Lets brain storm ways to make money off our acerage...

[Jordan Selsor]

I am impressed with how driven an crafty this group is therefore I think it would be fun to brain storm ideas for profiting financially off land. Not doing this out of greed. I just enjoy staying busy an take pride my projects. I certainly dont mind hard work. Obviously agricultural farming would be ideal if that applies to the terrain on ones land but is there anything a guy that owns a chunk of Ozark timber ground could do to reap some profit off this rocky ground? The ground has a good year round water source being a spring fed creek. I have approx 10 acres of good bottom ground. I thought about cleaning it all up and planting alfalfa for bailing an selling to horse people. I have heard these bails can bring a pretty penny. I just dont know if 10 acres is worth investing in the equipment and the shed to store it in?? Seems like chestnut ridge out of pike IL has a pretty lucrative little business selling their chestnuts. Then again I imagine chestnut orchards will be a dime a dozen with all the chestnut craze over the past several years. Grafting an selling fruit trees could be a good little side business as well.

If you guys have any good ideas lets hear them. I think this will be a fun conversation
Jordan

 

[Jordan Selsor]

My apologies for the multiple post. Work computer froze up (I thought). Hopefully John can delete the others without to much trouble.

 

[MoBuckChaser]

The first way to make money off your land is by buying at at a reduced price. No better way to make money and build equity than getting a good deal! Just sayin!:D

 

[bat man]

Medicinal plot screens.

 

[MoBuckChaser]

And so you want to bale some hay do yah? Hahahahaha!

I have no doubt that you could do it, but it is more than just growing cutting and baling to command top price.

 

[Freeborn]

If your looking to produce income from the land Ag rent is probably the easiest but if you don't have Ag you will need to find what is of value on your land. Jim Timber is working towards this and I believe he is moving up the value chain to capture the highest revenue he can. In his case I believe he is converting timber to firewood and also planning on converting his quality hardwood trees into harwood boards to be sold. Both of these require allot of work, skill and some capital for equipment. It can be done but requires time and effort.

In my case I like owning some farmland with my land as it provides me operating income to pay taxes and pay for food plots and improvements.

Good Luck!

 

[foggy]

I can capture a little revenue by selling some timber from time to time. Maybe enough to pay the taxes....but I doubt it.

Some folks do storage rental for boat trailers and / or storage buildings in this area. LOTS of boats and such to be stored in the winter....and trailers in the summer. I don't do this, but I do store my own boat trailers and a few lake things (like a boat lift). I used to like to scavage somewhat....so I gotta watch so I don't fill my land with useless junk. :D

 

[MoBuckChaser]

Firewood is a tough game. Need a lot of equipment, and that equipment gets wore out in a hurry, Same as a mans back if you have ever done any amount. Chainsaws, Chains, bars, sharpening equipment, splitter or processor, clam, elevator, tractor, log skidder, truck, trailer, etc. Plus, southern Missouri is all woods and a lot warmer, firewood is half price of what it is up here at best. And if you don't deliver, you might as well forget it! When you factor in all of a guys time to cut, split, let dry, load and deliver a cord of wood, it makes little money, and if fuel oil and propane get cheap.......your done like a dinner!

 

[TMIL]

Are farmer's market in your area and popular? A person could have a big truck garden and then sell at the market.

 

[MoBuckChaser]

I can capture a little revenue by selling some timber from time to time. Maybe enough to pay the taxes....but I doubt it.

Some folks do storage rental for boat trailers and / or storage buildings in this area. LOTS of boats and such to be stored in the winter....and trailers in the summer. I don't do this, but I do store my own boat trailers and a few lake things (like a boat lift). I used to like to scavage somewhat....so I gotta watch so I don't fill my land with useless junk. :D

Foggy, there is no such thing as useless junk! It's just that some pieces of crap are worth more than others!:eek:

 

[tooln]

You know the old saying. One mans junk is another's treasure.

 

[Jordan Selsor]

And so you want to bale some hay do yah? Hahahahaha!

I have no doubt that you could do it, but it is more than just growing cutting and baling to command top price.

I have put up quite a bit of hay for my previous employer but your right Mo I dont know the first thing about growing good hay. I do have a lead for selling alfalfa bales. A friend of mines father is a very affluent equine vet. He had the contract for the AB Clydesdales prior to Embev take over.

 

[Jordan Selsor]

I am working on a deal with a logger now to have approx 10-12 acres logged. He quoted me 1500 to 2K. I have the choice of either taking the money or having some dozer work done at $100/hr rate which I know is cheap for a D9 dozer work. Hell I charge 75/hr for skid work. I want to have him do a pond or small lake and do some clearing...

 

[MoBuckChaser]

I have put up quite a bit of hay for my previous employer but your right Mo I dont know the first thing about growing good hay. I do have a lead for selling alfalfa bales. A friend of mines father is a very affluent equine vet. He had the contract for the AB Clydesdales prior to Embev take over.

Selling good hay is the easy part! Putting up good quality Alfalfa is the hard part.

If you do plant it and get a good stand, knowing when to cut to get the maximum feed value is the trick. Would you have time to take off the day it needs to be cut, raked and baled? Do you have a place to store it before delivery? Do you want to make the investment into good machinery that will make a GOOD bale. Can you time your cuttings so the hay does not get rained on? What will you do with it if it does get rained on and loses the dark green color all horse idiots want? All of this is part of the puzzle that gets you to make money or lose money! I have been doing the bale thing since the mid 70's, just like firewood.......it ain't easy!

 

[SD51555]

I wouldn't buy equipment for 10 acres of hay. I do know horse hay fetches a pretty penny, but it's gotta be a certain blend, and have zero mold in it. So the stakes are higher. If you have someone in the area with all the equipment already, pencil out whether or not you could contract the work completely.

 

[MoBuckChaser]

The problem with contracting your hay done, is when your hay is ready, so is every other guy that needs your guy to bale. I would not trust anyone to come and bale when needed. Because they won't show, equipment may break, may make a shitty bale, etc. Good way to start and end a hay business in a quick hurry. But that is how I have built our hay business. Keeping as many of the factors under my control as possible.

 

[Jordan Selsor]

Are farmer's market in your area and popular? A person could have a big truck garden and then sell at the market.

Ther is a farmers market in STL that draws a large crowd.. I like the idea of internet sales if it was for chestnuts. I may approach some local restaurants once I start to get decent crops

 

[Jordan Selsor]

Selling good hay is the easy part! Putting up good quality Alfalfa is the hard part.

If you do plant it and get a good stand, knowing when to cut to get the maximum feed value is the trick. Would you have time to take off the day it needs to be cut, raked and baled? Do you have a place to store it before delivery? Do you want to make the investment into good machinery that will make a GOOD bale. Can you time your cuttings so the hay does not get rained on? What will you do with it if it does get rained on and loses the dark green color all horse idiots want? All of this is part of the puzzle that gets you to make money or lose money! I have been doing the bale thing since the mid 70's, just like firewood.......it ain't easy!

My schedule is pretty flexible if need be. I just dont know if 10 acres is enough to alfalfa farm and be profitable after investments

 

[Jordan Selsor]

Maybe planting a ton of black walnuts for future timber harvest? Long term investment obviously

 

[bat man]

Hey MO, AARON,

Can I put 2 cows on 800 acres for a couple years to get ag tax rates.

How about row crops. How many years history before I can put the areas into CRP? Figure if its in beans I can likely get all my deer tags for free as well.