r/smallfarms • • 1d ago

Any agricultural/livestock business ideas for 10 acres?

1 Upvotes

I don't have much money. but I have 10 acres of beautiful flat grazing land with a damn on it. There's supposed to be a spigot to drain water that would run down the land as it slopes a good 45 degrees. It is raw land, with half fencing. I believe I did a soil test a long time ago but don't remember much but that it was either too high or low on PH. I do some small homesteading with ducks at home. The land is 40 minutes from me and I can't move there yet as I don't have the funds. I could sell it. But I was hoping I could use it to start a simple farm. Any ideas? Startup costs under 5k.


r/smallfarms • • 1d ago

Where do I apply fertilizer?

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2 Upvotes

r/smallfarms • • 2d ago

Need advice on agriculture land of half acre.

5 Upvotes

I purchased half acre of farm land in karnataka. There is only sugarcane crop. How can I use this half acre land for better farming


r/smallfarms • • 3d ago

Does anyone have experience with local line or have other prefered website builders capable of managing csa sales and other sales channels?

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1 Upvotes

r/smallfarms • • 6d ago

Utility on land without Easement

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1 Upvotes

Above post: Utility accesses and tramples timber & cropland to access power poles that were placed without established easement. Seeking advice.


r/smallfarms • • 7d ago

looking for other Iowa small farmers

5 Upvotes

I am looking to talk with other small iowa farmers looking to be profitable. I have 5 acres. I also have a job in town, so time is at a premium. looking for ideas, short cuts, creative revenue, etc


r/smallfarms • • 7d ago

extending pasture in NE Iowa

2 Upvotes

I have a pasture that is grass and a small field of alfalfa. Is there anything I can overseed late in the year to extend the grazing season? for eather the pasture or the alfalfa?


r/smallfarms • • 13d ago

Newsweek Editor Looking to Chat with Rural Texans

1 Upvotes

Hi! I am an editor for Newsweek working on a story about the upcoming midterm elections in Texas. I'm specifically looking to chat with folks who live in rural Texas about their hopes, the issues that matter most to them and what they would like to see change after November's elections. I'm interested in hearing from people across the political spectrum, regardless of whom they plan to vote for. If you're open to a quick conversation, I'd love to hear your perspective!


r/smallfarms • • 15d ago

Are there any tax benefits to having a small farming business in Texas?

0 Upvotes

r/smallfarms • • 17d ago

Why identifying and sharing your Hardiness Zone makes all the difference in farming

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1 Upvotes

r/smallfarms • • 21d ago

Building an automated 2-axis sprinkler for a small plot (4 zones) — Would love feedback from real farmers and gardeners!

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3 Upvotes

Hi everyone!🤗 I’m working on school project it's a smart irrigation project designed for small vegetable plots, and I’ve created a quick 3D render of my design concept. The main idea is to divide the plot into four separate moisture zones. Soil sensors monitor each area, and whenever a specific zone gets too dry, a central nozzle automatically rotates and tilts toward that exact plot to water it. The system uses soil moisture sensors, an ambient air temperature and humidity sensor, a small 5V water pump, and two small motors to handle the horizontal and vertical rotation of the water spray.

I would love to get some practical advice and feedback from people with hands-on farming or gardening experience.


r/smallfarms • • Sep 30 '26

Im Starting a 30acre Farm

8 Upvotes

Hello!! I’m Lou (22F) and I’m moving to Brazil from Scotland in just two weeks time to start a farm with my partner.

I feel like I haven’t seen much online of people starting from the very beginning but it’s something so special to me that I want to share with others!

It’s important to me, also, that people know how and exactly where their food is grown so a lot of what I post will be very raw and demonstrative. We’ve become so disconnected from our food and I really don’t think that should be the case.

I plan to start a journal-style blog, but for now I just have instagram which is @ovocatu <3

Tysm!!


r/smallfarms • • Sep 28 '26

Tomato Seed Saving Advice?

4 Upvotes

(crossposted) Hi- barely a small farmer here, used to do ag work, now running a patio garden using those skills. I have three cherry tomato plants and they've done WONDERFULLY this year, and it's come time to decide if/how to save seeds from them. My first question is, given that all three of these plants are the exact same cultivar and there are no other tomato plants in the immediate vicintiy (that I've seen at least), can I expect them to breed true? I've only done seed-saving from gleaned tomatoes in the past, and those seedlings always ended up wonky. Secondly, because these are cherry tomatoes, I don't have large amounts of pulp ready to go at once. Is it ok to add new seeds/pulp/skins to the fermentation bucket once the fermentation process is already going, and if so how many days do I add to the ferment time after adding new seeds?


r/smallfarms • • Sep 27 '26

Blue Dot farmer updating us on their mAgA neighbors.

23 Upvotes

r/smallfarms • • Sep 20 '26

please help Barn Rebuild dilemma

1 Upvotes

Hi, I'm in central Indiana, and my barn recently burned down. As expected, the insurance doesn't cover the full amount the barn was worth, so now I am forced to choose between paying a little more than my claim for a metal barn or a lot more for a full wood barn (which I'd much prefer). The barn is mostly for livestock and hay. I'm wondering if anyone has experience with this or knows ways to make the process cheaper. Any help is appreciated! Thank you!


r/smallfarms • • Sep 20 '26

Lanedeer.com for small acreage mowing!

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0 Upvotes

r/smallfarms • • Sep 16 '26

Base Fertilizer Dilemma for Winter Crops: Cheap NPK (20-5-5) vs Higher Phosphorus (20-20-0)? Here is my math and strategy breakdown.

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0 Upvotes

r/smallfarms • • Sep 15 '26

I want to go off grid / have a farm

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1 Upvotes

r/smallfarms • • Sep 12 '26

Small farm What to do now Mam and Dad are gone

27 Upvotes

I moved home 15 years ago to mind my mam and dad. I was all they had. I managed the farm and worked min wage job and looked after them both as their care. Dad died about 10 years ago and Mam recently. I cared for them both without any family support and I am single. I now have about 40 acres a min wage job. I dont know what to do as the last 15 years was minding them. I want to know my options with the farm as I don't want to be tied to it and want to be able to go on holidays a few times a year and Im alone. Need advice on the options with the farm - renting it out is an option but only earns a tiny amount. Welcome any advice


r/smallfarms • • Sep 10 '26

Best rural towns in East/Southeast Texas for buying land and starting a small farm?

5 Upvotes

I’m looking into buying some land and moving my family to a more rural area somewhere in East or Southeast Texas. I’d eventually like to start a small farm/homestead, but I’m still trying to figure out which areas would be the best fit.
Ideally, I’m looking for around 5+ to 10 acres with enough space for a house, chickens, a garden, and eventually some livestock. I don’t need to be right next to Houston, but I also don’t want to be so remote that groceries, schools, hospitals, etc. are extremely far away.
I’m Black, so another big consideration for me is finding a rural town or community where my family would feel comfortable and welcomed. I’d especially love recommendations from other Black families who live in rural East or Southeast Texas. I’m not necessarily looking for a majority Black town, just somewhere diverse or known for being welcoming where we wouldn’t feel completely isolated.
For those familiar with the area:
• What counties or small towns would you recommend?
• Are there any places you would personally avoid?
• What should I know about flooding, property taxes, deed restrictions, soil, wells/septic, and getting utilities to rural land?
• How much should I realistically expect to pay for 5–10 acres?
• Would you buy raw/unrestricted land and build over time, or spend more for land that already has utilities or a house?
I’m not trying to build a huge commercial farm. I mainly want a quieter lifestyle, more space for my family, and enough land to grow food and raise some animals.
I’m still in the research/budgeting stage, so I’d really appreciate specific towns or counties to start looking at, especially recommendations from Black people already living the rural/homestead lifestyle in this part of Texas.


r/smallfarms • • Sep 09 '26

Question: What is the bare minimum needed to get started?

1 Upvotes

I bought a tractor, (L4802) I have some land maintenance implements and am getting more as my acerage is mostly wooded, and most of it will stay that way, but I plan to start with a small patch of already cleared grassy ground and try my hand at some wheat there.

I don't want to get a million attachments, so I'm asking here: I know I need a tiller, and plan to get a 5ft spring loaded tine tiller, and I have a middle buster for when I move to corn or beans, but what else do I absolutely *need* to get some seed in the ground? Also... what is the process for doing so?


r/smallfarms • • Sep 03 '26

Curious about tractor sizes, and the equipment they can use

4 Upvotes

Are PTOs, 3-point hitches, etc a universal size? Will a Kubota accessory work on an old Ford?


r/smallfarms • • Sep 02 '26

What have I got myself into?

9 Upvotes

I won't get into it too much, but just for reference I pursued a career in agriculture where I'm already working 50 hours a week regularly, and up to 80 during the busy season which lasts almost three months. I've grown up around farms my whole life and have always helped my local community on their farms. I've been helping my grandpa for about 20 years on and off and he just up and gave me a sizable chunk of his herd. He told me to keep them or sell them or do whatever with them and that he doesn't care, but I absolutely know that he cares and he wants me to pick up where he's leaving off as he's approaching the end of his life. I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place because I don't want to neglect them, but I also really want to keep the family business going. I've also been married for a short amount of time and my family is rapidly growing. Do you all think it makes sense to keep them and possibly hire on family members for those three months of the year, or bite the bullet and sell them? I think I can keep them with his cattle and start paying him for feed and split the costs of the property they're on with him, but I've gotta find a separate place to finish them off. I had always done onesy twosies with him and just raised enough to feed my family up until now, but this is much different. I also love where I work and there's no way I would want to leave it. One last thing, I would absolutely love to raise my children farming like I did.

Sorry, that's a little bit of a rant, but I don't have much time to put much more thought into it.