You’re thinking about starting a farm?

What to Consider?

Vision and Values : A farm is both an extension of
the vision and values of the individual(s) who start
(s) it, and it has to be carefully planned to make
sure that it fits within that vision as well as within
the particular confines of the place where it is
established.

Place Matters : Direct market farms typically aren’t
well suited for the rural heartland, and rice farming
is not going to be successful on the arid plains or northern. These are extreme examples,
but there are important subtleties to every market
and every plot of land.

Planning : New farms need to have a well
designed business plan that takes into
consideration individual infrastructure and financial
needs, the viability of marketing strategies, and the
farmer’s production capacity and knowledge .

Education and Experience : Preparation, knowledge,
and training are essential. But so is being able
adapt quickly to the unexpected, to persevere when
factors beyond one’s control conspire against you,
and knowing how/when/what/where to expend
time, energy, and resources.

Managing risk: It is helpful to plan careful to manage
risk through diversification, financial management,
and the ability to withstand a couple of bad years.

Start small : For most beginning farmers, we advise
starting small to allow time for details to be worked
out, for additional learning to occur, and to mitigate
the size and scope of problems that will inevitably
arise.