I have a few ideas, but would love to hear what some of the "experts" think.

I have about 30ac (only about 20 useable acres and the rest a buffer. I'm trying to decide how best to use it to produce enough profit to hire a farm hand or 2. I don't want to get rich and would honestly be fine breaking even if it would afford me the ability to hire some help and not spend every spare minute out there.

Ideas I have:
Veggies for farmers market and local restaurants.
Free Range Chicken (not sure where the market for this is.)
Pasture Hogs (again not sure how to market.)
Goats (not much money in it, but they are fun for the kids.)
Sheep (can't figure out how to make money with them.)

I have toyed with a little livestock and gardening. I inherited a natural green thumb, but seem to enjoy dealing with the livestock more.

What say ye?

Knowing where your land is, hogs may not go over well. The cattle market is not great right now. Cows are not selling for much, so buying them is not a problem, selling them is. On 20 acres, I don't think you are going to be able to have enough live stock to turn a profit.

What about building a barn and some riding facilities and offering horse boarding. Where you are, it would be very likely to be successful. That would allow you to hire someone to work there taking care of the horses and working your garden.

I have a friend who does horse boarding. He does very well and his stables stay full. In big city areas, alot of people want the ability to have a horse to ride, but have no place for it.

Most of the offer to work off their cost of leasing the stable as well. Free labor is always good.

I'm doing the same thing with my land. Here is a good website for you to check out, and get your ideas from. I use it a lot.

www.hobyfarms.com


Let me know which route you take with your farm.

If the land is anywhere near B'ham a boarding and riding place as Doekiller suggested would be hard to beat, as for as keeping it filled. However, you can't "board" many horses on 20 acres without having a large feed bill. Bottom line is I think it would be hard to economically justify the horse thing, due to the limited number of horses you could handle and the cost of the facilty in which to keep them.
On the other hand, 20 acres will grow a hell of a lot of vegetables and wouldn't cost a great deal to get started in.

If your wanting to turn a profit then broiler's or hen houses are going to be your best bet... assuming you can get a contract with a grower.

could you raise non-hormone injected beef to sell.

You could consider splitting it into ~40 (1/2 acre) farms for people in the city. Lease city folks a 1/2 acres plot for x dollars, and hire someone to help with the farm.

$ = they do everything
$$ = your hire will help with some of the work
$$$ = your hire will help with more work
$$$$ = your hire will do everything, they pick
$$$$$ = your hire will do everything including picking...

Pot

I don't know the first thing about horses, and I don't want a lot of traffic on the farm. I don't want lots of people out there.

I am doing the vegetable thing but you need some help with it for sure if you are going to keep pulling teeth. I have a full time business I run and have a couple high school kids that help me 3 or 4 days a week picking, weeding, spraying and planting. I take off early a couple days a week to go to the small town evening markets around us ( Calera, Ross Bridge and UAB ). I have really enjoyed it and make a few bucks in the process. I make enough each summer to pay for a vacation for the family and cover Christmas expenses. It is a crap shoot unless you have a water source but I have made a profit the 3 years I have done it with no water so far. You won't get rich but you meet a lot of people and it will keep you busy. I am not a professional farmer by any means and tomatoes still kick my but but I'm learning. If you go this route get with the Farmers Market Authority and they will set you up some markets to go to. They try to spread us out so we can make some money and not get to many folks selling all at one spot.

I wouldn't be too concerned about that. Ask any anyone who farms.
Most people who do it do so because they enjoy it.

no matter what you do it all looks good on PAPER. do what you think you enjoy most and hope you don't have many problems. usually you can use some of the expenses for tax deductions. I have a few cattle and enjoy that.

Thinking about all of the headaches and potential liability you might be taking on, I'd suggest you sell it.

What Ned said.

How many years has it been since you have sold any cattle? They are through the roof right now.

right now is the time to sell not buy.

grow something rare that you might find on a fancy menu in new york city.

Exactly, we run around 100 momma cows. You couldn't buy them and come out, but if you have them it is not a bad time to be a cattle farmer. Fuel and fertilizer is through the roof, but the cattle market has been up pretty good for a while now.

Took the words right out of my mouth. I went to the auction at kilpatrick a few weeks ago and cattle and goats are throught the roof. If I had 20 acres I would probably get some boer goats. Freakin nannies were selling for 150 or more at the auction. Not to mention you got people like driveby that like them for other reasons. I bet he's willin to pay twice top dollar for a good nanny goat.

It is fun to consider the options so here are a few you can think on that require limited land resources:

Hydroponic lettuce and other greens for high end resturants.

Plasticulture vegetables.

An orchard.

Christmas trees.

Greenhouses.

An apiary.

With free range or pastured broilers it will be difficult to figure out how you will get them slaughtered, packaged and distributed if you raise enough to be worth much.

Whatever you do, I would not go organic unless you are very sure of your market. Most people who are interested in the type of production you seem to be considering are not so much into organic as they are interested in local produce and knowing where their food comes from.

I think you will have a hard time competing with any of the red meat....or will have very limited production.