Please describe your past and/or present farming experience
I am in my fourth year of managing a quarter acre plot, primarily for my own use and for bartering with neighbors, growing a mix of vegetables, fruits, and nuts. I have studied market gardening and agroecology, and have blended these two techniques for my own plot. My current skillsets include fruit tree grafting, seed collection, composting food scraps (my own and a local business), and intensive vegetable production using interplanting.
Are you currently farming?
Yes
Are you interested in connecting with other farmers to explore collocation or collaborative farm ideas?
No
Counties being considered
Orleans
What is the primary agricultural enterprise you are considering?
Nursery
What other enterprises are you considering?
Apple/Fruit
Berries
Total Acres Desired
5.0
Tillable Acres
5.0
Forested Acres
0.0
Acres in Pasture
0.0
Organic
Yes
Farmhouse Needed
No
Equipment Needed
Water access.
Which of the following arrangements are you considering?
Lease with Option to Buy
Long-Term Lease
Owner-Financed Sale
Work to Own (Gradual Transfer of Responsibility & Farm Assets)
Have you been qualified by a lending institution? (if applicable)
No
Are you interested in conserved farms?
Yes
Do you have a business plan? Please write an informative description of your vision & goals for your farming future.
My primary business interest is a fruit and nut tree nursery in Orleans County. I will need about an acre for nursery stock and any additional acreage will be used to grow full size trees for scion wood, breeding, seeds, and/or cuttings. While I hope for at least 5 acres, I am open to more. In the long-run, I would like to add a pick-you-own operation, but this would be over a decade away due to the slow growth of full-size trees. I intend to only sell bare-root trees to limit my use of plastic and to save money. Using Fedco pricing, tree sales average about $40 per tree, but my inputs are only about $5 per tree. These input costs will decrease as I grow out mature trees for scion wood and cuttings. The price of the trees is largely to compensate me for the one to two years necessary to graft and nurture the saplings. Early on, my primary goal is to cover my costs and slowly build up a customer base. Eventually, I would like to make this my full-time career, but I am currently a high school teacher, thus I have plenty of off-farm income to get me started. I am already growing about $800 worth of tree stock, most of which has already been claimed by friends and neighbors. By Vermont law, I can sell up to $1000 worth of nursery stock before needing a formal inspection. Since I also grow vegetables, I do not have enough space to justify taking this additional step, which is why I have posted to Vermont Land Link. For any farmer open to selling or leasing land, I am happy to provide pictures of my current operation, as well as walk you through my current revenue and expenses Excel document.