One would think that the farming business is on the decline. Yet, countries such as Australia make it look so easy — they export almost two-thirds of their entire agricultural output. Nevertheless, starting your own farming operation takes more than just a few seeds like it does in Minecraft. It takes considerable time, effort, and (above all) knowledge.
Speaking of which — take a closer look at the article below if you wish to become an expert in the field.
Get Some Hands-on Experience First
Reading various guides and books, and watching YouTube videos about farming is commendable. Yet, nothing beats getting your hands dirty. Farm work, in general, can be extremely dangerous; especially so for rookies. Hence, you might want to partner up with an experienced old-timer or consider doing some farm work yourself beforehand. Just make sure your mentor knows what they are doing; otherwise, the both of you can get seriously injured on the job.
When you determine that you’re finally ready, plant a smaller patch first, instead of a whole acre, to act as a test run. Once you get the hang of it, you can start planting larger fields.
Should You Buy or Rent Land
In a nutshell, both strategies are viable and each has its own pros and cons. For starters, buying land requires a substantial amount of capital; that is if you haven’t inherited anything already. Meaning, you have to splash the cash and invest first, making it a somewhat risky endeavour. On the other hand, with cash renting, you can start right off the bat with minimal investments. Still, rents will leech large amounts of your profits each month and can get quite astronomical in size.
At the end of the day, it really comes down to how invested you are in your new enterprise. If you’re really going for it, then buy that land by all means; if not, stick to renting, just in case.
Whether to Go Wide or Tall
Australian farmers are faced with two options when it comes to making a profit — you either go the mass production route, or you simply downsize and modernize your equipment instead. Now, if you’re just a one-man crew, the latter is the more obvious choice.
For example, say you wanted to start a small poultry farm in your own back yard. Before you fall into a chicken and egg situation (so to speak), you first need to get your hands on some proper equipment. Luckily for you, finding a reliable egg incubator in Australia is relatively simple; compared to some other developing countries. After you get one of those, hatching and brooding your little feathered friends becomes a breeze; just remember not to count all your chickens before they hatch.
Should You Specialize or Diversify Your Business
When it comes to running a small farm business, placing all your eggs in one basket isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Sticking to what you know best often yields the best results. In addition, experimenting with new breeds and sorts takes a lot of trial and error that may not pay off in the end.
Nevertheless, finding a niche market is still better than playing it safe; it just requires some additional research. The reason being, customers — especially the younger generations — are now more interested in sustainability and quality than they are concerned with food prices. This presents an excellent opportunity for imaginative entrepreneurs to find a hole in the market and exploit it for profit.
Selling Your Produce
Marketing your produce to local health food stores, instead of merely going to the farmers’ market, is probably your best bet; especially in this day and age when there’s such a craze for all things healthy and natural. Millennials, in particular, are fiercely loyal when it comes to brands, and they are no small customer base by any means. So, if you have a unique selling proposition (organic foods, home-made, etc.), focus your attention on this specific target audience. That way you’ll get more out of your goods than on the market. In essence, you can even cut the middleman out and sell produce directly from your property if there’s enough demand.
In the world of business, spreading brand awareness goes a long way. So, don’t be a chicken and dabble in marketing to jumpstart your business and go on from there.