As a start:
Business Plan:
2009
Feb to March
With volunteer labor and equipment, haul free compost from Lee’s Summit to Unity garden location and make raised beds for planting crops. One foot high by three foot wide raised beds will kill any grass and weeds and since compost is essentially weed free, will have a fertile seed bed. If plants are planted at rate of one per square foot, 20,000 plants could be planted on one acre (An acre has 43,560 square and if compost is laid allowing rows between, half an acre would be 20,000 plants).
There are some 8 cool and cold season crops that grow as heads for easy harvesting. Examples would be cabbage, head lettuce, broccoli, Chinese cabbage, chard, cauliflower, kale, and romaine. These are crops that go for around $1.50 or better in the store. They can be harvested as needed within a fairly long growing period. Seed for 5000 plants would cost around $75 as organic and considerable less locally at Planters Seed. At a cost of around $25.00, Jiffy 7 peat pellets could be used for starting and to begin, volunteers could start at home.
In addition, there are other crops which can be started at about the same time by direct sowing such as snow peas, turnips, spinach, beets, radish, With the use of inexpensive row covers, these crops can be started early with row covers taking care of insect problems. Crop would be ready 45 to 60 days after planting and if staggered, could last for 2 months or more.
Projected income- over $5000.00 by June 1st
March to April
Stagger planting of above plus peas, green beans, and start tomato and pepper(hot and sweet) plants for transplanting beginning mid to late April. Continue hauling free compost. On open land, we could make 3 ft wide and one foot deep mounds that we will use in late April to plant melons, cukes, squash. All the above vining plants will grow in grass as long as the central plant and root system has bare soil(compost we haul in). It would be helpful to keep the grass mowed around the plant as long as possible to help with harvesting. We would need a different location for each of the vining plants to prevent cross pollination. These can all be direct seeded. At some point we should be able to afford one days rental on a tractor with tiller to work up some of this ground surrounding the vining plants and other land that will can begin growing crops which will increase the fertility of the soil.
At this time, if we would begin starting bedding plants to sell. A small green house made by the barn such as a hoop house (about $300) would enable this.
April to June
Erect shelter beside barn for vegetable stand. (Have garage sale with donated items and maybe a bake sale to establish our presence and generate income. Begin selling our produce and bring in Amish produce to establish store. Begin repotting bedding plants(flowers) to increase the value from each seed. As developed, begin classes on growing own food, recipes, storing(canning), crafts etc…
June
Begin planting pumpkin plants for fall harvest. This would be a good time to start winter squash.
Start Mums for fall sale. With available compost, cost should not run over $.75 and they will sell from $5 on up with the larger ones in a slightly better pot increasing revenue dramatically.
July
Begin Christmas Cactus and other plants
August
Begin plants for fall crops such as were grown in the early spring. Erect several hoop houses or green houses as finances allow for late crops such as tomatoes and peppers as well as very late cool weather plants
Sept
Utilize tractor with roto tiller to prepare land for planting cover crops that will be plowed under next year for sweet corn. Use same machinery to prepare land to plant cover crops for orchard and begin planting trees using post hole digger borrowed and put on back of tractor. At same time put in post for string supports for grape vines and other berries.
Buy honey in bulk and sell in pint jars.
Plant strawberries for spring production- at 10 cent ea will bear 1 to ½ lb ea. A one thousand dollar investment would yield 10,000 lbs
By 2010, should have enough equipment to start all plants, till the earth and have a full service garden. We should be able to pick up from Amish vegetable auctions to fill in our gaps.
Recent Comments