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Can we make a living income on 150 acres?
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Author:  carhoods [ Wed Jan 19, 2005 7:16 am ]
Post subject:  Can we make a living income on 150 acres?
Does anyone have any thoughts or know of any good books on this subject. Would truly love not drive back and forth any longer. Just want a simpler life with less "STUFF"

Thanks,
Rick
Author:  Robert D Bard [ Thu Jan 20, 2005 8:24 am ]
Post subject:  making a living on 150 acres
Yes! Yes! But don't give up your day job in the
beginning.
Years ago I read a report that was writen by
Tuskegee Institute in AL. Their mission was to
do research to come up with a plan for rural
Black farmers to make a living off of 25 acres -
the average amount of land that Blacks owned
in the south. The amount of money they predicted
that is possible was over $100,000.00/year. Their
plan was to grow very diverse crops - vegetables,
berries, and fruit. The crops were "designed" to
mature at many times during the year so that a
drought in the spring would not hurt summer or
fall. I read this before organics were available.
I am not the expert but it seems to me that we
need a lot of people growing local in season
organic crops to sell in the Metroplex and
surrounding counties. I know of no source
here in North Texas - we live close to the Red
River and I only go to the city on Sundays for
my radio show and on Mondays to work at the
hospital in Richardson. I don't have the time
to "hunt" for sources.
With organic foods - meat, vegetables, furit,
and berries, I would think you could make a
very good living and stop the traveling.
Robert D Bard
Author:  RobertB [ Fri Jan 21, 2005 10:30 am ]
Post subject: 
I can't claim to have any insights on making it work -- I live in Kaufman and drive 60 miles to work in Carrollton. But I'd wager the deciding factor will be who else is involved.

If it's just you, then you're the one who will have to get up early to work on the place until late at night, and you're the one who has to decide which bills don't get paid when a crop fails. But you don't have to answer to anyone but yourself.

If you're married or otherwise linked with another human, then it's going to be a lot more complex. Even if you are both complete idealists with the best of intentions, there's a very good chance that the hard times will bring out disagreements. You'd better have a backup plan, if you want to preserve the relationship.

If you have kids, I'd say: forget it. A friend of mine tried to move toward self-sufficiency, raising his own goats and chickens while keeping his day job. But one of the goats was agressive toward the baby, and was assigned a new career in the meat department. Within a year, my friend and his family were back in the city... in an apartment. I never asked about the details, but I'm pretty sure that wasn't their original goal. They're happy now, though, and that's what matters.
Author:  Brad Watson [ Mon Jan 24, 2005 12:19 am ]
Post subject: 
We would be happy to talk to you about getting into the organic fertilizer business. We have been in the business for 10 years now and average over $100,000.00 per year from the fertilizer business. We made over $75,000.00 the first year. Plus we sell all the organic hay we can produce from our 60 acre pasture plus all of our customers hay each year. That provides us with another $30,000.00 income on top of the fertilizer. You can choose to sell and or apply on agriculture or residential/commercial. We are looking for Dealers and Distributors in all areas and States at this time. This is the time of year to get started!!!!
Feel free to contact us with any questions.
Brad Watson
Author:  carhoods [ Mon Jan 24, 2005 5:11 am ]
Post subject: 
Thanks,

We have 31 acres that we live on at present near Ladonia Tx and just closed on 120 acres in Delta County just below Cooper lake. the land in Ladonia is black muck land/pastures and the new land is deep, rich sandy loam that backs up to the south sulphur river. The prettiest piece of land that I have seen anywhere in the area. We hope to buy the 40 acres next to that land with a house on it and move there. We left Rockwall last year after having been born there and lived there for 39 years. It just got to big and I felt like the walls were closing in on me. Will keep your number and hope to stay in contact.

Rick
Author:  carhoods [ Mon Jan 24, 2005 2:21 pm ]
Post subject: 
For the tricky grama

Tried to pm you but didnt work. Didnt Our 30 acres are between commerce and ladonia. Where we moved to from rockwall. The new land is outside of commerce on 71 going towards cooper lake. It is the prettiest piece of land that i have seen around in this area. In the next year we hope to get the adjacent 40 acres with house and move into that. The land prices are moving up so fast now that i dont think you can lose going to this area. maybe cindy and i and yall can get together and look at each others properties. we are city people but just couldnt wait to get to the country, We have llamas and chickens and have planted over 2000 trees as the start to a organic tree farm.want you to think we ignored you
Author:  carhoods [ Mon Jan 24, 2005 2:23 pm ]
Post subject: 
Didnt want you to think we ignored you

Thanks
Rick
Author:  roc3491 [ Mon Jan 24, 2005 5:44 pm ]
Post subject: 
Just bought 93 acrces near you, make sure you sign up with the USDA office in Cooper. Help with fences and stock tanks.
Sean
Author:  carhoods [ Tue Jan 25, 2005 5:33 am ]
Post subject: 
Thanks alot Sean. We are about 6 miles out of commerce on 71 going to Cooper lake. Where is your land located?

Rick
Author:  roc3491 [ Tue Jan 25, 2005 5:44 pm ]
Post subject: 
On 904 go past Yowell, just off 1532.
Sean
Author:  RobertB [ Thu Jan 27, 2005 12:47 pm ]
Post subject: 
roc3491 wrote:
Just bought 93 acrces near you, make sure you sign up with the USDA office in Cooper. Help with fences and stock tanks.
Sean

Can you elaborate on signing up with the USDA office? What would that entail? Can a horse owner (considering goats, though) with 7+ acres hope for any assistance?
Author:  carhoods [ Thu Jan 27, 2005 12:57 pm ]
Post subject: 
I dont think it would help you as I dont think 7 acres would get you an agriculture exemption anywhere in Texas
Author:  roc3491 [ Fri Jan 28, 2005 3:37 am ]
Post subject: 
I don't believe you need ag. exempt ion to qualify, I don't have it yet. Call your local county USDA office, they have a conservation officer there. Ask on the phone first. They pay a portion for cross fencing and stock tanks. It can't hurt to ask. I would'nt delay because I went in around the 19th and I was 60th on the list.
Sorry about the delay about reponsing going at top speed.
Sean
Author:  RobertB [ Fri Jan 28, 2005 4:59 am ]
Post subject: 
roc3491 wrote:
I don't believe you need ag. exempt ion to qualify, I don't have it yet. Call your local county USDA office, they have a conservation officer there. Ask on the phone first. They pay a portion for cross fencing and stock tanks. It can't hurt to ask. I would'nt delay because I went in around the 19th and I was 60th on the list.
Sorry about the delay about reponsing going at top speed.
Sean

Thanks for the info! It could make a big difference on whether I pursue the Great Goat Project. :) I'm not going to get into it unless I can make enough from the goats to buy the 9ac next door. The USDA folks sound like they'd have the info I need -- like where the sales are, and whether there's a process to become Organic Certified. Is there a market for certified organic cabrito?
Author:  Robert D Bard [ Mon Jan 31, 2005 8:10 am ]
Post subject:  make a living on 150 acres
Getting an ag exempt is no big deal. Go to
appraisal district in your county and file.
Getting money from the feds is another
thing all together. Remember - What they
giveth, they can taketh away. Personally
I don't want their money - our money actually!
We are raising grass fed non chemical
goat meat. Will let ever one know how the
market turns out next fall. We will sell all
males and keep females. We have mostly
Spanish with a little Boer thrown in for some
increase in seize. I don't want full blood
Boer - to many problems - pulling babies, low
libido in a lot of males and lack of twinning
and tripplets.
Robert D Bard
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