Historically speaking, organic farming was discovered by Sir Albert Howard (1905), it is the method of growing quality crops, vegetables, or animals, naturally without the use of artificial agricultural input (fertilizer).
In organic farming, there are practice of crop rotation, mulching and tilling. Livestock are allowed access to outdoors and are fed with natural food. A typical example are villages where people reside. They grow vegetables at the back of their company with livestock droppings (manure/ decomposed).
A lot of sensitization has gone into organic agriculture business. In this system of farming, the use of pesticides is restricted. Below are reasons naturally grown food and vegetables are preferred to that of chemically enhanced ones.
- Contains less chemical such as fertilizers
- It saves cost as farmers need not to buy expensive insecticides and fertilizers
- Does not contain preservative to make farm produce last longer than required
- Reduces pollution, soil erosion and increases the fertility of the soil
- Organic foods are rich in nutrients and vitamins
- Organic foods cost less to grow since they do need depend on artificial fertilizers, pesticides, etc
- They are harvested fresh
Types of Organic Farm Business Produce
we have carefully listed foods one can grow organically for money. The simplest way to get into organic agriculture business is to grow any of the following organic produce.
- Maize
- Plantain & Banana
- Ginger and Garlic
- Watermelon
- Cucumber
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
- Yam
- Pineapple
- Cassava
- Red Pepper
- Potatoes
- Vegetables
- Carrots
How to Start Organic Farm Business
The process to start organic farm business is very straightforward, but it is not something that happens overnight. This industry can be quite lucrative, but it takes months of learning how to run or start organic farm business, planning your crops and marketing your products.
Things to do before you start organic farming business. In starting any venture there are possible things you must not overlook. Below are the most important things you must do before starting organic farming .
- Ask questions and get a mentor
- Study and understand your market
- Choose your Produce
- Learn the Ins and Outs of Your Product
- Figure Out Your Finances
- Purchase Your Property
1. Ask questions and get a mentor
The first step to start organic farm business is to ask questions and get a mentor, asking questions encourages you to break out of your normal thinking patterns. This can be a gateway to creativity and thinking about solutions to the business you hadn’t considered before.
Questions are the most under-utilised tool for driving personal and business performance. Asking the right questions is a guaranteed way to boost your organic farm business success.
2. Study and understand your market
As a new farmer, doing this can help you better understand your customers, an important part of growing your business. Identifying and narrowing in on your target market segments can help you create and launch effective promotions, which could increase your sales.
One of the most important step to start organic farm business is to understanding the market to knowing your customers. You could start by organizing your current or potential customers your target market segments into different groups based on things they have in common.
3. Choose your Produce
As a farmer, another step in starting organic farm is deciding what you want to produce. We’ve covered quite a few types of farming, but the options don’t end there.
You can grow or raise just about any plant or animal you’d like on your small farm as long as the circumstances are right.
What you plan to produce will weigh heavily on your preferences and interests as a farmer. It is also important to point out that there are a lot of ethical questions that arise when you decide to found a small farm. Agriculture, in general, relies greatly on the land and other creatures. If sustainability is important to you as a farmer, you’ll likely want to start leaning towards growing crops in a fashion that promotes biodiversity.
4. Learn the Ins and Outs of Your Product
There are many layers to farming, especially since there are variables that are out of small farmers’ control.
For most types of farming, learning as you go is simply not an option. There are many ways farmers can learn. Some trade schools, colleges, and universities offer degrees and certificates in agriculture.
5. Figure Out Your Finances
Like any small business, you’ll need to find the funds to get started. A small farm is a business that requires quite a bit of overhead.
You’ll need land, equipment, labor, licensing, insurance and more. There is also the option for farmers to buy a functioning farm, but that still requires quite a bit of capital to get started.
There are a few ways to fund a small farm. The simplest way would be buying it in cash if you can find the capital. If you don’t have a money, there are other options to make your dream a reality. You could get a commercial loan or seek out investors.
6. Purchase Your Farmland
You know what you want to produce, you’ve learned everything you need to know to get started with this type of farm and you’ve got your funding figured out in your business plan. Now it’s time to find and purchase some land.
Purchasing farmland for a farm is something that must be well thought out. If you will be raising livestock, you need to make sure the climate is appropriate for the type of animals you’ll be raising.
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