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Organic Herb Farms- An Easy Way to Start Your Organic Gardening Experience

March 27th, 2007    Subscribe To Our Feed

If you have little or no experience in organic gardening but would like to start somewhere, an organic herb farm might be your best approach. Herbs are generally easier to grow organically than many other types of crops. Plus, you need only a minimal amount of land. Generally one or two acres is all that is needed to start generating a profitable organic herb farm. But before you begin there are several things you need to consider in order to get your herb farm started on the right foot.

Market Demands and Your Local Climate

As with any new business venture you should develop a business plan and conduct a thorough market analysis. You may have a strong desire to run your own organic herb farm but if they are already several herb farms already in your area it may be difficult to make a profit. You need to make sure the market is large enough to support an additional organic herb farm. He also need to determine how others sell their produce. Do they sell other herbal products as well as the herbs they grow? If so then what additional equipment might you need in order to make those products?

Also if other organic herb farms already exist in your area, what herbs are they growing and will the climate conditions allow you to diversify perhaps into other herbs that they are not selling. Local farmers as well as nurseries are often a good source to determine what types of herbs may grow best in your area. Don’t be afraid to ask for their advice; they are experts and you should pay attention to what they say otherwise you may be putting your hard earned dollars to waste on a product or herb that you cannot sell or may not even be able to properly grow.

Location

When deciding where to start your organic herb farm there are several things you should consider. First, you need to determine how much land you’ll need. Do you want cleared or wooded land? Do you want to put the work in necessary to start a new plot, or perhaps you can find some previously cultivated land. Or perhaps the best of all options would be to find an existing organic herb farm that is for sale.

If you want to live on the land where you’re putting your organic herb farm, then you need to make sure there is an adequate place to put a home unless there’s a home already on the property. In addition to your home what other buildings may you need on your property for the storage of equipment and produce preparation? If there’s not a home on the property and you desire to build a home, make sure you check into available water supplies, as well as electrical supplies and sewage systems or septic systems.

Also since you are planning on using the land for an organic herb farm, make sure that the soil has it been previously treated with chemical additives. It’s a good idea to get a history of the land to know what’s been done in the past, at lease for the past five to 10 years. That’s generally how long you have to go back to get organic certification for your organic herb farm.

Crop Decisions

Deciding which crops to grow under organic herb farm can be a crucial factor in determining the ultimate success of your farm. While acres and acres of lavender certainly looked beautiful and impressive, you’re generally much better off diversifying your herb farm among several different crops just in case one doesn’t do well.

Perennial herbs, such as lavender, thyme, and rosemary can be grown on your organic herb farm and sold directly to consumers, food producers, or cosmetic and other industries. You can also decide to make herbal products and sell them as well. Culinary herbs are generally a solid cash crop. Although annual culinary herbs such as oregano and basil are more commonly grown hydroponically, you can still grow them in the ground as well.

The market for natives or naturally growing herbs is currently a very fast-growing market. You can harvest “high-value native plants” wherever they grow on your land. Many of these herbs grow best in wooded areas, so again consideration as to where to place your organic herb farm must be thought out in the context of what herbs you’re going to grow as well. Ginseng, goldenseal, cohosh and Echinacea are all examples of native herbs that have significant commercial value.

if you’ve always dreamed of being a farmer, starting an organic herb farm could be the way the perfect way for you to live that dream. sure there is a lot to learn annual probably make many mistakes along the way, but the good news is an organic herb farm can be started with a relatively small investment and without a degree in agriculture. With a little persistence and determination, you could be living your dream of being a farmer and profiting from the land you work with your organic herb farm.

Organic Gardens-Things to Consider

March 9th, 2007    Subscribe To Our Feed

Many of us have tried to grow a garden at one point or another in our lives. Some may have been successful and others not. People have many reasons for growing a garden and these reasons, to a certain extent, may determine their success. Individuals who need to supplement their family with food from a garden are more likely to be successful at it than those that were attempting it as a casual hobby. It’s not necessarily that one person is a better gardener than the other, it’s simply that one is more motivated. So with that being said, it is really not difficult to grow an organic garden if you have the proper motivation.

The idea of being able to provide your family with healthy food that you know is chemical and pesticide free is a great reason to grow an organic garden, and is a huge motivator for a increasing number of people who are starting to grow their own organic food. There are many ways to grow an organic garden. Obviously the main thing you must remember is that you cannot use any chemicals or pesticides when it comes to growing your food. You can use only natural products and this includes fertilizers and bug repellent as well.

Doing the proper research is key to starting a successful organic garden. You will need to know the kind of environment that you live in and what is needed to protect your garden, both in terms of climate and pests. Then you need to also determine what products you can use to grow your garden and the difference in the types of all-natural products that are available.

Along with proper planning for your organic garden, it also must decide what types of food you want to grow and make sure that they will grow properly in your region. Your soil should also be tested and if necessary new soil brought in to use.

A final thought to consider for your organic garden is to make sure you protect it from run offs and other chemicals that might be in use nearby. It can be very frustrating to go through all the effort to make sure your garden is 100% chemical free and all-natural only to have a runoff from a neighbor’s fertilized yard creep into your garden. But once you have thought through all these processes, you can feel secure in the fact that not only are you doing your part to help the environment, but you’re also providing healthy, chemical free foods for your family. A successful organic garden can be a very satisfying experience.

Gardening Returns to its Roots-The Organic Garden

March 8th, 2007    Subscribe To Our Feed

Gardening is as old as man himself. While many of us enjoy gardening gardening as a wonderful hobby, for a large part of mankind’s history on Earth, gardening was a necessity in order to survive, and still is for a great number of people living today. The newest trend in gardening, organic gardening, is really not new at all, but is in fact, the way people for thousands of years have grown their fruits, vegetables and flowers.

The Growing Popularity of Organic Foods

Organic foods are very popular today, for obvious reasons. All you have to do is turn on the TV or radio and listen to the latest news reports which are filled with stories of potentially dangerous chemicals in our food, as well as the contamination of our food’s being the most recent concern. And with an ever increasing growth in the amount of fruits and vegetables that are being imported into the United States from other countries. Many of us wonder how safe are food really is for us and our children. The only logical alternative to this concern is to try to find produce that has been grown organically.

The Cost of That Organic Gardening

While it’s obvious that organically grown food would probably be your first choice at the grocery store, the truth is purchasing organic produce is cost prohibitive for many people. And the reason for this is fairly simple. When a farmer doesn’t use any chemicals to enhance the growth or to fight the insects, yields will be reduced since you produce less food for the same or even more work than otherwise would be necessary if chemicals were used.

Man Returns to the Garden

This is actually one of the reasons that people have turned back to gardening in recent times. An organic garden is a garden that is grown without any kinds of chemicals; it is a hobby dealing with all-natural products only. This means that there aren’t any chemicals used to fight bugs or to make the food grow bigger, and that nothing is used in the soil or for fertilizer that is not organic. So while your organic garden may not yield as much produce as if you had used chemicals, it’s not a concern to you because you’re not trying to make a profit off of it. You’re simply enjoying the hobby and the health benefits from having a chemical free organic garden.

In a perfect world, we would be able to trust that all the chemicals and products used in gardens are safe for us to eat and that government oversight of chemicals used would be adequate to protect us. Unfortunately, despite our government’s best efforts to protect us, they simply cannot guarantee that every chemical that they have deemed safe to be used in our food supply will be safe for every single person. Every person is different in this world, and you just never know what type of reaction someone might have to a certain chemical. For this reason, organic gardening will continue to grow in popularity as people want to ensure the safety of their food for themselves and their families.

Copyright © 2007 Better Organic Gardens

Credits: Make Money Online | Matteo Turchetto | Andreas Viklund