Can a small holding be profitable?

lightspeed

Hi

Im interested in getting into farming on a part time basis. Im thinking of purchasing between 5- 10 acres.

What would be the most profitable crop to grow?

Im open to all suggestions and possibilities. Im considering snail farming also as read it has good return and potential.

There would be a long learning curve before i would venture into farming as i dont come from a farming background.

So apologies for my ignorance but can anyone tell me more about any grants or payments available?

I understand there is a single farm payment and young farmer grants but not sure how you qualifiy for either or what amounts are?

Im 31 and from Dublin if that has any relevance.

tractorporn

At that scale horticulture would be your best bet. I was at a farm walk in Cork last year and the couple grew 4 crops, salad leaves, spinach, kale and rocket. They supplied 4 local Musgrave stores and their turnover was 95k for the year on just under 5 acres.

lightspeed

tractorporn wrote: »

At that scale horticulture would be your best bet. I was at a farm walk in Cork last year and the couple grew 4 crops, salad leaves, spinach, kale and rocket. They supplied 4 local Musgrave stores and their turnover was 95k for the year on just under 5 acres.

Thats an impressive return for 5 acres. Id be more interested in the horticulture route as no nothing of rearing animals.

Would you say their success is an exception or the norm?

I understand for dairy farmers there is a co-op but regarding growing crops, how do you find customers?

Is it just a matter of growing all them crops and getting on the phone to supermarkets and places like musgraves in the hope they offer to buy some of your crops?

liam7831

First thing you should do is go working or volunteering in a veg farm in Dublin on weekends or on your day off. Prob a small scale operation would be better so you can see what's involved labour wise. You would also pick up some invaluable growing tips

tractorporn

lightspeed wrote: »

Thats an impressive return for 5 acres. Id be more interested in the horticulture route as no nothing of rearing animals.

Would you say their success is an exception or the norm?

I understand for dairy farmers there is a co-op but regarding growing crops, how do you find customers?

Is it just a matter of growing all them crops and getting on the phone to supermarkets and places like musgraves in the hope they offer to buy some of your crops?

I'd say that guy is at the very top end of things but others are doing similar and getting good returns from it. I can't find any links to his farm walk online but he has mentored a few people like these

Meet the two women running a 3ac farm that challenges the notion of what being a farmer means

https://www.farmireland.ie/business/farming/forestry-enviro/meet-the-two-women-running-a-3ac-farm-that-challenges-the-notion-of-what-being-a-farmer-means-36077347.html

The OGI run veg growing internships if that took your fancy

lightspeed

tractorporn wrote: »

I'd say that guy is at the very top end of things but others are doing similar and getting good returns from it. I can't find any links to his farm walk online but he has mentored a few people like these

Meet the two women running a 3ac farm that challenges the notion of what being a farmer means

https://www.farmireland.ie/business/farming/forestry-enviro/meet-the-two-women-running-a-3ac-farm-that-challenges-the-notion-of-what-being-a-farmer-means-36077347.html

The OGI run veg growing internships if that took your fancy

Yes that sounds like something that would be worth looking into.

Is it difficult to source customers for your produce? Is the demand such that places like musgraves or other supermarkets would always be in need of fresh produce?

Its just im assuming that they would already have well established relationships with farms that provide their stock. So how realistic is it that could enter the market?

Your right that id need an education on farming but thats not much use if i cant find customers to my produce?

My biggest worry would be that id invest in time, money, land and equipment and have no customers to sell my produce to.

tractorporn

lightspeed wrote: »

Yes that sounds like something that would be worth looking into.

Is it difficult to source customers for your produce? Is the demand such that places like musgraves or other supermarkets would always be in need of fresh produce?

Its just im assuming that they would already have well established relationships with farms that provide their stock. So how realistic is it that could enter the market?

Your right that id need an education on farming but thats not much use if i cant find customers to my produce?

My biggest worry would be that id invest in time, money, land and equipment and have no customers to sell my produce to.

Having a market would be one of the first things you would need to investigate most would have a stand at a local farmer market as well.

Here's a write up in agriland about the guy in Cork

https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/the-demand-for-organic-vegetables-is-growing-year-on-year

gr8 m8

Hello,

You need to look up a Canadian man called Curtis stone, the urban farmer. On YouTube. A fantastic resource on every aspect of what you are thinking.

He also travels around to other micro farms to see what they do and interviews them and goes through their system.

He has a book about what he does and another few books that I found great was "living off one acre of land or less" and "the market gardener" by Fortier, and anything by Charles Dowding. Grow,cook,eat is an Irish publication and quite good to get ideas to start, and I enjoyed the DVD box set of "River cottage" and it's entertaining with loads of ideas from a man who started a small holding. All above is available on Amazon UK because that is where I got it anyway!

MissusAnderson

tractorporn wrote: »

At that scale horticulture would be your best bet. I was at a farm walk in Cork last year and the couple grew 4 crops, salad leaves, spinach, kale and rocket. They supplied 4 local Musgrave stores and their turnover was 95k for the year on just under 5 acres.

sounds very impressive, i'm looking to buy land too and hopefully go into Glas, wild bird cover etc

Rechuchote

Saw an Ear to the Ground or one of those programmes about a woman who had an acre and keeps some goats on it. She has a very profitable business making soap from the goats' milk.