I'll try to answer as many questions as possible...
First off, I get about 25 "request's" per year for just what youare talking about. I ACTUALLY DO about 5 or 6. Most people have no clue what it would cost. When they find out.....all bets are off.
OK, next... What are you going to plant? Row crop? Solid stand? Small seed? Large?
On the sugestion of spraying Round-Up (glyphosate) or any other pesticides, as well as fertilizer applications... YOU MUST BE CERTIFIED/LICENSED TO APPLY PESTICIDES AND/OR FERTILIZERS ON SOMEONE ELSES PROPERTY. Be it commercially or NON-commercially. Some pesticide products will require that same certification to even purchase them. Fines are stiff. The likelyhood of being caught is increasing daily. Licensed applicators will turn you in, should they find out a non-licensed applicator is illegally doing what they spent time and money to do legally. The licensing is done on a state level, but federal guidelines (EPA) mandate these requirements.
Providing seed (re-selling) opens up a can of worms..... You will be expected to warrenty the performance of seed you plant. If it doesn't grow according to the expectations of your customers, DEPEND on the phone ringing.... I let my customers buy their own seed.
I try to deal with people that will have reasonable expectations. My biggest "client" is a local "hunt club". They are 40 seasoned hunters that have been around the block a few times. They know that everything isn't always perfect. They don't go nuts when a field comes up "spotty" because of rough spring weather, or any other valid reason.
EQUIPMENT;
You either have to "limit" your options, or have a LOT of equipment on hand. People will ask for something different at every phone call. Some want corn planted.... Some will ask for clover.... Others will want milo....
Then you'll get request's for plowing, discing, tilling, lime and fertilizer spreading, mid-season cultivating. No-till planting, ect.....
I happen to have several ways to plant many different "crops". That is because we farm, and have all the needed equipment on the farm. I doubt anyone could afford all the choices, just doing custom food plot planting.
If you're REALLY SERIOUS about this, here's what I'd recommend;
Get PROPER certification for pesticide application. THEN buy a 3-point sprayer set-up. Not a BIG one, but something in the 50 to 150 gallon/ 10' to 20' boom size. Deal ONLY with round-Up and/or 2,4-D products. (safe, predictable, less likely to get you sued)
Get a 2-row planter, capable of some no-tilling. (I have Deere #71 unit planters somewhat modified to do LIMITED no-tilling. Bigger jobs, I use my 8-row Deere 7200 planter)
A no-till drill is next on the list. I recommend. something like the KASCO ECO-DRILL. It is capable of planting just about everything, in a no-till or conventional tillage situation. (Plan on spending $5000 on this item) I use a Deere 750 no-till drill. (15')
Then, you'll need the usual assortment of plow, disc, tiller, fertilizer/lime spreader, and a good cultipacker.
When doing a foodplot for yourself, you can "make due" with any assortment of equipment. When doing for someone else, they're going to (in most cases) tell you what they want, and expect it done that way. Paying customers don't like to hear the word NO.
I'm not trying to discourage you, but merely prepare you for what to expect. It requires quite an expensive list of equipment to do all the different types of food plot seeding that'll be asked of you, should you go on the "open market".
I see it as a way to make a little extra income with equipment I need to have on my farm, as opposed to a lucrative business that'll pay off in spades, as a "stand alone operation".
Bill