Catherine Wolfe

Looking for land to garden with focus on vegetables, cut flowers, and ornamental and edible perennials.

Farming experience

11+ years experience

Currently farming

No

Highest level of farming experience

Worked on a farm

Description of farming experience

I have never worked on a farm commercially or with the intention of marketing produce so would like to explore that angle. I grew up in a homesteading family and have worked on farms off and on throughout my life. I have quite a bit of experience with food gardening, landscape gardening, raising livestock, and processing meat. I would like to have a large garden to grow vegetables, cut flowers and perennials. l would also like to raise meat chickens and possibly a few pigs to compliment the growing season and eat extra vegetable matter from the garden. Am willing to coordinate with others on other livestock endeavors but that is what I think I could manage on my own.

Farming plans

Tenure arrangement desired

Collaborative model

Tenure arrangement description

Would want to live on premises with a rent or lease arrangement, or work-trade arrangement, or some combination of the above. Regular housing accommodations would be great, but I have had a lot of rough, off-grid living arrangements in the past, could do it again, and I am pretty low maintenance in that regard. I also have a camper I can live in if other housing is not available. Would appreciate consideration of some type of buy-in arrangement in future if I like the area, but that is for down the road and very much not a requirement at this stage.

Planned farm enterprise: Primary

Homesteading

Planned farm enterprises: Others

Cut flowers, Vegetables

Farm enterprises description

In addition I would love to eventually have a small farm stand/store and maybe a small nursery for perennials and vegetable starts in spring. I would also be interested in trying out farmers markets. But I am NOT interested in CSA model. Not looking for an ambitious or large set-up... if working solo would need to keep things manageable. If collaborating then we could discuss additional projects and endeavors. I would like to try marketing what I produce, but in reality I have more of a homesteading mentality than a business one, so my initial focus would be closer to home then possibly expanding production and marketing over time.

Written business plan

No

Business planning description

I don't have a business plan at this time. I think it really would depend on the situation I end up in and whether or not it is a collaborative effort or a solo one. At early stages I will be more focused on subsistence farming, then exploring marketing options as things unfold. My main focus is on growing lots of produce, cut flowers and perennials, and I always want to grow too much... so marketing them is definitely also part of my focus but as of now I lack experience with this and expect a bit of a learning curve.

Farmer housing needed

Yes

Water source needed

Yes

Access to equipment needed

No

Additional information

Farmer housing is not absolutely needed as I do have a camper that I could potentially live in if I have a place to park it. Regular housing would be greatly appreciated though if it is available. A big garden plot and a water source to keep it alive are my primary requirements.