1. 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.

2. 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

3. 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.

4. 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..

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. Livestock Production
Click on image to start video

8. Aquaculture Some examples of aquaculture enterprises:
Requires water resources
Some examples of aquaculture enterprises:

9. Goats for milk, cheese or meat
Potential Markets
Scale
Processing Requirements
Additional Considerations
Example of goat enterprises: l

10. Sheep for meat or wool Potential Markets
Scale
Processing Requirements
Additional Considerations
Examples of enterprises that use sheep:

11. Poultry Products Potential Markets Scale Processing Requirements
Additional Considerations
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?

12. 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.

13. Cattle Enterprises Potential Markets Scale Processing Requirements
Potential Markets
Scale
Processing Requirements
Additional Considerations

14. 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.

15. 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

16. 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.

17. 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