about DTM: don't forget the July 15 rule (for summer/fall planting). For every week you plant after July 15, add ~4 days to DTM; that ~4 turns into ~6 into September, after which it depends equally on your weather. Also, don't forget that plants respond not only to temperatures but also very much to whether the day length is increasing or decreasing, which is why planting during a 10-hour day in November yields different results than planting during a 10-hr day in January (likewise for bolting---it's not ONLY temp dependent, which is why lettuce, cilantro, chineses cabbages, spinach, and so on can hold for long periods of time during decreasing daylight hours of fall and winter, compared to spring). And, Jesse, you are correct: sc-dw6gt is not my real name! You know me as Susan on the PP.
Interesting to hear more about DTM. I'm glad you mentioned it's just a starting point and the actual timing is influenced by almost everything and it's best to take your own notes and calculate your own average across a few seasons. I use it solely for comparison between varieties. I'm wondering tho why seed companies wouldn't use days from germination instead of sowing time since soil temp and moisture are so variable. Having GDD values for each variety would be great too.
Jesse, regarding maple syrup .. I grew up collecting and boiling it ever spring on the farm. Recently I tried growing Sugar Sorghum and had positive results. Sugar content is higher, around 13:1 vs 40:1 with maple sap so there is a lot less boiling. Deer have seemed to ignore it so far where they are all over my heirloom field corn.
In New Hampshire (probably elsewhere too) maple craftsmen are more able to break into the industry by leasing trees on private property as a way to not have such a large investment in land and trees and waiting decades for those trees to mature. It is common to see hoses strung through wooded forests in order to gather the sheer quantity of maple sap needed to make syrup. It takes 40 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of syrup.
My next "door" neighbor has a 100 acre maple "farm". They tap existing maple trees so I asked him to watch this video. Unfortunately he did not have much to add, but offered this: "I haven't heard anything about that in a few years. They were doing studies on planting saplings and cutting the tops off and capping them with a vacuum bag"
I manage a CSA Care farm and I also manage a church food cupboard garden. I can do the garden for a few hundred a year. But that only supplements a few family's vegetables. The 10 acer Farm looks a lot like what you out lined here plus tractors and hired hands (the point is to give employment to people with disabilities.) I spend more than $600 just in seeds for the year on the "big" farm. This is really good and realistic list when thinking about starting a farm thanks for another great video. Also ++ to the grant writing. Especially if you are a non-profit with some sort of community based mission along with your vegetables. Grants can be really helpful in getting capital investment for things like greenhouses and tractors or paying for internships or wages for part time farmers with disabilities and education programs.
I have started this year, for about 6k €. That covers irrigation, a carport with walls and enough compost for about half my eventual beds. Also some 70 fruit bushes. However I can sell off the front gate (no market fees) and can use a pre-fenced property for free (no rent, even if rent would only be a couple hundred bucks anyway). Add the value of tools I already had and its maybe 8k€ spend. Oh, and the half year with very little income and loads and loads of work - because time is money, and farming has a lot of time to ramp up.
I will probably come in around 10k total for building out the remainder of my 3000m2 lot. Some trellises based off winyard stakes, some IBCs to buffer water, lots more compost (municipal and cheap for mulch) and some odds and ends.
Not a market gardener, just got a big veg garden and orchards. A lot of the seeds I buy here in Germany don't have days to maturity as such. They do tend to have suggested sowing month(s), transplant month(s), harvest month(s) or sometimes just a number of weeks after each step until the next half the time as a calendar with dots (amd variants for different EU countries and climates). Formats are all over the place. Not easy to look at or compare at a glance. In any case, everything (except zucchini and potatoes) takes longer here than it says. Sometimes ridiculously longer. It's probably the wind! But even with the tomatoes sheltered in the greenhouse the fruit takes an eternity to mature compared to what the variety is "supposed" to take. You've inspired me to keep my own records in a better format next year. Probably the dreaded spreadsheet! Then I'll have real dates to work with!
Hey nerds, we grow and sell at the local farmers markets and online locally. OUr local USDA (WSDA) allows us to transport what we grow the 5 miles into town and sell at our local farmers market, and they are allowing us to sell from the farm as well. Of course this is assuming that our stuff is unwashed and picked that day. I think our next step as we grow is a washing statin? What can you tell us about making a washing station? I think after that, what would you focus on next transportation or storage? Washington State is pretty savage. I am surprised I have the little wiggle room I do, however expansion in any direction we run into licenses and permit requirements. We currently do a specialty poultry permit for meat chickens in chicken tractors. Our real specialty is our diary goat herd, and we have goals of offering that milk commercially in the future. We are a small farm attempting diversity in our products. THanks!
That little story about the tree planting, sounds interesting. Would that be TEDI is a partnership between the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) and the Department of Agriculture’s Delaware Forest Service to enhance and support tree-planting projects throughout the state. The city of Wilmington's decision to plant trees without informing residents has sparked a controversy and uncertainty about the trees' future.
I had read the CT Scan of pokemon cards a few months ago. But you bringing it up here... makes me wonder where can CTs be used in farming? Can it bw predictive of a given seeds vigor?
about DTM: don't forget the July 15 rule (for summer/fall planting). For every week you plant after July 15, add ~4 days to DTM; that ~4 turns into ~6 into September, after which it depends equally on your weather. Also, don't forget that plants respond not only to temperatures but also very much to whether the day length is increasing or decreasing, which is why planting during a 10-hour day in November yields different results than planting during a 10-hr day in January (likewise for bolting---it's not ONLY temp dependent, which is why lettuce, cilantro, chineses cabbages, spinach, and so on can hold for long periods of time during decreasing daylight hours of fall and winter, compared to spring). And, Jesse, you are correct: sc-dw6gt is not my real name! You know me as Susan on the PP.
🫡🫡🫡
Interesting to hear more about DTM. I'm glad you mentioned it's just a starting point and the actual timing is influenced by almost everything and it's best to take your own notes and calculate your own average across a few seasons. I use it solely for comparison between varieties. I'm wondering tho why seed companies wouldn't use days from germination instead of sowing time since soil temp and moisture are so variable. Having GDD values for each variety would be great too.
Jesse, regarding maple syrup .. I grew up collecting and boiling it ever spring on the farm. Recently I tried growing Sugar Sorghum and had positive results. Sugar content is higher, around 13:1 vs 40:1 with maple sap so there is a lot less boiling. Deer have seemed to ignore it so far where they are all over my heirloom field corn.
I love ALL No-Till Growers videos!
2:11 I love the red zeros for circles.
Good stuff thank you for this!
Some farmer markets free
ThankQ
In New Hampshire (probably elsewhere too) maple craftsmen are more able to break into the industry by leasing trees on private property as a way to not have such a large investment in land and trees and waiting decades for those trees to mature. It is common to see hoses strung through wooded forests in order to gather the sheer quantity of maple sap needed to make syrup. It takes 40 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of syrup.
My next "door" neighbor has a 100 acre maple "farm". They tap existing maple trees so I asked him to watch this video. Unfortunately he did not have much to add, but offered this: "I haven't heard anything about that in a few years. They were doing studies on planting saplings and cutting the tops off and capping them with a vacuum bag"
I manage a CSA Care farm and I also manage a church food cupboard garden. I can do the garden for a few hundred a year. But that only supplements a few family's vegetables. The 10 acer Farm looks a lot like what you out lined here plus tractors and hired hands (the point is to give employment to people with disabilities.) I spend more than $600 just in seeds for the year on the "big" farm. This is really good and realistic list when thinking about starting a farm thanks for another great video. Also ++ to the grant writing. Especially if you are a non-profit with some sort of community based mission along with your vegetables. Grants can be really helpful in getting capital investment for things like greenhouses and tractors or paying for internships or wages for part time farmers with disabilities and education programs.
Start market farm 50k mininum, not including land, plan on 100k for starters
Did you mention a vehicle to haul to market?
I have started this year, for about 6k €.
That covers irrigation, a carport with walls and enough compost for about half my eventual beds. Also some 70 fruit bushes.
However I can sell off the front gate (no market fees) and can use a pre-fenced property for free (no rent, even if rent would only be a couple hundred bucks anyway).
Add the value of tools I already had and its maybe 8k€ spend.
Oh, and the half year with very little income and loads and loads of work - because time is money, and farming has a lot of time to ramp up.
I will probably come in around 10k total for building out the remainder of my 3000m2 lot.
Some trellises based off winyard stakes, some IBCs to buffer water, lots more compost (municipal and cheap for mulch) and some odds and ends.
Not a market gardener, just got a big veg garden and orchards. A lot of the seeds I buy here in Germany don't have days to maturity as such. They do tend to have suggested sowing month(s), transplant month(s), harvest month(s) or sometimes just a number of weeks after each step until the next half the time as a calendar with dots (amd variants for different EU countries and climates). Formats are all over the place. Not easy to look at or compare at a glance.
In any case, everything (except zucchini and potatoes) takes longer here than it says. Sometimes ridiculously longer. It's probably the wind! But even with the tomatoes sheltered in the greenhouse the fruit takes an eternity to mature compared to what the variety is "supposed" to take.
You've inspired me to keep my own records in a better format next year. Probably the dreaded spreadsheet! Then I'll have real dates to work with!
I'm in Italy and it's the same. Sounds like a better system in the States..
A lot of great information. At least we are a couple of steps ahead in some of the equipment.
Hey nerds, we grow and sell at the local farmers markets and online locally. OUr local USDA (WSDA) allows us to transport what we grow the 5 miles into town and sell at our local farmers market, and they are allowing us to sell from the farm as well. Of course this is assuming that our stuff is unwashed and picked that day. I think our next step as we grow is a washing statin? What can you tell us about making a washing station? I think after that, what would you focus on next transportation or storage? Washington State is pretty savage. I am surprised I have the little wiggle room I do, however expansion in any direction we run into licenses and permit requirements. We currently do a specialty poultry permit for meat chickens in chicken tractors. Our real specialty is our diary goat herd, and we have goals of offering that milk commercially in the future. We are a small farm attempting diversity in our products. THanks!
That little story about the tree planting, sounds interesting. Would that be TEDI is a partnership between the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) and the Department of Agriculture’s Delaware Forest Service to enhance and support tree-planting projects throughout the state.
The city of Wilmington's decision to plant trees without informing residents has sparked a controversy and uncertainty about the trees' future.
Why do you have a microscope? Why do you leave the light on?
I had read the CT Scan of pokemon cards a few months ago. But you bringing it up here... makes me wonder where can CTs be used in farming? Can it bw predictive of a given seeds vigor?