Wondering how to start a farm?
Well, farming is one of the best things that you can learn and pursue for both sustenance and business.
But, it’s quite hard and involves many challenges that you’ll have to overcome.
That’s why starting a farm is a big decision that you need to take wisely.
To help you with this major undertaking, I present the easiest guideline on farming for beginners.
It includes some important questions with answers regarding how to plan and start farming.
Also, I’m going to share my own experiences on the challenges, budget, crops, livestock, and other important factors.
So, without waiting any further, let me begin by answering the most important question of all.
I Want To Be A Farmer Where Do I Start?
Starting a farm won’t be easy at all.
You need to have a realistic approach regarding what it takes to run a farm. It takes blood and sweat which you need to endure.
There’s a proper way of starting a farm and the first task would be planning. You need to know which crops you want to grow and then you can choose your farming land. Then, you need to invest in setting up the farm with every necessary equipment.
Once your farm is ready to start, you can sow the seeds and buy your livestock. The next step is growing your crops in a safe environment. Once they are ready for harvest, you can think about where and how to sell them.
Now, you’ve got some idea on how to start a farm. But, do you know where should you start a farm? Here’s the answer.
Where Should I Start A Farm?
Knowing where to start a farm is really important and here’s what I think.
The land you choose for farming needs to have all the basic amenities you’ll possibly need. For example, it needs to have water access, good quality soil, and proximity to nearby markets.
If you’re planning to raise livestock, the land needs to include proper locations for its shelter. And depending on what you’ll farm, you need to choose the size of your farm. Also, choosing a location surrounded by helpful neighbors is always an added advantage.
You can either buy the land or lease it depending on your budget and needs. If you plan to lease it, you need to look for landowners who aren’t interested in agriculture but own arable land just to increase property value.
But, if you buy the land, all the control of it will be yours.
How Much Money Does It Cost To Start A Small Farm?
It may cost you around $60-$10,000 to start your own small farm.
Though this is a basic estimation, the budget can still go up or down.
That’s because the budget varies depending on a lot of factors such as the location, outlook, and size- just to name a few.
What Is The Easiest Farm To Start?
A vegetable farm is the easiest of all to start.
There are plenty of choices that are easy to grow in the right season and some veggies grow all year round. All you need is a pack of seeds, fertilizers, and proper instruction on how to plant, maintain and harvest.
Vegetables are easy to grow and that’s why you can begin with them. When it comes to the choices, you can pick root vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, and radishes as they need minimum maintenance.
Also, garlic, ginger, and onions are the base of most recipes, which you can consider growing on your farm.
Is It Hard To Start A Farm?
Well, starting a farm is one of the most difficult tasks if you haven’t grown up on a farm.
But, having said that, I’ll also mention that it’s no rocket science or something impossible for a beginner. All you need to ensure is a passion for learning, a proper plan, and a good budget to start with.
Farming requires a lot of patience because it’s a long-term process. And while you’re on it, you’ll start to learn new things as it goes. But, make sure that you connect to helpful farmers and neighbors around who can guide you whenever there’s a challenging situation and you need to take a decision.
And if you’re wondering whether farming as a business is hard or not, it’s even harder. If you’re considering farming as your full-term gig from now on, you may need to reconsider again.
That’s because you need to be ready with a flexible state of mind so that you can overcome the unknown challenges associated with it.
How Much Money Do Farmers Make?
Farmers usually make around $30,000 every year in the USA.
The farmers on the upper end make almost $70,000 per year and those on the lower end make around $13,000 per year.
That’s because the salary of farmers depends hugely on the location and a lot of other factors.
How To Start A Farm With No Money
To start a farm with no money, you need to think resourceful first.
You need to find the most inexpensive land or look for a farmer who lends you a very small piece of land for farming. And if you have any debt, you need to make sure that you pay it before starting your farm.
One thing that you will need to do is recycle the old stuff that you get around you. For example, you can transform an old barrel for storing water or fertilizer. You can also build a shed with old scraps so that you can provide enough shelter for your livestock.
For more such creative and constructive ideas, you can follow the video of John Suscovich on YouTube.
Also, you need to be extremely hardworking if you want to start a farm with no money.
How Many Acres Do You Need To Farm To Make A Living?
To make a living, you need to farm at least 500 acres of land if it’s your own.
If it’s leased land, you need to farm at least 1000 acres to sustain. Usually, farmers earn about $790 from each acre of a four-crop farm.
What Is The Cheapest Farm Animal To Own?
The cheapest farm animal to own is a chicken.
And that’s because they need very little maintenance that you can do within a few minutes daily. They peck at almost any food you give including the kitchen scraps and their feed is also very cheap.
Many homesteaders and farmers start with chickens as livestock. The main reason is the ease of maintenance in their small acreage and the abundance of eggs and meat.
Apart from chickens, ducks are also an ideal option for any animal farm.
What Crop Makes The Most Money?
Maize makes the most money in farming.
Wheat, soybeans, and rice are three other valuable crops for farming.
In vegetables, cucumbers, tomatoes, and zucchini are also quite profitable.
Is Farming A Dying Industry?
Though you must have heard farming is a dying industry from various sources, it’s not, actually.
In fact, farming is a great option to choose your career. But, you need to be very serious and hardworking to sustain yourself as a farmer because there will be endless challenges.
9 Steps To Starting A Farm From Scratch
Do you know to start a farm from scratch?
Check out this 9 Step Quickstart Checklist to start your own farm from scratch:
1. Choose Your Crops
The first step towards starting a farm is identifying your niche. You can choose only one crop or multiple crops depending on your preferences.
2. Find a Suitable Land
Once you’ve planned which crops to grow, it’s time for finding the land. You can either lease or buy a suitable land based on your plan and budget.
3. Set Your Budget
Next, you need to prepare your budget that’ll be invested in your farm. Starting a farm can be expensive if you have some elaborate plan.
4. Planning and Zoning
Once your budget is ready, you can start planning your farm. Zoning is a really important part of planning your farm and keeping it organized.
5. Prepare the Farm
Then, it’s time for implementing all your ideas together. Right from setting the water source to leveling and adding the fertilizer, you need to do everything from scratch.
6. Buy Seeds and Equipment
Once your farming land is ready, you can buy seeds and other equipment for planting. Here, it’s important to choose seeds that’ll grow in your climate and season.
7. Raise Livestock
If you’re planning to raise livestock on your farm, you need to choose the easiest one. Also, building fences and shelter for them is essential before bringing them.
8. Harvest in Time
When your crops are ready, you can start harvesting. But, make sure that you do it properly by following instructions and never picking them before they are ready.
9. Marketing Your Crops
Finally, you are ready with your crops and livestock for sale. Marketing your farm and all your organic crops is really important if you want to be successful.
Conclusion
Now that you know how to start a farm, I’m sure you’re ready.
But, as I’ve mentioned above, reconsider again whether you want to face the unknown challenges that are waiting for you on this journey.
If your answer is yes, just go ahead as I’m sure you’re going to find plenty of joy mixed with a lot of dedicated hardwork!
Below is a Pinterest friendly photo…. so you can pin it to your Homestead Lifestyle Board!!
