Going full-time: planning a move to homesteading or market gardening

Start with the income reality

USDA's Economic Research Service reports that in 2019, 96 percent of farm households had some off-farm income, and that small family farms (gross cash farm income under $350,000) derived more than half of their household income from off-farm sources. Across all family farms, off-farm income made up 82 percent of total income. ERS's averages for 2019 illustrate the point:

These are averages, and ERS notes that some small-farm households do rely mainly on farm income. But the figures explain why many planners treat full-time farming as a goal reached in stages rather than a single leap.

The planning checklist

1. Write a business plan

The U.S. Small Business Administration describes two formats. A traditional plan covers an executive summary, company description, market analysis, organization and management, products, marketing and sales, funding request, financial projections and an appendix; SBA suggests five-year projections with monthly or quarterly detail for year one. A lean, one-page plan lists key partnerships, activities and resources, value proposition, customer relationships and segments, channels, cost structure and revenue streams. ATTRA's Market Gardening: A Start-Up Guide adds that a written plan is what a lender will expect to see.

2. Land

ATTRA notes that "many successful growers begin with less than an acre". Its grower profiles range from a half-acre farm to a 125-acre one. Land choice drives everything else: soil, water access, distance to markets and what local zoning allows.

3. Water

ATTRA treats irrigation as insurance against erratic weather, recommends drip as the most efficient option, and suggests help from the local extension office or an NCAT specialist to design a system.

4. Time and labor

For operations with help, ATTRA advises budgeting the full cost of labor (wages, benefits, taxes, potential overtime), writing standard operating procedures, and knowing state rules on field sanitation, drinking water and worker safety.

Startup cost categories

ATTRA gives no dollar figures, which vary too much by region and scale, but it does give priorities:

Income sources

ATTRA lists the main direct-market channels and their trade-offs: tailgate or roadside stands (low investment; check rules for transient vendors), farmers' markets (steady customers, but time away from the farm), community supported agriculture (members pay up front, which funds early-season costs), restaurants, grocery stores, schools and institutions, and online platforms. Its advice is to plan marketing before planting and to use several outlets to spread risk. Value-added products such as jams fall under state cottage food rules; see the farm stand rules overview.

Local and federal rules

• Zoning and land use: farm stands, signage, parking and on-farm sales are set locally; UC SAREP's California farm-stand guide advises checking with the county or city planning department first.
• Produce safety: the FDA Produce Safety Rule applies above $25,000 in average annual produce sales (inflation-adjusted to $30,509 for 2020–2022), per University of Maine Extension.
• Home-made foods: cottage food laws differ by state; the National Agricultural Law Center keeps a state compilation.
• Animals: livestock rules are also local; see goats and chickens.

Where to get help

USDA treats anyone farming for fewer than ten years as a beginning farmer. Its farmers.gov New Farmers portal lays out six steps (plan, visit a USDA Service Center, fund, build the business, sell, maintain) and points to Service Centers where Farm Service Agency, NRCS and Rural Development staff meet applicants. FSA Operating Microloans provide up to $50,000 per loan, with terms of one to seven years, for livestock, equipment, seed, supplies, minor improvements and marketing costs; eligibility includes beginning and small family farmers with satisfactory credit and some farm management experience or education. SBA also offers free business counseling through its local assistance resources.