Is small farming profitable?

[Hotzcatz]

I'm hoping to keep a few beehives to increase fruit production as well as for honey, but animals aren't part of the lease agreement so no goats. I can probably keep a few chickens around since nobody really cares about them and I could perhaps have fish if I wanted to be a fish farmer. I think they'd notice cows and goats.

Cash flow over the year doesn't matter, just at the end of the year it would be nice if the farm produced more than it consumed. Actually, seasonal crops are good since our labor is so limited. We can harvest a crop, sell it and then take a break before the next harvest. We will be sharing equipment and labor with the neighboring farmlet.

I'm thinking at least a few trees (Plant It Hawaii's spring sale is tomorrow) to start. If the land is flat enough that it can be tilled, then perhaps a big corn/squash patch with rows of experimental crops. I've got the hoops for a small green house but no cloth for it so I'll set it up to grow beans on while I'm waiting for the lilikoi to cover it. Hmm, maybe grapes instead? That would give me a shady area for starting plants or a cooler weather crop.

I think we will try to get a table at the local farmer's market and see what we can grow that can be sold there. At the beginning, it will be fight off the guinea grass, then see what we have. Run a tiller around and see what should be planted, I guess.

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"I like yard sales," he said. "All true survivalists like yard sales."
Kurt Wilson