Buying Advice Newbie trying build a farm from a forest

[deezler]

wow, 115 acres is a big piece of land to start from scratch with. Especially with no prior experience whatsoever.

It is really great that you secured a good deal on that much land. But why try to clear it all right at once? You can be a successful farmer on as few as 10-20 acres with a good business plan. So much more manageable.

My advice would be to make your plan, start small, grow slowly and carefully. Good luck!

 

[dave1949]

I think you are crazy trying to clear the land that fast..
My guess would be you got a good deal to buy the land and "clear" it, Now you just have to "farm" it for a few years, then you can sell off building lots for massive $$$.. What is standing in the way are the stumps and the business plan..

I would suggest you buy some farm land in a lower cost area and build your farm from there. initial investment will be more for the land, but then you won't be wasting money on tree clearing equipment. JD makes rugged tractors that are very expensive and based on the two we have at our farm (2005 5520N and 2010 5045D) They do break down plenty for new tractors (that are made in India). I've been going to Kubota and so far I've been happy though it is fairly early yet.

If you don't know farming what makes you think you will like owning cattle and poultry?? Have you ever killed an animal? Even if you plan to have someone else do the butchering/processing you still have to kill animals your self.
There are far too many unknowns... I know you are just looking for advice on how to clear the land, but it would be a shame to invest all this money in land that is nothing but stumps and possibly losing your shirt due to lack of planning. (this coming from a fellow 31 year old farmer!)
Jonathan

That is quite a mixture of opinion. You make him out to be a developer in disguise, want him to buy cheap (poor) land after he already figured out how to buy former farmland at an entry price that is low.

Of course, I don't know ManBearPig from Adam, but I take people at their word unless I know otherwise. He says he would like to farm. Every journey begins with the first step. If he wants to get involved with farming, bless his heart.

 

[SSweet9c1]

I didn't mean to come off as grumpy. But there are too many unknowns. 100 acres is an awkward size farm for a "greenhorn" too many for veggies, too few for cash crops, and a decent size lot for grazing if you know what you are doing. Growing meat isn't easy or "hands off" especially if he isn't planning on growing his own feed.

I would just feel like a bad person if I encouraged him to clear cut 100+ acres without knowing how to do the next step. Personally I think it would be cool to clear 10 acres a year and grind the stumps in place, using cover crops (Buckwheat/tilliage radish) and minimal tillage to achieve pasture grade land without having to deal with the roots. But you have to know what you are doing with the animals in terms of feed (year round and supplements) and marketing them, not to mention everything in between.
Are you going for grass fed organic beef with your own breeding stock and selling them directly? OR are you planning on buying feeder calfs to go to the hamburger mills? or option C, D, E etc.. This distinction has a huge impact on A) labor involved, B) income potential, and C) business growth rate

You can always clear cut 10 acres and see how it goes. If you get through 5 and decide it isn't worth it, you still have 90+ acres of woodland.
Jonathan

 

[rhc1945]

If you go the bulldozer route you should make sure the topsoil is left...unless its real deep..rhc1945

 

[rhc1945]

Take your time, unless you need the stumpage money now. Never cut a tree unless you absolutely have to.....I have nothing against logging, But a clearcut is the pits....10% every 10 years is a good starting point.

 

[MarkV]

You guys need to read the thread before responding. The timber is already sold, he doesn't own it, it off set part of the cost of the property. His question is how to deal with the stumps that will be left.

MarkV

 

[Manbearpig]

Man, it's not easy keeping up with all of the posts. I love it though. I'll try to respond to all of the main topics...

God willing, this land will be mine for the rest of my life. I want to build a home and a farm there, and I would only part with some of it if my brother ever wants to build a house there. I know it's a very long term project with a lot of hard work to clear the land and build/operate a farm, but I've got to have something to keep me off the streets, right?

I understand business pretty well and I was never under the impression that any tractor was 100% Made in America (or anywhere close to it). It's how companies compete and survive. I only meant that John Deere is an iconic American company. A green JD has always been a part of my farming dream. I'm sure Kubotas are great and maybe they are final assembled here, but there's never going to be a country song about Kubota. I do appreciate the advice to shop around and I think people with this sort of attitude about cars and trucks are odd, but I don't plan on changing my mind.

I think hoping for the best and planning for the worst is a good strategy so I'm hoping to one day (well into the future) make some extra money from the farm, but I plan on never making a dime. I don't need to make any money either. I have an almost brand new truck and no real debt to speak of. I can easily make the payments on the land and a tractor (at 0%, why pay cash?). I did say I'm not rich, but that was in context of having paid <$1500/acre for the land and being presented with the prospect of paying more per acre to have the stumps removed. I don't have that kind of money on hand and it would seem unwise to pay it even if I did.

The land was just surveyed and marked very well by the sellers. There's a modern well and electricity running to the property. There are several buildings, but all except a couple of sheds are more hazard than anything and will need to be destroyed. There is an area for a small pond, but the stream (the one that splits the property in half) feeding it was diverted years ago so it's dry right now. It will be easy to divert the stream back to fill the pond.

I'm very thankful for the advice you guys have about the farming. Cows are years off and even when I start I will definitely do it slowly. I know several farmers around here that raise cattle and poultry so I will have some mentors. I'm also planning to work some weekends on their farms this year and maybe the next as well just to get my head wrapped around daily tasks. It should also help me figure out how I'd like to split out my land.


Going back to the original topic, I've done a little more reading and it seems to me that a Miller PRO 75T stump grinder is really the kind of machine I need. There don't seem to be too many people online with reviews, but the ones that are around speak very highly of it. I know it's not going to allow me to clear it all in a day or anything, but over the long haul it looks like a machine that should last through the task I have. Anyone have experience with it? The 5075E is about in the middle of the specified HP range so that part should be fine.

 

[Piston]

You guys need to read the thread before responding. The timber is already sold, he doesn't own it, it off set part of the cost of the property. His question is how to deal with the stumps that will be left.

MarkV

You beat me to it Mark.

 

[Piston]

MBP,

I give you credit for admitting the reason you want a JD tractor. A lot of people won't do that, they just try to convince themselves that they truly are better than the others.

The color of the tractor doesn't make it any better, or any worse.

 

[DT86]

...there's never going to be a country song about Kubota.

Sorry dude, you are wrong.

Aaron Lewis "Country Boy"
"I got a big orange tractor and a diesel truck
And my idea of heaven is chasing whitetail bucks
And as a country boy you know I can survive"

Also in about half of the music video he is sitting in the back of an Kubota RTV.