A Community and Forum For Aquaponic Gardeners

I am going for it

I recently moved my family to the country. We purchased house and 10 acres, and I am going to start a business. We are going to raise fish and produce in green houses and do our best to market it. I just joined your group and would love any hints or advice that anyone might have, thanks in advance cheers.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Sahib Punjabi on March 10, 2013 at 8:33am

Good Luck - wishing you all the very best.

God bless

Permalink Reply by TCLynx on March 10, 2013 at 6:39pm

My friend Pedro said something the other week that seems very key here. YOU DON'T MAKE MONEY GROWING VEGETABLES

You make money selling vegetables.

Your statement above makes me worry some for you (like you might be going at it backwards.) Sounds like you need to get some training in marketing. The place you just moved to, are there good farmers markets? Is there a good local food movement? What are your marketing and selling assets going to be? What are the local regulations about selling produce and fish? Do you have the facilities to handle the produce and fish properly between harvest and market? Refrigeration? Processing facilities? What are the local laws about food processing? Do you need an inspected commercial kitchen in order to do anything more than simply pick the produce and take it straight to market?

In general growing the produce is easy, it is all that other stuff that makes selling it difficult. In may places once you cut the lettuce, you can't get it wet unless you have the food processing facilities (commercial kitchen) to properly wash it with sterilized water so technically water cooling the lettuce isn't legal unless the water is being treated with something to ensure no pathogens can get into the cuts in the lettuce and such processes are generally not legal unless they are being carried out with inspected facilities. So find out what your local regulations are about such things.

Look into CSA options since that might be a good option to get some cash flow and to sell what you do grow.

Permalink Reply by M reed B on March 10, 2013 at 8:31pm

you can do it.... absolutly!! im in the same boat..... 8 to 6 job, not wild about it, but i have 10 acres, love plants, just built a greenhouse, wild about fresh sustainable food...... it all makes sense... i wish you luck.... i took the green acres farming couse, learned a lot and im off to the "races"