Courtesy of Wally S., Wally’s Urban Market Garden, Â Saskatoon, SK
If you are just starting out your first year, you need to know about the customers who come to the farmers markets you are going to be selling at. What kind of income do they have? For first year crops I’d focus on just orange carrots, until you develop a feel for your markets. Most new farmers under estimate how popular orange carrots can be, how much you can sell, and how big their plantings should be. I would also suggest scallion, garlic, onions, peppers, potatoes, and tomatoes.
You might consider indoor/outdoor pea/micro green production, but you’ll increase your chances of success on this if you wait until Year 2. Same with low and high tunnels. I would suggest simple open air growing in your first year, and see how that goes so you don’t get sidetracked from just basic growing.
5,000 sq. ft. can be managed by one person on a full-time basis, no problem. Man hours required will vary according your revenue target, types of crops, and intensity of production.
Your production most likely will be limited this year, so don’t plan on selling anything in bulk quantities. To make the most money from what you have, you will need to sell in small units, using SPIN’s mix-and-match pricing, say $3.00 per unit or 2/$5.00. I suggest selling all your produce at the same price  tier the first year.
