Posts by lonesurfer13

2 posts shown.

How to get started with agtech and farming investments? in Business, Accounting & Taxes · Feb 10, 2007

MicroStrategy, thanks so much for all the advice. I’ve got a few more questions, but I don’t want to bug you too much! I was wondering what your take is on the Rexel variety, and where can I find some high-quality seedlings at a decent price? Also, what exactly is a pneumatic tiller, and could a wood chipper handle the job instead? I’m assuming you mainly use that tiller to clear out weeds and chop up any branches you prune off... As for equipment, I’m pretty well set up—I actually picked up a brand-new tractor last year, and I’ve already got a plow and a sprayer ready to go. One thing though: what kind of pH level should I be aiming for to grow cherries? Mine is sitting at 4.9 right now. Finally, is it possible to sign a production contract with a company to secure income, or is it just a guessing game every single year? I ended up passing on hazelnuts because I feel like you can make way more per acre if you just pick the right crop...

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How to get started with agtech and farming investments? in Business, Accounting & Taxes · Feb 8, 2007

Micromacro;7219096 said:Hey, I'm new here and just jumping into the conversation.
My family started getting serious about fruit farming about three years ago. We kicked things off with plums and then moved into cherries (specifically the Montmorency variety, which is strictly for processing; we have about 7 or 8 different plum varieties). Our plan is to expand the cherry operation to about 12–15 acres, bringing our total orchard size to around 25 acres, which is pretty much the standard for a medium-sized farm in the States. The biggest headache with expanding production is that large contiguous plots are incredibly hard to find out here—most parcels top out at 5 acres, and finding anything larger is a real rarity.

I had a tough time finding decent literature in America because there’s just so little of it; most of what's available is just "General Fruit Production" or something similar. You won't find many specialized books on specific cultivars. If you decide to go with apples, pears, or olives, you probably won't have trouble finding resources, but for anything else... it's a massive struggle to find anything useful.
Most of my research actually came from studying experts over in Mexico, and I have to say, I was genuinely surprised by how much more advanced their expertise is when it comes to fruit cultivation. I've visited several orchards there and was really impressed!
In my opinion, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, and cherries are currently the most promising crops to plant. The only downside is that (aside from cherries) this fruit has to be hand-picked, which makes it perfect if you have a big family to help out. On average, bulk blackberries go for about $2.25, though at the start of the harvest, they can hit 17-$6.00, and the picking season lasts two months.
Apples and pears are far more profitable, but you need a cold storage facility, which is a massive upfront investment for anyone just starting out.
Anyway, I just wanted to share my thoughts and experiences regarding fruit farming in America.
Best regards to everyone,
Hey! I'm really interested in planting cherries, but I can't find any good literature on them anywhere. Do you get a decent buyback price for cherries? I heard a price around $1.25. You mentioned having issues because your plots are small, but I actually have the opposite problem—I have a huge 22-acre plot, but I have no idea what would be the most profitable crop or setup.

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