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Step 1Practice sustainability. If you want your farm to be a long-term investment, keeping your land healthy is essential. Practices such as confined animal feeding do damage to water and soil, not to mention the health of your animals. Keep your land healthy by using sustainable farming methods like composting, rainwater collection and crop rotation.
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Step 2Keep costs down. Learn the basics of animal care for routine procedures such as delivery and castration to avoid high veterinary bills. Repair your own machinery and plan ahead for the next season. A do-it-yourself attitude will take you far.
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Step 3Avoid debt. Bad seasons happen and you may not make as much money as you had hoped. A mortgage note or large loan can make the pressure of bad seasons hard to bear. Start out small and expand as your profits grow.
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Step 4Minimize your workload. Think ahead when planning the shape and size of fields, travel lanes and buildings. Balance your own chores with the help you have available.
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Step 5Maintain your equipment. Routine cleaning and maintenance can keep a small problem from becoming an expensive setback. Regularly check your equipment for problems and keep parts clean and well-oiled.
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Step 6Keep accurate records. Up-to-date information can save you time and money, especially when calculating profit. Record the cost of all materials, equipment and labor to accurately calculate your prices.
How to Make a Living on a Small Farm
Imagine: a small piece of land, a few loved ones and food grown straight from your soil. Living on a small farm can be a dream come true. But with the rise of big agribusiness, small farmers are finding it harder to stay in business and pay the bills. Luckily, communities have responded by setting up weekly farmers markets and Community Supported Agriculture programs. A few simple practices will help you make a living on your own small farm.
How to Become an Agricultural Equipment Operator
If you love working outdoors and are mechanically inclined, becoming an agricultural equipment operator could be a great career choice. Almost anyone can do it, but be prepared for some hard work. Follow the steps below to get on your way to becoming an agricultural equipment operator.
1 Visit a farm in your area and observe the operation of agricultural equipment. Do an Internet search for farms that allow visitors or browse ads in the phone book yellow pages. Ask questions of the farm operator
2 Sign up for the Agricultural Equipment Operator career path at your high school, if it is offered.
3 Attend a community college Agricultural Equipment Operator course. These can be located by doing a search on the Internet, or check the resources section below.
4 Find a friend who is working as an agricultural equipment operator and ask them to mentor you in an apprenticeship program.
5 Look for a farmer who is willing to give you on-the-job training. Do an Internet search for agriculture jobs or check newspaper classifieds.
6 Start applying for jobs in the field. Demonstrate your training, experience and desire, and become an agricultural equipment operator.
1 Visit a farm in your area and observe the operation of agricultural equipment. Do an Internet search for farms that allow visitors or browse ads in the phone book yellow pages. Ask questions of the farm operator
2 Sign up for the Agricultural Equipment Operator career path at your high school, if it is offered.
3 Attend a community college Agricultural Equipment Operator course. These can be located by doing a search on the Internet, or check the resources section below.
4 Find a friend who is working as an agricultural equipment operator and ask them to mentor you in an apprenticeship program.
5 Look for a farmer who is willing to give you on-the-job training. Do an Internet search for agriculture jobs or check newspaper classifieds.
6 Start applying for jobs in the field. Demonstrate your training, experience and desire, and become an agricultural equipment operator.
Agriculture Jobs
Thinking about getting a new profession? Did you know that careers in agricultural include more options than farming? This guide will help you understand the various fields available, including life science, forestry, landscaping and veterinary.
Agriculture is the industry concerned with obtaining food and raw materials for goods from plants and animals, and involves farming, ranching, forestry, fishing, and science and inspection. A variety of jobs are available in each of these five areas of agriculture.
Farming
1. Farming involves planting, growing and harvesting plants used for human consumption. Positions involved in farming include farm managers, farm workers, crop dusters, pest control chemists and specialists, and farm equipment operators and repairers.
Ranching
2. Ranching involves raising animals for the production of meat or for an animal-based product such as milk or wool. Ranching jobs include ranch managers, ranch workers, animal trainers, feed specialists and nutritionists, ranching equipment operators and repairers, milking or shearing assistants, breeding technicians, artificial insemination specialists and large animal veterinarians.
Forestry
3. Forestry involves planting, cutting and caring for forests in the pursuit of lumber and related products. Positions in forestry include land managers, procurement foresters, conservation scientists, fallers, choke-setters, rigging slippers, log movers, logging equipment operators and repairers, log graders, and logging foremen and managers.
Fishing
4. Fishing involves using traps and nets to acquire fish and shellfish out of water for human consumption. Positions in fishing may relate to operating a fishing boat, such as fishing boat captains, first mates and boatswains, or related to fishing itself, such as fishermen, trap setters and fish cleaners.
Science and Inspection
5. Agricultural and food scientists research new methods and technologies that can be used in agriculture, solutions and treatments for pest problems and plant diseases, and ways to improve soil and reduce labor. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and its employees are responsible for regulating all types of agriculture in the United States as well as inspecting meat and other agricultural products.
Agriculture is the industry concerned with obtaining food and raw materials for goods from plants and animals, and involves farming, ranching, forestry, fishing, and science and inspection. A variety of jobs are available in each of these five areas of agriculture.
Farming
1. Farming involves planting, growing and harvesting plants used for human consumption. Positions involved in farming include farm managers, farm workers, crop dusters, pest control chemists and specialists, and farm equipment operators and repairers.
Ranching
2. Ranching involves raising animals for the production of meat or for an animal-based product such as milk or wool. Ranching jobs include ranch managers, ranch workers, animal trainers, feed specialists and nutritionists, ranching equipment operators and repairers, milking or shearing assistants, breeding technicians, artificial insemination specialists and large animal veterinarians.
Forestry
3. Forestry involves planting, cutting and caring for forests in the pursuit of lumber and related products. Positions in forestry include land managers, procurement foresters, conservation scientists, fallers, choke-setters, rigging slippers, log movers, logging equipment operators and repairers, log graders, and logging foremen and managers.
Fishing
4. Fishing involves using traps and nets to acquire fish and shellfish out of water for human consumption. Positions in fishing may relate to operating a fishing boat, such as fishing boat captains, first mates and boatswains, or related to fishing itself, such as fishermen, trap setters and fish cleaners.
Science and Inspection
5. Agricultural and food scientists research new methods and technologies that can be used in agriculture, solutions and treatments for pest problems and plant diseases, and ways to improve soil and reduce labor. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and its employees are responsible for regulating all types of agriculture in the United States as well as inspecting meat and other agricultural products.
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