The dream of living off the fruits of the earth, plowing the soil, cultivating one's crops and connecting with nature is shared by many people. In particular, if you did not grow up on a farm, it may be easy for you to have a romanticized vision of the farmer's life, imagining it as a life of relaxation and meditation, away from the hectic pace of "city life". In reality, this is not an authentic vision of agriculture and, above all, not everyone is cut out to be farmers. Some farmers may argue that there is a huge difference between knowing how to grow and being a farmer, so evaluate your personality, your goals and your strengths before deciding whether or not to become a farmer.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Analyzing your Personality
Step 1. Understand why you want to become a farmer
Agriculture is hard work, which requires a lot of knowledge and an upfront investment. You have to be an entrepreneur, a small owner, a scientist and a laborer at the same time. Even if you do everything right, agriculture is unpredictable: natural disasters such as floods and droughts wipe out crops, pests can decimate your crops and the price of crops can vary significantly.
Farming often requires more time to invest than a normal full-time job 9 - 17. Unless you are thinking of a very small farm or vegetable garden as a hobby, farming will have to become your own. life
Step 2. Think about priorities
Ask yourself a few questions about what you want to do with your life. What goals have you set for yourself? Are they concrete, how to reach a certain annual income or spend time with the family? Or are they rather abstract, like achieving a certain quality of life or feeling satisfied?
Determine what you are willing to sacrifice and what not. What do you need to achieve your goals? And what are you willing to do to reach them?
Step 3. Decide if your personality fits the farming profession
Agriculture can offer you a life of independence and connection with the land, but also enormous responsibilities. Knowing how you would react to situations that might arise can help you decide if farming is really for you.
- Do you feel comfortable being solely responsible for a large business? The success of many small farms depends entirely on the owner. As a farmer, you will need to carry out all daily activities, as well as plan for the long term. You will have to make many decisions that could put the future of your farm in the balance.
- Are you able to accept the uncertainties and variables in your life? The life of a farmer is full of uncertainties and the possibility of failure is high. Even in good years you could work to barely cover the expenses: precisely because of the difficulties it is estimated that the number of farmers in America will decrease by 19% between 2012 and 2022.
- Can you solve problems creatively? During your journey in the world of agriculture, many problems will arise: it will therefore be vital to have enough imagination to find creative solutions to solve them.
- Are you a patient person? Agriculture follows a very steep learning curve and you will certainly make many mistakes in the beginning. It can take a long time, even years, before your farm is truly successful, so you'll need to be able to work towards achieving long-term prospects.
Step 4. List your strengths and weaknesses
Be honest with yourself. What are you good at? What are your weaknesses?
- Are you good at accounting? To keep your farm operational, you need to be able to calculate risk margins, record sales and purchases, and track profits.
- Are you able to handle heavy work? Agriculture can be grueling manual labor, even with the help of modern means such as tractors. You will need to be fit and healthy to be a farmer.
- Do you have enough funds to invest in agriculture? Starting a small farm requires a large start-up capital. You will have to buy materials and equipment, you will have to buy the land or sustain an unfavorable lease of the land and where you will have little control over your farm.
- You learn fast? You will need to assimilate a lot of information and keep up with a lot of trends and techniques if you want to be successful in agriculture.
- Do you have serious health problems? Insurance and health care costs could be quite expensive if you are self-employed. If you have chronic health problems or need expensive prescription drugs, farming may not offer you enough health safety.
Step 5. Decide if you can accept the financial difficulties of a small farm
Small farms are notoriously low-yielding farms, and 91% of them need outside income, from other employment or from government grants or foundations, to stay afloat. If your goal is to save money for retirement or send your kids to college, maybe farming isn't for you.
The median income of an American farm in 2012 was $ 1,453, which means that, on average, a small American farm lost $ 1,500 per year
Part 2 of 4: Understanding if Agriculture is Right for You
Step 1. Visit the agricultural resource sites
To decide if you want to become a farmer, you will need to gather as much information as possible about what you need to do along your path. There are many American sites that could be useful for finding information and that could provide research ideas for a similar site valid for the Italian territory.
- Farm Aid is a non-profit organization that provides information and resources for agriculture. They have a resource center entirely dedicated to how to start a farm.
- The National Young Farmers Coalition provides information and resources aimed specifically at novice farmers.
- The Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program is a branch of the USDA, the United States Department of Agriculture, which has a project called Start2Farm, which offers a wealth of information on how to start a farm, find funds and siting services.
Step 2. Go to the local agricultural cooperative
If you live near a university, you will likely have access to their co-op office - these are offices that serve the needs of local smallholders and farmers, providing plenty of resources to manage their business and crops, and often organizing also courses and seminars.
Step 3. Talk to other farmers
There is nothing better than talking to real farmers about their life and their experiences. If there is a local farmers market, go and meet the people who sell their products to us, ask them what they prefer about their work and what they hate.
- If there are any farms in your area, call or email to make an appointment with the owners. Although farmers are usually very busy, they very often love their work and are likely to be happy to talk to you.
- You can also visit online forums to ask questions and learn from other farmers, although, of course, it is preferable to talk to them in person.
Step 4. Volunteer on a farm
If you're serious about becoming a farmer, volunteering on a farm is a good way to figure out if that lifestyle is really for you before making a major financial investment. Organizations like World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms combine organic farms with opportunities for a volunteer (for a small fee), but many local farms also offer volunteer programs.
Step 5. Find farms looking for “trainees” or “apprentices” in your area
Many of these programs provide room and board, as well as a small salary in exchange for your work. Experts recommend spending 3 to 4 years "as an apprentice" if you really intend to start your own farm.
Part 3 of 4: Starting with Farmer
Step 1. Determine which products you are going to grow
It may seem overwhelming to think about what types of crops will grow on your farm, but there are a few ways to narrow your decision. Most of the agricultural crops grown in the US, for example, fall into the category of cereals such as corn, soybeans and wheat. Even the production of organic vegetables can be a good choice, given that it is a rapidly growing sector in American agriculture, but this, of course, is valid if you live in an area where there is great demand. There are many resources that can help you decide which crops are best for you and your area.
- Also in America is the New England Small Farm Institute, which provides plenty of links that could help you with your research on crop planning.
- The National Agriculture Library is also a great place to start looking for information on regional crops. In Italy, on the other hand, there is the National Historical Library of Agriculture: try to look for useful information there too.
- Finally, contacting the ministry of agricultural policies or the provincial referral office will also help you obtain specific information for planning the harvest in your area.
Step 2. Find the land to farm
Most novice farmers, at least in their beginnings, cannot afford to buy their land. Furthermore, 80% of agricultural land in America, for example, is controlled by owners who are not farmers. Most expert sources suggest novice farmers to "take it easy" at first, by running someone else's farm first, by leasing agricultural land (from a private owner or agricultural cooperative), or by taking over an existing farm. (and, preferably, in surplus) from someone else.
- Word of mouth is still one of the most successful sources of information on how to find agricultural land. Cultivate your network of knowledge in the agricultural sector and carry out your research.
- In America, for example, there are sources such as the Farm Link Program Directory, Farm On, and the Farmland Information Center that can help you find farms to take over or where they are looking for a manager. Check if such sources exist in Italy too.
Step 3. Be realistic when thinking about potential locations
You may need to travel to find convenient and productive land. In America it might be easy to fantasize about a farm in the Hudson Valley or the Bay Area, but keep in mind that those areas are also highly sought after by others and therefore cost prohibitive. So look for land in a fairly populated area where you can sell your products, but not to the point of making the price of the land out of your reach.
For example, the potential American locations recommended by Modern Farmer are Lincoln in Nebraska, Des Moines in Iowa, Boise in Idaho, Mobile in Alabama, and Grand Juction in Colorado. These are areas close to inhabited areas, but not prestigious to the point of not being able to buy land there
Step 4. Secure funding for your farm
There are many loans and grant programs for new farmers, including nationwide loans. Many vary from state to state, and region to region, so you need to search starting with online sources, such as FarmAid or Start2Farm if you live in the United States.
A novice farmer in America would begin seeking funds at the Farm Service Agency Beginning Farmer Loan Program, the National Council of State Agricultural Finance Programs, Farm Credit Services of America, and the American Farmland Trust. If you want to start your own farm in Italy check if there are similar grant programs
Step 5. Limit your initial development
One way to control initial start-up costs and limit the risk of bankruptcy is to start small and develop your farm gradually. You don't need an avalanche of expensive space equipment to start farming your land. The main points you need to focus on should be soil and product.
Step 6. Cultivate what you know
While experimenting is great, when you're starting cultivation, start with something you've cultivated in the past or are familiar with. If you worked on a berry farm, start by growing berries. If you worked on a pig farm, then raise pigs. You can diversify later if you want, but starting with something you already know the techniques of is unmatched if you want to start and run your farm.
Step 7. Promote your products
The network of personal and community relationships will be the only great way to promote your agricultural products, although, fortunately, you can also take advantage of other commercial options. Have a coupon inserted in the local press, create "pick-your-own" events, or occasions when consumers will come to your farm to directly collect what they want, or promotions for restaurants in your area to see if they want to buy your zero kilometer products.
Advertise yourself on Facebook and Twitter. Post pictures of your beautiful farm and lush crops on Flickr and Instagram. Create a Pinterest table you entice. While these media tactics may not seem related to actual land work, they are very useful ways to let the public know about your farm. And as an added bonus, they are almost always free
Step 8. Join a Community Supported Agriculture
These are organizations that connect people living in a specific area who want to buy locally grown agricultural products and producers. Very often the consumers who have joined will buy whole crates at a preferential price and you will sell whatever fresh product you are growing at that time. In addition to increasing sales, it's an excellent way to spread word of mouth about your farm.
Step 9. Evaluate agricultural tourism
While this option may seem like a way to sell out, many city dwellers are eager to learn farming techniques and get their hands dirty (at least just a little). Consider promoting farm trips and gardening lessons. You could also advertise yourself as a wedding venue. Maximize every possible revenue stream - this will help you stay afloat even if your harvests aren't good one year.
The budget ceiling for a wedding is often fantastic news for farmers, as so many brides and wedding planners are willing to spend a lot to have the wedding take place in a rural and picturesque location. The price of pure using your farm as a wedding venue can run into the thousands of euros and could make up an important part of your annual income
Part 4 of 4: Think like a Farmer
Step 1. Keep learning every day
Knowing how to grow your crops and how to raise livestock is just the first step. Even when you've learned the basics, keep researching new techniques and new opportunities, and always try to learn from other farmers. Don't be pleased with your farm.
- Trust those who have the experience and knowledge on real life as a farmer and on livestock farming and agriculture to obtain the necessary information and knowledge.
- You will also have to learn from your mistakes and those of others. There is a saying shared by airplane and fighter pilots that is also easily applicable to farmers: "Learn from the mistakes of others. You won't live long enough to commit them all by yourself."
Step 2. Engage with your community
A strong bond with your community is crucial to successfully running a farm. Developing good relationships with the community also means developing a support network.
You can't sell your produce or your livestock and crops if you can't or don't know how to communicate, relate or talk to other people in the community. Find new friends, acquaintances and business partners among the various people engaged in agriculture, whether they are agricultural mechanics, local butchers, hay sellers, potential buyers or other farmers, as well as other sellers
Step 3. Appreciate what you have
Most farmers are not rich, and do not have large amounts of money to spend on various "toys" and luxuries that others may be accustomed to. However, agriculture offers you the opportunity to think creatively and resourcefully, to be your own boss and to feel proud after a long and difficult day at work. Many farmers say they love the sense of independence they derive from agriculture and that they could not imagine a different life.
- Don't think you have to own all the latest equipment to be a farmer. The idea of having to spend money on a lot of useless items is a recurring mistake of novice farmers. Seek advice from experienced and well-established farmers.
- Nonetheless, don't be afraid to expand your resources to improve your farm. There is a subtle difference between working with what you own and having to spend to get what you need, and not what you simply want, for your farm.
Step 4. Prepare to have a smattering of all areas
As you will realize, you will need to be a welder, mechanic, electrician, chemist, plumber, bricklayer, accountant, veterinarian, contractor, merchant, and even an economist. Make sure you are using the right tool at the right time!
If you don't have all this knowledge, look for someone who can teach you. That's when your community engagement comes in handy
Step 5. Respect your farm
Your success as a farmer depends not only on the hard work and skills you possess, but also on the soil, livestock and forces of nature you interact with. Love your farm for what it is, and don't try to turn it into what it isn't. Only if you cultivate a real love for the entire ecosystem of your farm will you be able to fully understand its value.
- Where you live determines what natural disasters you might expect and whether you will have a chance to raise a certain livestock successfully.
- Also respect the equipment you own. Farm machines are not toys, so you shouldn't treat them as such. They are powerful machines that could easily be dangerous and even kill if handled improperly. Therefore, always follow all safety procedures.
Step 6. Love and be proud of what you do
As a farmer, you are growing food for others who, for reasons of time, space or life choices, cannot do it alone. Unlike many other people, you'll get to experience a rural lifestyle in its entirety - the ups, downs and hard work that comes with it. In America, only 2% of the population actively practices agriculture. In Canada, only 5% of the population falls into this category. So, be proud that you are part of a minority that will provide food for others.
Advice
- Hard work, a sense of responsibility, creativity, flexibility, intuition and the ability to learn are important qualities that a farmer should possess.
- Never be afraid to ask for help. Nobody is born knowing everything there is to know about agriculture, not even someone born on a farm. It is much better to seek advice than to make the wrong decision and fail.
