HOW TO START FARMING WITH NO MONEY
Money can be the gateway to most things in life. Unfortunately, if you don’t have much to spare it can make things tricky. Starting a farm with no money can be especially hard because the income from farming is notoriously low which makes getting started and finding loans hard. But don’t be defeated! For those of us with the drive (and rather a lot of creativity and inspiration) there are ways to get into farming even if your bank balance treads the tightrope between red and black.
BEFORE YOU START
START SMALL
I highly recommend you start any farming enterprise with no money on the smaller side. No one likes to lose cash, but if you’re struggling financially, you can’t afford to spend big bucks and get little in return. Like all enterprises, it’s worth growing gradually, expanding when you can and not expecting any great influx of cash immediately.
TAKE A COURSE
If you’re new to farming, then taking an agriculture course in your field of interest is worthwhile. It’ll not only arm you with some much needed skills but will also ensure you actually want to farm before you’ve invested any time or money. If a market garden’s on your radar, take a growing course. If you want to raise pasture poultry, consider attending one of the many livestock courses run by fellow farmers.
Join a group if, for example, you know nothing about flower farming
JOIN A GROUP
There are lots of like-minded individuals around the world and if you want inspiration or knowledge, it’s worthwhile joining a group. Community gardens can be a great place to network and learn about growing whilst Facebook groups could put you in touch with local livestock groups who could offer advice.
FIND WORK EXPERIENCE
I highly recommend getting some work experience before you jump in and begin farming. Even I, who grew up on a farm, went and worked as a livestock manager for three years before going it on my own. There were two main reasons for this; one was to gain as much knowledge as possible to make the transition of running my own farm as easy as possible. The other was to ensure that I actually enjoyed it. I mean, wouldn’t it be a touch ironic to go all-in on a farm only to discover you don’t actually have any affinity for it. Growers and farmers around the world are always looking for volunteers and will happily skill-share, so hunt some local folks out and get hands on.
RESEARCH
Starting your own farm is very exciting and it’s tempting to try everything at once; grow veggies, get chickens, milk goats and the plethora of other ideas swirling around your head. Unfortunately that’s a quick way to lose money! Take some time to research the farming enterprise you want to get in and the potential it has to build your farm before you start.
SMALL FARMING OPTIONS
If you want to start farming with no money, there are numerous ways to start; some of which I’ve listed below. Before starting, it’s important to look into the legislation first. For example, in the UK we are not allowed to butcher poultry at home and then sell it. In the USA, meanwhile, there are multiple laws regarding when, where and how many chickens you can keep in your garden or yard. So before investing, take the time to ensure your local laws allow you to start your farming enterprise.
In addition, with each enterprise try and be creative and look further than the initial product. For example with rabbits you might prioritise the meat. However, you could also sell hides (and fur if you have angoras). There could be a market for pet rabbits too and potentially even rabbit poop for gardeners.
QUAIL
Quail are easy to keep and require little space
Quail are a great starter bird and honestly, a gateway animal into farming! Unlike other poultry like chickens or ducks, you can keep quail indoors with little mess or if you prefer, an outside hutch. This requires very little start-up cash and you can start as a hobby before expanding. They mature quickly within only six week and eggs hatch in just 17 days. You could try selling meat, eggs, young chicks and even feathers. There are also a wide variety of colours that you could diversify into, offering potential customers distinct and beautiful lines of these lovely coturnix quail.
URBAN MARKET GARDEN
Though you might dream of a huge and rolling market garden, one of the best ways to start a commercial vegetable patch is in your own backyard … or frontyard for that matter. If you don’t have a garden, there are also many people willing to turn over their garden to a vegetable grower for perks; you could offer them veg in return, either on an ad-hoc basis or a weekly box. As you grow the business you can spread to more gardens to build the enterprise.
RABBITS
Rabbits are another good starter animal that most people can keep easily at home without much upfront money. A hutch/cage system in a garden or garage works well, but you could even have them in a spare room. They’re a great meat animal, but as mentioned above, you could also sell fur, young stock for pets and breeding, and contact local gardeners to see if they’d be interested in purchasing bags of rabbit poop pellets.
POULTRY
Poultry can be another low input farming business to start with and by going through the process you can learn about animal husbandry, legislation requirements and how to build an enterprise. You could sell eggs, meat birds and feathers. You could also specialise in rare breed stock or specific varieties of hens - such as those with coloured eggs. Hatching out lots of chicks is relatively easy, and once you get your initial stock, you can use their eggs to build the company.
Poultry doesn’t have to only be chickens or ducks. It could be ornamental birds too.
FREE LAND
If you want to expand beyond your house or backyard and do something on a larger scale, then there are often opportunities to get access to free land. Many farmers and landowners have vast amounts of acreage; not all of which is used. If you take the time to research the local areas you can contact farmers and see if they have a small corner they’re not using. A lot of people are often willing to aid an excited, passionate new farmer. They may offer the plot for free initially, or for a perk in return such as skill sharing. Perhaps you have another skill they could make use off; woodworking expertise, or you know how to plumb.
RENT A FIELD
Renting a field is also more accessible that you might think. Though farmers might not want to offer a plot for free, a little bit of extra cash coming their way can change things. In the UK, it’s not unheard of for landowners to provide people with a couple of acres for £100 or under per year. Especially if the plot of land isn’t being used for anything. As with above, it’s worth getting to know the local farmers and their land to establish whether you might be able to take advantage of some otherwise vacant land.
I hope this has given you a few ideas of how to start farming with no money. As with all businesses, there is some required input both with time and finances. If you start small, you can continue to work another job whilst you build your business. Alternatively, build some savings and then go all-in. Good luck!