All plowed up and no plants to grow
Not actually true, I do have plants to grow but would like to think of some different ones.
Those of you who have been to the farm have seen my garden the past few years, maybe a half acre total, in which I’ve actually raised a significant amount of food last year. I’ve got about 4 acres more ground plowed and in process of being prepared for planting this year. I will have a separate area for vine crops such as squash and pumpkins as well as plots for corn, soybeans, sorghum for bird and deer food, and probably some wheat and rye for next season. The corn will be open pollinated yellow dent, organic and pesticide free. I am thinking of offering it on the net at an outrageous price for a half bushel or so, hoping that aging hippies will buy it as food for their organic, pesticide free yard squirrels. Also have several pounds of edamame seed which I might try to sell to squirrels as food for aging pesticide free hippies. I will of course try to raise a significant amount of the usual staples such as potatoes, turnips, sweet corn, tomatoes, cabbage, etc.
What I am really trying to figure out is “What can I raise and/or how can I market the stuff in order to make a buck?” If anybody has an idea about a product or a marketing angle, I would really like to hear it. My new motto is something along the lines of “People got to eat, so they might as well pay through the nose for food.” What sort of product would you consider paying through the nose for just because you would really like to have it and there isn’t a consistent supply available? Not looking for a commitment to buy anything, just ideas. Plants or animals considered. If it grows in dirt or walks around and eats stuff that grows in dirt I can probably raise it.
Current project is a bullet proof chicken pen built along the lines of the redneck greenhouse, but covered in chicken wire instead of plastic. I bought 31 chickens two weeks ago and still have all 31, probably because they haven’t been outside the bullet proof chicken house. The chickens will of course be free ranging under normal circumstances, but I think I need a small pen where I can leave them unattended for a day or so and assume they will still be intact when I get back.
Also thinking long and hard about a cellar design. I have almost decided to build it using treated posts and plywood, then coating with tar and wrapping in plastic before covering with dirt. Cost and time would be less than half that of a poured concrete structure. At my advanced age, I would plan to die before it caves in. Anybody got any experience with that sort of thing? (Timber framed foundations, not dying.)
Those of you who have been to the farm have seen my garden the past few years, maybe a half acre total, in which I’ve actually raised a significant amount of food last year. I’ve got about 4 acres more ground plowed and in process of being prepared for planting this year. I will have a separate area for vine crops such as squash and pumpkins as well as plots for corn, soybeans, sorghum for bird and deer food, and probably some wheat and rye for next season. The corn will be open pollinated yellow dent, organic and pesticide free. I am thinking of offering it on the net at an outrageous price for a half bushel or so, hoping that aging hippies will buy it as food for their organic, pesticide free yard squirrels. Also have several pounds of edamame seed which I might try to sell to squirrels as food for aging pesticide free hippies. I will of course try to raise a significant amount of the usual staples such as potatoes, turnips, sweet corn, tomatoes, cabbage, etc.
What I am really trying to figure out is “What can I raise and/or how can I market the stuff in order to make a buck?” If anybody has an idea about a product or a marketing angle, I would really like to hear it. My new motto is something along the lines of “People got to eat, so they might as well pay through the nose for food.” What sort of product would you consider paying through the nose for just because you would really like to have it and there isn’t a consistent supply available? Not looking for a commitment to buy anything, just ideas. Plants or animals considered. If it grows in dirt or walks around and eats stuff that grows in dirt I can probably raise it.
Current project is a bullet proof chicken pen built along the lines of the redneck greenhouse, but covered in chicken wire instead of plastic. I bought 31 chickens two weeks ago and still have all 31, probably because they haven’t been outside the bullet proof chicken house. The chickens will of course be free ranging under normal circumstances, but I think I need a small pen where I can leave them unattended for a day or so and assume they will still be intact when I get back.
Also thinking long and hard about a cellar design. I have almost decided to build it using treated posts and plywood, then coating with tar and wrapping in plastic before covering with dirt. Cost and time would be less than half that of a poured concrete structure. At my advanced age, I would plan to die before it caves in. Anybody got any experience with that sort of thing? (Timber framed foundations, not dying.)
posted by tickmeister at 3:08 PM
4 Comments:
Mr. Tickmiester sir, I have heard of, but not seen this: several organic small farmers such as yourself, around the perimeter of Johnson County, have gotten hooked up with the hippie types and other types I suppose, I would guess at farmer markets and word of mouth, and deliver their organic home grown stuff to the aged, dimented, tripped out hippie types. That's right, deliver. I can't remember where I saw or heard this. The farmers market here in Leavenworth has slowly gotten bigger. The City is putting up a fair sized opened walled roofed structure, so it doesn't get rained out. I have been to the KCMO, Merriam, Lenexa and a few more farmer markets. I have a friend that was a few years behind me in high school. He got a degree in micro farming at K-State. His Dad thought he was nuts. Build it and the people will come. He hits the Leavenworth farmers market every Saturday and has a huge walkin crowd out on his farm every time I go out there. I talked to him about delivering, and he says he doen't have the time to deliver or the inclination to hire somebody to deliver. He doesn't think there would be enough money in delivering. So anyway, if you tie all this together, I think that you get my point. I planted my meager garden today in the mud. First time since 2005. By the way, I would consider having you deliver some goodies, but I would probably drive up there first. Hey, I caught the electronic version of Trouble in Mind a couple of weeks ago, very entertaining. After I get thru this Mother's Day weekend, I will see about coming up for a Saturday morning. See ya. LVJ
I will plant a bunch of stuff this Saturday if the ground is dry. I think that global warming has finally taken hold to the extent that we might not get any more frost. Now I know that you don't buy into global warming LVJ, but I'm here to tell you that it happens every summer. I've noticed quite a bit of it since January.
I'm not sure that delivery to hippies would be very cost effective due to the likelihood that gas prices will undoubtedly rise again about the time you start harvesting. And although I'm I big farmer's market fan, there's a lot of competition there that would keep your pricing in check. I've noticed that lately there has been a trend in upscale trendy restaurants to offer locally grown seasonal fruits, vegetables and meat. Its like "organic" has become normal and boring. Now "locally raised" is the catchphrase. Maybe you could enlist the help of some of your city-dwelling posse to hit up some restaurants for ideas. I know there is not much competition in the organic herb market. And basically, herbs are just weeds, which grow quite well in Northern Missouri. Regardless of what you grow, the price is in the marketing...
Hey Phil, you are probably right, delivery would be tuff. The resteraunt idea is a good one and worth looking into. Home made jam is a big sellar, my mom and sister are getting $5.00 a pint.
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