Farming part-time
Updated Oct 16, 2025
Seeking
- 11-50 Total acres
- 0-5 Acres of cropland or tillable land
- 0-5 Acres of pasture
Desired locations
I am looking for access to land to start an egg farm and continue to keep bees.
Plan
I would like to begin working part-time helping to steward a new project. (I currently direct the local small business center.) Once I retire (in 3 years or so), I plan to devote more time to it. I have found a model for a sustainable poultry operation that I would like to try and replicate. Have started developing a business plan. Am very interested in working on a farm where animals and crops are integrated.
Desired infrastructure
Preferred type of opportunity
Opportunity details
Not looking to buy right now. Prefer long-term access to land nearby that I can make improvements to.
Desired farming practices
Practices details
Anything but conventional and no CAFOs.
Prefer to do no-till and use a diverse mix of cover crops to build soil health. At some point, once fencing and water infrastructure are in place, I would like to rotationally graze livestock, beef cattle (stocker operation at first to gain experience) and sheep. I am interested in agroforestry - want to plant variety of suitable trees, for shade and to increase biodiversity.
Production goals
Goals details
I described above the types of farming practices I am interested in. Exact nature of operation depends a lot on site and location. Ideal site has water for irrigation.
I think best place to start is with a sustainable poultry (layer) business (in particular, I want to replicate the Regenerative Poultry Model by the Regenerative Ag Alliance). Everyone eats eggs. Generates cash flow to invest in other components of plan. Doesn't appear to require large capital outlay/debt.
Am interested in organic but doubt local market support organic prices; beach bound tourists are one possible outlet, but I don't want to spend all my time direct-marketing.
Farm experience
Education, training, and employment experience
Experience details
I am a beekeeper and have been gardening for a couple of decades. I have been learning informally about cover crops, regenerative ag, and agroforestry. I started a community garden and apiary in Kinston. I usually attend the Sustainable Ag Conference in Durham every other year. I also raised meat goats for several years in the 1990's.