Starting Your Own Farm
Agriculture is one of the most important and necessary industries on the planet, providing food and other raw materials to keep other jobs going. That said, getting started with your own farm can be complicated, so it’s important to have all the information you need before you start.
Take Time Finding Tools
Every farm needs the right tools for its specific needs, but your budget likely has some hard limits. Take your time to find the right equipment for your operation, and know that it’s alright if not all of them are shiny new toys. For most operations, you’ll want to start with:
- A compact tractor or UTV with tilling attachments
- A handcart for moving large, heavy objects or loose material like dirt
- A comprehensive toolkit that includes screwdrivers, adjustable wrenches, a claw hammer, and pliers
- A set of gardening implements including a hoe, rake, trowels or spades, and a pitchfork
- A trailer for easy transportation of crops, soil, fertilizer, etc.
Small Steps
Whether you dream of an efficient dairy farm or a massive collection of fields, hen houses, and cattle herds, it’s important to understand that you have to build up to that. Starting small can get you off on the right foot, so clear a few acres and choose a single crop to get started. Here in Mississippi, the leading cash crop is cotton, followed by soybeans, rice, hay, and wheat. Try to rotate your crops every year to keep the soil fresh.
Once you get going with that, it’s easier to diversify. Just remember to continue taking small steps. A few chickens are an easier place to start with animals than multiple herds of different kinds of animals all at once.
Preparation
Make sure to plan out your support systems for whatever you’ll be growing or raising. If you want livestock or animals, you’ll need a good veterinarian in mind. You also have to plan for what to do with the waste animals produce.
For crops, you’ll need a plan for irrigation and what water sources you’ll rely on most heavily. Farms have a number of sources available to them, but it’s important to utilize them all carefully to avoid depleting any one source, which is especially hard in a desert.
Looking for some helpful equipment to get your new farm up and running? Then be sure to visit us here at Twin Hills Equipment to browse our massive selection of farming equipment, and take advantage of our amazing financing services! We’re conveniently located in Byhalia, Mississippi, and have proudly served the nearby regions of Marshall County, Mississippi, and Memphis, Tennessee for over 75 years.