Conservation Corner

So You Want To Start A Small Farm Business?

October 12th, 2011, 5:49 pm by mfahey

So You Want To Start A Small Farm Business?
by Mary Fahey, Colusa County Resource Conservation District

While many people choose to live on small acreage properties simply to enjoy a rural lifestyle, some folks purchase property with the intent to make a living off the land. While this is an exciting notion, poorly planned enterprises can lead to a number of disasters including damaged natural resources, strained family relationships and financial difficulties.

As with any entrepreneurial endeavor, emphasis should be placed on thorough planning and evaluation of your resources before starting a new small farm-based business. Some things to consider are: personal and family goals, existing resources including your time and energy level, and realistic opportunities for business sales. You should also take into consideration your level of knowledge of land and natural resource management. Creating a business plan is an excellent way to work through the planning and decision-making process, and there are many resources that can help with this, some of which are listed at the end of this article.

There are a variety of options for generating income off of small acreage, but realistically, it is very difficult to make a comfortable living without another source of income such as off-farm employment. The section below outlines some possibilities. Sustainability depends on several factors including your location, land resources, energy level and marketing skills. Another important factor is your desired lifestyle. If you are willing to live very frugally, you will obviously be able to live with less income than someone who is not willing to give up any modern comforts.

While evaluating your situation, always bear in mind that maintaining healthy natural resources on your land is essential to a productive farming system. A healthy and diverse system will produce healthier crops and livestock.

Opportunities

Some small farm production opportunities include: fruit and vegetable crops; livestock production (milk, meat, cheese, fiber, brush clearing); poultry (meat, eggs); honey bees (honey, pollination services, beeswax); cut flowers; nursery stock; value-added products (crafts, wreaths, etc.); agritourism (farm stay, farm tours, etc.); and teaching classes.

You might consider starting a market garden by growing a variety of seasonal vegetables and fruit. If done properly in the right geographic location, it is possible to make a decent income off of a small parcel of land. It takes a lot of dedication, hard work and long hours, but it can be done. Of course, growing the crops is just one aspect of the business. You will also have to market and sell your products. Fresh fruit and vegetables can be sold at farmers markets, farm stands, CSAs (local deliveries), or wholesale to restaurants and grocery stores. Cut flowers can be integrated into a market garden business, or they can be the single focus of a farm-based business. Fresh cut flowers can be sold through the same outlets as fruit and vegetables. Livestock products, such as meat, eggs and fiber can also be sold at farmers markets and farm stands. Meat and eggs can be marketed to restaurants and grocery stores, and even local deliveries. Fiber can be made into value-added products such as yarn or knitted and woven items and sold through a variety of markets including online. Another possible livestock business is maintaining a goat herd to rent out for brush control.

Infrastructure

Depending on your production goals, you will need equipment and facilities to carry out your business. Some of the basics include:

Vegetable and tree crops: irrigation water, irrigation supplies, seed, soil amendments and fertilizers, pest control, hand tools, tractor, cultivating equipment, planting equipment, harvest equipment, greenhouse, packing shed, refrigeration
Livestock: fencing, water, pasture, supplemental feed, shelters/housing facilities, veterinary care, medical supplies, lead ropes and halters, transportation, manure management tools

Natural Resources

Efforts should be made to keep your land healthy and productive by protecting your natural resources. Integrating the following options into your farming system will serve to create biodiversity on your land while improving water and soil quality as well as habitat value:

Plant a variety of flowering native shrubs and forbs to provide habitat for native pollinators
Install native habitat in the form of hedgerows or mass plantings of native plants in unused areas of your farm
Provide buffer strips between crops/livestock and waterways and plant native grasses along banks of waterways to filter runoff and prevent bank erosion
Practice crop rotation and managed livestock grazing to keep your soil and pastures healthy while reducing weed and pest populations
Utilize cover crops for soil health and for a source of pollen and nectar for beneficial insects
Be diligent with invasive species control
Install a wildlife pond
Install raptor nest boxes for natural rodent control
Compost everything you can and return it to the ground to reduce waste and enrich the soil

Diversify Your Operation

Any agricultural endeavor is dependent on the forces of Mother Nature, and production will vary from year to year. Bearing this in mind, it would be wise to diversify your operation so if one crop fails or disease strikes your livestock, you will have something to fall back on. Wise management decisions will keep your land healthy, but you cannot control natural variables that are bound to affect your operation. A simple way to diversify your operation is to grow a variety of crops that might include vegetables, fruit, nuts and/or grains. If one crop fails, you have other resources. You could take this a step further and integrate chickens for egg or meat production. This way, if it is a late spring and your spring/summer crops are delayed, you will still have poultry producing a product for the farm. Creating value-added products, teaching farm-oriented classes or providing farm tours are other good ways to diversify your operation, and these activities can take place nearly year-round.

There are many options available for creating a small farm business, but there are also many variables to take into consideration when deciding on a venture. The more you can learn, plan and prepare before launching a new business, the better your chances of success. Take classes, attend workshops, visit working farms and do your research. You may find a perfect fit for your farm and your family, or you may decide that a farm business is not for you. Either way, doing the research will teach you a lot about yourself, your land, and what it takes to produce farm products. So, if you’re ready to investigate your options for starting a small farm business, the following links can help you get started.

Planning Resources:

U.C. Davis Small Farm Program

http://sfp.ucdavis.edu

California Small Business Association

http://www.beginningfarmers.org/farm-business-planning

U.C. Agriculture and Natural Resources

http://ucanr.org/sites/placernevadasmallfarms/FarmBusinessPlanning

USDA National Agricultural Library Rural Information Center:

http://www.nal.usda.gov/ric/ricpubs/small_farm_funding.htm

Beginning Farmers

http://www.beginningfarmers.org/farm-business-planning

NC State Small Farm Decision-making and Enterprise Planning Workbook

http://agmarketing.extension.psu.edu/begfrmrs/SmlFrmDecisionMakingWrkbk.pdf

Natural Resources Management:

Colusa County Resource Conservation District

http://colusarcd.org

Colusa County Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)

530.458.2931 x112

Posted in: Mary Fahey • business plan • farm business • natural resources management • small farm | Post a Comment »

Managing Small Acreage Parcels

August 31st, 2011, 7:47 pm by mfahey

A Guide to Small Acreage Land Management

In The Colusa Basin Watershed

By Mary Fahey, Colusa County Resource Conservation District

Bee on native Buckwheat flower

There are many reasons that people decide to live on small acreage parcels of land (in this case, 1 to 40 acres). Most often, people come from urban areas looking for peace and quiet and a taste of the country life. Many new small acreage landowners have never managed more than a backyard garden and they are unaware that living on acreage requires a completely different approach. Although owning acreage is an exciting opportunity to fulfill the owner’s vision of rural life, it requires plenty of thoughtful planning and decision making to create a sustainable and manageable system that meets the owner’s needs while protecting the land’s vital natural resources.

Where to Begin?

Congratulations! You are a new small acreage landowner. Or perhaps you have owned a small acreage parcel of land for several years, but have lacked the time or knowledge to make the most of it. Either way, the following information will get you started down the path to achieving your vision while making smart land use decisions.

First things first: assess your situation

It’s best to have a plan before diving into a small acreage venture. Your plan doesn’t have to be fancy or involved, but should be a long range road map to a healthy and sustainable system.

First, look at what you have, both structural elements and land conditions. Make a list of existing conditions such as total acreage, fencing, water supplies (domestic and irrigation), septic, streams, ponds, weeds, soil erosion, trees and shrubs, pastures, homestead, neighboring land use, etc. Also take an inventory of equipment that you own such as mowers, weed eaters and chain saws.

Next, list your ideas for the land, your vision of what you want the land to look like in the next five to ten years. Include things like crops, livestock, wildlife, open space, ponds, gardens, etc. During the planning phase, it’s helpful to draw out a map of your property and make several copies that you can mark up. A simple drawing like the example below will help assess current conditions and aid in developing a plan for your land.

Managing Natural Resources

As a landowner, it is important to realize that your property works as an interrelated system and that protection of natural resources should be an integral part of your overall land management plan. All land management decisions have an effect on water quality, soil quality, air quality, wildlife habitat, animal health and overall health of the land. Proper vegetation management, including weed control, pasture maintenance and habitat establishment, should be a key component in your plan. Improperly managed vegetation can cause a slew of problems including soil erosion, degraded water quality and proliferation of noxious weed.

No bare ground

To prevent soil erosion and water quality issues, you should avoid having areas of bare ground on your property. During the rainy season, fertilizers and pesticides can easily run off of bare ground into creeks and streams causing harm to water supplies. Bare ground also contributes to soil erosion which causes loss of land and degrades water quality when the erosion is near a water source. Great benefits can be achieved by maintaining well-managed vegetative cover over your land. The roots of plants help to hold soil in place and allow water to infiltrate into the ground. Vegetation also acts as a natural filter for water flow, trapping soil particles and chemical residues.

Another benefit to vegetative ground cover is that it improves soil structure by adding organic matter, and depending on the type of vegetation, it can provide added nutrients, such as nitrogen to the soil.

Don’t ignore the weeds

While developing your plan, one element you will need to focus on immediately is weed management. Once you lose control of the weeds, soil and water quality as well as habitat value begin to degrade. If weeds are allowed to grow unchecked, they will create a source of seed that will spread far and wide and remain viable for many years, making future control extremely difficult.

Make an effort early on to learn to identify the noxious weed species in your area so you can control them before they reseed and spread. You should be extra diligent with weed control, making sure you utilize control efforts early and often. You may be surprised at how aggressively annual weeds grow in the spring, and how quickly noxious weed populations can “take root” and spread on your land. During your planning stages, put together a weed control plan. Your local NRCS, RCD or Cooperative Extension offices can help you.

Mowers (riding mower or tractor with mower attachment), brush cutters and herbicides are common weed control tools. Check your equipment inventory (see above) to make sure you have the proper tools to combat weeds. A push mower will not get the job done, and herbicides must be used properly. If you choose not to use herbicides, you can utilize mowing, brush cutting and burning to combat weeds. Livestock can also be put to work as “weed eaters.” Keeping livestock does require a commitment of time and proper management, which we will discuss in more detail in a follow-up article.

Good Neighbor Policy

Keep in mind that the land knows no jurisdictional boundaries and the actions you take on your land affect your neighbors too. Responsible land management and communication with your neighbors will make for a positive land ownership experience.

In a follow-up article, we will discuss small-scale crop and livestock production alternatives and possibilities for creating wildlife habitat on your small acreage parcel.

Resources for Assistance:

Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)

Colusa Office: 100 Sunrise Blvd., Suite B, Colusa, CA 95932

530.458.2931 X112

Resource Conservation District (RCD)

Colusa Office: 100 Sunrise Blvd., Suite B, Colusa, CA 95932

530.458.2931 X3

Posted in: Mary Fahey • land management • living on the land • Natural Resources • small acreage | Post a Comment »

Colusa County Resource Conservation District Seeking Public Input for Colusa Basin Watershed Management Plan

May 12th, 2011, 2:35 pm by mfahey

The Colusa County Resource Conservation District (CCRCD) has taken the leadership role in the Colusa Basin Watershed, addressing holistic watershed health and facilitating stakeholder input in addressing watershed-wide natural resource issues. CCRCD is currently developing a management plan for the Colusa Basin Watershed and we are seeking stakeholder input throughout this process.

The Colusa Basin Watershed spans an area of approximately 1,045,445 acres, or 1634 square miles. The watershed extends from the Cache Creek watershed in upper Yolo County to the lower Stony Creek watershed in Glenn County and from the Sacramento River westward to the ridge crest of the Coast Range foothills. A watershed of this size encompasses many natural resource issues, and the purpose of the Colusa Basin Watershed Management Plan is to address those issues that are of greatest importance to the people that live and work in the watershed.

Working with our partners at the Glenn and Yolo County RCD’s, the Colusa County RCD is taking a community-based watershed management approach. This approach facilitates productive dialogue among local stakeholders within the watershed to establish a clear set of management goals and develop collaborative, innovative solutions to achieve those goals. During the planning process, we will strive to balance agricultural, environmental, economic, and social concerns, while taking into consideration other watershed management work being done at the local, regional and state levels.

To date, we have finalized the mission, vision, goals and objectives of the Colusa Basin Watershed Management Plan, based on stakeholder input. We are currently in the process of interviewing a variety of stakeholders that live and work in the watershed to help us determine appropriate actions to achieve the Plan’s goals and objectives.

The eight goals that will be addressed in the Plan are:

Goal 1: Protect, Maintain and Enhance Water Quality
Goal 2: Promote activities to ensure a dependable water supply for current and future needs
Goal 3: Preserve ag land and open space
Goal 4: Manage invasive plant species
Goal 5: Reduce destructive flooding
Goal 6: Enhance soil quality and reduce erosion
Goal 7: Preserve and enhance native habitat
Goal 8: Address Unknown Future Affects of climate change

If you have an interest in any or all of these goals, the CCRCD Watershed Coordinator would like to hear from you and set up an interview. Interviews can be conducted in person, by phone or by email. During the interview process, stakeholders are asked a set of questions for each goal that they would like to address. To become involved in the process, or if you have questions, please contact:

Mary Fahey, Colusa County Resource Conservation District Watershed Coordinator

530.458.2931 x117 | email: mary.fahey@ca.usda.gov

For more information on the Management Plan and the Colusa County RCD, please visit our website at: www.colusarcd.org

Posted in: Mary Fahey • Colusa Basin Watershed • Community • Management Plan • Natural Resources | Post a Comment »

RCD Connects with Kids

March 24th, 2011, 8:01 pm by Hana

The Glenn County Resource Conservation District (GCRCD) has established the RCD Connects with Kids program which provides educational opportunities designed to foster awareness and conservation of our local natural resources through a variety of educational opportunities. A New Watershed Education Department at the Glenn County Fair will provide Glenn County youth with opportunities to develop exhibits to showcase their knowledge on local water and natural resources gained from field trips and classroom experiences. RCD Connects with Kids program developer, Liz Brackmann GCRCD Watershed Coordinator and California Credentialed teacher is facilitating field trips and classroom presentations while addressing state standards in K-12 grade levels.

Another program under the RCD Connects with Kids program is, Come to the WaterSHED (Students Helping Educate & Discover). This is an exciting leadership program where youth gain confidence and skills necessary to mentor youth and adults in their community about water and natural resources. These students will have an opportunity to mentor at the Glenn County Fair under the New Watershed Education Department. Youth will have a 20-30 minute scheduled time to teach others about a natural resource topic they have learned. Check out page 50 in the Glenn County Fair Premium Book for divisions and classes under the New Watershed Education Department and turn in an entry form by April 15. All youth in grades K-12 may exhibit.

The RCD Connects with Kids program includes facilitating the Willows and Orland Girl Scout troop’s exploration of local watersheds to earn an EPA Water Drop Patch, as well as providing art students at Orland High School an opportunity to design and paint a Glenn County Watershed Mural on Flaherty Hall. In addition, a Native Plant Garden has been designed by Paula Shapiro, a Mt. Lassen Native Plant Society member, to be planted in front of the mural with the help of Fairview Elementary students and Orland Girl Scout troops. RCD Connects with Kids is connecting our local citizens, especially youth, with where their water comes from, what can be done to enhance water quality, why water is a limited resource, and how they can promote awareness of our local water and natural resources to others.

For additional information on GCRCD’s watershed education program or to learn more about sponsorship opportunities to support educating our youth, please contact Liz Brackmann, GCRCD Watershed Coordinator at (530) 934-4601 x123 or Elizabeth.Brackmann@ca.usda.gov. Sponsorships may be mailed to: Glenn County RCD, 132 N Enright Avenue, Suite C, Willows, CA 95988.

Posted in: Elizabeth Brackmann | Post a Comment »

Invasive Weed Awareness Day at the Capitol March 16

March 2nd, 2011, 9:03 pm by Hana

Each March, Day at the Capitol brings weed workers from across the state to Sacramento. The day features opportunities to educate state legislators and to learn about current policy initiatives. Attendees from previous years are credited with securing renewed funding for the state’s Weed Management Area program.

There will be deep budgetary cuts in Sacramento this year. It’s important that we let decision-makers know that strategic invasive plant control through the WMA program (and other CDFA weed programs) is a good investment. Two great ways to do that are attending the 8th Annual Invasive Weeds Awareness Day at the Capitol, and faxing letters of support. Letters of support from the range of organizations involved in WMAs can be very powerful in aggregate.

Day at the Capitol will feature policy updates, advocacy training, and visits to all 120 legislative offices in the Capitol! And, it’s free!

9:00 am – 5:00 p.m.
Cal EPA, Sierra Hearing Room,
1001 I Street, downtown Sacramento

For more information on Day at the Capitol:
www.cal-ipc.org/policy/state/ciwad.php

For more information on invasive weeds and their impact on our natural resources, visit the “projects” page of the Colusa County Resource Conservation District website: www.colusarcd.org or the California Invasive Plant Council website: www.cal-ipc.org

Posted in: Introductions • California capital • Day at the Capital • invasive plants • legislature | Post a Comment »

Free Conservation Tillage Workshop at the Colusa Farm Show

January 27th, 2011, 9:51 pm by Hana

“Conservation Tillage- California Style”.

Please join the USDA-NRCS along with UC Davis, the UCCE and your friends and neighbors for a seminar on:

“Conservation Tillage- California Style”.

Colusa Farm Show, Colusa Fairgrounds
Tuesday February 1st 2011
11:00 a.m. to Noon
In the Sheep Barn

Practical information will be presented by topic specialists and local landowners on benefits and challenges with Conservation Tillage

Posted in: Introductions • Colusa Farm Show • Conservation Tillage • Workshops | Post a Comment »

Invasive Weeds: Getting To The Root Of The Problem

January 27th, 2011, 3:29 pm by Hana

According to the California Invasive Plant Council, invasive weeds cost California $82 Million each year just for control efforts, monitoring and outreach. Estimates of actual impacts of invasive weeds reach into the billions of dollars. Invasive weeds are defined as non-native plants that are able to grow unassisted in our natural areas and have a negative impact on these places by causing economic harm, environmental harm or harm to human health. In California, invasive weeds interfere with ranching, farming, recreation, and habitat conservation. The effects on our natural resources include: increased wildfire potential, reduced water resources, accelerated erosion and flooding, threats to wildlife habitat and degraded range and crop land.

There are several ways that invasive weeds are introduced and spread. Seed from invasive weeds can travel via wind, water, vehicle tires, clothing, and animal activity. Plants and seeds can travel across states and countries on automobiles, planes, trains and ships. Sometimes, invasive species are introduced purposefully and then they spread accidentally. An example would be a homeowner who unknowingly plants an invasive weed in their landscape. From that one plant, an invasion can begin through seed dispersion and/or underground shoots. Invasive weeds are able to thrive because they usually have no natural predators, they are very adaptable to new environments, and they grow and spread aggressively, outcompeting native species.

In the Colusa Basin Watershed, which spans the counties of Colusa, Glenn and Yolo, several invasive species have taken root. Of particular concern are the following: Giant Reed (aka: Arundo), Salt Cedar (aka: Tamarisk or Tamarix), Perennial Pepperweed, Yellow Starthistle, Barbed Goat Grass, Tree of Heaven, and Purple Starthistle. The first and best line of defense is to learn to identify these invaders so you can monitor for them and remove them immediately. Other strategies to control the spread of invasive weeds include being wary of what you plant in your landscape (never plant an invasive plant), working to restore native species populations, and sharing your knowledge of invasive weeds with family, friends, neighbors and local schools.

For more information on invasive weeds and their impact on our natural resources, visit the Colusa County Resource Conservation District website at www.colusarcd.org and click on our “projects” page, and visit our booth at the Colusa Farm Show Feb 1-3. Another great resource is the California Invasive Plant Council website at www.cal-ipc.org.

Posted in: Mary Fahey • Invasive weeds • native plants | Post a Comment »

Glenn County… Bringing you Conservation News!

January 25th, 2011, 6:17 pm by Hana

Meet Your Glenn County NRCS and RCD Team!

(L to R): Sherry, Stacy, Lyle, Kandi, Dennis “retired”, Claudia, Liz and Rob!

As NRCS and RCD employees… we are here to help you in any way possible. We look forward to sharing information on this blog, while having fun doing it!

Posted in: Introductions | Post a Comment »