Posted by JD Seller on August 20, 2017 at 12:27:09 from (208.126.196.24):
In Reply to: Beginner posted by Ewebb on August 20, 2017 at 07:36:42:
The Ford 3600 would be the better of these two tractors. I would also look for a tractor to cultivate with. An IH "A" or newer IH 140 would be perfect for single row cultivation. If you start out small an older walk behind two wheel tractor/cultivator would be cheap to start with. Then work your way up.
Now for how to plan your crops/ground. You need to research your local market and see what is in demand and what is in surplus. An example is sweet corn. Right now everyone has sweet corn to sell so the price is depressed, $4 a dozen on average. IF you had sweet corn early in the season then you can get $6 a dozen or maybe even more. So you can make good money early but the profit potential tapers off as the season goes along.
There are crops that I would call high volume produce those would be sweet corn and tomatoes as an example. Meaning there are many producers plus personal gardens producing them. So the profit percentage is less for these crops. Then there are more specialized crops that will demand a better price IF you have the market AND can grow a good end product.
So I would work on getting your equipment in hand and working. While you are doing local research into what produce is currently produced and what produce is in demand. Keep you eye on specialty crops like mint or garlic. If there is a local market and you can grow them. these will generate a much better gross/profit on a smaller acreage.
Also look objectively at your personal skill level and likes. IF your an experienced gardener then the step up to a more commercial production size will be easier. If you have little gardening experience then you need to hone that skill too.
So start slow and steady. You need to build your knowledge and look to what your end market would be. Also be honest with yourself on what the competition is already doing. It makes zero difference what your cost is when pricing your produce. IF your cost is X and the market is X- then your going to lose money because you can not charge X+ just because your cost are higher.
Also what area you live in makes a HUGE difference in your possible success. IF your within easy drive distance to urban areas then you have a much larger potential market. IF your in the middle of no where then your customer base is going to be so small that generating much income will be much harder.
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