If you’re interested in starting your own farming operation here are a few things to keep in mind as you embark upon your new venture.
Be Clear About Your Farming Needs
You should map out the amount of acres you’ll need to meet your specific farming goals. For instance, you might need 30 to 35 acres to make a herd of 15 to 20 cows profitable, or about 10 acres to turn a profit if you grew a strawberry crop using plasticulture drip irrigation. You might need more than 100 acres to grow profitable row crops.
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Also, be open to a farm with structures, like a home or barn, which might be fixer-uppers and need a little TLC. This may give you more breathing room in your budget.
Over time you can add value to your farmstead by putting in a little elbow grease—renovating your home, restoring the barn, mending or building fences, or adding new structures.
Perform a Soil Test
Once you find a property that looks to be suitable, test the condition of the soil—like pH and fertility levels—before moving forward. While healthy soil is important in order to grow grass for grazing livestock, it’s even more critical for growing crops. You can test soil through the Florida Cooperative Extension Service or the USDA by sending in a soil sample. They’ll perform a test and return the results. The soil may likely require an application of lime and fertilizer.
You can also perform a Web Soil Survey, or WSS. The WSS is a web-based application that’s operated by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. It provides users with access to the largest natural resource information system in the world so they can make educated decisions about land-use and management.
Earn Off-Farm Income
As your farming operation gets off the ground it’s wise to earn “off-farm” income—i.e. an alternative source of income. Many new farmers keep working within their existing professions to help financially support their new farm until it begins to turn a profit.
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