What is the Most Profitable Type of Small Scale farming?

When looking for the crops or type of business most people will ask the question of “What is the most profitable type of small scale farming?  The answer is Organic Vegetables, but you need to ensure that you grow what your customer wants. You still need to research  what your customer wants.

In the report  “4 ways to increase your organic farm profits”, I told you about my Grandma Nettie. She loved Okra, but not too many people where we had started our grocery store had even heard of it before. We carried local produce from reputable farmers that we knew, and most had not heard of it. So we ended up placing all of the okra, except what grandma ate, and ended up selling a little bit, canned some, and the rest became compost. The failed crop had also taken up our own time, and a good portion of our garden.

So the problem of NOT doing your research first and going only on what you “think” is a great plan for small scale farming may not sell at all where you are at.

So here are some of the concerns when you have a Passion to start Small Scale Farming.

• You do not have the growing season for the crop you are passionate about
• Your local customers do not know about the product you are passionate about
• You do not have a lot of money to get started
• Your space is limited in where you can grow, or you need to lease land
• You may not have the experience or knowledge on how to grow the crop and are not sure where to get information about it.
• What if you have never started a business before?

I have failed at enough things over the years, to know that I need help. Every one of the above challenges can be overcome, but it is wise to get some help. You do not have to go out and get a huge loan to start your business. You do not always need to have a huge farm either! That is the good news!
When I started our restaurant, we did not have much money, but we do have creativity. I will share about that on a later post. But one of the best things that I learned from starting, building and managing a small restaurant, is that Any business needs a few important things to become profitable.

Whether it is small scale farming, a mechanics shop, or a computer manufacturing company, these are the things that I have observed and shown to be critical in success.

One of the best ways to become profitable, is research.   The USDA has shared the following list of successful types of small scale farming.

• The USDA has a list of choices to help you choose what is right for you. http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/pubs/altlist.shtml is the link to view for yourself.
• Field Crops

• Feed and Forage
• Fiber, Fuel, Edible and Industrial Oils
• Food Grains, Pseudocereals, Legumes, etc.
• Specialty and Ethnic Vegetables (see also Field Crops)
• Fruits and Nuts
• Horticultural/Nursery
  • Aquaculture/Fishfarming
• Farm and Home Enterprises
  • Services
  • Recreation and Education
  • Value-added Products/On-farm Processing

This a list of businesses that are the most profitable small scale farming options for you.  I want to share some information with you first.  This will help you decide what will work best for your choice in the area you are located.

To become a profitable small scale farm you need a combination of  two or more of the following options.  Your flagship plan is to build a great organic farm that incorporates a multitude of the list. Do not forget about the opportunity to find an internship opportunity.

1. For farming, first of all, is the passion and the vision to stay with it while being prepared to change your course by a little bit.  An Airplane is off course 99% of the time on its way from one location to another.  The rest of the time,  the Pilot in command is changing course back to the correct flight path.  Do the same thing with your business.
2. Your Pilot does not ever work alone.  There is an entire group of people that works with him or her, and they communicate regularly.  They all work together to ensure that the customers on the plane are there to go to the destination that they had paid for
3. Apple computers started in the garage of a home.  You can be creative, do not let anyone quench the passion for your purpose, but be strategic
4. If after all of your research, and you do not have the room to grow the crop that you are driven to produce, you can either purchase the land, if you have the money, or lease it.  Even better yet, work a deal with a farmer that you know to where you do all of the work on his farm, and share in the profit.  A great way to start.  It is called a Joint Venture.
5. I am going to address the last two challenges together as one answer.  If you do not have the experience or knowledge for what you are about to undertake, or have never started your own business before, please learn from my mistakes.

You need to get some help.  I finally took the plunge and decided to get as much help as I needed to get help from people that have been there and done that.  I have been blessed by having the best mentors that, in my opinion, are caring, want success for me and are passionate about helping others while making a difference in the world.  I had been so focused on doing whatever I thought I needed to do to become successful, I had lost my passion and purpose for my life.  I had no real direction, and my health was failing fast.

Then I met Gina, my mentor who has helped me to rediscover my passion and continues to mentor me on a regular basis to keep on track..  Through her, I have also regained my Passion for my purpose, which is also aligned with hers.  I too have become a mentor to others who are passionate about increasing their profits with their Organic Farms and Gardens. To make a difference in the world and help others build the life of their dreams in a sustainable manner.

In the spirit of giving I would like to share with you  4 Ways To Increase Your Organic Farming Profits .  If you apply the techniques shared  inside with positive action, I am sure that your farm will do better. I will be sharing more information soon.  Share what has worked for you, I enjoying helping others.  It is a part of being a Caretaker.

Turning Dreams into the Life of Your Dreams

Chris Downs   The Caretaker

www.hisfarm.org