How to get started with agtech and farming investments?

Don't jump straight to 30 acres right away. I guess maybe just stick to 3 acres per person at most...
I think I'd be pretty terrified.

Does anyone know what kind of subsidies are available out in El Paso-Srijem County?

US Timber Supply Price Ranges (Wholesale)
http://summa-forestry.com/index.php?id=63

I’m not sure if these numbers regarding the walnut and raspberry yields are just wishful thinking, but something about them doesn't feel quite right to me. I'd appreciate an objective answer here.
How exactly do you all find buyers for those raspberries and walnuts? It's never really made sense to me—do you call manufacturers directly or what? If someone could actually explain the process, I might believe it. As it stands, this all seems to boil down to some fantastic projections spanning the next 20 or 30 years, and who knows if we'll even be around that long.

Hey there. I happened to catch that agriculture show on TV today, which got me thinking about planting walnut trees. I ended up finding your post on the forum, so I have a few questions. I’m based out in the Midwest, and I’ve got some fallow acreage just sitting there doing nothing, so I was considering putting some walnuts in. I guess I’m wondering which varieties would be best if I’m looking for high yields and good timber later on. Also, would it make sense to interplant things like plum trees or pine saplings—the kind I could harvest for Christmas sales? Thanks in advance.

Look, I’ll get straight to the point because this whole concept is starting to lose its luster for me—I don't know what kind of nonsense the OP was thinking when they first pitched it.
I’m actually pretty curious to see if he’ll weigh in with some real-world experience of his own... 🙏

I'm not gonna start a whole new thread:

1) Has anyone here picked up any land in the last six months? I'm talking about the specifics—what class of farmland, pasture, meadow, timberland, etc.? Just give me the breakdown.
2) Whereabouts?
3) What's the infrastructure looking like? Think roads, road quality, access paths, proximity to water, power, creeks, all that good stuff.
4) Total acreage
5) Asking price
6) General area/region

Thanks... 🙏

Hey everyone.

So, I'm looking into planting pine trees too. If anyone can point me in the right direction, I'd really appreciate it. I'm pretty new to this. I have some acreage that's currently being used by someone else since my parents don't farm it anymore, so I'm thinking about switching things up with some pines. I basically need to know everything—growing conditions, how to plant them, spacing, maintenance, costs, and if there are any government grants available...
If you have any info or useful links, please let me know.

I've been reading through the threads and noticed a few others interested in this, so sorry if I missed an earlier reply.

If you can help out, shoot me an email at example@gmail.com

Thanks in advance.

gentlecanyon65 said:..... so I've been doing some deep thinking and scrolling through a ton of stuff lately ....

The price for farmland out here is actually pretty reasonable, so since I’ve got some decent cash sitting around and I’m definitely not the type to just sit on my ass all day, I started wondering why the hell I wouldn't just dive into agriculture
..... My big idea is to set up some permanent walnut orchards.... once they're established, they don't require an insane amount of daily grind, which means this doesn't even have to be my main hustle, yet it could still pull in some serious profit after a few years.... so my plan is to snag maybe 12 to 25 acres of land and plant a massive WALNUT grove ....

Now look .... I'm no professional farmer, but I know how to handle a shovel, and with a bit of reading and some solid advice, I think I could make it work .... but honestly, I just can't get the math to make sense in my head ....

I heard that USDA subsidies for walnut orchards can go up to about $13333 per acre ....

Come on, let me hear what you guys think about this!!! ☕ 🙄

There is one thing I am curious about (though it might be worth knowing) — is it actually feasible here in America to sell green walnuts??
The unconfirmed grapevine suggests there is even a demand for the green walnut leaves, haha!!!
If anyone has any verified information, please let me know.

Does anyone have any leads on subsidies or blueberry buyback programs?

Joseph Garcia16 said:Hey everyone.

So, I'm looking into planting pine trees too. If anyone can point me in the right direction, I'd really appreciate it. I'm pretty new to this. I have some acreage that's currently being used by someone else since my parents don't farm it anymore, so I'm thinking about switching things up with some pines. I basically need to know everything—growing conditions, how to plant them, spacing, maintenance, costs, and if there are any government grants available...
If you have any info or useful links, please let me know.

I've been reading through the threads and noticed a few others interested in this, so sorry if I missed an earlier reply.

If you can help out, shoot me an email at example@gmail.com

Thanks in advance.

Spacing should be between 30 to 40 inches... no government incentives available right now... for seedling prices, just call up some local nurseries. You usually want to plant them in the fall or early spring...

As for care—look, some people just plant them and don't touch them for five years, but then you end up with terrible quality crops. We fertilize ours every single year with synthetic fertilizer and make sure we stay on top of weeding and mowing regularly....

The only real issue is that everyone has started mass-planting them again lately, so I'm a bit skeptical about whether today's high market prices will actually hold up... but hey, who knows... maybe one day we'll be exporting them ourselves... in places like Canada, they were selling for like $22 to $30 a pound...

Samuel Baker67 said:There is one thing I am curious about (though it might be worth knowing) — is it actually feasible here in America to sell green walnuts??
The unconfirmed grapevine suggests there is even a demand for the green walnut leaves, haha!!!
If anyone has any verified information, please let me know.

Green walnuts are used for making bitters, like Angostura. As for the leaves, I haven't heard much, but it's probably possible.

quietnomad642 said:Does anyone have any leads on subsidies or blueberry buyback programs?

Are you asking because you're expecting a harvest, or just checking ahead of time?

Hey. 🙂

I'm looking into getting into farming. Obviously, that’s super vague, and I get that with any job, you gotta figure out exactly what you're doing before you jump in. Basically, right now I don't own any land and I haven't even decided what to grow—all I know is I'm interested in plants, not livestock. 😁

I need some book recommendations that can act as a solid intro and point me in the right direction. Just a heads up, my knowledge level is absolute zero. I need stuff that’ll walk me through it step-by-step.

Thanks, and may your corn crops be twice as big as everyone else's. 😁

I've lumped together a few topics about getting started, like picking crops, finding a location, and other initial tips.

So, where are you located? Who are you, really? What kind of resources are we talking about here? And how old are you?

Washington, D.C., or somewhere nearby would work. I don't really get who I am 😕 or what my budget looks like; if you're talking cash, I can't give you an answer until I see the actual costs. Besides, they're young enough to make it happen if they actually want to 😁

Also, forgot to mention one thing: this isn't a business move. It's more of a hobby. I'm just looking at a small plot of land to grow stuff for my own enjoyment. If it turns out I've got a knack for it, maybe I'll look into expanding later, but I'm not planning on that right now.

Boss, try starting with some fruit or vegetables—maybe even grapes if you want to get fancy. It’s a classic move; just set up your own little garden. Throw in some California guava and you'll be fascinated by the wildlife you attract, plus you'll have the ultimate way to enrich your soil. 👍

If you’ve got the drive, all you really need is a little patch of dirt, some basic gardening tools—think a hoe, a rake, maybe a weed whacker—and you're good to go. Honestly, I always say the best way to dive in is by starting a vegetable garden; there's nothing quite like seeing those actual results pop up right after a single growing season.

Exactly. If you’re just starting out, the most comprehensive guide is IMO Hessayonov's "vegetables" (he also wrote "fruit" and "houseplants"). It covers everything from A to Z—everything from botanical orders and pest/disease symptoms to listing necessary tools. Each plant includes specific seed characteristics (germination time, absolute mass, seed vitality, etc.), growing difficulty, spacing requirements, sowing or planting methods, maintenance, harvesting, preservation techniques, and common pests. The only downside is that the author is British, so many of the varieties he mentions aren't common here in the States, but the fundamental principles remain identical. Besides, when you walk into a local Home Depot or garden center, you'll probably just pick the tomato variety based on which one has the biggest, reddest, and meatiest fruit in the picture anyway. 🙂
If you've done your homework, now is the time to buy your seeds and start tucking them into plastic cups to get your seedlings going. The selection is massive, but make sure to read the seed viability labels carefully. Don't buy last year's leftover stock... I'm not saying it won't sprout, but why take the risk? You don't want to end up with a pathetic 15% germination rate 😢
.
It's also wise to assess your local water supply and availability... especially considering how brutal our summers can get 😠
. Also, if you're truly dedicated to creating your own Garden of Eden, consider adding a small pond to the mix. They're huge right now for all the BBQ-loving-people 😉out there.

Austin Baker86 said:Exactly. If you’re just starting out, the most comprehensive guide is IMO Hessayonov's "vegetables" (he also wrote "fruit" and "houseplants"). It covers everything from A to Z—everything from botanical orders and pest/disease symptoms to listing necessary tools. Each plant includes specific seed characteristics (germination time, absolute mass, seed vitality, etc.), growing difficulty, spacing requirements, sowing or planting methods, maintenance, harvesting, preservation techniques, and common pests. The only downside is that the author is British, so many of the varieties he mentions aren't common here in the States, but the fundamental principles remain identical. Besides, when you walk into a local Home Depot or garden center, you'll probably just pick the tomato variety based on which one has the biggest, reddest, and meatiest fruit in the picture anyway. 🙂
If you've done your homework, now is the time to buy your seeds and start tucking them into plastic cups to get your seedlings going. The selection is massive, but make sure to read the seed viability labels carefully. Don't buy last year's leftover stock... I'm not saying it won't sprout, but why take the risk? You don't want to end up with a pathetic 15% germination rate 😢
.
It's also wise to assess your local water supply and availability... especially considering how brutal our summers can get 😠
. Also, if you're truly dedicated to creating your own Garden of Eden, consider adding a small pond to the mix. They're huge right now for all the BBQ-loving-people 😉out there.

Awesome, thanks, these tips are solid. 👍 One thing is I don't even have soil yet, so I've got room to choose. Aside from the actual growing, I'm interested in books and info on different soil types, what to look for when buying stuff, and so on.

Heh, I’m willing to sell you my entire estate. Interested?

Robert Hall7 said:Heh, I’m willing to sell you my entire estate. Interested?

DM me for details😁