Farming full-time for income
Updated May 18, 2025
Seeking
- 6-10 Total acres
- 0-5 Acres of cropland or tillable land
- 0-5 Acres of pasture
Desired locations
Biodynamic farming couple looking for a farm and a place to call home!
Plan
We have ran Shelly and Mikes for 5 seasons, growing biodynamic produce, flower and herbs at farmers markets, wholesale to restaurants, florists, and events Prior to that Mike was a partner to the Growing Garden in Bellingham WA, growing greenhouse crops, garlic, and culinary herbs while maintaining his own homestead. He holds a BA degree in sustainable agriculture and food security and has been farming since he was 19. Prior to farming, Shelly ran an edible medicinal gardening business for 8 years, designing gardens that suited her clients wellness needs. She holds a Masters in Environmental leadership, focusing on food justice, land stewardship, and transformational life coaching.
Desired infrastructure
Equipment and infrastructure details
We're only looking for options that either have housing on or nearby the farm. Other options may include building sites, in the case of a lease to own or owner financing scenarios.
A tractor or other tillage implements are great but not imperative as we own a BCS tiller with great implements to get started.
We would love a space to keep animals as we have a Jersey cow we would like to take with us and continuing milking her. We are also interested in shelter for small scale animal husbandry mainly for rotational grazing, hyper local sales or for simply self sustaining and nourishing the soil.
Preferred type of opportunity
Opportunity details
We are open to options of leasing and purchase. However we are solid middle class folks and can only afford within our means. We are also looking for long term if deciding to lease.
We are open to leasing land and living off the property as long as it is close by .
The dream is for a sweet house with 2-20 acres for growing perennial and annual foods, grazing animals at small scale, potential out buildings for shelter or processing food.
Desired farming practices
Practices details
We're both practitioners of the Biodynamic method and always will be, so integrated farming and farm-based fertility are at the core of our methods. Perennials and habitat play into this as well, as we look at farms as living, breathing organisms.
Chemicals on or anywhere near our farm is not allowed. Herbicide drift from our neighbors GMO corn field wiped our entire farm out so it is important our neighbors are not spraying. It is not paranoia. Herbicide Drift we learned can travel well over 200ft from where it was applied. We want to be a hub where people can access safe chemical free food that is affordable.
Production goals
Goals details
The business plan depends entirely on the farm and the community it serves. As a starter Mike's garlic and shallots seed has followed him around the country and has been sold at Fedco seeds and Whole Foods Market. We potentially can get started growing 1/2- 1 acre of Georgian Crystal seed garlic this fall as well as Shallots, and various flower tuber and bulbs the following spring.. We hope to be growing an array of produce flowers and medicinal herbs as well. Shelly is training to become a Life coach wanting to work specifically with farmer's and other folks in the environmental and creative fields. We also have a bred A2 dairy heifer we are looking for potential pasture to keep her in.
Farm experience
Years of experience
20 total years of experience
Education, training, and employment experience
Experience details
Mike Long has over 20 years organic and biodynamic farming experience, mainly in his hometown ofBellingham WA, as the well as in Carbondale, Colorado; Kittery, Maine; and Buhl, Idaho.
His farming experience ranges from nursery and greenhouse management, wholesale seed garlic for Fedco Seeds in Maine, as well as animal husbandry and csa growing for a non-profit in Colorado.
We lost our entire business to herbicide drift on our farm in Idaho last year, forcing us to relocate to Sustainable Settings in Colorado.
Shelly is a self taught and mentored farmer florist and herb farmer. She is training to be a Nature Connected Life Coach to help people reconnect to their health through nature.