How to get started with agtech and farming investments?

Look, if you aren't planning on scaling up to at least 25 acres,
you might want to reconsider getting into farming altogether.
When it comes to poultry, walnut buyback prices are sitting around 20-$8.25for cleaned
hazelnuts $10, and apples should be buying in this fall at $0.63per unit,
just so you know. Regarding those walnut subsidies, they only apply to intensive orchards;
that means you have to plant specific high-density varieties. Growing just 100 trees on 5 acres isn't considered intensive enough,
so keep that in mind! There’s still plenty of room for blackberries, blueberries, or currants, but only if you can supply the massive volumes required by big-box retailers like Walmart.

tigar_c2 said:Honestly, folks, you might want to stay away from farming unless you
plan on setting up something much larger than about 25 acres,
because when it comes to nuts, walnuts are buying for around 20-$8.25 cleaned
hazelnuts $10 , and apples will be bought this fall at $0.63 ,
as for those government subsidies for walnuts, they really only apply to intensive orchards,
meaning you have to plant specific varieties meant for high-density growth—just like with hazelnuts (so, having 100 trees spread over 5 acres doesn't count as intensive farming),
there’s still plenty of room for blackberries, blueberries, or redcurrants, but only if you can supply the massive volumes required by big-box retailers like Walmart.

And what about processing?? Is there seriously nobody in this entire country who buys anything for processing purposes??
It just doesn't seem right that you can only offer your goods for sale to the massive retail chains.🙄

Let’s talk about walnut orchards for a second.👍 I’m a bit late to this particular conversation, my bad.
I’ve already got 1,660 saplings planted across about 20 acres. The plan is to expand by another
6 acres soon enough.

Hey there, I'm also looking into planting walnut trees.
Specifically these points:
Which varieties are actually worth planting if the main goal is high-quality timber?
Does anyone know where I can pick up some good saplings around the Sacramento area?
And honestly, is it even worth the investment to plant walnuts just for the wood value?

It turns out that soil preparation is easily the most critical factor here, though obviously, the quality of your saplings—specifically the variety and height—is just as vital. As for choosing specific varieties, it really depends on which part of the US you’re calling home. About 90% of the nursery stock is officially certified, but I wanted to see how those other seed-grown options would actually perform in the field. You have to keep in mind that walnut trees aren't exactly easy to establish; unlike certain other types where you can just toss a nut in the dirt and hope for the best, that simply isn't going to work.
I don't think you'll get anything out of this venture if you just plant them and walk away.😠 I'm well aware that there's a massive waiting game involved and a lot of upfront investment required, but it eventually pays off. I planted my first batch of walnuts eight years ago and my most recent set just two years ago, and some of those varieties are already producing fruit.👍

If you're thinking about planting walnuts specifically to harvest high-quality fruit, there’s one particular variety that thrives if you give it plenty of water—it grows like crazy. I can't even recall the specific name; someone just handed me a sapling one day. As far as the actual crop quality goes, varieties from Mexico or Bulgaria have consistently performed the best, though that really only applies to the Midwest, where the soil is significantly richer than the rest of the country. You really ought to get your soil tested first to figure out exactly what nutrients it needs before you even think about putting a walnut tree in the ground.

If you're thinking about planting walnuts specifically for the harvest, there's one particular variety that thrives if you give it plenty of water; it grows like crazy—I actually just picked up a specimen on the side. When it comes to the actual yield, varieties from Mexico or Bulgaria have consistently performed the best, though that really only holds true in the Midwest where the soil quality is top-tier. You definitely need to get your soil tested first to figure out exactly what nutrients you'll need to feed it before you even think about putting those trees in the ground.

d@d@ said:The "Red Tail" initiative is nothing more than political propaganda; it’s going to be a total waste of resources.

I really wish I had stumbled upon this thread sooner...

Regarding subsidies

- the foundational agricultural laws
- subsidy amounts and eligibility requirements (those little PDF files on the right side of the page)
- you generally need to be registered for sales tax to qualify for these incentives—current updates are posted on the Department of Agriculture website, where you can also download all the necessary application forms.
- naturally, everything becomes significantly more complicated if you're looking to farm on protected federal lands or pivot toward organic production, but we can save those headaches for another time...

For anyone who is just exploring their options at this stage, I’d suggest checking out the fall agricultural expo and visiting the Department booth; you can pick up almost all the relevant materials there, and it’s honestly not a bad idea to study the regulations ahead of time.

You don't actually have to be registered for sales tax; I run an acre of apple trees and collect my subsidies without being in the system.👍

zoser said:🙂

Let me ask you right away: are you thinking about walnuts as a crop or as timber?
If you are looking at timber, you have to wait roughly 12 years just to break even on the investment. This assumes you are planting in the Midwest, where the soil is fertile and the climate is ideal. Locations like the Rockies won't work; they wouldn't necessarily fail, but growth would be too slow, which defeats your purpose...

Now, if you are considering walnut liqueur, a friend of mine has about 150 trees in the Midwest. He sells the liqueur for about $33 per 7 oz bottle. The yield is massive. I won't get into the specific tonnage because I don't know, but I will ask him!

If you mean lumber, that is a long-term play. To reach a target trunk diameter of about 60+ cm, you are looking at 30 to 60 years. There is huge variation depending on the variety you plant. If you plant a native American variety, expect your children to reap the rewards. Therefore, I recommend Canadian varieties!
Why is it worth waiting 30 years for the trees to reach maturity for harvest? Because the math works out. At $1,000 per cubic meter, 1,000 saplings can currently yield between $800,000 and $1,300,000. Of course, there is a massive difference based on how old the trees are when you cut them. Let's take an average: 40 years of age plus 1,000 saplings equals a million dollars!

A sapling costs about $40-$$33, depending on its size. Usually, you fit 150–180 saplings per acre, depending on the spacing. I am unsure of the current market price for the nuts... but land is quite cheap!
If you decide to pursue this business, negotiate a discount with a nursery for bulk orders. Personally, I advocate for a minimum of 1,000 saplings...

I hope this helps!

Regards!

Hi,
Could you please tell me where walnut wood is paying $1,000? Does that price refer to raw logs or processed boards? Is this firsthand information or just an assumption?
My grandfather has 15 old walnut trees behind his house, and I am wondering who to sell them to.

Regarding the original topic, I believe it is absolutely more profitable to invest money in land—even an empty field—than to put it into some investment fund that will only double your money after 20 years.
If we are talking about walnut trees intended for nut production, I absolutely support the idea and wish you the best.
Thank you for the response.

NERAST said:...... DOES ANYONE ACTUALLY KNOW THE EXACT AMOUNT FOR THE HAZELNUT SUBSIDIES .....

OR EVEN WHERE I COULD FIND THAT INFO..... I'VE BEEN SEARCHING ALL OVER THE INTERNET UNTIL I'M BLUE IN THE FACE.....

btw.... THANKS FOR THE CONSTRUCTIVE ANSWERS AND THE SUPPORT

I'LL KEEP YOU GUYS POSTED ON HOW THINGS ARE GOING

hehe THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF NEWS

THE THREE OF US ARE DIVING INTO BUSINESS AND WE'RE LEAPING STRAIGHT INTO 75-100 acres right at the Start!!!

yippeeeeeeeee

please let me know ASAP if anyone knows the amount😁 😁 😁 👍 👍 😕 😕 😕

So, how's progress coming along? What did you end up planting?

I feel like a ton of people caught that segment on that farming show where this guy claimed he planted about 1,000 walnut saplings, basically saying he’ll be coming back in ten years with a chainsaw to harvest a million bucks worth of nuts.🙂))
I mean, I couldn't help but watch it too. Honestly, by the time a decade passes, there might actually be more walnuts than grass out there.🙂
I actually own about two acres of land up in the Ozarks. People on the forums are telling me it’s probably not the perfect spot for walnuts because they’ll grow slower, plus the soil isn't quite as rich as what you'd find in the Midwest. But hey, I'm going to give it a shot anyway—if it works, it works...

I decided to put some capital into sweet potato farming this year, and I have to say, the returns are looking quite promising!

It’s finally become crystal clear to me why my neighbor down the street has such an absolutely massive supply of walnuts. 🤔 🙂

I’m actually kicking myself for missing that agriculture segment—you know, the one about the guy who planted 1,000 trees. Every year, I deal with inspectors coming out to check on my own crops. If you're just planting sunflowers on your own dime, fine, nobody cares. But the moment you take a government subsidy, expect an inspector to show up at your door to make sure you aren't cutting corners. I’ve been growing walnuts for ten years now, and even then, I still lose about 30 trees to various issues every season.Walnut trees are incredibly finicky. It takes three or four years just to get them established, and they require constant attention. You can go through a decade of work only to end up standing there with a chainsaw 🙏 because everything died. Honestly, if I were in his shoes, I’d probably just pack it in and head home. 😁

Does anyone here have some experience with blackberries? I'm trying to figure out the upfront cost per acre and how tough it is to find buyers. I’ve been torn between planting hazelnuts or blackberries for a while now, especially since I have the land and the right conditions for both. Blackberries give you a harvest almost immediately, but my heart has always been set on hazelnuts, so it’s hard to let go of that dream. 🙂

I’ve been looking into this quite a bit, and there’s already been plenty of talk regarding raspberry farming. My honest takeaway? If you aren't prepared to sink a massive amount of capital into this venture, you might as well not bother at all.

I was just sitting here watching some Food Network, and they had this whole segment on walnut and hazelnut orchards—how people are planting them and all that. Honestly, the only real downside is the massive wait before you see any actual profit; we’re talking seven or eight years of waiting for that first big harvest. But man, they’ve definitely become "it" lately.

I honestly only trust goats when they're being used for profit...

fafarikul said:I was actually just sitting here watching some agricultural programming on Discovery, and they were running this deep dive into walnut and hazelnut orchards and the whole process of getting them in the ground... honestly, the biggest hurdle seems to be that massive waiting game before you see any real harvest, maybe seven or eight years down the line, but they have definitely become a huge trend lately.

I caught that segment too, and if those federal subsidies per acre are actually what they say they are, $26667 I’m seriously considering picking up about half an acre, which would leave me with roughly $20,000 left over👍

though it looks like the payout is only about $8,000 per acre, which is basically half of what you’d get for an apple orchard😢

alabrale said:I honestly only believe in goats when it comes to making a profit...

but why goats specifically?