random question:becoming a farmer

pleasant1911 · Nov 18, 2013

This is a random question on this forum, but I bet this place can help.

I want to become a farmer, plant corn, have some live stock...I know nothing about it. how do i go about it. can i buy some land and turn it into a farm? or do i have to buy an existing farm? Is maryland too developed to get into farming. Do I have to the county and ask permission to farm? Please help me how to initially jump start my research into becoming a farmer?

Inigoes · Nov 18, 2013

Raising animals is a commitment. You will work 7 days a week, with no vacation.

Good Luck

Scratch · Nov 18, 2013

Go for it! :thumbsup:

Kman · Nov 18, 2013

Good question.

I know plenty of farmers, but all of them come from generations of farmers.

Some of them live very well, but live with a lot of debt.

The farm tends to own you.

Good luck. I hope someone here can help you.

CanDoEZ · Nov 18, 2013

If you stay small scale it can be done while still working a full time job. Farm animals are a 24/7 commitment and will eat up all spare time so be forewarned. I'm from Jersey and had no clue but have learned a lot over last 10 years. Volunteer with local 4H to start getting a feel for it. Very rewarding but lot's of work

Sent via SATCOM burst transmission. Triangulate this bitches

Mr H · Nov 18, 2013

I will possibly end up a "farmer".

But, the tending of the crops is already under the hand of an experienced tenant, and will likely not change.

The only "farming" the wife and I would likely do is our own subsistence crops, and maybe small animals. A super-garden and an edible menagerie, in effect.

Will be interested in the comments and experiences...

montoya32 · Nov 18, 2013

pleasant1911 said:
This is a random question on this forum, but I bet this place can help.

I want to become a farmer, plant corn, have some live stock...I know nothing about it. how do i go about it. can i buy some land and turn it into a farm? or do i have to buy an existing farm? Is maryland too developed to get into farming. Do I have to the county and ask permission to farm? Please help me how to initially jump start my research into becoming a farmer?

Visit some farms in your area. I am sure current farmers would love to hear that someone wants to continue their way of life. You'll have to get a piece of land zoned for AG or at least in an area where people won't whine and cry about you converting the land to AG use.

mdram · Nov 18, 2013

get a job as a farmhand first

mrbunny · Nov 18, 2013

There is a farm for sale in the middle of Bowie right now. I know they used to grow corn and I know they have the farm equipment for sale...

aquaman · Nov 18, 2013

pleasant1911 said:
This is a random question on this forum, but I bet this place can help.

I want to become a farmer, plant corn, have some live stock...I know nothing about it. how do i go about it. can i buy some land and turn it into a farm? or do i have to buy an existing farm? Is maryland too developed to get into farming. Do I have to the county and ask permission to farm? Please help me how to initially jump start my research into becoming a farmer?

do you like to gamble?

trickg · Nov 18, 2013

pleasant1911 said:
This is a random question on this forum, but I bet this place can help.

I want to become a farmer, plant corn, have some live stock...I know nothing about it. how do i go about it. can i buy some land and turn it into a farm? or do i have to buy an existing farm? Is maryland too developed to get into farming. Do I have to the county and ask permission to farm? Please help me how to initially jump start my research into becoming a farmer?

I'm curious why you think you want to become a farmer. Your post reminds me a bit of a guy I used to know who would bombard me with questions about what it was like being in the Army. He definitely had a romaticized idea of what being in the Army was all about - maybe he watched too many military type movies - the reality was not nearly as glamourous as h seemed to think, and I probably had one of the more exciting/neat jobs in the Army as an Army Musician in what is considered to be a premier miliary band ensemble.

There is a lot of time, hard work, and even heartache that goes into farming. My great-grandfather homesteaded in Chase County, Nebraska until the homestead claim was worked out, sold that piece of ground and bought a bigger piece of ground that we had as a family farm until 1972 - nearly 90 years of farming in the family. We sold it because it just wasn't making enough money to sustain itself.

Think long and hard before opting to get into farming at this point.

Half-cocked · Nov 18, 2013

Here's a secret:

You CAN make a small fortune by farming. Just start out with a large fortune.

gamer_jim · Nov 18, 2013

I don't know if this is still popular now but back 10-15 years ago professionals were leaving in droves to do farming. These were mostly financial professionals who made 6+ digit salaries but worked all the time. They sold everything, bought cheap land way out and farmed specialty foods, like organic goat milk and such. The article said that even though the hours were the same as their high-stress jobs their new profession was virtually stress-less and paid the same or better.

My wife and have a few chickens that we only feed organic feed. Those hens cannot make eggs fast enough. Organic eggs in the grocer sell for $5+ for a dozen.

I think there is a viable life that way and I wouldn't mind making the switch. I've often dreamed of becoming a fisherman some where there isn't computers (I'm a programmer now).

Scratch · Nov 18, 2013

Anyone here with experience raising goats?

Inigoes · Nov 18, 2013

Scratch said:
Anyone here with experience raising goats?

CanDoEZ and JoppaJ are experts in WTF goats

Mr H · Nov 18, 2013

Inigoes said:
CanDoEZ and JoppaJ are experts in WTF goats

44man · Nov 18, 2013

first its gambling with all you have every year, like aquaman posted. also its something you have to work on everyday to one degree or another. also the stress ans strain of it is hard for people not brought up in it to take. when things have to be done, they HAVE to be done no matter what or it all goes to hell in a handbasket. also farm animals are worse, they require 24/7 attention. no way around it. also dont think you can find anyone who will help more than 1 day. you wont.

that said now a days the county and the state and the feds all require paperwork and reporting. they are a pain in the ass about it. there no getting around it. then theres the insurances. i know they say on tv that the taxpayers are paying all the farmers insurances and that they are all getting rich on subsidies. thats all ********. you will get a small payment from the feds for doing all the paperwork they require and small is what i mean. also you will get a small reduction in your crop insurance only, from the feds. screw up on any paperwork and they wont pay so be careful how you fill the paperwork out.

the way i do it its all that 1 person can do to have a full time job and farm 100 acres for grain. first you need to find land to rent. farmland to rent that is. thats the easiest way to start and the smartest way to do it period. you can rent land from $25 to %200 per acre per year. you can find some that they will let you rent free for upkeep. you will need a good tractor a decent sprayer,disc,plow grain drill and corn planter. you will need 1 years worth of working capitol up front. you will need to make arrangements to sell,and harvest and haul your crops to a grainery.

its hard but its a labor of love. you will either love it and spend your last penny into it or you will hate it and have to find someone to sell your equipment to.

i love it but the older i get the less my body loves it.

MRA · Nov 18, 2013

Look into getting some training. The Univ of MD College of Ag has a two year technical program (Institue of Applied Agriculture) that might fit your needs. Contact your local extension service for help too. Agriculture/farming is very demanding both physically and mentally. See if you can get a copy of Booker T. Whatley's book about making a full time living on a smaller farm. He was a fascinating man with inovative ideas about agriculture.

SCRATCH - What do you want to know about goats?

Look at it this way. A farmer won a multi-million dollar lottery. A reporter asked what he was going to do with his winnings. He replied, "I'm going to keep farming until the money is gone."

marko · Nov 18, 2013

I was raised an a small farmette in NJ, back in the late 60's through the 80's.
We had 3 older boys to each do the morning and afternoon chrores - milk the cow, feed and water the chickens and sheep, clean the stalls.
Deliver the lambs or calves ... kill the rats...
Split the wood, plow the huge garden, plant the garden, split more wood, shear and worm the sheep, weed the garden, split more wood, weed some more, do other routine chores like the lawn, etc.. split more wood..then in summer it was about 5 hours each per day weeding, picking, canning, splitting etc..
No chance in heck my Old Man could have done that himself.
You don't save any money. Raise a few chickens in your backyard first, then multiply the workload. By a factor 10, 20, or 50. Lemme know how it works out.

Name Taken · Nov 18, 2013

It's very hard to make a living.

Most that I know have a lot of land, lease most of it, work a full time job, and do their part as a hobby.

You need to be networked and know where to sell your crop. You also have to know that there will be years where you will make very little for the hours of hard work.

Most I know work Midnight shift at their real job, sleep for a few hours, then farm rinse and repeat.

If you want a FARM it will own your life.

random question:becoming a farmer

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