How to get started with agtech and farming investments?

Back again.

It's probably for the best that I walked away from that place.
Could an insider give me a ballpark figure for smaller plots of land out in the Midwest? Say, about 25 acres. I’ve been scrolling through listings, but the price fluctuations are wild, and as a novice, I can't tell what a fair market value actually looks like. Just a rough estimate would help.

Also, does it make sense to approach neighboring farmers to strike a deal where they manage my land for a few years in exchange for a share of the revenue? Or is that a move that requires too much blind trust? I'm looking for a way to get into Ag investment, but realistically, I won't have the bandwidth to manage it myself over the next five years.

Are there agricultural cooperatives where one can join as an investor? If anyone has suggestions, I’d truly appreciate them. I'm looking at starting with roughly $45,000—is that even a meaningful amount to begin with? This is strictly for diversification, so I don't plan on sinking more than that.

1. Prices? It’s a mess. Everything from a few bucks a square foot up to $25. I get this vibe whenever an "outsider" comes sniffing around looking for land while prices are spiking irrationally... especially if they’re coming from a big city like NYC or Chicago using buzzwords like "investment," "diversification," or "ROI." People around here just roll their eyes and think, "Easy for you to say, city boy."
2. You can always try to strike a Second deal, but it’s an uphill battle. Sure, lease rates for certain areas are public knowledge, but honestly, it all depends on the specific situation at the time.
3. I’m skeptical about this whole idea of investing in a cooperative. I have a feeling our small towns aren't exactly thinking in purely economic terms yet.

mistytinker26 said:1. Prices? It’s a mess. Everything from a few bucks a square foot up to $25. I get this vibe whenever an "outsider" comes sniffing around looking for land while prices are spiking irrationally... especially if they’re coming from a big city like NYC or Chicago using buzzwords like "investment," "diversification," or "ROI." People around here just roll their eyes and think, "Easy for you to say, city boy."
2. You can always try to strike a Second deal, but it’s an uphill battle. Sure, lease rates for certain areas are public knowledge, but honestly, it all depends on the specific situation at the time.
3. I’m skeptical about this whole idea of investing in a cooperative. I have a feeling our small towns aren't exactly thinking in purely economic terms yet.

Thanks for the response, mistytinker26.
It seems like a steep climb, especially for a novice like myself.
I know some people set up cooperatives over a decade ago and saw success, but I'm certain it's still a struggle.
Profit isn't my primary driver; it's more about the principle. I believe food and water are the only true currencies on this planet. 🙂

Tell me, is there anything like "Agriculture for Dummies"? Specifically, a breakdown of crops and cultivation methods—something substantial to serve as foundational reading. I want to understand the demands of different crops in terms of capital, physical labor, time, and technical skill.

Thomas Fowler84 said:Back again.

It's probably for the best that I walked away from that place.
Could an insider give me a ballpark figure for smaller plots of land out in the Midwest? Say, about 25 acres. I’ve been scrolling through listings, but the price fluctuations are wild, and as a novice, I can't tell what a fair market value actually looks like. Just a rough estimate would help.

Also, does it make sense to approach neighboring farmers to strike a deal where they manage my land for a few years in exchange for a share of the revenue? Or is that a move that requires too much blind trust? I'm looking for a way to get into Ag investment, but realistically, I won't have the bandwidth to manage it myself over the next five years.

Are there agricultural cooperatives where one can join as an investor? If anyone has suggestions, I’d truly appreciate them. I'm looking at starting with roughly $45,000—is that even a meaningful amount to begin with? This is strictly for diversification, so I don't plan on sinking more than that.

I'm reaching out to you from the Midwest, and in my neck of the woods, land goes for maybe $5,500 per acre at most. In my opinion, that’s a fantastic investment—you could easily see a massive return within five to ten years. If you’re thinking about resale, I can point to several examples—take the Finger Lakes, for instance; since Walmart moved into the area, land there is at least $7,500 per acre and nobody is selling, whereas it used to top out at maybe $2,200–$2,700. Around here, prices have been climbing steadily, peaking at around $3,300 per acre just last year. There are plenty of other cases. You could also lease the land out, which brings in roughly $160–$220 per acre annually. As for other investments, we deal with a chronic shortage of capital here, so if someone has the means, there are plenty of profitable ways to put money into agriculture.
If you're looking for advice like "just go all-in on grain and call it a day," forget it—wheat, corn, you name it—it’s simply not worth it. I personally walked away from that life last year after adding up my losses. Livestock is extremely demanding and requires constant oversight. If you want to invest in ag but can't be hands-on, stick to the land itself and find someone who actually knows the ropes. Look for a partner since capital is often tight; otherwise, just focus on your main career and when you finally have the time to commit, start small and scale up as you learn the business. The "weekend farmer" era ended about twenty years ago; agriculture is a serious business, just like any other. Best regards.

It has come to my attention that an individual recently planted roughly 1,000 walnut saplings within a space no larger than my own living room—about 300 square feet. At a current market rate of approximately 30 to $12 dollars per unit, the potential for a significant return on investment is quite evident.

Does anyone have any practical guidance regarding the grafting process? I have heard rumors suggesting that one must prune them aggressively to prevent excessive vertical growth, but I am uncertain if this is a sound horticultural practice.

Furthermore, if I were to succeed, who would be the most viable target market for selling such saplings?

Thank you...

Scott Ward93 said:I’ve been mulling over what to actually do with this weirdly shaped patch of farmland—it's about 40ft by 360ft—and I’m honestly drawing a blank. Right now, it’s just overgrown grass that the neighbor mows down to feed his pigs and cattle. It used to be a vineyard, but it’s basically playing pretend as a meadow now, sitting on a slight slope.

I need some ideas on how to make this profitable, both in the short term and long term. What would you guys build there, or what would you plant to actually see a return on investment?

Equipment-wise, I’ve got a solid little vintage tractor—a 1987 Kubota—complete with plowing and tilling attachments. 😁... I have some downtime to work with, and my parents are freshly retired, so I figured this could give them something productive to do during the day instead of just hovering around the house.

thanks

You could always set up a few beehives and boom—you've got wildflower honey, and you don't even have to plow or dig a single hole. 😍

Austin Baker86 said:I don't think something like that exists here that would cover such a wide spectrum of topics in a short timeframe. You’ll likely need to spend an entire season just doing thorough research, given the level of investment required.

Do you have even the slightest idea what you'd actually do? Grain farming? Fruit? Vegetables? Vineyards? Livestock?

I see you're looking for land in the Midwest; where are you based? Roughly speaking, no need for specifics.

Regarding crops, the absolute worst thing you could pick is sugar beets. With everything else, I think you'll face fewer risks and have more breathing room for beginner mistakes. Just take it one step at a time if that's your goal. Start with something like grain—maybe wheat. You'll be rotating crops every year anyway to maintain soil health (monoculture is out of the question in grain farming, unless you're doing hops, but I doubt that's your plan)...

Sugar beets? Absolutely not. Think about what you're saying... Everything with those is mechanized, and even then, it's constant work throughout the season. Just consider the sheer labor involved in a single acre of peppers. You plant them by hand because planters are expensive and often inefficient; you're constantly spraying for protection, weeding by hand, and then dealing with a massive crew picking 2-3 tons daily, plus packaging and transport...
Once you are actually living off agriculture—intensive, grueling agriculture—then come back and offer advice. Forgive me if this sounds harsh, but I can't let you spread misinformation.

Fine, stay stuck in your little bubble 🤷. I’m just repeating what I heard from my university professors who actually specialize in this field. Sure, hydroponics is an automated process, but the production costs are astronomical. You have to factor in highly specialized machinery plus the massive amount of labor and constant troubleshooting required. Nobody touches this unless they are willing to bleed for it—from the second the seedlings sprout until the moment you see signs of leaf damage from ice or pests and have to deal with the plant regressing. It’s easy to talk when everything goes smoothly and you're ready for harvest, but it's a different story when you're constantly terrified of every rainstorm or frost that could ruin your entire yield...

What would you suggest to someone looking to get into farming if they don't even know what the term "fallow period" means?

Look, I live and breathe agriculture, whereas you clearly don't. I highly doubt your knowledge even comes close to my level of experience. I’ve grown turnips, and now I’m growing vegetables—those two are worlds apart in terms of labor. Turnips are a walk in the park compared to actual vegetable production. Give it a shot, then get back to me...
Anyone looking to get into farming without knowing what a crop failure actually looks like should probably hit the books first. It would be better to study up before causing unnecessary damage... to themselves and the consumers, of course.

Look, experience is incomparable to pure theory. I’ll give you that, mostly because I know exactly what you mean, and I have no problem admitting when someone knows more than I do.
But you have to admit that hoarding "experience" is useless if you haven't actually sat down and studied the literature. True experience is built on a foundation of knowledge; that baseline is what minimizes potential damage and keeps an investment from being a total disaster.

By the way, you completely missed my point. What would you recommend for someone who owns a plot of land, has a strong work ethic, but zero agricultural experience? I’m talking about a crop that offers enough margin for error to handle some beginner mistakes. I get this question all the time, and I’d love to see a clear breakdown of easy versus difficult crops.

You’re looking at two different things here. One acre of sugar beets isn't going to make you rich, but I think there's definitely enough room on that much land to make peppers worth the effort.

Like I said, from what I know, row crops like beets are tough work but offer great returns—the catch is they require massive amounts of acreage. And let's be real: there’s no such thing as an "easy" crop. Every single one requires specialized knowledge and the right equipment.

I think the most important thing is weighing what you actually want versus what you can actually handle. Trying to run a 50-acre orchard or vegetable farm is biting off way more than you can chew. On the other hand, running 50 acres of wheat is child's play by comparison. Your profit margins and overall viability depend entirely on that scale.

mistytinker26 said:You’re looking at two different things here. One acre of sugar beets isn't going to make you rich, but I think there's definitely enough room on that much land to make peppers worth the effort.

Like I said, from what I know, row crops like beets are tough work but offer great returns—the catch is they require massive amounts of acreage. And let's be real: there’s no such thing as an "easy" crop. Every single one requires specialized knowledge and the right equipment.

I think the most important thing is weighing what you actually want versus what you can actually handle. Trying to run a 50-acre orchard or vegetable farm is biting off way more than you can chew. On the other hand, running 50 acres of wheat is child's play by comparison. Your profit margins and overall viability depend entirely on that scale.

Exactly. That's my take as well.

Austin Baker86 said:Look, experience is incomparable to pure theory. I’ll give you that, mostly because I know exactly what you mean, and I have no problem admitting when someone knows more than I do.
But you have to admit that hoarding "experience" is useless if you haven't actually sat down and studied the literature. True experience is built on a foundation of knowledge; that baseline is what minimizes potential damage and keeps an investment from being a total disaster.

By the way, you completely missed my point. What would you recommend for someone who owns a plot of land, has a strong work ethic, but zero agricultural experience? I’m talking about a crop that offers enough margin for error to handle some beginner mistakes. I get this question all the time, and I’d love to see a clear breakdown of easy versus difficult crops.

I would suggest they use that acreage—specifically the tillable land—for their own private purposes, especially given the lack of experience. If there is no intention to scale production, they shouldn't even bother entering the agricultural industry. It wouldn't require much specialized knowledge in that case.
I fail to understand why people assume farming is such a simple endeavor where one can make a fortune on a tiny plot of land. If it were that easy, every farmer could walk into any job opening and claim they already have a career. I realize this may sound blunt, perhaps, but that is my perspective. My apologies if anyone takes offense, but the general discourse surrounding agriculture makes it seem like a casual hobby, as if people just stumble into it and let whatever happens, happen...

Greetings, everyone—my colleague and I are currently scouting for some agricultural acreage in the vicinity of Indianapolis for a blueberry and berry crop venture. Ideally, we’re looking to strike a deal where someone provides the land in exchange for either a percentage of the harvest or perhaps an annual lease agreement. Does anyone happen to have any leads or insights on how to navigate this kind of arrangement?

gentletinker7 said:Greetings, everyone—my colleague and I are currently scouting for some agricultural acreage in the vicinity of Indianapolis for a blueberry and berry crop venture. Ideally, we’re looking to strike a deal where someone provides the land in exchange for either a percentage of the harvest or perhaps an annual lease agreement. Does anyone happen to have any leads or insights on how to navigate this kind of arrangement?

If you're interested in the outskirts on the west side of town, shoot me a DM.

Man, I’ve got this totally empty barn just sitting there, and it's killing me! I really want to start growing or raising something in it just so it isn't sitting idle. Anyone got any killer ideas?

Cows 😉😁

Pigs.😛

Set up a grow lab for some greenery 😁

Give the mussels a shot 😁😂