From dreaming to doing: tips for setting up your own farm.
“Can you name any two or three opportunities you have thought about exploring after school?” asked Dr Tayman, a lecturer at the Ghana Institute of Journalism, during a mass communication class. You could have heard a pin drop after he posed this question. One of the many similar career questions I remember hearing from lecturers in the university.
Unsurprisingly, there was never an answer about farming when people eventually came around with any input. Nonetheless, there seems to be a growing interest in farming by young people today. Rightly so, according to the World Bank, when agriculture is compared to the other sectors, growth is two to four times more effective in raising income. Agriculture is also important for economic growth: it accounted for 4% of global GDP in 2018.
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Speaking from experience, I have three friends who’ve started farms in their hometowns being managed by family members. They’ve now realised they can do and earn more by signing up on Complete Farmer, but hey, that’s a story for another day.
If you’ve ever thought of becoming a farmer but didn’t know how to start or you were worried about how to manage the farm when you start, you just landed on a gold mine. Before we jump right in, just know that farming is not easy. Experienced farmers will tell you that venturing into farming requires some crucial technical skills for effective management of the farm for it to result in the appropriate agricultural and economic freedom you may be looking for.
Below are some of the simple tips for setting up your own farm:
Develop a strategic plan
Meticulous planning never hurt any business. Successful farms are almost always based on very good planning. A good strategy will guide you in manoeuvring your way through the hows, what kind of farming, where you would want to do it, and how plausible all these are.
Many farms have failed simply because there was a lack of proper understanding of certain key farming processes like nursing and land preparation. You wouldn’t want to end up like that. You will have to scour many possible plans and go ahead with the most ideal for your business model and also seek advice from seasoned farmers. People who have walked the path you are about to take are always the best resource. You learn from their pitfalls, you build on their achievements.
A very good plan should include detailed risk management plans. The fact is, machines break down, people die, and the weather is largely unforeseeable. A concise plan factors in the unexpected to be able to handle anything, should it occur.
Acquire the best farming resources
To achieve higher yield, cut cost, improve efficiency, and expedite processes on your farm, you will need farming resources. Not just any farming resource, but the right ones. Before you start with how the previous line is unrealistic, we understand the ‘best’ farming resources like ideal farmland, seeds, farm implements, and machinery, can be expensive but think of these purchases as an investment that are surely going to rake in more. It’s also crucial to know the go-to places for these resources, as knowing this can help you reduce cost.
If you’re encountering a budget restraint but still want to use the best equipment, consider renting instead of buying because you won’t need some equipment for the entire farming cycle. . This helps you save money because you only pay for the equipment when you need it. You wouldn’t have to worry about the cost of maintenance either. That’s a win, right?
Determine your target market
So you’ve seen many people buy pork on Fridays when you go out so you want to start a pig farm, or you’ve had a dream of owning a mango farm, or you just want to supply the closest local market because you feel whatever you grow you will get buyers in the market.
But what if you don’t sell all your harvested produce, or your produce doesn’t move as much as you hoped in your closest local market, or what if they simply don’t buy because they have suppliers they’re loyal to? You will be stuck between making a loss and mad frustration. Neither of which are palatable.
To avoid this, determine how you are going to sell your produce, where you would be selling them, and who will be buying them. A detailed market survey or market research is necessary before you go ahead to buy any seed or pig to start a farm.
Be passionate about what you do
Like we’ve already mentioned, farming isn’t easy. So be sure about that decision before taking that leap. Or if you’re someone like my elder brother who wants the easy way out of everything but wants to provide the necessary eventual impact. Then simply sign up on Complete Farmer.
You wouldn’t have to lift a finger during any farming activity. You get insights and updates on your farm every step of the way. Harvest, choose a buyer of your choice from vetted buyers on the platform, voila, you earn your profit while experiencing the farming journey you desire and feeding the world while at it.
Visit https://www.completefarmer.com/ and make that decision today. You won’t regret it.
Set realistic objectives
We all know that one person who is always quick to set lofty goals with hardly enough resources or a sufficient strategy to back them up. Relax, we are not here to kill ambitions. We just need you to be as realistic as possible with the goals you set to enable you to achieve them, which in turn boosts momentum for growth and provide a stable tracking system. In essence, before setting grandiose objectives, make sure you have commensurate substance to meet them.
Have a concise budget
When starting a farm, it’s critical to have a budget in place that enables you to know and understand your purchasing power in terms of what you can and cannot afford. This makes it simple to carry out your plan during the implementation stage. You don’t want your farming activities to be slowed down by a lack of equipment or other farm implements.
Relationships are crucial.
Build and keep farming business connections. You will need them. Probe about the farming processes and finances, it will be whole informal education on its own. Moreover, a strategically sustained social network of seasoned farmers will help you make informed decisions that will help you start and expand your farm.
Learn, inquire, and share what you’ve discovered.
If you don’t like discovering new things or change, then you probably need a business advisor to keep you in check. Farming is an ever-evolving activity where you will need to pick up a new skill or technique to help grow your farm. So go ahead and absorb as much as you can, and ask a lot of questions. You only learn when you do.
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So there you have it! Your simple toolkit to setting up your own farm. Starting your own farm may come with its challenges but the pros far outweigh the cons. As Complete Farmer farm manager Dennis once said; before you can do anything in this world when you wake up, you need energy, and you need food to get that energy. So what better way to achieve that than having your means of setting up your own farm.
If there are any tips you think we left out, kindly comment with them and we promise to incorporate them. Let’s work together to create a world that eats better by working together!
References:
The World Bank. (2020, September 30). Agriculture and Food. Retrieved from https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/agriculture/overview
