We are thinking of starting a small farming operation. What crops grow easily?

Question

We're looking to find out what grows easily (humid continental, temperate 4-season climate) and has few pests or diseases that would destroy it. We also would prefer something that doesn't require much attention between sowing and harvesting, and obviously has a demand in the marketplace. (We want to have success with our first crop). Also, what equipment would we need?

Answer 1

What about doing produce that you could sell to a local restaurant?  I think it is becoming more popular to eat natural foods. You could have all kinds of simple things that grow like crazy. Tomatoes are very easy almost to the point that you have too many. If you are talking big industrial farming you are in for a huge amount of work. I have lived both up north and in the south. Up north the weather is your challenge. In the south you are talking about a huge undertaking as most farms have to grow and rotate crops all year round to keep the soil in good condition. Farming is lots of work and risk.  

Answer 2

What do other farmers in the area raise?  What is the soil and the climate suited for?  Another poster is right.  Talk to your local extension agent or the extension at the nearest university.

Answer 3

First of all, let me say that I think it is great that you are interested in starting to farm.  There is nothing better than it.  However, I do think you are jumping the gun just a little bit.

If you want to be successful in farming, you need to take a little bit of time to plan out what exactly you are going to raise and how you are going to go about it.  There are a number of key parts that are missing from your question -- I'm hoping tha these are missing simply because you didn't want to write a novel for the question.  But if not, you need to consider these first:

What are the key crops grown in the area where you live?  While people here have suggested things like corn, does corn even grow well where you live?  There are a number of places where it has HUGE problems with various types of corn root worm.  Same goes for other plants and their respective pests.  

What are the market demands in your area?  While corn is needed right now in the U.S. given the summer tha Iowa has been having, if it is not the thing that is grown in your part of the country, you are not going to be able to have someone buy it from you to move it along to the marketplace.  This is why growing the 'local' crop(s) are important -- then you have the means and resources to make your efforts successful.

How much acreage are you putting into crops?  Your equipment needs will not only depend one what crop you are growing, but how much of it there will be.  There is not need to buy John Deere's biggest tractor if you are growing only enough to make two passes with said tractor.

What are your plans for the land when it is fallow (when it is not planted with the crop)?  What kind of cover crop are you going to use?

Do you want to go with conventional ag or organic?  Conventional is cheaper and easier, but you damage the environment, kill of beneficial insects, and have a crop that is less valuable than an organic crop.  Also, if your land that you are using has been fallow for more than three years and unsprayed, then you are already set up for an organic farm and do not need to wait three years for certification.  

I could continue, but I think that is enough of a start to get you going on the right foot.  For now, I suggest that you do some research.  First, talk to your local agricultural/horticultural extention agent through the county government.  He or she will be able to help you answer the questions above, develop a plan of attack, and possible even be able to set you up with some kind of entreprenurial-based grant or other type of funding (this is very common in areas where agriculture is a big industry).  Also, Cornell University has put out a great guide for getting started in farming (see link:  http://scnyat.cce.cornell.edu/vegfruit/a... but this is only the tip of the iceberg.  

Good luck!

Answer 4

not to be rude because that is how it will come off. if u don’t know your not ready to do it. do research and talk to local farmers.

Answer 5

There is an old joke.  How do you make a million dollars in farming?

You start with two million.

You need to decide on what it is that makes you want to farm.  If you have an ideal in mind then you need to talk to someone that looks like what you would expect.

Nothing grows because you toss it in the ground and don't come back until harvest time.  You need to prepare your soil and plant and make sure that weeds don't take over.  Of course you can do everything right and have the weather turn bad and ruin your crop anyway.  I suggest you work for someone else for a season or two and see what its like first.

Also read the book Farming on small acreage  I forget the author but you can probably find it on Amazon .com.

Answer 6

I would go with high dollar perenninal crops like asparagus, raspberries, fruit trees, etc. These crops do not need a lot of attention most of the year and will get you good money in the market.

Sweet corn takes a lot of space and does not make a lot of profit compared to other crops such as berries or mangoes, etc..

My farm is shifting towards all perennial crops as they make far more per acre than things like sweet corn and you don't need a lot of heavy equipment to plant, maintain and harvest as you do with things like corn.

Answer 7

um since i "live" in iowa i would have to say corn! YUM! i would probably use the corn you would feed to livestock b/c there is always animals needin food! i would also use a McCormick tractor cuz they are totally awesome and the john deere ones suck...

Answer 8

I can't possibly answer this without a lot more information, such as what your soil is like, your drainage, your rainfall, how many acres you have, whether you have any equipment at all, how many of you are "we", and so on.  Are you by any large city?  Do you want to grow designer veggies for restaurants?  You said "marketplace", but there are lots of different markets: do you want cows or gourmets eating your corn?  Once you have a crop, you need to know how and where to sell it.  And harvesting requires either expensive equipment or a number of people to pick it by hand:  remember, all your crop ripens all at once.  

I would say talk to your ag agent, but there is no magic crop that requires no maintenance and guarantees you success.  Marijuana has a demand in the marketplace but even it requires some work.  I mention weed because I think you've been smoking if you think farming is this easy.  Why don't you get a job on someone else's farm first, to see what it's really like?  At least take some extension classes.  

You are SUCH a city slicker--I hope rabbits eat whatever you plant.

Answer 9

Depends on your location really. To meet what you are looking for Corn is a good thing to grow, considering there are new technologies using this vegetable as a fuel. Again equipment needed really depends on the size of the farming operation you are wanting to start. Also, does the area already have a crop on it or do you know what it has been used for.  

Answer 10

might i suggest cow corn or sweet corn. (YES, there is a difference!)

Answer 11

I would say apples and plum trees they take up less room and you get more crop in a small space. You could also make and sell chuckney and jam from your fruit.  Plus you could also have some hens roaming around the trees and sell free range eggs.  Good luck

Answer 12

You need to talk to your local ag extension agent.  Depending on your location, your crops will differ.  Most produce type crops like fruits are going to take a lot more care and also a lot more time to establish.  But you will be able to go back to the same plants year after year.  Other crops like corn, wheat and soybeans are a quicker bet for first time yield but be prepared to shell out more money than you will bring in at least the first several years and possibly longer.  And most importantly get crop insurance if you can afford it!

Answer 13

You could rent the farm ground out for 2 years and watch and learn.  There isn't any crops aside from Dry land grains (wheat, barley, oats) that don't require much attention to weeding and watering.  

Farming is labor intensive and not for the weak of heart.

If you chose to rent the ground get a written contract as to who, what, where, when, and how much you will get and for what. The renter pays a set amount per acre, the owner or the renter then pays the water bill, and other details are worked out from there. The renter then supplys all of their own equipment and you are learning by watching the process.

Other ways to learn and get things done with minimal expense is to share crop the ground.  Again agreements must be crystal clear as to who gets what and who does what for what. There is no better way to exile yourself from a farming community than to go back on ones word or be unreasonable and not want to learn.  And there are those farmers who also are into taking everyone for what they can get.

Farm equipment new or used is a huge investment whether you have the money to buy all new or buy things one piece at a time used and needing rebuilt.

Ask around.  Go to equipment dealers.  Find out who is reputable and who you should stay away from.  Go to the places where seed is bought and ask them for recommendations.

Given the area you are in maybe look at Paulowina trees.....I tried a few here but the winters were too harsh for them.  The growers to deal with that I found to be very helpful was http://www.worldpaulownia.com

Of course there are other sources of trees maybe even something in your area.

But if you are wanting a multi-purpose crop that other things can be grown between a 14 x 14 foot grid or you can graze animals around once they get a year old then look at these trees.  Equipment needs would be minimal.  A 35-40 horse tractor, a post hole digger, and a disk to keep weeds down, an effiencent irrigation system and in a few years you will have an income with out a lot of outgo.  And you can plant grazing grass between them and rent the ground out to graze cows on.

I wouldn't trade this way of life for any city life ever.  I am never going to get rich growing hay and pigs but I darn sure have fun doing it.

Answer 14

Your description could be Northern Argentina or Northern Australia,  India, Bangladesh, Southern China.

You do not mention some significant subjects like rainfall, drainage, slope, soil type and depth, cropping history, distance to markets.

Any recommendation made without a hint about those critical matters would not be worth the price you are paying for them.

Answer 15

be ready to spend about 2 million dollars right away, for a tractor, a combine, 18 wheeler, a CDL license, farmhand expenses, fertilizer, and many many other expenses within the farm world...I live on a farm and am married to a farmer, and I grew up in the city...so I too had no clue about what actually goes on behind the scenes...do some more research with Kansas State University for some good assistance.