Courtesy of Roxanne C.,Philadelphia PA
We get asked all the time, “Who is the typical backyard farmer?” The question comes from those who want to make money growing food in their yard or neighborhood lot, but have doubts about whether they have what it takes to succeed. It’s their round-about way of trying to find out if they measure up.
The true readiness of a backyard farmer can’t be determined by standardized skills assessment sheets or formulaic self-evaluation forms. They are, by definition, doers. If you are serious about turning your garden into a business, and are trying to figure out how to go about it, one of the best ways we can help is to give you real-world examples to follow. So each month Backyard Riches and SPIN-Farming co-host an online meetup with a SPIN farmer who explains how they got started, what their farm is like and how much money they are making.
There really is no typical SPIN farmer, but what is emerging from our meetups are these 10 common characteristics:
1. They are production-driven
2. They sell their products for a premium
3. They understand that the story of their farm can be turned into economic worth in the marketplace
4. They set goals, plan, and identify measurable objectives
5. They track their SPIN numbers
6. They do not take on much, if any, debt
7. They view change as opportunity
8. They innovate new approaches to business arrangements, such as networking, partnerships, and diversification.
9. They keep up to date on food trends
10. They know how to assess, take on and manage reasonable risk
If you can’t find a SPIN farmer in your neck of the woods to learn from, you’re welcome to drop in on our online member meetups. Follow us on facebook for the schedule. Though every one of our members has a unique story to tell, they all agree on one thing. The best way to get started is to just do it. SPIN makes it low-risk, and you’ll know quickly if you have what it takes. Here’s how well some of them are doing, and they are all eager to tell you how they did it.
MEET MORE OF OUR MEMBERS IN THE BACKYARD RICHES ONLINE SUPPORT GROUP. GROW AMBITIOUSLY.
