Got a Wild idea brewing! Opinions needed

[Jordan Selsor]

I am drawn to this forum for allot of reasons but mostly due to the amount of knowledge, wisdom, and Ingenuity. I have seen some of the best ideas from guys on here on many topics! Secret to success is to use your resources. I would consider you all and this place one of my greatest resources! Okay so this is far from a done deal but Im attempting to get this ball rolling. I am attempting to buy a pretty expensive piece of ground that is a prime location for a pumpkin and apple picking farm IMO. Its not huge at only 10 acres but its 3 miles from a heavily populated area with many successful businesses. I have been thinking of this ever since the (lets brain storm ways to make money off our land thread). I plan to build my home on this ground and live there. So even if the business idea was a complete flop it would be okay. I would start small and go from there...
Im thinking way far ahead with this but thats just the way I do things. Got several questions

Pumpkin farmers (I know Novforever is one)
What implements and method do you use to plant allot of pumpkins?

Fruit tree guys
What apple and pear varieties would you recommend for taste, disease resistance, as well as staggered drop times?
Want as low maintenance as pos but still gotta taste good and be productive.. Thinkin 2 to 3 varieties of each..
What root stock would you recommend? I have read multiple times mm106 is the hub of the apple orchard industry???

Any other comments welcome. As always I appreciate yalls input

 

[j-bird]

Jordan - my only comment is this - is the property on a well traveled road? I say this because what you describe is very common in my area and the successful places are located along good, well traveled highways. The ability for your customers to reach you is grossly important. The ones here are all along state highways and range from like you describe with fall fruit and pumpkins to full blown greenhouses that provide flowers near mothers day and then farm produce all summer long and then transition into the fall market as well.

 

[Jordan Selsor]

Jordan - my only comment is this - is the property on a well traveled road? I say this because what you describe is very common in my area and the successful places are located along good, well traveled highways. The ability for your customers to reach you is grossly important. The ones here are all along state highways and range from like you describe with fall fruit and pumpkins to full blown greenhouses that provide flowers near mothers day and then farm produce all summer long and then transition into the fall market as well.

Thanks Jbird. Yessir this is well traveled highway.. I really do think the location and property itself is perfect for this...

 

[j-bird]

Thanks Jbird. Yessir this is well traveled highway.. I really do think the location and property itself is perfect for this...

There you go - location, location, location! Remember all of us when you become rich and famous!

 

[wooduck]

Rich and famous now that's funny right there , Jordan you will earn every dollar, can be done Join your local apple growers assoc. learn what other growers in your area are doing and why what works here may not apply to your area no reason to reinvent the wheel. Here on our orchard all new plantings go in on bud 9 or g41 root stock and are trellised to wire and we fit 680 or so trees per acre , that will bear some apples by 2nd season and will peak if everything goes as planned at 1 to 1.5 bushels . One thing about dwarf trees they pick easier and prune easier and spray easier, In a commercial setting there is zero tolerance for blemishes the public will expect excellent quality and your reputation is riding on it . Low input is not going to happen even in organics the attention to details will show up in the fruit so study, study, study if you don't have a passion for this maybe an obsession even don't bother you will be disappointed and bring lots of cash to invest and years its not as simple as it appears

Wormy deer apple with scab lesions wont sell
Good Luck

 

[wooduck]

We also do pumpkins here as they sell themselves along with the apples . we raise about 3 acres and have extra as the public wants to shop for the perfect one if you run out of anything during sales season money just walked down the street so you have to over produce and expect to waste a lot apples or pumpkins . you have to offer stuff they can not get at the big box down the street, but don't be shy on price as people will pay to support the small local guy . With pumpkins we grow premium seed large pumpkins with large handles and deep orange color fertilize well and keep down the weeds customers equate weeds with dirty .

 

[Jeff23]

If I put myself in your shoes, my main concern would be manpower/time commitment. I have pondered/still ponder the pumpkin idea, and it doesn't seem too daunting. The apple orchard could work well, but would be more labor intensive. (Orchards require a lot of maintenance, as mentioned above.) The "agri-tainment" businesses in our area that do the most business have a lot of time involved during the peak periods, and that could be the biggest issue?? None of this even deals with the question of liability, which is always paramount. There are definite opportunities, but it's balancing them with "real-life" when they are a sideline that make them tricky to manage, IMO.

 

[kabic]

I have been to fancy pay to get in Hay ride corn Maze etc. pumpkin patches. I also have been to pick your own leave money in the box honor system type.

I think there is room to be successful any where in between those two extremes.

 

[j-bird]

If it was "easy" everyone would do it!

Might have to give up that early season deer hunting however Jordan!

 

[bueller]

How about pick your own strawberries and raspberries? These places exist on a similar stretchs of road around here.

 

[Terrific_tom]

Jordan something to think about is your busy time for this venture would also be about deer hunting time.

 

[j-bird]

Jordan something to think about is your busy time for this venture would also be about deer hunting time.

Jordan's going to make so much bank he is going to be able to afford those fancy places like the king ranch and what not - go hunting with those TV folks and the like!

 

[wooduck]

We don't do the hay ride ,animal carnival thing here , we concentrate on quality and a country experience , General public expects some activities and for us pick your own and pre-picked, cider days pumpkins are the extent of our entertainment , we let the other guys charge to look at a duck or chicken , pet a goat . On the other hand the orchard can grow to many different directions depending on the owners motivations . We also do some wholesale but limit how low to price wholesale , example if a customer approaches about wholesale pricing if they can haul it away in a pickup its not wholesale quanities .

 

[phil@thesidehill]

Jordan something to think about is your busy time for this venture would also be about deer hunting time.

i was thinking the same thing. Pumpkins are big leading up to halloween and apples all fall. you could probably rule out October unless you are cool with getting an hour on stand for a morning here and there. Keep in mind that you could hire out some of that work during that time period...BUT that will definitely eat into your profit.

 

[phil@thesidehill]

overall....i think you have a great opportunity from the sounds of it. As others have said, there are many different avenues and levels of commitment to explore. I think at the end of the day, you have an opportunity to make some money from the land. Maybe not get rich quick and retire high on the hog money...but some extra income that can be certainly be useful.

Have you scouted the competition in the area? If it is even semi saturated you may need to go a few levels above to be able to differentiate your business from the rest...which can mean a higher cash and time investment and bigger commitment. If the competition is sparse, then you may be able to lessen the initial investments and work toward a strategy that allows you to differentiate yourself from the competition and produce a better overall customer experience. Give the customers a reason to choose you over them.

 

[bat man]

I thought you had limited kitchen passes? This will burn every one you have.

 

[chummer]

Do you have anyone selling mulch and stone in your area? This would fit your customer base and it has a very low start up cost. You would just build some bins and need a front end loader. Buy it bulk and double the price. It is a spring heavy business so it would counter pumpkins and apples well.

 

[Jordan Selsor]

Jordan's going to make so much bank he is going to be able to afford those fancy places like the king ranch and what not - go hunting with those TV folks and the like!

HAHA NEVER Not my style!

 

[Jordan Selsor]

Jordan something to think about is your busy time for this venture would also be about deer hunting time.

My lawn business runs the same time frame if not longer and keeps me slammed already. Trying to get out of that at some point. Work smarter not harder ya know

 

[Jordan Selsor]

overall....i think you have a great opportunity from the sounds of it. As others have said, there are many different avenues and levels of commitment to explore. I think at the end of the day, you have an opportunity to make some money from the land. Maybe not get rich quick and retire high on the hog money...but some extra income that can be certainly be useful.

Have you scouted the competition in the area? If it is even semi saturated you may need to go a few levels above to be able to differentiate your business from the rest...which can mean a higher cash and time investment and bigger commitment. If the competition is sparse, then you may be able to lessen the initial investments and work toward a strategy that allows you to differentiate yourself from the competition and produce a better overall customer experience. Give the customers a reason to choose you over them.

Tks for the encouragement Phil. I have scouted the competition. Even as far as measuring their land and size of their pumpkin patch on acme planimeter land measuring site. I honestly plan to keep it simple as possible if this deal goes through. I know this will cut into deer time but my current business does this now. At least with this I am close to home since I will live there and I can put my 3 boys to work at a young age!:)