JamesHW
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Oct 18, 2009
- Messages
- 518
- Tractor
- BCS 853 w/ loaded tires
Of course anything is possible and was hoping a discussion could help us refine our ideas and contribute towards furthering our goals.
Recently I retired and our time frame for locating to the property is a couple of years on. Financially we do not want to over extend ourselves finacially while we ease into farming.
We just this winter were able to get 5 acres of an old overgrown 6 acre ag field cleared of trees and stumps. The field is mostly level and is made of well drained, silty-loamy soil on top of sand (remaining from Lake Albany). To pay for the clearing we had harvested timber on about a third of the 80 acres, resulting in about a mile of trails and clearings. Now that the field is cleared and our trails and clearings are in place, our heavy equipment needs have been reduced dramatically.
About 24 acres of our 80 are ravines with streams or springs and about an acre of vernal areas. The entire property appears to have an substratum of water (our well point is at 25 foot) that I believe are glacial deposits. We have an old house we are fixing up to make habitable year around and currently no barn (the old 1870's 3-bay English barn was taken down by an even older Maple tree about a decade ago). My plans short term are a shipping container or two to hold and secure equipment when we are not around.
I was thinking of an electric UTV with towable implements that we would buy or make could allow us to work the land. Our plans are to stay all organic, using rotation and cover crops on the land. No final decision on what crops to grow, but we are interested in growing asparagus and have a nice market garden. A friend wants us to grow alfalfa for his pigs. Farm distilleries are now a thing in NY and one of the things the state requires is some percentage of the ingredients needs to be sourced within the state. That would seem to make organic corn a possible cash crop. I was interested in hops and may try a small crop, but the requirements of a short window to harvest and specialized equipment and/or manpower makes more than a small crop of hops daunting.
Currently we have no plans for livestock other than chickens for meat and eggs, although goats and pigs are an area of interest and study. I definitely want to keep bees, though I don't see that as much of a profit area, at least initially. Another consideration is part of our retirement plan is to rent campsites on the land. An electric UTV or even repurposed golf carts could be utilized to maintain and service the campsites with a minimum of noise.
I was thinking a solar station with a battery bank adjacent to our shipping containers to allow charging and provide power for tools. It would be about 140 yard run to run electric from the house. Interestingly, shortly after the land was cleared we received an offer to install a solar generation array on the property, but we have not seriously considered it (wonder if they fly around scouting locations or if it was just a coincidence?). I have to say not having to deal with storing fuel is attractive.
Recently I retired and our time frame for locating to the property is a couple of years on. Financially we do not want to over extend ourselves finacially while we ease into farming.
We just this winter were able to get 5 acres of an old overgrown 6 acre ag field cleared of trees and stumps. The field is mostly level and is made of well drained, silty-loamy soil on top of sand (remaining from Lake Albany). To pay for the clearing we had harvested timber on about a third of the 80 acres, resulting in about a mile of trails and clearings. Now that the field is cleared and our trails and clearings are in place, our heavy equipment needs have been reduced dramatically.
About 24 acres of our 80 are ravines with streams or springs and about an acre of vernal areas. The entire property appears to have an substratum of water (our well point is at 25 foot) that I believe are glacial deposits. We have an old house we are fixing up to make habitable year around and currently no barn (the old 1870's 3-bay English barn was taken down by an even older Maple tree about a decade ago). My plans short term are a shipping container or two to hold and secure equipment when we are not around.
I was thinking of an electric UTV with towable implements that we would buy or make could allow us to work the land. Our plans are to stay all organic, using rotation and cover crops on the land. No final decision on what crops to grow, but we are interested in growing asparagus and have a nice market garden. A friend wants us to grow alfalfa for his pigs. Farm distilleries are now a thing in NY and one of the things the state requires is some percentage of the ingredients needs to be sourced within the state. That would seem to make organic corn a possible cash crop. I was interested in hops and may try a small crop, but the requirements of a short window to harvest and specialized equipment and/or manpower makes more than a small crop of hops daunting.
Currently we have no plans for livestock other than chickens for meat and eggs, although goats and pigs are an area of interest and study. I definitely want to keep bees, though I don't see that as much of a profit area, at least initially. Another consideration is part of our retirement plan is to rent campsites on the land. An electric UTV or even repurposed golf carts could be utilized to maintain and service the campsites with a minimum of noise.
I was thinking a solar station with a battery bank adjacent to our shipping containers to allow charging and provide power for tools. It would be about 140 yard run to run electric from the house. Interestingly, shortly after the land was cleared we received an offer to install a solar generation array on the property, but we have not seriously considered it (wonder if they fly around scouting locations or if it was just a coincidence?). I have to say not having to deal with storing fuel is attractive.