Sustainable Small Farming & Ranching Enterprise Ideas Sustainable Small Farming & Ranching This presentation covers the many types of possibilities for crop and animal enterprise on a small farm. Of course, they are endless! We will start out with some recommendations from Joel Salatin, farmer and author of some classic sustainable agriculture books such as: “Salad Bar Beef,’ “Raising Poultry on Pasture” and “You Can Farm.” We follow up with some information and sites to visit about many crop and livestock alternatives.

Considerations for choosing an enterprise: Low initial start-up cost relative to the ability to generate income High gross profit margin Relatively low maintenance requirements High Cash flow, quick turnaround History of high success rate

Joel Salatin, “You Can Farm: The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Start and Succeed in a Farming Enterprise.” Pastured Broilers Eggs Salad bar beef Grass based dairy Market garden Home bakery Bandsaw mill Small Fruits with U-pick operation Pastured Broilers Capita consumption of chicken is going up – people looking for safely produced meat products – less trust in USDA due to food safety problems Low start up costs and quick cash turnaround. Easily duplicable models for how it can be done Eggs You can offer alternative to industrially produced eggs, they are fresher – production can be similar to broilers but need nesting boxes. Quality is so variable you can produce a product that commands 2-3 times price of commercial eggs. Salad bar beef (He authored a book on how to do this called by the same name.) He refers to buying heavy calves, keep them for a season, pasturing them on mixed forage under rotational grazing and butchering in the fall. Meat is sold as retail cuts. Grass based dairy Good profit potential. Regulations on sell of unpastuerized milk in some states is limiting factor. Value-added products of cheese, butter, yogurt and ice cream are great possibilities - need processing facilities.

Complimentary Enterprises Diversification - reduces market risk exposure Criteria Use of existing infrastructure Filling low work times with cash generating jobs Evenly distributed cash flow Increased customer flow Salatin maintains that all farms should have additional complimentary enterprises. His farm includes multiple enterprises and everything is linked to using what is not currently being used, putting things to work for you, etc. Spreading out cash flow, work load and use of facilities and equipment in the most efficient manner is what works for Salatin..

Top Complimentary Enterprises Agritourism/recreation Greenhouse/Flowers Honey and bee products Cottage industry Pastured turkeys Lamb Pork Rabbit Firewood Pastured turkeys Goes nicely with pastured broilers. They are seasonal but can bring in a profit and customer swill generally buy more from you than just the turkey. Lamb Sheep are natural compliments to cattle. Your can add one sheep per cow without compromising cattle forage. Ethnic market for meat is growing. Drawback is fencing requirements. Need stronger fencing than cattle. Pork The market for alternatively producerd pork is growing. Per capita consumption is lower than beef and poultry but is on the rise. The quality of pork raised on forage is incredible. Easy to control with electric fencing. Rabbit Offer highest protein per pound without cholesterol. Per capita consumption has traditionally been low but that is changing. High priced item when sold to fine dining restaurants. Firewood This would be a good complimentary business especially if you have a band saw business. Living near urban areas in cold areas of country especially.

Animal Enterprises Consider animals that : Fit your temperament Are marketable You can raise with existing or affordable land and facilities Match your time and labor resources Are complimentary to main enterprise Selecting an animal enterprise involves a recognition of the time and care that animals are going to require year round. Not all animals are for everyone. They vary in aggressiveness, intelligence, how cooperative they are, how big they are for handling purposes, etc. All of this should be taken into consideration , as well as labor and time requirements throughout the year and what you can provide. Some animal will require additional fencing and facilities than you can readily afford , so plan accordingly.

Livestock Production Click on image to start video

Aquaculture Some examples of aquaculture enterprises: Requires water resources Some examples of aquaculture enterprises: http://www.taylorshellfishfarms.com http://www.northwestfisheries.org http://www.idahotrout.com

Goats for milk, cheese or meat Potential Markets Scale Processing Requirements Additional Considerations Example of goat enterprises: http://gothbergfarms.com/about/ http://www.rainhaven.com/dairy.html http://smallfarms.wsu.edu/animals/goats.htm l http://smallfarms.oregonstate.edu/goats

Sheep for meat or wool Potential Markets Scale Processing Requirements Additional Considerations Examples of enterprises that use sheep: http://glendaleshepherd.com/ http://www.sheep101.info/farm.html http://users.lewiston.com/sheepster

Poultry Products Potential Markets Scale Processing Requirements Additional Considerations http://www.ospreyhillfarm.com/ http://maryschickens.com/ http://brittlebarnfarms.com/ http://poultrycompost.com Different issues face layer vs. broiler hens. Find out appropriate breeds and feeding requirements. Extra housing for laying hens. Nutritional quality of eggs can be enhanced by frequent harvesting of eggs, proper care and temperature. Processing broilers will involve state and /or federal regulations depending on quantity and intended target market. ( Are they going to restaurants, grocery stores or direct to producers?

Rabbits: meat or manure Potential Markets Scale Processing Requirements Manure for Compost Rabbits are highly nutritious and low fat. It appears the market may be increasing – but is hard to substantiate that. USDA Agricultural Marketing Resource center has information on food trends and per capita consumption but does not include rabbit. There are publications that would help: North Dakota Extension bulletin on rabbits has additional resources at the bottom of the article. http://www.ext.nodak.edu/extpubs/alt-ag/rabbit.htm

Cattle Enterprises Potential Markets Scale Processing Requirements http://www.skagitriverranch.com/ http://www.prairiespringsranch.com/ http://www.eatbisonmeat.com/ Potential Markets Scale Processing Requirements Additional Considerations

Choosing your Crop Enterprises What grows in your climate What you can market Those that grow and harvest with existing or affordable equipment Crops that match your time and labor resources Complimentary to main enterprise or that can be used on the farm (feed, cover crops) When selecting what crops to grow it should be based on your available resources, climate and market potential. Also consider your time and labor availability and your existing equipment and what the crop requirements may be.

Crop Enterprise Options Mixed Annuals Gourds and Pumpkins Specialty Annual Fruits Herbs: culinary and medicinal Timber Fruit and Nut Trees Cider Orchards Flowers: fresh and dried Ancient Grains Pasture/Cover Crops

Summary Existing resources influence viability of enterprise option Select an enterprise that fits your resources and interests The duration of the course will involve an evaluation of the feasibility of this enterprise We will develop a farm plan and evaluate the production requirements and marketing opportunities to test the feasibility of this enterprise. Whether this particular enterprise works or whether you end up doing this IS NOT the point. The point is in learning the process of how to evaluate an enterprise to see if it will work for you and your resources.

Upcoming Events Tilth Conference – November 11-13, Wenatchee, Wa Financial Record Keeping – October 12, Viva Farms, Skagit Intro to Quick Books – October 19, Viva Farms, Skagit Crop Insurance and Taxes – October 26, Viva Farms, Skagit Women in Sustainable Agriculture Conference - Nov 30- Dec 2, Portland, Or