Profiting From Your Farm: Is It Worth the Hassle and Investment?

When people think of farms, they usually assume that you have a farm because you’re in the business of growing and selling your produce. However, it’s far from the truth and most people own farms but seldom use them outside of growing their own fruits, vegetables, and herbs. But with the agriculture business soaring and demand for organic ingredients surging, many more farm owners are looking to turn their backyards into money-making fields.

If you’re not using the majority of the space on your farm then you may have already thought about turning it into a field of fresh fruits and vegetables that are grown to be sold. However, it does take a considerable investment, so here are a couple of considerations to keep in mind when it comes to making your farm a profitable side venture.

Do you have connections?

Let’s face it, without any kind of connections you’re going to have an incredibly hard time growing and selling anything. Make sure you contact companies like River Country Cooperative to provide you with fuel or your local feed store to give you advice on how to raise certain livestock or grow certain plants. Every region and plot of land has its advantages, and finding these good points is difficult if you’re not well-versed in the art of farming. In short, make sure you have connections if you’re going to dive into a business that you have no idea about.

Do you know how to sell?

Not only do you need to think about selling your produce, but you also need to think about how you can advertise it. Are you going to sell it to local supermarkets, or will you let people drive to your farm and place orders? There are many different ways to sell the produce in your backyard, so make sure you consider all of the different options and learn how they work to get the best deals. Make sure you build up your connections (take a look at the previous point) to find more buyers that are willing to take on your produce.

Do you know how to scale up?

While small scale farming is perfect for families that want to be more self-sufficient with their food, it’s important that you learn how to scale up your operations to use more of your farmland. For example, you’ll need to multiply everything from the amount of water you use to the number of seeds you sow and also the amount of space you use. There are far too many variables to keep in mind when scaling up a farming project.

Do you have the manpower?

When you start up a serious farm you’re going to assistants at all times. Whether it’s to help you collect the produce, sow the seeds or even just water the plants, it’s important that you hire a couple of employees to make the best use of all of your land. Otherwise, you’re just forcing yourself to take on more work that is unnecessary.