What to grow for profit on 5 acres central NY

[smstonypoint]

Cornell has a boatload of info for small farm operations at Cornell Small Farms Program | Serving small farmers in NY and the Northeast.

Steve

 

[sixdogs]

The best thing to grow is what you can sell. Sounds dumb but growing is easy and finding customers hard.

I wrote the above because it's true but to be more helpful, grow early season tomatoes and be the first to market with them. Load up the truck and sell to stores or roadside on the Main Rd. Use a Burpee hybrid. Must get to market early before the flood hits. That's crop number one.

Number two is sweet corn. Again, early to market gets the best price while end of season becomes pig feed. Burpee hybrid only, because they work and short--short--short season.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

We can't find enough just-out-of-the-field sweet corn. We usually spend 2 or 3 hours in line waiting to buy fresh corn, and we usually buy about 2 or 3 bushel. Last year there were more buyers than corn, and we didn't get any. It's been a tradition here for 20 or more years; blanch and freeze the same day we buy. We ate the last batch from 2016 last night. We're going to be more circumspect this year. It's ready here usually the week of July 4th.

 

[flusher]

Apples. 4 or 5 varieties. Customers pick 'em themselves. Will need liability insurance when you let people on your property.

 

[Tifford]

Elderberries, lavender, sweet corn, tomatoes and apples. The Cornell Web site will provide a good read in the morning. I personally love tomatoes and sweet corn.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

We have several family owned pick-your-own farms in our area. Just off hand, I know of one that grows blackberries, peaches and row crops such as black eyed peas, another that grows only peaches and one that grows only blackberries. Most also have stuff picked for those who are unable or do not have the inclination to pick their own.

 

[rgr33]

In my area, if you want to make serious money on 5 acres, the best crops are blueberries, wine grapes, or an assortment of garlic plants, the types you won’t readily find in your neighborhood grocery store. All pay well.

Thing that don’t work well are cattle, horses, Xmas trees, ( too long to harvest + deer damage), u-pick fruit.

 

[mjarrels]

Wasobee root. Takes a specal type of soil. Most store bought is really ground horseradish. True wasobee is expensive and only found in speciality stores.

mark

 

[Sigarms]

In my area, if you want to make serious money on 5 acres, the best crops are blueberries, wine grapes, or an assortment of garlic plants, the types you won’t readily find in your neighborhood grocery store. All pay well.

In our area if you wanted to make serious money, it would be pot

 

[jeff9366]

At one time New York was the largest producer of hops and would be a good use for 5 acres.

NY is really pushing the micro breweries and with the right strain you could do well.

An introduced mold has nearly wiped out Hop production in California. Almost all Hops now used in US commercial beer production are grown in Australia.

Research Hops very carefully for humid New York.