Profit and Production on Small Acreage

With the arrival of every New Year comes a sense of commitment, invigoration and the need to plan ahead. Gym treadmills fill up, offices are reorganized and new goals are shared with friends and family. Is one of your goals in the coming year to start your own small farm or agricultural business?

If so, you wouldn’t be alone- the number of farmer’s markets and direct-to-consumer vegetable sales have all skyrocketed in the past 10 years, making locally-sourced fresh food one of the fastest growing segments of American agriculture. According to USDA reports, the actual value of locally grown food sold was 4.8 billion dollars a year in 2007. Local food sales totaled at least $12 billion in 2014 and estimate that the market value could hit $20 billion by 2019.

So what does your small farm resolution for 2017 look like? Will you grow your first commercial vegetable garden and sell from it at a roadside stand? Maybe you will add a couple new rows to your existing garden and sell to friends and neighbors. Maybe you even already sell fruits and vegetables and are interested in getting your first greenhouse or layer hens. Maybe you’ve even never grown a solitary tomato plant before but are ready to give it a try!

Luckily, if you are interested in taking the next step in 2017 and forming a strategy for a successful on-farm business there is a great network of resources in place for you to use. One of these resources comes in the form of the University of Tennessee Extension system, which has supported Tennessee farmers and growers for over 100 years. This spring the University of Tennessee and Tennessee State University will be offering a class specifically for small scale growers, tailored especially to farmers just starting out in new ventures.

The class is called Profit and Production on Small Acreage, will be held in Chattanooga, TN and will cover the basics of getting started with a small fruit orchard, vegetable garden, greenhouse, layer flock or small livestock. Additionally, we will cover managing insect and disease pressure as well as basic farm finance and farmer’s market setup. It is open to anyone interested regardless of agricultural background or growing experience and will be taught by University experts and specialists in their respective fields.

Class will be held on April 19 from 9am to 3pm. Cost is $20 which includes lunch. Call the UT Extension County Extension Office at (423) 855-6113 to register.