What to grow for profit on 5 acres central NY

[Oaktree]

I have to agree that hops is a big risk. It's the fad in NY now with the governor pushing micro breweries. I believe that we are in an artificial bubble because of it.

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

I wonder how long before that bubble bursts? I can't see that most areas have enough stoners to make that sustainable long term once the novelty wears off.

As far as micro-breweries go, I agree that's a fad too, though I see it having more viability than a pot farm, given that many/most of them are run by pubs/restaurants. Almost a "must" for tourist destinations.

There was a great local farmers market, but you were never going to get a stall, unless someone died and you were connected.
Check out local markets and see what sells out, where people are lining up before the market opens.

A neighbor of mine sells artsy-craftsy stuff at farmer's markets, and he says they tend to be quite clique-ish and it took him a long time to get into the better ones.

I dunno how things are in your area, but another venue you might want to check out is the small "artsy" restaurants. The "farm to table"/localvore movement is kind of a big deal around here (especially on the Vermont side of the river). Couldn't hurt to check with a few of them...maybe you can corner the market on organic kale or some other trendy produce.

 

[mjw]

Early and late veggie production can also be profitable, so work with and improve your micro climates.
One year we had a mild summer which combined with a shaded growing area let me grow spinach and then leaf lettuce so late into the summer no one would believe it until that tasted it.
It was just that one area was in the shade and on top of a hill with a great breeze, one of the coolest areas around.
Any where else on the property would have burnt out and gone to seed a month earlier.

Also prep/washing of veggies, especially leaf veggies was a strong selling point for some customers. I got great feedback on my leaf lettuce, the customers couldn’t believe how clean it was, ready to eat.
A friends mom couldn’t believe that this city boy could do this, it was very high praise coming from her.

I spent a lot of time cleaning and sorting it and then would transport and store it in coolers.

There is money to be made, but growing high quality produce is only half the job, the fun half.
Selling something with a short shelf life is a chore.
Get everything picked and cleaned, drive to market and have a microburst come through trashing the market, destroying tents and shutting the market down.
Now left with a truck full of produce and no way to sell it.
Just another day living the life.

Farmers markets can be fun, but a lot of work.
I would try to get into local restaurants and stores, go for quantity sales.

And keep your plans realistic. It is easy to start a large garden, but keeping up with one can become impossible.

Ask me about the year I started several thousand plants in the house and how that turned out.
At least I kept the landlord laughing.

I would gladly stay smaller with easier maintenance and higher quality.

Mulch and irrigation are your friends.
Weed control can become overwhelming quickly.

Not to mention fighting off critters.

There are definitely easier ways to make money.
But if you love it go for it, I would do it again if I could, just with a better plan.

 

[DrRod]

I also wonder about the sustainability of the micro-brew craze. In Columbia, MD there are places with four in aa quarter mile. I know a bar tender who says they rotate 100 beers a week. Sorry, but I don't care. I'd rather have a Miller High Life than a pumpkin lobster cappuccino lager.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Black elderberry extract is a "cure for the Flu, and helps fight the common cold- it says so on the interweb [also on medical journal sites].

The effect of Sambucol, a black elderberry-based, natural product, on the production of human cytokines: I. Inflammatory cytokines. - PubMed - NCBI

 

[Larry Caldwell]

I wonder how long before that bubble bursts? I can't see that most areas have enough stoners to make that sustainable long term once the novelty wears off.

Here in Southern Oregon, there is quite a bit of commercial cultivation, but the business is still new and very much in flux. Because it's illegal in interstate commerce, anything grown in a state has to stay in the state. Commercial sales seem to be running about $125 a year per capita, with advertised prices of high quality bud running $5/gram. There's about 22 grams in an ounce, so you can see that store bought is pretty expensive. Home growing is popular, and the legal 3 plants will produce far more than anyone can smoke in a year, so it gets spread around to friends. Free is a very good price.

I don't know what commercial growers get paid, but they have to send it through a lab to determine that it is free of mold and mildew. If it doesn't pass the mold and mildew test they don't have a market. There is also quite a scandal about pesticide residues, since one of the top growers got busted for excessive pesticide residues on their crop. It put them out of business, because nobody would buy their weed. Growers are also very subject to theft, and have to have fences, security lights and 24 hour guards, in addition to an irrigation system, so growing is not cheap.

 

[teejk]

Industrial hemp seems to be in the news lately as the experts try to find a way for farmers not to add to the corn/soybean inventories. It's essentially a weed so apparently not hard to grow. Biggest problem is finding certified seed known not to produce THC. The oils/extracts/fibers/whatever seem to be a hot thing right now.

 

[PhysAssist]

The effect of Sambucol, a black elderberry-based, natural product, on the production of human cytokines: I. Inflammatory cytokines. - PubMed - NCBI

Hi Larry,

That's one of the ones I meant, but was too lazy to look up.

I have a pack on my bathroom counter at home, and one in my office drawer- but I work with sick people all day long.

I love your signature!

PA

 

[tillers]

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

Steve

excellent.

just got done watching one of their soil videos, very well done. nice to be able to research farming issues without signing up for some courses too.

 

[PILOON]

That's another one I was going to suggest- but get the permits first.

LOL, without permits (they issue them?) it is a very profitable 'cash crop'.

Or were U referring to flower pots?

While I am not into 'that trade' I do know some that are and they claim that legal POT is to their advantage as it will increase usage and raise prices what with all permits and taxes that are implied. Shucks they don't even pay for electricity for their grow lights.

Once the habits are established the hunt will begin for the clandestine product and they will profit.

Face it, authorities have not been able to control un taxed cigarettes, do you think they will do better with POT?

 

[Larry Caldwell]

LOL, without permits (they issue them?) it is a very profitable 'cash crop'.

Or were U referring to flower pots?

While I am not into 'that trade' I do know some that are and they claim that legal POT is to their advantage as it will increase usage and raise prices what with all permits and taxes that are implied. Shucks they don't even pay for electricity for their grow lights.

Once the habits are established the hunt will begin for the clandestine product and they will profit.

Face it, authorities have not been able to control un taxed cigarettes, do you think they will do better with POT?

Growing your own tobacco is difficult because of the space required to cure it for a year, but you can grow burley just about anywhere. At the price of taxed tobacco nowadays, I am amazed that more people don't grow their own. A big garden shed would be enough curing space to keep you in coffin nails for a year.

Growing your own pot is easier, though it's a pretty big plant, so growing indoors is not that practical. Around here they have to top the plant to keep it from getting too tall, and prune it a lot during early growth so it will branch and set buds. I don't know how much they get per plant, but it is a lot, maybe 4-8 lbs. of dried weed. This state allows 3 plants per adult, and 30 lbs. of potent pot is more than any human can smoke. It gets shared to friends. Free is a very good price. Once it's legal and anybody can grow it in their back yard, the black market collapses.

The head shops sell high quality bud for about $5/gram around here. I haven't bought any for 30 years, but a guy just told me he got an ounce for $20, which is about $1/gram. I don't think it's increased the user base much, but legal weed has certainly made it easier to find if you are out. The collapse in underground price has definitely hurt organized crime, which has been forced to switch to opioids to maintain profits. We won't know for years if freeing the pot smokers from the criminal underground will cut the black market in recreational drugs.

I don't have anything against weed, but am almost always too busy to get stoned. I don't drink for the same reason. I just don't think of it. The state licensed stores reported about $125 per year per adult, average. Some people pay that per month, others pay nothing at all.