Thoughts on crops for profit

[ClinchValley]

Obviously, I am new to all this. Grew up on the farm, moved away for over a decade. Have retained a lot of the growing know-how. Have had a small garden most of my life. Now it is mine and I have jumped in, head first. Looking to the short-term, I need to make some extra money. I am wanting to grow some food to sell. We have a 13 acre field fenced off from the Tobacco days. Hasn't been plowed in God knows how long. Not really wanting to grow 13 acres, , thinking more like an acre or three.

My grandfather used to do very well with watermelons/mushmelon on this ground. As well as green beans.

Thinking for profit here. I am here Solo. Have a neighbor or two that would probably help out. As well as a few family members I could persuade in helping. But mainly would be by myself.

I am thinking Beans, Tomatoes, Melons, Possibly corn. What else would be doable by myself? I have thousands of tobacco sticks for support.

I have a 80 hp 4x4 tractor, plows, discs, a 7ft tiller as well as a walk behind tiller, sprayer…etc. Just a fyi...

What do you all grow to sell? As it is time to get started, giving temps in the 70's this coming week. Has given me the fever.

Yay! May 2016 be a great year for us all!

 

[JMJ Farms]

On a small scale like you are interested in I would recommend produce. Tomatoes, okra, sweet corn, peepers, squash, etc. locally grown produce sells well here but I wouldn't expect to make enough money to even mention with only 3-4 acres. Do it because you enjoy it. Otherwise you are only creating yourself a job. Good luck to you either way.

 

[ClinchValley]

It is something I thoroughly enjoy. Plan to have a garden for the family. Figured might grow some extra and see if I can sell it. Was just curious what would be considered worth the time.

I rememher last year people couldn't find green beans around here. They were $35-40/bushel when they were around. But went VERY fast. People were offering $5-10/bushel over normal price if they could find them.

I dunno. It gets very boring here by myself. So it would be something else to keep me occupied.

 

[ClinchValley]

Not trying to get rich. Just make money with my time is all.

 

[Bigfoot]

Tobacco or sweet corn.

 

[skyhightree1]

On a small scale like you are interested in I would recommend produce. Tomatoes, okra, sweet corn, peepers, squash, etc. locally grown produce sells well here but I wouldn't expect to make enough money to even mention with only 3-4 acres. Do it because you enjoy it. Otherwise you are only creating yourself a job. Good luck to you either way.

Jmj you can make a substantial amount off 1 acre if you plant the right crop. There's other variables such as planting closer and increased fertilizer to basically grow 1 1/2 worth of stuff on 1 acre. You can also plant 3 crops a year potentially depending on what you want to grow.

 

[M-5]

okra

 

[ClinchValley]

Last year our okra grew amazingly! Is it that good of a money maker to put in ALL CAPS?

 

[hillbilly beef man]

Here potatoes or half runner beans are a good choice. Taters don't take a lot of work if you have a tractor. The beans are not too bad if you invest in some t-post and cattle panels for them to grow on. I put out half an acre of taters for years and did ok on them. My wife bought her books and gas through college with a couple of tenths of half runners.

 

[ClinchValley]

I put out half an acre of taters for years and did ok on them. My wife bought her books and gas through college with a couple of tenths of half runners.

That is what I was thinking. My intention isn't to make my year, instead i am looking for supplemental income. I am keeping every viable heifer in efforts to grow to enough numbers to make it worth it. Landscaping is my thing. When I moved to the farm, I had to let all of my accounts go. Pretty much starting over. It has been a hard winter, and I do not wish to have to do it again. Every penny adds up.

 

[M-5]

Okra is very profitable and around here you can sell all you can make. The only draw back is it has to be cut every other day or every day according to how you have it set up. it Is very time consuming. I know a guy that plants a small produce garden and does pretty good but he makes majority of his money off okra . Folks plant a bunch of it and then they don't realize how much time it takes to keep it up. They call him and he cuts it for them and most of the time they just keep a mess and give him the rest. he has a waiting list of people that want fresh okra.

 

[SJB]

plant it for doves and charge $100 x 30 people for an annual hunting pass.

 

[Ky hills]

I have tried raising pumpkins, sweet corn and green beans. corn is hard to keep varmints out of, but usually fairly easy to sell.

 

[TexasBred]

Not trying to get rich. Just make money with my time is all.

Use to know an old boy that planted about 10 acres of garden veggies. People had to bring their own bags and pick their own. All he did was raise the garden, weigh the veggies and collect the money. Said he did pretty well off it. Knowing him though he gave more away than he sold.

 

[JMJ Farms]

I know some folks who do pretty well with small plots of marijuana. Now that it's half legal the bottom line probably ain't what it used to be.

 

[Kingfisher]

I know some folks who do pretty well with small plots of marijuana. Now that it's half legal the bottom line probably ain't what it used to be.

"Half legal?"

 

[JMJ Farms]

I know some folks who do pretty well with small plots of marijuana. Now that it's half legal the bottom line probably ain't what it used to be.

"Half legal?"

Just meaning half the states say it's legal. Half say it ain't. Not exactly, I was being facisous.

 

[dave_shelby]

I have thought about this too with declining cattle prices.

Where are you all selling?

I like okra, my old place used to have some of that grayland mulatto soil that okra loves. My wife selects some of the garden crops she wants to grow based on price at the supermarket. Okra is one of the best things to grow in that respect.

 

[Bigfoot]

I gotta say it again, sweet corn is the way to go. You can stand up straight to pick it. Good chemicals to use on it.

 

[Jogeephus]

Guy down the road from me raises 8 rows of okra and sells it at his doorstep. He's been doing it for many years now and he sells every thing he grows and even has a waiting list of people who want to buy from him. Don't know what he's making but he's doing alright for very little trouble. Funny thing is I grow it and give it away but I can't give it away fast enough to keep it from going to seed but you have to pick it yourself.