can you really make a living off of a small farm?

[Bamabexchicks]

Here is an excellent example of sustainable small farming. This is a local farm where I buy my grass fed beef (only one of the products they offer) they make a good living and fill a valuable niche in our community
http://pecanpointfarm.com

 

[itsasmallfarm]

thanks for the advice everyone now for an update.

looking into potential markets and found out there is quite a bit of demand lamb. have like 10 people (just friends) who would buy a lamb and have it sent off to a butcher/slaughter house if not more.

 

[C Dohrer]

I like the fact that you have been planning, researching, changing your mind and doing more research. There is never such a thing as too much research. Not if it’s in an area you are considering. You are young but not foolish. You’ve been thinking about this for a couple of years now. It sounds like you are still in high school. Take advantage of the agriculture related things your school may offer. They may not directly pertain to an area you are considering. But,it will likely expose you to different types of markets, farming/gardening methods, animals, finances, etc... None of that will be a waste of time. Have been involved in 4-H or farmingclubs through school? Here it is called FFA or Future Farmers of America. If you’ve had some farm experience on another working farm, jump in when you are ready. If you haven’t had much or any experience jump into the wading pool. Meaning start small. 3 to 5 animals of only one possiblytwo different species for six month period or so. I wouldn’t expect to make it wouldn’t expect to make money for a couple of seasons. We have a few different animals on our little farm. We did however start out with only pigs. It has taken about 1.5 years for us to break even or come out ahead. Like everything, there’s going to be startup expenses. By our third batch of young pigs we are now seeing some money making possibilities. This is how we started.

We started out with 6-8 feeder pigs. Butchered two of them once they hit the 200# mark. Then we sold the remaining boar and bred our four girls out of our original batch of pigs. Then we bought a boar about the same age and size as our four gilts. We did not keep anything other than our our only two females. We sold all of our young boars to one person who was just starting out. We bought a second boar the age and size of these two gilts. Once they hit breeding age we bred them with our new boar. We should have babies from these two girls in 8-10 weeks. We also bred our original four sows for a second time this fall. We are now raising our second litters of piglets. We plan on keeping only the gilts. We have a couple really nice looking boars that we would breed ourselves had we not already had two boars on our property. We plan on breeding all of our young females when they reach a certain age. Then we will keep only those that provide us a strong and healthy litters. Sell the rest as tried and possibly bred again sows to someone else. It is also time for us to probably butcher another boar or two for our personal pleasure it is this batch of pigs that we should start making a profit off of. We’ve had to buy some equipment to this point. We have also pretty much grown out of the small chunk of land that we are renting, about two acres. My husband and I have started to look for our own farm. It’s tough not living at the same place as you do your farming on. A lot of time is wasted by getting ready and driving to the farm vs us walking out the door a few yards and into the barn as needed. I wish you all of the best. You have a bright future ahead of you. Don’t jump in much deeper than you can swim or afford to lose some money on. You willlose money for a short period of time. Expect that. Then grow as you feel comfortable. Good luck.

 

[mixedUPturk]

Hello dear i am 30 and i got into poultry around five years ago. I had to take a yr and a half break as i had a baby and have raised her and her twin brothers up a little bit but now i am able to restart. At that time i had gotten like minded that i wanted to raise poultry for an income. We lived off of my ex-boyfriends income but all the way full fledged my best month i drew 600$ after expenses. That was selling two goat kids, numerous chickens, chicks, quail, cages we had built extra for sale from scrap, going to someone elses house to proccess his birds and selling two tom turkeys too. At a differnt time i raised a bottle calf from auction i made a massive turn around from him by buying when stock yard prices were bottomed out dead of winter and selling in height of spring w prices sky high.


I want to encourage you that it can be done and no one here is trying to nay say they just need to be sure your expectations arent out of range. It would be difficult, but starting now while your so young and dedicated really gives you the best oppurtunity for success.

I think your numbers are on par for starting your aquaphonics system proccessing about 45 1 lb fish in your 300 gal tank. Be sure to test the water. Have you kept a freshwater indoor aquarium? If the water changes arent done to keep the ammonia down no amouny of filtration will work as the ammonia is the final product of the nitrogen cycle and it has to be cycled out without replacing All of the water which could cause a nitrate spike. The water should be cycled for a while before any fish are ever added. Theres more but im not sure if you know about freshwater aquariums. Ive looked into aquaphonics alot and its something im dying to try.

 

[tastyacres]

I just had an idea... Have you looked into Microgreens?

 

[itsasmallfarm]

Hello dear i am 30 and i got into poultry around five years ago. I had to take a yr and a half break as i had a baby and have raised her and her twin brothers up a little bit but now i am able to restart. At that time i had gotten like minded that i wanted to raise poultry for an income. We lived off of my ex-boyfriends income but all the way full fledged my best month i drew 600$ after expenses. That was selling two goat kids, numerous chickens, chicks, quail, cages we had built extra for sale from scrap, going to someone elses house to proccess his birds and selling two tom turkeys too. At a differnt time i raised a bottle calf from auction i made a massive turn around from him by buying when stock yard prices were bottomed out dead of winter and selling in height of spring w prices sky high.


I want to encourage you that it can be done and no one here is trying to nay say they just need to be sure your expectations arent out of range. It would be difficult, but starting now while your so young and dedicated really gives you the best oppurtunity for success.

I think your numbers are on par for starting your aquaphonics system proccessing about 45 1 lb fish in your 300 gal tank. Be sure to test the water. Have you kept a freshwater indoor aquarium? If the water changes arent done to keep the ammonia down no amouny of filtration will work as the ammonia is the final product of the nitrogen cycle and it has to be cycled out without replacing All of the water which could cause a nitrate spike. The water should be cycled for a while before any fish are ever added. Theres more but im not sure if you know about freshwater aquariums. Ive looked into aquaphonics alot and its something im dying to try.

thank you, i think i have to put aquaponics on hold at the moment, due to the fact i might of turned the building into my fur shed for trapping haha.

I just had an idea... Have you looked into Microgreens?

no i have not, i will have to look into it thank you

 

[tastyacres]

thank you, i think i have to put aquaponics on hold at the moment, due to the fact i might of turned the building into my fur shed for trapping haha.

no i have not, i will have to look into it thank you

Okay, I know of a few YTubers that do it for a living so I will try to post those soon. I thought of it instead of a hydroponics system

 

[mixedUPturk]

thank you, i think i have to put aquaponics on hold at the moment, due to the fact i might of turned the building into my fur shed for trapping haha.

no i have not, i will have to look into it thank you

No sweat just wanted to offer a hand up, are you trapping now?? Im all thumbs up to that one it would be an invaluable hobby if you kept small livestock!

 

[itsasmallfarm]

hello everyone, just giving an update here.

right now am still looking at options, finishing up school in the next 2 months will be done by summer. then i can go full out on my small farm haha.

 

[Jerry H]

Have you figured out what your going to produce yet?