Farming part-time for income
Updated Jan 9, 2025
Seeking
- 6-10 Total acres
Desired locations
I'm looking for land to develop an educational agricultural experience to teach sustainable farming practices.
Plan
My experience is in cattle, sheep, and goat ranching with hobbies in gardening.
I plan to develop an educational agricultural experience that teaches the fundamentals in ecological design to enable both plants and animals to work together in revitalizing the land. With a focus on native species, I would like to incorporate a variety of plants and animals in small plotted areas to enhance the topsoil quality of the land I work with.
Ideally, an active water source would be available with the intention of utilizing rainwater harvesting techniques to maximize the water retention on the property. Additionally, I would like to cultivate watershed practices to maximize water retention from rain.
Desired infrastructure
Equipment and infrastructure details
Water and housing are the main two. If there is farm equipment available, that's a bonus but I plan to do most of the work by hand to start and will lean into community programs to fund the first round of infrastructural needs for the development.
Preferred type of opportunity
Opportunity details
Again, I'm looking to create an educational experience for regenerative, sustainable agriculture and how to intentionally develop land one small piece at a time.
Desired farming practices
Practices details
I prefer a slow and steady pace. I like to revitalize land one step at a time by first creating small ecosystems within the whole.
To begin, I want to plant a variety of native species that can take care of one another. That would include vegetables, fruits, and flowers that are intentionally spaced to enhance the production value of each of them. I would like to then incorporate chickens, goats, and sheep to provide composting for the plants and maintenance to the invasive plant species.
I would like to enhance the groundwater pathways to create watershed irrigation as well as build a few rainwater catchment systems around the property for the dry months. Also, beehives and composting.
Production goals
Goals details
The goal is to simply create ecosystems that feed themselves throughout the land a quarter acre at a time. There should be a variety of plant and animal life throughout each plot and I would like to incorporate educational experiences throughout for people in the community to come and learn from.
The goal is to create regenerative agricultural systems that feed each other throughout the land and create harvesting techniques that are simple. Additionally, the intentional development should yield a high vegetable and fruit yield in terms of product quality and quantity in each small space.
Farm experience
Years of experience
3 total years of experience
1 years employed as a worker (non-manager)
2 years as a manager
Education, training, and employment experience
Experience details
I have a degree in Agricultural Leadership & Development which lead me to my first career job with the cooperative extension in Texas. During that time I worked with farmers and ranchers in the community to enhance their economic ability through regenerative practices.
I've managed a 1,500 acre ranch that was primarily used for wildlife and had a small herd of beef cattle.
I've also taught horticulture and gardening in both rural and urban settings that offered the community opportunities to learn how to maximize the efficiency of land through ecological development.
I currently work on behalf of Heifer International (fundraising) to secure funding for small scale, family owned farms.