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Kids are entrepreneurs, too. Josh Waltman started a saddle-oiling business at age 14 to earn a few bucks and help out the local cattlemen who didn’t have the time.
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Brooke and Sam Lucy stand in their organic emmer wheat field at Bluebird Grain Farms in Winthrop, Washington.
By Crystal Rennicke, Contributing Editor
If you had only one word to describe a farmer, what would you choose? Hardworking? Of course. Determined? Absolutely. Entrepreneurial? We think so.
In this new department, we’re going to celebrate those special “agripreneurs” whose grassroots spirit spurred them to build thriving new businesses that more often than not hark back to the days before modern chemical pesticides, confinement livestock and the commodification of practically everything.
“As extreme weather events and rising energy costs continue to affect farm production, some farmers are looking for ways to spread risk across multiple enterprises,” says Craig Chase, marketing and food systems program manager for the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University in Ames. “They’re reducing reliance on one or two crops by diversifying into niche livestock or vegetable operations that can provide a more stable source of income.”
“Consumers are seeking sources of food they can trust,” adds Erica Frenay, manager of the Northeast Beginning Farmers Project at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. “These farmers are providing more than just good food—they’re also providing an important service by helping consumers reconnect with the source of their food, something that was a given just a few generations ago.”
According to the 2012 Census of Agriculture, about 150,000 farmers and ranchers nationwide are now selling to local retailers, with 50,000 selling their products directly to consumers. And they’re getting more and more creative each year.
We’ll feature farmers like Brooke and Sam Lucy, who grow ancient grains on their spread in Winthrop, Washington. Brooke says they started the farm because she couldn’t find locally sourced organic grains. “The more we looked into growing grains, the more fascinated we became with ancient varieties of wheat,” she says. “We felt that if we focused on growing premium-quality ancient grains for our community, we might have a business model that supported our family. It worked!”
Fourteen-year-old Josh Waltman started oiling saddles to earn a few extra bucks, then went on to build a small, successful business. He happily shares the valuable lessons he learned about business management, as well as life in general.
And Clarence and Lee Walerius will explain how they parlayed their expertise in horse training into an inspiring business working with at-risk youth.
So while this is a new department in the magazine, it isn’t anything new to our readers. As always, you can expect to meet down-to-earth farmers who graciously share what they’ve learned. Their entrepreneurial spirit and optimistic attitude prove that there isn’t a cut-and-dried formula for farming and ranching—it’s an ever-changing adventure.
A World of Possibilities
We asked experts who follow locally focused farming trends to share some of the most promising enterprises in their areas. Here’s a quick peek at some of our favorites.
Aquaponics (combination of aquaculture and hydroponics)
Malting grains and hops
Fresh baby ginger
Medicinal herbs
Cider apples
Packing tours (horses, mules, alpacas)
Rent-a-goat or sheep (weed control)
Microdairies
Free-range poultry
Grass-fed beef
Home dairy yogurt and ice cream
Hazelnuts
Ancient grains
Heirloom fruits and vegetables
Honeybees
Rare duck breeds
Specialty lumber trees
Asian pears
Persimmons
Blackberries and raspberries
Dried ornamental flowers
Rare nursery stock varieties
Exotic mushrooms