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[PermieGing]

http://permaculturenews.org/2013/11/01/start-growing-part-1-buy-farm-debt-free/

I found this interesting, and maybe others that are aspiring to work with the land will, too!


"Let’s say you have a bit of savings and you’re keen to buy land to farm. Even though permaculture has taught you how to see the hidden value in land and you have the skills to rehabilitate the most degraded landscapes, land is by no means cheap.

The problem is not that you can’t borrow money to purchase that hidden gem you’ve found. The problem is that the real costs only begin once you start; equipment, materials, transportation, energy, development, effort to build up a customer base. You’d have the burden of repaying the loan while you’re still at your most vulnerable — the startup phase. That means never giving the farm a fair chance to get up and running, a chance to be financially sustainable.

Is there another way? You bet."

4 Likes isaak, Sunshine, fairdinkumseeds and Da-1 like this.

[isaak]

Thanks for sharing Permie. I was excited by the title but found the article lacking in substances for the most part. I thought the whole thing could have been summed up with: 'Focus on income producing investments'.

Do you know of any such articles that go into more detail?

[PermieGing]

Nope

However, what was linked was only part 1 of the write up, maybe there will be more detail in part 2?

[Sunshine]

Thanks for sharing Permie. I was excited by the title but found the article lacking in substances for the most part. I thought the whole thing could have been summed up with: 'Focus on income producing investments'.

Do you know of any such articles that go into more detail?

Saffron, salvia, kratom, ginseng, poppies, cacti, roses/other prolific pretty flowers. These plants are the best money makers/ are worth the most.

Saffron harvesting is tedious at best. It takes 70k flowers to make 1 gram of saffron iirc, but it is worth a good bit of cash. Salvia is incredibly easy to propagate from cuttings and the going rate on them seems to be 30-50$, same goes for kratom. Ginseng root is worth upwards of 500$ per pound. Poppy seeds are worth a good bit of money and so are roses/other flowers. Cacti are small and do not need much attention. They grow slow but the return on the initial investment is high. Not to mention, they aren't too hard to clone/propagate.

I would love to own 10 acres one day with a few greenhouses on it.

Thanks for the link Permie! +1

1 Like PermieGing likes this.

[isaak]

I'll look out for the second part, thanks!

Thanks for sharing Permie. I was excited by the title but found the article lacking in substances for the most part. I thought the whole thing could have been summed up with: 'Focus on income producing investments'.

Do you know of any such articles that go into more detail?

Saffron, salvia, kratom, ginseng, poppies, cacti, roses/other prolific pretty flowers. These plants are the best money makers/ are worth the most.

Saffron harvesting is tedious at best. It takes 70k flowers to make 1 gram of saffron iirc, but it is worth a good bit of cash. Salvia is incredibly easy to propagate from cuttings and the going rate on them seems to be 30-50$, same goes for kratom. Ginseng root is worth upwards of 500$ per pound. Poppy seeds are worth a good bit of money and so are roses/other flowers. Cacti are small and do not need much attention. They grow slow but the return on the initial investment is high. Not to mention, they aren't too hard to clone/propagate.

Perfect. Thank you Sunshine! I certainly see the medium term investment potential of cacti. Start a few thousand seed of highly sought-after varieties and love them for 10 years. That would provide a substantial growth on investment.

1 Like Sunshine likes this.

[Sunshine]

You can also grow bonsai trees. Those are worth a good bit of cash as well. Or you can grow your own apples/grapes and make 'locally produces wine and hard cider'
The possibilities are endless man. You just need to have a little imagination.

2 Likes Caium and Da-1 like this.

[fairdinkumseeds]

Great article and it really sums up where folks get in unprepared and end up broke and disillusioned by not doing their research first.
Happened to heaps of mates over the years.
But, if your real goal is the independence, and land, you can have them right now though, without even a deposit....

You can always just rent your ideal place, and just stack the $ till you can buy it outright.
Live the life you really want, and imagine NOW.
Avoiding the banks and all that nonsense altogether.

Instead of actually working hard(which I HATE to do) or doing dumb stuff that attracts the attention of the authorities, like growing opium or weed in the bush, you can always just grow high profits fruit trees like pawpaw/papaya, and rock up once a year to harvest.
Very very small investment(mostly just time, as 1x $6.00fruit should get you 300seeds or about 50-100trees), fast growth, zero maintenance, zero risk, and a reasonably high return all at once, so you don't even need to save.
Boom, a couple weeks work and a few grand in the hand! Straight under the mattress(or bank if you prefer. lol)
Set something up in a different spot every year or so, and after 3-5years you can have a bit of a travel rotation happening.
Go here for the betel nut, here for the pawpaws, here for taro, here for the pomegranate, here for the HBWR etc etc.
Couple different crops every year, each bringing in a couple grand, every few months, FOREVER (once established),
And when the cops/army fly over and see you picking some pawpaw or whatever in the bush they don't care at all.
Just smile and wave as they fly past looking confused. 
If the fires or bats or hunters or rippers get them who cares, you only wasted some sweat and some time, so just go dig some more holes and start another lot.
Seed if free,(practically) land is free (if you don't own it or rent it) and as long as your not growing a drug crop, or cooking out there, you won't have a drama.
The authorities have SO many better things to do than hassle stinking bloody feral's in the bush.
The cameras they have on the Planes/Choppers now days pick up the "illicit stuff" really well and when they see that's not the deal, they just fly away.....
Live the life right now, if its what you want, right now.
Tomorrow, when you have the start up $ to invest, you will probably be a different person altogether, and that person might not want to, the way you do now.
All in, all the way, every single day!!!
 

9 Likes Mandrake, Caium, isaak, New Wisdom, TBM and 4 more people like this.