How to get started with agtech and farming investments?

So, you inherited some farmland. You don't even need city water for irrigation—I dug two wells, bought some pumps, and I'm all set. Get your paperwork in order, though. Better yet, get a meter installed on-site so those bureaucrats can't cheat you out of what's yours. Clear out the brush and actually decide what you're doing with the place. I’ve been hearing rumors that neglected agricultural plots are going to face heavy property taxes soon. Think about your next move. And since you're right outside New York City, that land isn't cheap.

Adam Taylor12 said:The area surrounding the ravine
It’s about 1.7 acres—there's an old plum orchard that's stopped producing, a completely neglected vineyard, and what used to be a garden once upon a time.
A mix of tillable land and pasture, though I can't quite tell them apart myself.😳
For the most part, the terrain is flat, similar to where neighbors out here mow their grass for hay.
There's some woodland nearby, though I couldn't tell you exactly where it starts—the access road has been swallowed up by brush, and even when it was clear, I heard people say it was nearly impassable—they mentioned needing pack animals just to haul anything through.
It's roughly a thirty-minute drive from New York City.

Personally? I’d call that a gold mine. 1.7 acres just half an hour from New York City.🙏🙏

Jacob Sanders82 said:I've actually managed to consolidate quite a bit of land myself—doing a mix of trading properties, selling what I didn't need, and then buying more. Honestly, irrigation is pretty much at the mercy of whenever God decides to send rain around here. As for the pasture, it’s lower-quality soil that used to get mowed just once a year, while the rest of the time it was used for grazing livestock. The meadows were either too difficult to till or just swampy. The cropland was typically worked for corn, wheat, or potatoes; usually, you'd fertilize it heavily with manure first, then plant corn the first year, wheat the second, and after the wheat, you'd let it sit as hay for two or three years before starting the cycle all over again. For the orchard, you'll need to clear out the deadwood, cut down the dried-up trees, and prune whatever is still alive; then, plant young saplings in between the old ones to give them room to grow, perhaps transplanting some of the older fruit if you can. You can find the best nursery stock at a local specialist out near the outskirts of town—they even carry some of those old-school heirloom varieties. Regarding the vineyard, if it's completely gone to seed, your best bet is to rip it all out, plow it under, and start fresh, or if there are a few good old vines left, try to rehabilitate them........................😉

Regarding expanding your holdings—it's a pipe dream. Not as long as the current administration stays in power; there's no replacing bad leadership with anything better. And trying to buy land? It’s like trying to purchase a lot in Manhattan—everyone wants a piece, and the prices are astronomical. My grandfather had four brothers, so everything was split evenly—we were looking at tiny 5,000-square-foot plots divided among four people—and it kept going like that until my generation.
It's just a mountain of tiny little fragments now.

My apologies—I neglected to mention that I’m based in New York City. I have my own business established here, my life is well-settled, and I certainly don't have any intentions of moving until I retire.

Robert Hall7 said:So, you inherited some farmland. You don't even need city water for irrigation—I dug two wells, bought some pumps, and I'm all set. Get your paperwork in order, though. Better yet, get a meter installed on-site so those bureaucrats can't cheat you out of what's yours. Clear out the brush and actually decide what you're doing with the place. I’ve been hearing rumors that neglected agricultural plots are going to face heavy property taxes soon. Think about your next move. And since you're right outside New York City, that land isn't cheap.

When I actually needed that valuation, they wouldn't give it to me—so now I'm stuck with this situation.🤷
I have no intention of selling (it's an inheritance for future generations), though I might consolidate some plots eventually...
As far as taxes go, I'm already used to the IRS—from paying property taxes on historical landmarks to timber fees—so... fine, I'll try to save the driveway.
So, where does that leave me?
The orchard idea sounds fine, but I'm completely clueless about it.
Any book recommendations?

And is what I've cooked up even remotely feasible?

Steven Ruiz13 said:Personally? I’d call that a gold mine. 1.7 acres just half an hour from New York City.🙏🙏

Steven Ruiz13, I was in that same boat about twenty years ago—only nobody handed it to me...
At this stage in my life, I don't require it for my own existential stability; besides, it seems rather foolish to just hand things out for the sake of a joke.

I’ve been working in agriculture professionally for 25 years now, and whenever someone asks me how to actually turn farming into a way to grow their money—to make their labor pay off—my answer remains exactly the same as it was decades ago $8.25 - I don't know.
The "experts" will give you the standard textbook answers: medicinal herbs, floriculture, specialty vegetables...
My own take? If you can somehow undercut the average wholesale retail price by 20% or 30%, then—and only then—might the big distributors even bother listening to you.

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.

In my capacity as an admin for the American Ag Forum, I've received several inquiries regarding the procurement of green black walnuts.

Robert Hall7 said:I work through a local cooperative and honestly, I couldn't be happier. The co-op brings all the fruit growers together. We can't really find common ground with the vegetable farmers, though—they mostly stick to selling at local farmers' markets while the co-op handles distribution to the big retail chains.

Yeah, this is a spread-out country. Having a shortage of specialized experts is a major headache for me, too. I’ve barely managed to pull together 10 acres, and even then, it's split across four different locations. One of those spots is my own house, so that's not much of an issue. The real problem is the mindset of the neighbors. Once they realized I actually knew how to grow and sell my own produce, they started trying to squeeze me on land prices. I wasn't having any of it. Why would I try to get rich 😂 off someone else's family inheritance? That's just not how we do things here.

No matter how hard anyone tries, the biggest hurdles remain:
1. Quantities are too small for a serious market presence, and production costs are too high.
-Regardless of any prejudices, the only way forward is joining a cooperative or some similar type of collective.
2. Product prices are far too high.
-The reasons are purely objective; the fact is that our input costs are significantly higher than in competing countries.

Get your paperwork in order and mark your property lines. Don't buy into the lie that some things are impossible to clear out—with enough willpower and a decent $700 weed eater, you can get it done. Fact-check every single piece of information you hear.
I was in a similar spot once, so I just planted an almond tree. Others go with walnuts. If your land title is clean and undisputed, government grants can be a massive help. Think it through, do your homework (read books, check forums), and if there’s enough goodwill and consensus within the family, make a move. I don't think you'll regret it as long as you aren't expecting any miracles.

Man, you're clearly rolling in it. Personally, I’m on good terms with Mr. Pavković—he’s got his buddy Pavin over in a small town outside of Philly—and when I swung by his place about two weeks ago, we took a little drive around the area. He mentioned they've got plots going for 2,000 to 3,000 square feet selling for up to $10,000... so yeah, use your head and get that sorted out.

I’m just saying, people are buying at $5 per square foot. And let's not forget, if we're talking about the area near Pavin, it's mostly industrial zones anyway.
At the end of the day, the old folks used to say that only God and the land are eternal. 😉

Adam Taylor12 said:Regarding expanding your holdings—it's a pipe dream. Not as long as the current administration stays in power; there's no replacing bad leadership with anything better. And trying to buy land? It’s like trying to purchase a lot in Manhattan—everyone wants a piece, and the prices are astronomical. My grandfather had four brothers, so everything was split evenly—we were looking at tiny 5,000-square-foot plots divided among four people—and it kept going like that until my generation.
It's just a mountain of tiny little fragments now.

Well, my folks were actually a bit sharper than that. They divided the family land into seven sections, giving everyone about 12 acres, but they managed to keep the parcels intact. I once tried to consolidate a property I bought that had been split into four parts; it was an absolute nightmare. The smallest piece was barely 50 feet wide! We ended up with 21 different lots. I eventually sold off some pieces and bought more land nearby, then did a little swap to trade one plot for another next to my main place. On paper, it still looks like 21 separate parcels, but physically, I've got it all down to three solid chunks.

I suppose to the serious forum regulars, I come across as somewhat frivolous😳.
I’ve finalized all the paperwork, and the surveyor’s report came back with some plots located closer to the house.
I managed to clear out part of that gravel pit—though, frankly, I haven't the slightest clue how one is supposed to uproot those stubborn old stumps—
and the walnut planting is slated for the second plot...

Who on earth is buying at those prices? I honestly haven't a clue. Usually, it’s just some weekenders from the city looking to grab a little patch of dirt—maybe a small garden for personal use—and that’s about the extent of it...
As for land grabbing—it isn't really happening. People are just buying up plots near their homes, often on land that’s been sitting idle for decades—nothing has been planted there since my earliest memories. Just this past summer, I picked up a small lot myself for roughly $3,500—about 4,300 square feet—which felt like an absolute rip-off, but well, at least the house finally has a decent yard.

Adam Taylor12 said:Who on earth is buying at those prices? I honestly haven't a clue. Usually, it’s just some weekenders from the city looking to grab a little patch of dirt—maybe a small garden for personal use—and that’s about the extent of it...
As for land grabbing—it isn't really happening. People are just buying up plots near their homes, often on land that’s been sitting idle for decades—nothing has been planted there since my earliest memories. Just this past summer, I picked up a small lot myself for roughly $3,500—about 4,300 square feet—which felt like an absolute rip-off, but well, at least the house finally has a decent yard.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention: if the land is zoned for residential use, it holds its value pretty well. But when it comes to actual farmland or meadows? It’s incredibly rare to find someone selling, let alone someone looking to buy. I managed to snag three small farm plots totaling about 12 acres for $333. You really can't beat those kinds of prices.

Adam Taylor12 said:I suppose to the serious forum regulars, I come across as somewhat frivolous😳.
I’ve finalized all the paperwork, and the surveyor’s report came back with some plots located closer to the house.
I managed to clear out part of that gravel pit—though, frankly, I haven't the slightest clue how one is supposed to uproot those stubborn old stumps—
and the walnut planting is slated for the second plot...

Why would you think you sound unprofessional?
It’s great that you’re getting started.

As for the stumps... that's the eternal question.🙂
The easiest way is to rent an excavator. I used to pay $67/hour. You can get a lot done in an hour, though it obviously depends on how heavy the machine is and how tough the stumps are. Plum trees shouldn't be an issue even for a small tractor. On the flip side, the guy who cleared a pile of roots from my pasture using a willow tree couldn't budge one single stump. Your best bet is to find an operator, show them the job, and try to negotiate a flat rate if you aren't sure how much they can actually move per hour.
The other way is tractor, winch, pry bars, and axes. Hook up the tractor, pull, dig, chop the roots... it's a slow method, but it works. It's better not to cut the plums you want to move all the way down to the dirt; leave about a foot of the stump. (It's easier for the excavator, too). For example, I once cleared birch trees with about 6-inch diameters at the base all by myself using an old John Deere utility tractor (about 39hp). No pry bars needed, just a chainsaw and an old axe (one you don't mind hitting the dirt with). Took maybe 15 minutes per tree. And I'm definitely not in peak shape or an expert.😉

The local cooperative ships out roughly 3,000 tons of various fruit annually. That’s a significant volume.

Market prices dictate the bottom line, not the producers or the co-op. Our job? Produce high-quality goods and focus on scale. Adapt when necessary. That’s really all there is to it.

I’m an old-timer with about 120 trees. I used a 120-horsepower John Deere and a heavy-duty chain to clear them all in just one day—no issues at all. Honestly, I spent another four days working with a chainsaw, but hey, it kept me warm all winter for next to nothing.

Basically saying;

We’ve got this little backyard garden where we grow our own veggies—mostly just for us, but we’re thinking about dropping off whatever we have extra at the local farmers market to sell on the side.

Do I actually need to register as a farmer or deal with some specific USDA paperwork just to legally sell my own homegrown stuff at a market?