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Presentation Outline
• A little history about our farm• Production• Equipment• Marketing• Financial Decisions• Lifestyle Choices
Next Steps: Sustaining Your Farm• You’ve been farming for several years successfully—
what next?• You have some important decisions to make:
– Do you expand your operation?– Do you hire more people?– Do you buy more equipment?– Do you diversify your marketing approach?
• There’s no magic formula or cookie-cutter answer for the best type of farming operation.
Our Farm• Own 20 acres: 3 in annuals & 1 in perennials; the
balance is in wildlife habitat• Located 65 miles east of Tulsa• USDA Certified Organic through ODAFF• Sell through Tulsa Farmers’ Market and 120+
member CSA• Two + person farm—no hired labor/interns• Full-time job—no off-farm income**• Starting our 14th season (first 3 on leased land)
Our Goals
• Economically viable for two full-time farmers – We want to be as small as possible, while still
making a decent living. • Environmentally responsible • Provide healthy food to our community • Achieve a restful “off”-season in the winter• Farm for the long-term and avoid burn-out
Young and idealistic
BEGINNINGS
BUYING OUR OWN LAND
Looked at 150 properties within 1.5 hours of Tulsa over 3 years.Bought 20 acres pasture & trees, fixer upper, old barn = $105K.
Paid cash = some family help & farm-saved income (frugal living).
Production
• Cultivating less acreage over time. • Building soil with cover crops allows us to get
more production on less land.– Increasing systems efficiencies
• Keeping things simple and staying focused on what’s working.
• Look for most profitable crop mixes.– Dropping crops with low returns and high labor– Removing marginally productive perennials
SEEDLING PRODUCTION
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COVER CROPS
Save time in the long term: 1) smother weeds 2) build fertility
OUR FIELDS
Crop Rotations
• We divide our field into 2 equal parts – 1 for spring crops and 1 for summer crops. Each year we rotate these two fields. Prevents weeds from getting established.
• The Cycle: – spring cash crop (lettuce, broccoli, etc.) summer cover crop
(sorghum sudangrass/soybeans/sunhemp) winter cover crop (oats/peas/vetch/tillage radish) summer cash crop (tomatoes, peppers, etc.)
– summer cash crop (tomatoes, peppers, etc.) winter cover crop (oats/peas/vetch/tillage radish) spring cash crop (lettuce, broccoli, etc.) summer cover crop (sorghum sudangrass/soybeans/sunhemp)
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TOMATOES
PERENNIAL MISTAKE
Equipment
• Some of the hardest and divisive conversations we have are about equipment.
• It’s hard to differentiate (for some) between what is needed and what is wanted.
• Balance between expensive purchases versus labor-saving potential.
• Buy a little bit at a time & the simpler the machine, the better.
• New or used?
TILLAGE & BED PREPARATION
PLANTING & TRANSPLANTING
Aim to use equipment wherever possible to save labor hours
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WEEDING
1968 John Deere 820 (35 hp)
Bought used in 2004 - $5,500
Over the years put in - $4,000
TRACTORS – new vs. old
2008 Massey 2615 (45 hp)
Bought new in 2008 - $14,000
Has only needed routine maintenance.
HUGE MISTAKE!!!
Marketing• Refined our marketing
approach. • Went from two markets a
week down to one Saturday market.
• Modified our CSA.– Less work, more retention
• Limit wholesaling. Only have 1 major account.
• Restaurants are a waste of time.
FARMERS’ MARKET
Farmers’ Market CSA• Dropped the “Basket CSA”. • Started “Farmers’ Market
CSA” in 2008.• 120+ members.• How it works:
– Pay up front just like a regular CSA
– Members pick out what they want, when they want
– Selections deducted from their accounts
– 10% bonus, weekly newsletter
Financial Decisions• Limit debt• Don’t over invest in the
farm• Save money each year• Off-farm investments
– Diversifying our income– Planning for retirement
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Labor versus Income
Labor HoursLinear (Labor Hours)IncomeLinear (Income)
Profit and Loss Overview 2016• Income
– CSA $30,000– Farmers’ Market $70,000– Wholesale $ 8,000– TOTAL $108,000
• Expenses– Farm $10,000– Selling $4,500– Administrative $6,500– Other $3,000– Vehicle $3,000– Capital $7,000– TOTAL $34,000
• NET INCOME $74,00028
Lifestyle Choices• End marketing season
Labor Day for longer “off” season.
• Sundays off, no work unless rain imminent.
• End workday earlier: no later than 5:30.
• Child/family time.
Our Year in Review– January: seed order, crop planning, taxes– February: greenhouse, begin field planting– March: field planting in full swing– April-June: harvesting, marketing, field planting &
maintenance– July-August: harvesting, more harvesting,
marketing– September: field clean up, plant winter cover crop– October-December: rest, travel, misc. house and
farm projects
Thank You! Questions?
