The Tiny Farm Planner is an illustrated planner and record keepers that’s ideal for small farmers, veg box schemes, community gardeners and community gardeners.
Manage your tasks by season using the checklists, tracking planting dates to chore lists and yield/harvest times. It includes record pages for soil test results and handy growing tips.
If you dream of fresh organic food grown just steps from your back door (and are stuck in a job you don’t like), why not provide food for local people, and start your own tiny organic farm?
More people are seeking empowering ways to take back their lives, to do something they love. If you fancy yourself as a bit of a Good Life dreamer, why not turn that dream into reality?
You likely won’t make a lot of money, but you’ll probably make enough to survive with local support, you will be able to feed yourself, and have few overheads, if you keep things small and local.
People increasingly wish to buy local organic food, and support local farmers. And the idea of producing more food with less space, makes even more sense now, than ever.
The Unique Appeal of Tiny Organic Farm
What’s not to love? You get to grow your own organic food and feed your community, and local people can buy fresh seasonal organic produce at a lower price, with no plastic packaging. And keep money circulating in local communities.
A tiny farm is usually a plot of less than 2 acres. It could be a small field, or even a handful of raised beds in someone’s backyard. Unlike large farms, these plots rely on close care and hands-on growing, rather than heavy machinery and high costs.
Tiny farms require no storage barns or tractors, and usually sell direct to customers, or work with local veg box schemes and farmers’ markets to sell their wares.
Land, Resources, and Certification
Begin by choosing the right land. You can even use a medium-sized garden as a micro-farm, as long as it’s sunny and drains well. Good soil is the key point, so if not already good, you’ll need to build this up, to grow good food.
Most veggies and herbs need at least 6 to 8 hours of sun each day, and regular watering is essentially (especially in warm months). You’ll need to test your soil for nutrients, and consider adding organic matter, on a regular basis.
Read our posts on no-dig gardening and wildlife-friendly gardening.
Farmers need a government license to sell to the public (also buy liability insurance). Know food hygiene rules and read up on food safety for people and pets.
If selling flowers and plants, learn about pet-safe gardens, to educate customers. Never face indoor foliage to gardens, to help stop bird strikes.
Choosing Crops for Tiny Organic Farms
Compact Farms is a book of 15 illustrated vegetable farm plans, on 5 acres or less of land.
Choose crops that give the best return for your time and effort, and fit with local demand. If you planning to grow local organic food in an urban inner-city space, selling common veggies like carrots are likely going to sell better than ‘Waitrose-type’ spring greens. But a big hearty cabbage will likely also sell well.
Popular choices for tiny organic farms are:
- Vegetables: Salad leaves, tomatoes, courgettes, beans, beetroot.
- Herbs: Basil, parsley, coriander, chives (be careful, can over-grow)
- Fruits: Strawberries, raspberries, dwarf fruit trees in pots.
Consider what grows well in your climate, and how fast a harvest you want.
Organic Farming (on a small scale)
Organic farming works best when you feed the soil, not just the plants. On a small farm, every detail counts. Crop rotation (swapping what you grow each season) helps to keep the soil healthy. And turn food waste and plant clippings into rich natural fertiliser.
Stick with certified organic seeds for best results. Start small and use good techniques, and your harvest will be richer and quicker.
Organic farming also means nature and wildlife will take care of unwelcome guests. For instance, ladybirds eat aphids, so you won’t need chemicals to remove them.
Selling Produce from Tiny Organic Farms
Once you have grown your food and taken what you need, it’s good to learn how to store your farm produce, so you don’t waste any that you don’t sell immediately.
It should be pretty easy with some good design and marketing, to get the word out about your tiny organic farm. People love to buy affordable produce that is locally grown. As well as selling at markets, you could approach local cafés, pubs, or shops to sell wholesale.
Start a No-Dig Organic Vegetable Farm
The No-Till Organic Vegetable Farm is an ideal read for farmers and community gardeners, to reduce weeds, use inter-planting to increase resilience, and create hedgerows and beneficial insect habitats, along with tips on finding customers to buy your produce.
The book covers:
- Science & Soil Health
- Start-up Costs & Land Search
- Establishing Beds
- Crop Planning
- Water Resilience
- Preventing Weeds & Manual Weeding
- Harvesting & Marketing
- Attracting & Retaining Employees
- Planning & Recordkeeping
- Agriculture-Supported Communities
I began the farm with a loan of $180,000 and an interest rate of 3.8%. Four years later, the farm grossed over $250,000 in a season. Today, the farm sells about $300,000 of food each year from 2.5 acres of vegetables. All profits are reinvented in the farm.
If you want to farm for a living, I highly recommend reading this book. It is one of the best guides for serious growers that I know of. Ben Hartman
Also read this book on how to build your own farm tools. Set up a workshop and make 15 tools including simple seedling benches, a mini barrel washer, a DIY germination chamber and a rolling pack table.
Plus learn how to design an effective drip irritation system. Daniel Mays (who has a degree in environmental engineering) runs a no-till farm in Maine (USA) that produces food for hundreds of local families on three acres of land.
More Help for Tiny Organic Farms
Sustainable Market Farming is a guide to growing food organically, by someone who feeds a community of 100 people on just a few acres of land in Virginia, using disease-resistant varieties of crops and organised business skills.
The Farm Carbon Calculator is a free toolkit that takes up to 2 hours, to help save carbon and therefore money. Developed by a Scilly organic farber, it can be used for any scale or soil type.
MudControl slabs turns muddy dangerous land into safe places eto pass through, or eat hay. They are used with sand for easy installation.
The Farmer’s Office is a book to help farms get more profits (which means better welfare for animals as it costs money to buy feed and good housing).
Agritourism is money made from renting farm buildings to holidaymakers (don’t let dogs near livestock). WWOOF offers free board and food in return for volunteers who get knowledge and experience (this is active learning, not cheap labour).
