New Farmer

Grain Farm Assumptions: The following equipment is based upon a 1500-2000 acre operation with limited storage. Equipment cost estimates are based on new or near new condition equipment. The sample operation follows a standard rotation of small grain (wheat/barley), full season soybeans, corn and...

When developing a cost analysis for a new enterprise of farm, consider the true cost of the equipment. These costs are often referred to as the DIRTI-5: D epreciation, I nterest, R epairs, T axes and I nsurance. The initial price of a piece of equipment will provide you with an estimated impact to...

Vegetable Equipment and Irrigation Maryland Rural Enterprise Development Center University of Maryland Extension Commercial Cut Flower Equipment - Big and Small Commercial Ornamental Horticulture University of Maryland Extension Vineyards - Supplies & Equipment David Myers, Extension Director...

Buying equipment that the farm will never be able to pay for. Modern farm equipment is expensive. New farmers often make the mistake of purchasing more equipment than they need for the size operation they have. For example, a modern grain operation will incur equipment of costs ¾ of a million...

What are the best sources for farm equipment? Farm equipment is most often purchased from local dealers, farm auctions, directly from other farmers, and through internet listings. A good source of information on equipment availability in Maryland is the Delmarva Farmer Newspaper Classified section...

The Beginning Farmer Guidebook was developed as part of the Maryland Collaborative for Beginning Farmer Success program and is intended to be a resource for agricultural service providers and farmers in the region. The guide should be used as a companion to the Beginning Farmer Success website (...

Welcome to the Beginning Farmer Success News Page. News from the University of Maryland Extension may be found in the sidebar located on the right side of this page. Additional news items items of interest are in chronological order below. See also, Newsletters brought to you by Beginning Farmer...

Below are additional resources for Beginning Farmers in Maryland: Starting a Farm Enterprise in Maryland: Checklist Factsheet FS-946, Sudeep A. Mathew, Neith Little and Shannon P. Dill; University of Maryland Extension, 2012 Revised 2017 Agricultural Terms Adapted from the USDA Grant Writing...

Small farms will often consist of many different enterprises that contribute to the whole farm operation. For instance, one farm operation may have a retail produce market, horse hay sales, and a fall petting zoo. It is important to understand the returns, various costs, and ultimately the...

Formulate a Farm Strategy Developing an overall farm strategy is an important component of business development. This strategy includes a number of steps focused on market segments, attributes of those segments, and forming a strategy around the needs of each segment. Formulating a strategy is an...