The Number 1 Mistake Urban Farms Make Over and Over…
In my work as a Farm Consultant there is one fatal mistake that I see repeated on farm after farm.
This mistake is unfortunately fatal, and probably accounts for much of the heart breaking statistic that 95% of farms that are started will close within 5 years.
Having resilient local, varied, organic, small scale, regenerative agriculture enterprises, serving communities is widely recognised as one of the key components integral to the shift that is collectively required to face the mounting environmental calamities we face today as humanity.
This is one of my main motivations in consulting work...it takes an enormous amount of courage, committment, capital, effort and stamina to create a profitable and therefore sustainable farm.
It feels heart-breaking for me to see farms closing, when we need them most. My mistakes and experience on this journey are what I offer to ensure the success of local organic ag, in all its myriad of production forms.
So, it is always with a heavy heart that I hear from a farmer who is struggling....burnt out with the work load...don't have enough sales (income), and / or don't have enough production...this cycle always ends in the same way - the farm closes
So, what's the mistake?
In a nutshell, the biggest problem is not planning to have enough production, to generate the weekly / annual income required, to ensure that you and your farm are sustainable into the future.
Many new farmers are daunted by the complexity and risk involved in agricultural enterprise. So they will try and start small...however, what they have failed to take into consideration, is there is a scale at which you need to operate at in order to keep existing!
So, they get burned out maintaining a plot that is too small to generate a full time income for them, or any other labour support they need.
As a small scale grower, you need to account for your wages, expenses, production costs etc. and consider, and make a plan for how much wealth you need to thrive.
Whilst generating enough income on your farm to support you and your family in the lifestyle you choose (without needing to seek outside income) may not be the number one passion, or motivation, in your choice to grow, and not the only success factor in farming.....It is the deciding factor on whether you will continue to steward the farm / land that you have into the future productively.
From My Heart To Yours
Farmher Sheia
