changing all the while
> Just pay the elecy it wont be that much


Okay. I was reading about cheap homemade solar panels, but if electricity isn't that expensive then I'll just use it. Solar panels sounded like too much work anyways; I'm just trying to save money. My current guardian has some serious budgeting issues and I don't want to head down that path.


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## BrownSheep (Feb 11, 2013)

Around here it is far more common for your pump to die on you that for the well to run dry. Just a thought.


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## goodhors (Feb 12, 2013)

Also being in Michigan, I have learned that we are in the top 5 states for cloudy days!  We just don't
get the kind of sunshine other states do, nor is the INTENSITY (brightness equals Lumens) so solar
powered things can be useless to minimal producing, when tried in Michigan.  Heck even Buffalo Grass
wouldn't grow here, because the brightness of our sunshine is not enough to keep it going, like the 
sunshine they get in the prairie states by the mountains.

Having a tight fenced acre for garden rentals, raised beds, would be incentives to using YOUR place for gardening.
Fences to keep rabbits and deer away, raised beds are easier to work in, but that will require money 
investment on your part, which may not be recovered with plot rentals.

In checking out ideas, you might look at U-Pick fruits like Blueberries, strawberries, pumpkins.  Can depend
on your location in the State, what will grow well for you.  Or you can pick the produce and sell it at a 
Farm Market, roadside stand.  Does take a year or three to get Blueberries going, same with Raspberries or 
Asparagus.  Strawberries need hand work getting set in fall, straw mulching to keep them up off the dirt.
The best Strawberry places move their beds every year, so no problems overwinter to kill the next years 
crops.  You will have to be able to water these beds, to get them started, and to produce fruit if there is not 
enough rain.

Best place to start is the County Extension Offce, which works with MSU to keep farmers and food producers
informed for successful production.  They can get you all kinds of information, advice, connect you with 
people doing the same kinds of things to help each other.  You can also access the MSU website for information,
get questions answered there.  I found a lovely, EXTENSIVE paper on Blueberries, which covered many
named varieties, told of strengths, weaknesses of each, what they needed as cross pollinators for berry production.
They probably the same stuff about any other fruit you could want to plant.  Your local Master Gardener 
program would probably be helpful too, for questions.  They work thru the Extension Office, to find a contact number.

Here is the Blueberry section on the MSU website:

http://blueberries.msu.edu/


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## Back to Nature (Feb 12, 2013)

BrownSheep said:
			
		

> Around here it is far more common for your pump to die on you that for the well to run dry. Just a thought.


Can you fix it if it dies? Sorry if it's a stupid question; I never bothered with the household stuff when I lived with them. Now, when I become curious, they aren't here... lol.



> Does take a year or three to get Blueberries going, same with Raspberries or Asparagus


Asparagus...   I planned on growing grapes, strawberries, blueberries, etc. for me. Maybe I should plant some extra for the u-pick idea... It was a great idea, one I hadn't thought of.


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