What's the most profitable way make cash, farming

[RonR]

Re: What\'s the most profitable way make cash, farming

Not sure if the Tumbleweed person is the same or not, but I read about her a few years ago. She picked them up in Western KS and literally shipped them all over the world.

She had a website that was a hoot to read! She'd taken a bunch of pics of construction equipment around her area and posted that as her "equipment" used to plant and harvest the crop. Also had pics of green sorgum planted that she claimed was her rows of organically grown tumbleweeds.

When she got orders, she'd drive around the county and pick up what she needed. Different sizes/different prices...........

Her investment was some gas and a website. Almost all profit!

I had an opportunity 20 yrs ago to go into farming. It was a sweetheart deal, but there just was not a business case to make enough money at it. The lifestyle I would love, but you gotta eat and provide for the family..................

ron

 

[David_Borden]

Re: What\'s the most profitable way make cash, farming

RonR, think this might be the place you mentioned. http://www.prairietumbleweedfarm.com/

Tumbleweeds anyone... I hear they make a great Christmas gift /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

David

 

[Slamfire]

Re: What\'s the most profitable way make cash, farming

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Thinking out of the box a little bit, I've always wondered about the feasibility of growing nuts, such as chestnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, etc. or depending on location, going the pumpkin patch, pick your own (strawberries or rasberries) route. Is there any money in crops like sunflower or safflower seeds (I see enough people feeding birds to make me wonder)? )</font>
The chestnuts might be a good one, Penn State Ag believes they have bred an American chestnut that will resist the blight. They planted a test plot last year. Once they are convinced you can try and get some seedlings. Then you can plant and wait 7 years for fruiting. I know some folks who'd love a source of mulberries, hardly anyone grows them, the trees are immense. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[stevenf]

Re: What\'s the most profitable way make cash, farming

Midwest, This may be way outside the box but it has become popular in areas around Texas. Is your land huntable whether it be large game like deer or birds migratory or otherwise. My wife and I bought 347 acres and have turned it into a hunting ranch of predominantly native animals, not canned hunts no high fences just planting food plots and developing our resident and transcient friends to stop in and say Hi long enough to give our hunters a chance to harvest them. We have 5 hunters and charge $10,000. we supply a 18' x 10' rock cabin with a wood stove and 2- 20 amp electric circuits, no indoor plumbing and no guarantees for feeding or their success in hunting. Its a great return on investment and if your choosy about your hunters no problems with them. We have a contract with them that allows a set number of animals per hunter and a price for additional animals (feral hogs or exotics) if they choose to harvest more than what they pre-pay for. We offer 5 white-tail deer, 4 rio grande turkey, 2 feral hogs and one exotic of their choice per hunter with no guarantees as to their success in hunting them. This may not be an option for you but it sure helps us pay the bills. I'd recommend not to consider day hunters as it requires you to be there and its tough to keep the hunters in line if their only there for one weekend they have no reason to behave or not harvest more than they've paid for and try to get away with it. We have strived to find a christian/family oriented group that has a long term interest so they have no pressure to go out in the field and shoot everything that moves since they are hoping to be invited to renew their lease each year (ours is a seasonal lease that allows access from September thru February and a few weeks during spring turkey season and occasional access during the year as most hunters around here like to feed year round so we allow them with a phone call to come out and do maintenance on their equipment blinds, feeders, food plots and refill their feeders every 3 months or so).
Steve

 

[RalphVa]

Re: What\'s the most profitable way make cash, farming

There's a chestnut farm just north and west of my house. He sprays his trees with Seven every week to keep the chesnut borer beetle away. He has a tractor rig that he uses to do the spraying. Uses Roundup on the tree line ground level to keep weeds dead and brush hogs in between. Think they're on 20' centers.

Ralph

 

[bdog]

Re: What\'s the most profitable way make cash, farming

Our local extension office had a day long class for small acreage owners a while back. I went and one of the speakers talked about ways to make money on small acreage. The most interesting I thought was a corn maze. We have one locally, just on the edge of town. A guy has 12 acres that he plants with corn, and then cuts paths through it to make a maze which happens around halloween. This was the third year I think he has done it and he had over 20,000 people go through the maze at $6 each. They said this past year he also expanded and grew and sold pumpkins. They said this guy farms over 1000 acres and makes more on his 12 acre corn maze than he does on the other 1000 acres. It might be something to look into in your area.

 

[Highbeam]

Re: What\'s the most profitable way make cash, farming

My plan is to "farm" enough to take advantage of the tax exemption. Secondary is to pay the entire tax bill with profits. This is allowing the land to take care of itself to some extent and is about the best I feel I can expect in terms of profit.

For me, running cattle is a big interest. A pumpkin patch on the wetter ground would be great for a bonus. Agriculture, growing stuff, seems a lot more risky and dependent on land conditions.

The farm on the side, aka hobby farm, is my desire as well. I plan to keep my full time job and let the wife tie up the loose ends like filling water troughs while I am doing the 9-5 or mroe accurately 6-6.

 

[slowrev]

Re: What\'s the most profitable way make cash, farming

Highbeam,
Cattle seem to be the most profitable around here. Of course you are still dependent on rain for hay and forage. Can't make much money on cattle if you have to buy all your feed.
Many are into raising goats to sell on the hoof, maybe a bit more work, but the money seems to be just about as good as raising cattle. Won't get ritch raising weither on limited acerage, but you can get by if you keep your equipment outlays down by keeping old equipment instead of buying new.

Ben

 

[Highbeam]

Re: What\'s the most profitable way make cash, farming

The cash crop... wasn't it indigo for while, then tobacco.

I think I like cattle for the animal. Those scottish highlander long haired cattle appeal to me especially. Goats would be easier to keep since they are less likely to kill you and you can haul a lot more to auction in a lightweight trailer. I see no reason that the fencing/feeding systems can't be used for multiple species with some modification. I would like to try some pigs too. Local markets, feed supply, and ease of keeping them will help my product evolve.

The taxman needs to see some income. All of these animals should provide some money at auction and even profit above their upkeep costs. Not enough to live on but that's not the point.

 

[RonR]

Re: What\'s the most profitable way make cash, farming

I worked with a guy that studied this and studied this before taking the plunge. He figured raising feeder pigs had the highest rate of return and promised the best yields for him. He went to the ag college and bought a set of books about a foot thick on raising hogs, then went out and did it. He's at the point now that he sells a semi-load of porkers about every month.

He figured out how much to feed them and what mixture, then had it delivered in cost effective quantities. He'd have one butchered and measure the fat in different areas to confirm that his feed mix was right on!

As a side, one of our common friends also went "into hogs", only he bought 4 piglets and was buying the feed by the 5 pound bag. He couldn't understand why he didn't get the returns that Bruce did!

Study hard and take the right plunge...............
ron