Andy & Lion,
Interesting! I've enjoyed reading your debate on the feasibility of
micro-farming. You have both touched on some important points. I would
like to
add to the discussion, based on my experience in this area and some
knowledge I
have of other operations.
First, let me say that I micro-farm- 30 family CSA and wholesale high
value
crops (mainly herbs and salad greens to local restaurants) in 1/4 acre
of
permanent beds.
As for Lion's assertions, it is possible to scale down, diversify and
still make
a profit in agriculture. But being small means lower sales, so one has
to
maximize return on investment. And, as is true of most family farms in
the US,
off farm income is necessary to provide a family income slightly above
poverty
level for us. But income is misleading- we grow a lot of our food, so
don't
require the income to buy expensive processed foods at a supermarket.
And there
are other areas where we differ from the average American family- we
don't spend
as much on entertainment, fashionable clothing, travel...
And Andy is right about the limits of the possibilities. Now matter how
you
farm, there's a limit to what you can do- especially with one or both
partners
working off farm. And those popular examples he cites (Kona Kai & 1/4
acre
greenhouse) are indeed misrepresented and a myth- in that order. Kona
Kai
grossed some huge amount, but the net from that was low. Anyone can
tell you
that it's the net that counts.
The greenhouse was a contrived myth. The real story is this person had
a small
greenhouse that had X amount of gross sales. She multiplied her sales
by the
same factor as the square footage to attain 1/4 acre. But, the added
capital
investment, operating expenses, employees... would eat up the added
sales income.
Same thing with a micro farm, you can't expand without expanded
expenses. And
these expenses go up geometrically, not arithmetically, This means that
to
double an operation requires more than twice the capital and expenses of
the
smaller size.
However, Lion is on the right track- diversification, appropriate scale,
direct
marketing, feeding the farm family first... is what we've gotten away
from in US
Ag. It's the dreamers and idealists that lead us to experiment and step
outside
the intellectual boundaries we draw around ourselves and our ideas. But,
it seems
that there's a whole lot of people out there telling farmers, "If only
you would
do what I say (not what I do), your farm would be successful. There is,
as Andy
pointed out, a lot more credibility in someone who preaches what they
practice,
rather than trying to practice what they preach.
One of the first things I point out to workshop participants, students
and
apprentices on our farm is the economic realities of farming on any
scale. But
that it's possible to make a living if you are industrious and
innovative.
So, thank you Lion and Andy for your discussion. My hope is that more
people
will discover the possibility of micro farming as land becomes more
scarce and
land prices continue to climb. This is a possibility to provide a
partial income
for a family and there are a lot worse jobs out there!
Alex McGregor
Walden Farm
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