AGRIBUSINESS: HOW TO START A FARM: PLANNING YOUR FARM
Planning your farm will help you get started, and define where will end up.
So you've decided you want to farm {congratulations!}.--but what do you grow? What are the
conditions you have to work with (such as soil/ location/ water) and
what resources are you are able to invest?
#1. Do your Homework
Attend farmer workshops, conferences and visit the market to see what is in demand and the
prices. Keep a notebook to track your findings. Read magazine or any materials related to
farming, join farming groups on social media and obviously stick to this like page lol. Talk with
established farmers in your area, they usually will have plenty of experience. You should really
consider working on someone else's farm for a season or two. You will gain valuable skills and
experience. Nothing prepares you better to farm than experience does.
#2. Draft a plan and set farm goals
Goal setting is important in every aspect of farming. Since farming is a business, it needs a
vision and plan on how to attain that vision. Most farmers in Africa find that they only have 2-3
months (winter) to plan for the next growing season. The farmer needs to set up a plan on target
income and from there work backwards from there. By this I mean, you do some market research
to find out which crops the market needs and at what price you can produce versus the average
price on the market. This will help the farmer to work out the expected profit per year. Growing
food requires good timing and attention to detail.
#3. Map out Your Farm
The next step is to map out the farm. This will help in crop rotation and in ensuring that the farm
is being utilised to its full potential. Have your map drawn in a basic notebook, this map will
guide in determining soil types of each field and in planning for what, when and where next
crops need to be sown on a particular field.
#4. Draft a Simple Budget
It's helpful to have a budget for what your farm is going to cost. You will need to invest things
like seeds, farming tools, water and an alternative energy solution for powering your farm when
the power goes out.
#5. Raise Funds
Can you borrow or get a bank loan? Have you saved up enough to get started? These are some of
the questions you need to ask yourself.
#6. Look for Land
You don't need to own land to farm. You could look into leasing land from farmers with excess
land. You could also consider growing food in your rural village.
#7. Source Supplies
Get your seeds. Visit a farm supply store or research centre to purchase your seed.
#8. Get Growing
Get started with quick and easy crops like peas, beans, and tomatoes and learn what it's like to be
in production. This will help you build relationships, and also your confidence.
#9. Keep Records
This is very important because in farming there are so many ‘miscellaneous’ expenses and if
they are not monitored, you will soon find himself in the red. Most farmers I have met are just
like me when it comes to record keeping—haphazard and inconsistent. Unfortunately, it is one
of those things that MUST be done. The good news is that once you have a system it is easy to
just add numbers and it easy to track expenses and income to determine the success of your farm.
There is no ‘best’ way to do this, the important thing is to do it as simply and clearly as you can.
My first accounting book was just a notebook with a line in the middle where I wrote every
expense on one side and income on the right-hand side.
Ask for a receipt every time you purchase anything for the farm, then make sure that you
reconcile all receipts at the end of the month. This step is important for the African farmer
because there are many businesses that sell farming resources but do not have receipts! If you are
computer literate, which I assume you are since you found this website, then there are countless
apps and websites that you can use to keep all your farm records.
Examples of records every farmer should have: income, expenses, assets, fertiliser/ pesticides
usage, wages, etc..
#10. Have Fun!
About the Author
Kundai is the co-founder and co-editor of Emerging Farmer. She is an emerging farmer and
entrepreneur. She grows, processes and distributes mushrooms and vegetables and raises pigs on
her family's farm.
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