The New York Times had a story this week featuring a number of farmgirls who took to the land with some sort of niche farming.
The small biz lesson from the piece? It’s a great idea to get back to your ag roots, but be smart about it and keep that second income if you can.
Farmgirl Sarah Beth Aubrey, who runs Aubrey’s Natural Meats with her husband in Elwood, Ind., advises would-be farmers to wean themselves slowly off outside income. And after that, create a contingency fund to get you through rainy (or droughty) days.
And here’s some potentially encouraging advice from Ag. Department Researcher Robert Hoppe.
He told the NYT that this is a good time for entrepreneurs to start a farm, especially if those newbie farmers have another income source.
Other tips from the Farmgirls:
— Research the market. See what’s missing from your farmers markets.
— Make sure there are enough workers for your enterprise.
— Seek measured counsel from a lawyer and accountant.
And here’s the big one: “Ask yourself whether you will be able to adapt to the ‘farm lifestyle,’ notably long hours of hard toil. If you doubt you will enjoy bending over crops under a hot sun, find another line of work.”
Virtual Farmgirl 