Looking for the following:
Type of opportunity:
Lease (1 to 5 Years), Lease with Option to Buy, Incubator / Mentored Lease, Business Partnership.
More info: Looking for 1 - 5 acres, but I am open to any and all options, and would be glad to discuss.
Equipment & infrastructure:
More info: Any type of infrastructure would be nice, especially a barn or greenhouse, but not a requirement. I could get by with very little infrastructure, but I would say that having a water source would be extremely important for those hot dry days in late summer.
Current farming practices:
Biodynamic, Certified organic, Transitioning to organic, Ecological production but not certified, None, the property is not being farmed.
More info: I use only organic practices and so would prefer not to use land that has had chemicals, herbicides, pesticides, etc. used in the past because of the possibility of remaining chemical residue
Qualifications and goals:
Other qualifications:
More info: I have quite a few years of vegetable growing experience, and also have livestock experience.
Production goals:
Cattle (Dairy/Beef), Field crops, Herbs, Poultry (Broiler/Layer), Sheep/Goat (Dairy/Meat), Vegetable production.
More info: I am planning on starting with vegetable production, but these (see above) are some of my long term goals.
Personal experience and production goals summary:
I have been gardening for years. My gardens have gotten larger every year, and would be considered 'market garden' size, although I have not pursued the marketing end of it, and have mainly given/sold to family and friends, etc. I have spent a lot of time studying farming practices, especially small plot intensive farming, and feel that I am ready to make the leap into farming. I have always wanted to farm, and I have experience with livestock, poultry, and horses.
I also have quite a bit of experience with marketing, and I feel confident that I will be able to find the market to sell my products. I am probably older than most beginning farmers, and I feel that this will be an advantage in some ways.