Those of you who own farms and actually sell your wears

[SophieLain127]

Haven't narrowed down exactly what kind I want. Is general a category...lol. Just a small herd of cows, goats, sheep. A flock of turkeys and chickens maybe a few ducks thrown in the mix and some land to plant fresh produce, maybe perhaps some fruit bearing trees.

If we get big enough we'd like to put a small "farm" store on our property to sell produce and dairy products, etc. We also want to focus on selling to the local grocery stores and at farmer's markets.

We have some more planning to do but we decided this is definitely the dream we want, I'm just figuring out how to get it...lol.

 

[CityChicker]

Are you sure you really want a farm or do you just want to live in the country? There is a big difference. I can't even say really how I would advise someone to get into farming that doesn't already have a foot in it somehow. We really know very little about you and you are talking in very general terms. Do you have experience with any of the livestock you mention? Experience growing? Where is your interest really?

We could probably give you better advice if we knew more about you and what you really want. I would highly advise you to proceed cautiously, especially if you have no previous farming experience. Know that one or both of you will probably have to have an additional income as well given that it sounds like you will be starting fresh. Anyway, if neither of you have farming experience, I would really, REALLY do your homework. Start growing where you are now and try out selling at a Farmer's market. Try getting a job (even if you have to shadow for free) with a vet to see if you like working with livestock (obviously a large animal vet if your desire is livestock). All these things will help give you a better idea of whether this is right for you. Trust and believe me on this though, for most people- it isn't.

 

[gypsy2621]

One of the easiest and quick ways to try your hand at farming ona small scale is to put up a little stand to sell your eggs.
this will give you an idea of the market for fresh eggs.
keep in mind some people wont eat chicken eggs but will buy you out of turkey, goose or duck eggs.
If your hens are laying you have a good start, carton up and keep cool the extra eggs you don't use, put a sign out saying eggs for sale.
I read some where there is a difference with eggs for sale, farm fresh eggs, and fresh eggs, something to do with the way the FDA sees the wording. also using the word organic.

If you find sales warrent adding a few more laying hens, the money you make from selling the eggs will give you the buying power to purchase the needed hens.
I started out doing this years ago and have a special safe box for egg sales, whether chicken duck or goose. this money goes toward feed and the purchase of new stock, ( keep in mind it will take tme to build up the capitol).
I have another safe box for rabbit sales, I only use the money for purchase and showing of the rabbits.
All grain, hay, straw etc comes from out of pocket. for the first few years you will not make a lot extra to pay for everything out of the sales.

When the timing is perfect and you can add other live stock you can apply the same principle to that breed of animal.
There are many ways to suppliment the egg fund,
jams jellys, beads etc that can also be sold right along with the eggs, all money can be added to the egg funds and used for more purchase power.
By starting off small first it gives you a feel for your area, feel for the sales, and as word gets around you will likely have many more customers than your hens can produce for.

 

[SophieLain127]

We are planning on buying the property first and putting a house and small barn on it. Then expanding little by little. Currently we live in city and there are just to many restrictions, I'm waiting on a permit for six hens, and this weekend we are planning on tilling up the back yard in order to plant some produce. We're going to try our hand at selling this year. Most of our experience is us giving it away and people offering to pay us for it.

My husband has some experience living in the country and helping friends out. As I stated in my above post we're doing tons of research and haven't decided how big of a farm we want. We're leaning towards a medium/large hobby farm. We're not really looking to quit our day jobs unless it takes off. I do like the idea of shadowing a farm vet.

 

[Katy]

Quote:
I couldn't agree with that statement more!! As a person who makes their living as a farmer rancher there is a very big difference!

 

[Katy]

Quote:
I'm not going to say it's impossible to get started in faming now days, but unless you do have a family connection to some farm ground already it almost impossible. I don't want to be negative about your dream, but you really need to look at it realistically too.

You want a small herd of cows. I don't know where you live, but to fulfill that dream you will need to find out how many acres of pasture you will need to have to sustain a cow/calf pair for the grazing season. Here it is about 7-9 acres of good grass for every pair and our grazing season is about 6 months long. Then you will need additional acres to grow feed on to feed them thru the winter. If you are growing feed you will need equipment to do that unless you plan on having it custom planted and harvested which is another expense.

You mention selling dairy products so that means you want to have a dairy? Lots of rules and regulations go along with that and dairy cows need even more and better feed grown than beef cows do.

I don't say this to be mean, but I honestly don't think you have a clue on what it would take to do what you want to. We've been in farming all our lives and it is a very good life and I wouldn't trade it, but it is also a very hard life with elements affecting you that you have absolutely no control over.

It is not the "dream life" that most people in the city think it is.