I hope everyone's New Year is off to an exciting start as it is here at Odd's Creek. One of our New Year’s resolutions is to answer (or attempt to answer) some of the most critical questions facing the farm. At the highest level, what should we grow? Why and how? Who will buy it?

The topics and questions in our upcoming posts are critical to understanding Odd’s Creek local farm and food system. By starting to answer them, not only will we be able to improve the standards of agricultural stewardship, but also build a better farm.

Some of the topics will include rural economies, soil conservation, regional food markets, and various methods of farming. With each of these topics, it is important to remember that one of the greatest assets any farm has is its land and in particular the location of that land. To make the most of the land, we need to design the farm for both soil stewardship and sustained sales.

In short, this is market research. The answers will be specific to Odd’s Creek, but our hope is that this form a framework that can be repeated for any farm. To design the ideal farm, more than a few questions come to mind:

Which crops are suitable for each of the following that exists at Odd's Creek:

• Soil

• Climate (humidity, growing degree days, precipitation patterns)

• Disease and pest pressures
   

What markets are available to buy our crops, and which crops are they capable of buying?

• Direct to consumer (farmers market or CSA)

• Institutions (schools, hospitals, prisons)

• Retailers (restaurant, grocery stores)

• Wholesalers (granaries, mills, food processors, food distributors)
   

Is there any on-farm processing that would add enough value to cover its costs and yield a higher profit margin?

This market research is the first step in designing our ideal farm. One that:
 

• practices farming to the highest standards of stewardship,

• produces food for people at an affordable price, and

• supports our local, rural economy.

If you know anyone who has experience or expertise with answering these questions, we would love to hear from you. We are always looking for new partners to strengthen our mission and achieve a better food system together.

References:

Wikipedia - Farm-to-Market