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Entrepreneurship:  What Can You Do With....  |
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Juliekay
True Blue Farmgirl
237 Posts
237 Posts |
 Posted - May 27 2004 : 12:16:42 PM
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1/2 acre
1 acre
5 acres
10 acres
50 acres
100 acres
Okay everyone creative ideas?
Julie |
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Cowgurl
Farmgirl in Training
34 Posts
Robin
middle Tennessee
34 Posts |
Posted - May 31 2004 : 11:34:49 AM
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Wow, good question! One acre is certainly enough to plant a huge organic garden with vegetables, herbs, strawberries, etc. You could also fit a small chicken coop and yard on an acre as well.
Five acres should be enough for the above plus a small orchard.
Ten acres would make a great tree nursery. Start with seedlings and when they grow large enough, sell them as dig-your-owns.
Robin |
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cecelia
True Blue Farmgirl
497 Posts
cecelia
new york
USA
497 Posts |
Posted - May 31 2004 : 3:11:07 PM
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Yes - a good question with many answers, too many to list here. I suggest the following for reading: "Five Acres and Independence", a Handbook for Small Farm Management, by M.G.Kains (my edition is a revised one from 1973, originally published in 1935!) This is an excellent book to start with, because it not only has ideas but provides solutions, drawings, and covers just about everything from A to Z. Also read "The Guide to Self-Sufficiency" by John Seymour.
Both of these books are applicable to rural/country, suburban and even city living. The latter covers, in addition to pertinent farming questions, craftwork,wild foods, energy, animals, cooking, etc. It also has plans for anywhere from a 1 to 5 acre "farm".
 Happy Reading, Cecelia @
ce's farm |
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westernhorse51
True Blue Farmgirl
1681 Posts
michele
farmingdale
n.j.
USA
1681 Posts |
Posted - Jun 01 2004 : 06:14:03 AM
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| I can only dream about all those acres. I agree w/ Cecelia, 5 acres & independence is an excellent book. If I had 2 acres I would have a few chickens for eggs, I spin & hook rugs so a few sheep would definetly be there. I dont know where your land is but, if I had that I would want to do s/thing unique that most people dont do. One of my dreams when I had 10 acres in N.Y. state was to open up a small living farm where people (kids mostly) could come & learn older crafts & learn natural dying w/ plants, milk a goat, things they dont do anymore. I didnt fulfill this dream YET, husband was ill & had to let it go.Its still a dream. Hope its helpful. Good luck Michele |
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SeaandSage
Farmgirl at Heart
4 Posts
Crystal
Windsor
CA
USA
4 Posts |
Posted - Jun 01 2004 : 2:04:04 PM
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I guess it depends on the lay of the land. Hilly vs rolling vs flat - high desert vs swamp vs parched land, access to irrigation, loomy or rocky soil, acidic or mineral rich, outbuildings, lean-to's, barns etc. etc. etc. So much to take into consideration!
BUT for the sake of the questions I will assume this is a nice, rolling to flat piece of land....
1/2 acres: chickens, quail, rabbits, ducks. 1/4 acre could be dedicated to the animals and another 1/4 to a nice organic garden with summer fruits, flowers etc. Don't forget the fruit trees to shade the animals!
1 acre: the above plus 1/2 acre designated to a couple of sheep or goats, llama or alpaca.
5 acres: the above plus larger farm animals. Maybe two milking cows (guerneys or jerseys are good as they are a little bit smaller than the traditional black and white holstein)and a beef calf. Or, you could use 2.5 acres for crops and 2.5 for 2 heifers. When you get larger farm animals, be sure to leave enough room in the lay of the land to allow for the important pasture rotation....your grass and dirt will thank you for it!! :-)
10 - 100 acres: depending on what you really want to focus on you could do just about anything. The important thing to remember is that rotational grazing is necessary in order to take care of your land. Also, it's important to be cognizent of range issues such as run-off and vegetation cover in order to prevent soil erosion. Also important if you are going to raise range livestock is that you need to check with your local county extension office as to what types of grasses are at their maximum energy level to ensure pregnant or lactating animals have enough forage to sustain their young.
Speaking of county extension - they are an excellent resource for farming both big and small.
I think 10 acres is ideal. Gives you just enough room to really take off with a careful breeding program while diversifying your land to other less time intensive chores, like sitting on the porch and savoring a fresh peach while you watch your animals graze....ahhh....sounds like heaven to me!! How about anyone else?!
This is my 2 cent's worth,
Crystal 
"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams, live the life you've imagined."
Thoreau |
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Clare
True Blue Farmgirl
2173 Posts
NC WA State
USA
2173 Posts |
Posted - Nov 03 2004 : 7:15:46 PM
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Just reading through Countryside Magazine again and their question of the month was "How can you make extra income on one acre?"
Here are some of the responses:
1. Grow herbs and make herbal soaps to sell in gift shops, apothecary shops and places that cater to tourists.
2. Raise bees for honey.
3. Raise blueberries. Have some U-pick as well as we-pick areas. Low maintainance crop.
4. Grow culinary herbs in a greenhouse.
5. Grow a subscription garden. Start small with a couple customers. This article is quite long and detailed, with good info...worth buying the current issue for, if this tickles your imagination.
6. Board, raise or train dogs.
Those are just some of the ideas offered up. |
Edited by - Clare on Nov 03 2004 7:23:43 PM |
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Eileen
True Blue Farmgirl
1199 Posts
Eileen
USA
1199 Posts |
Posted - Nov 04 2004 : 08:40:43 AM
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Also, any size acrage could be turned into a wild life sanctuary. I can visualise one where there are several small yurts or cabins with just the bare necessities for small groups of people or maybe just one person at a time could come for some getting back to "real" nature. A wildlife retreat with nature walks, bird watching, frog watching all carefully designed to protect the wildlife and give the person a close up view of nature in action. A place of peace and harmony. quiet and solitude without to much human intervention.
Eileen
songbird; singing joy to the earth |
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cecelia
True Blue Farmgirl
497 Posts
cecelia
new york
USA
497 Posts |
Posted - Nov 05 2004 : 3:28:13 PM
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I guess I'd opt for (at this time in my life) between 10 and 20 acres: 10 acres of forest, 5 of pasture/scrub, and 5 acres for the "5 acres and independence". I used to think a person could make a living on 5 acres, but now I'd just do it for myself & family. Any idea which involves inviting people to your property (farm visits, etc.) are unfortunately nowadays, an invitation for a lawsuit, esp. if kids are involved. Sad but true...just look at the Vioxx info...around here, as soon as the info came out about how unsafe it is, the lawyers put ads in the local papers asking if anyone had "symptoms" from using Vioxx. Maybe I'm being too cautious, but better safe than sorry. There are other ways, such as Clare suggested, to make money from a small acreage.
Cecelia
ce's farm
"Curiosity is one of the forms of feminine bravery" Victor Hugo |
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terese
True Blue Farmgirl
63 Posts
terese
chagrinfalls
ohio
USA
63 Posts |
Posted - Jan 28 2005 : 12:55:39 PM
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I have an two acres...i have bees, am getting chickens, have a small barn we built(my mom did) for
work space and special events. cut flower farm the open acre, have herbs i sell to resturants down below. Use the yard for events i.e. a christmas open house with arrangements and wreaths, soaps and lotions, am having a tag sale with local artist this summer. so an acre can provide alot.
beginnings |
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terese
True Blue Farmgirl
63 Posts
terese
chagrinfalls
ohio
USA
63 Posts |
Posted - Jan 28 2005 : 12:57:04 PM
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i also do these events invitation only so i know my customers which are my friends 30 people can make
a very successful event.
beginnings |
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goodmojo
Farmgirl in Training
11 Posts
Yarmouth
MA
11 Posts |
Posted - May 23 2005 : 04:53:50 AM
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Hi Everyone!
I have been immersed in all the great posts on this site!
I have a couple of items I thought you might help me with.
First - I have almost an acre that backs up to a pond here on Cape Cod. For the last two years have been puzzled about what to do - in the springtime the snow melt has brought the water level up so high that it is in my back yard. I have swans, geese, and ducks regularly swimming into my back yard! It is nice to see them, but I am concerned about protecting the house. I have thought about putting in a natural rock retaining wall and a drainage system that would keep the natural landscape but prevent water from coming up too far.
Any ideas on this?
The next query is I want to have a garden, but have never had one before, and I am thinking about doing container gardening on my upper level deck, which is quite large. The reason for "off the ground" gardening here is that we have so many small animals about (racoons, skunks, possums, etc.), also deer and coyotes, and it would be difficult to protect the garden. Has anyone done any gardening in containers? What does well? I am really drawn to herbs, maybe tomatoes. Any ideas?
Thanks!
goodmojo
I came to this planet for the french roast, and the chocolate, of course..... |
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Eileen
True Blue Farmgirl
1199 Posts
Eileen
USA
1199 Posts |
Posted - May 23 2005 : 08:33:30 AM
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Good morning good mojo.
First I would talk to the county and see what is acceptable in your situation. A lot of times areas where wetlands or ponds are located is protected from human encroachment so building a retaining wall might be illegal. After you find out what you are allowed to do then make a plan. You might be in the path of a regular migratory route.
Above ground planting works well for some things and not so well for others. Tomatoes do well in containers if the container has enough room for their root systems. Then you can plant things around them like kales.
Eileen
songbird; singing joy to the earth |
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bramble
True Blue Farmgirl
2044 Posts
2044 Posts |
Posted - May 23 2005 : 4:16:35 PM
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PLEASE< PLEASE< PLEASE check with your local zoning and submit a plan before disturbing any wetland area. Your property may come with riparian rights laws which protect the existing vegetation, wildlife and topography. You may actually be in a flood plain area that is not meant to be disturbed. The fines levied against you could be ruinous, and come from local, state and national agencies if you are anywhere near the national park area on the Cape. I don't mean to scare you but this is SERIOUS business.
As for your upper deck plantings...have someone check out the age and construction of your deck to make sure that it is built to sustain the load bearing weight of these planters. You don't want to end up through the floor some day while picking tomatoes.
On a lighter note...herbs do extremely well in window boxes as long as you don't crowd them. You can grow peppers, tomatoes even some beans in containers if you have enough depth and and a large enough pot. We have grown cherry tomatoes this way for years and the harvest is bountiful. Good luck on your plantings and nice to have you on the forum. I'll look forward to more postings from you!
with a happy heart |
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ThymeForEweFarm
True Blue Farmgirl
705 Posts
Robin
An organic farm in the forest in
Maine
USA
705 Posts |
Posted - May 23 2005 : 5:24:35 PM
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I'm reviewing two books for work right now. One is Micro Eco-Farming by Barbara Berst Adams. Easy read, full of information, lots of references and less than 200 pages. The other is my new favorite, Backyard Market Gardening by Andrew Lee. This book shows how much you can do with a small amount of land. It's also an easy read, very interesting and full of information. I recommend both books for anyone looking for ideas.
Robin
Thyme For Ewe Farm
www.thymeforewe.com |
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cecelia
True Blue Farmgirl
497 Posts
cecelia
new york
USA
497 Posts |
Posted - May 24 2005 : 6:29:33 PM
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Good point, Bramble. Here in NYS we have some very serious laws regarding wetland use.
I have container gardens outside now, and except for the need for more watering, I find them very easy to use. I have grown most everything in them - you will need to determine how deep the soil should be in them, depending on the crop you will be growing in them (tomatoes need deeper soil than lettuces, etc.
Cecelia
ce's farm
"Curiosity is one of the forms of feminine bravery" Victor Hugo |
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BamaSuzy
True Blue Farmgirl
138 Posts
Alabama
USA
138 Posts |
Posted - May 31 2005 : 9:27:49 PM
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Before anyone buys large acreage ANYWHERE they not only need to check for zoning laws, but also "land use" which is kind of zoning in disguise AND for the cost of paying taxes on whatever amount of land that is purchased.
In some places you can get an agriculture excemption or a homestead exemption (which just cuts your taxes because it is the house you actually live in)....but in other places, especially nearer to the larger cities, and in some states, the land taxes are so high the small time farmer has trouble paying them....
We have 15 acres, with about one third to one half in pasture and the remaining as a wooded area....There's also a HUGE Alabama Power right of way which comes directly through the wooded area...in a way it's a mixed blessing because it means nobody would ever want to build anything there (or on the property in front of us or behind us) because of the right of way....so that section of land will never be developed....
My "dream" would be to have a simple house in the middle of 15 acres way way way off the beaten path....but in reality I have my 15 acre Old Field Farm and it fronts a state route about three miles outside a town of 5000....
You can bury a lot of troubles digging in the dirt! |
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citygoatlady
True Blue Farmgirl
82 Posts
82 Posts |
Posted - Jul 04 2005 : 11:55:48 PM
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On 2/3 acre in a city neighborhood, I have successfully raised dairy goats for 12 years, chickens for 14 years. There is plenty of room for a large garden which is more successful the more help I have, not so great when I do it alone. A 30 x 30 raspberry patch is one of our most productive gardening projects.
The animals get 1/2 acre, and that is enough for up to 5 goats. Three leave it lush, but 5 graze it right down.
Six to 9 chickens can be raised comfortably in a 3 foot tall A-frame of only 3 x 8 if you clean it often, a lad of age 12 nearby does it.
You don't need to make a full scale move to the country to raise a couple of birds you bought for $2.00 apiece! If moving isn't in the plan, just do the farming activities where you are, right now.
If you haven't bought a place yet, check city ordinances first. You'll need to read the one entitled "Domestic Animals and Fowl". In our metro area of 2 million, most suburbs DO ALLOW some sort of farm animals. Neighborhood covenants restrict animals, so don't choose a place like that! I wish I had checked our ordinances first, so we could have chosen a different suburb that does allow horses.
Farm animal housing can be cleverly disguised if necessary, and particularly chickens can be invisible to neighbors. But that's another topic.
Find local raw milk on www.localharvest.com. "If you complain about farmers, don't do it with your mouth full." |
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Entrepreneurship: What Can You Do With.... |
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What Can You Do With....
