With the average American farm exceeding several hundred acres, it’s no wonder that most property owners envision only lawns and gardens when they look upon their own backyards. But to young folks aspiring towards a new kind of agriculture—one that brings our communities closer to the source of their food—those seemingly quaint backyard parcels could be exactly what they need to become agricultural entrepreneurs. And with the average farmer nearing sixty years of age, linking your land with a young agrarian means playing a vital role in rebuilding a more sustainable food system. Plus fresh veggies on your doorstep sure beats mowing a lawn.
Time and again, when asked for advice to newbies, veteran farmers respond: start small. “I think a half an acre is a good size for a new farmer,” says Koby Guye of Cellar Door Collective, a single-acre farm just outside Sacramento. “Any more room and one can get carried away and overwhelmed.”
For Koby, a young farmer, that one acre offered just enough space to experiment with crops while also growing his market, all without having to take on big risky investments. Appropriate acreage will vary, of course, depending on what and where they’re growing, but scaling sustainably is key. For most new farmers—especially first-generation farmers—agriculture poses a steep learning curve. Understanding the soil, building a market, refining a unique practice—these take years to perfect. By starting small, young farmers allow room to develop, remain flexible and save themselves many headaches.
“Currently I have no big debts,” says Koby, “No payroll (his farm’s website lists a barn cat as Assistant to the Regional Manager and various beneficial insects as Department of Pest Control), there's no permanent weight to drag me down, in case I do succumb to the pressures of the market.” And while those pressures are substantial, given the competition of big box commodity prices, they’re not impossible. For Koby, that just means holding strong to his business plan and avoiding craigslist where, he admits, beautiful old tractors are among the many temptations.
Koby and a whole generation of new farmers are today working to change our ever-conglomerating, corporate agricultural industry where farms grow in size while dwindling in numbers. But don’t be fooled by his scale. Koby is no gardener; he’s an entrepreneur. And after his first few years, Koby is now looking to expand. Two acres, he says, would be perfect.
While city-folk might raise their eyebrows at the idea of two whole acres, for those living on the urban fringe or in rural areas, a spare acre or two isn’t all that hard to come by. And it could be just what a new farmer needs to kick-start their career. If you like food and knowing where that food came from, investing in the newest generation might just reverse that trend towards ever-aging farmers. And in a country with over forty million acres of lawns, there should be room enough to grow more food and more farmers.
RESOURCE: California FarmLink, connecting landowners with the right farmer for your land.
Time and again, when asked for advice to newbies, veteran farmers respond: start small. “I think a half an acre is a good size for a new farmer,” says Koby Guye of Cellar Door Collective, a single-acre farm just outside Sacramento. “Any more room and one can get carried away and overwhelmed.”
For Koby, a young farmer, that one acre offered just enough space to experiment with crops while also growing his market, all without having to take on big risky investments. Appropriate acreage will vary, of course, depending on what and where they’re growing, but scaling sustainably is key. For most new farmers—especially first-generation farmers—agriculture poses a steep learning curve. Understanding the soil, building a market, refining a unique practice—these take years to perfect. By starting small, young farmers allow room to develop, remain flexible and save themselves many headaches.
“Currently I have no big debts,” says Koby, “No payroll (his farm’s website lists a barn cat as Assistant to the Regional Manager and various beneficial insects as Department of Pest Control), there's no permanent weight to drag me down, in case I do succumb to the pressures of the market.” And while those pressures are substantial, given the competition of big box commodity prices, they’re not impossible. For Koby, that just means holding strong to his business plan and avoiding craigslist where, he admits, beautiful old tractors are among the many temptations.
Koby and a whole generation of new farmers are today working to change our ever-conglomerating, corporate agricultural industry where farms grow in size while dwindling in numbers. But don’t be fooled by his scale. Koby is no gardener; he’s an entrepreneur. And after his first few years, Koby is now looking to expand. Two acres, he says, would be perfect.
While city-folk might raise their eyebrows at the idea of two whole acres, for those living on the urban fringe or in rural areas, a spare acre or two isn’t all that hard to come by. And it could be just what a new farmer needs to kick-start their career. If you like food and knowing where that food came from, investing in the newest generation might just reverse that trend towards ever-aging farmers. And in a country with over forty million acres of lawns, there should be room enough to grow more food and more farmers.
RESOURCE: California FarmLink, connecting landowners with the right farmer for your land.
RELATED: Join us on April 23rd at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds for a forum to connect farmers and ranchers with land. Come share resources and collaboratively explore opportunities for farmers & landowners (both public and private) to increase the availability of farmland for food production.
Space is limited, please RSVP here: http://goo.gl/PzAyDp
Space is limited, please RSVP here: http://goo.gl/PzAyDp
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