Farming farmer's and homesteading homesteaders!

Introduce Yourself
#1

I am curious about what the farming and homesteading community is like in New Hampshire. My family loves to garden. We’ve recently been “called” to starting a farm. I’m not sure why the feeling for that life is so strong, but it has taken hold, and our family is all in. I watch a lot of videos and do research constantly about how to start a farm. We have 3 to 4 years before we can move to New Hampshire. We’re open to suggestions on where to open our farm, what to grow, and what livestock would be best. My wife has a degree in culinary arts, which play a role in how we open our farm or sell our products. I love farming videos and watch the following YouTubers for inspiration: Curtis Stone, Justin Rhodes, Doug and Stacy (homesteaders), John Suscovich, and Joel Salatin. If you know of any other farmers or homesteaders, let me know. We have a love for farming, but only have a backyard gardeners experience. Any help would greatly be appreciated!

JimmyfromAZ!

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#2

I am a cannabis farmer. Vertically integrated, seed to sale.

Cannabis seems like one of the only financially viable crop for a small farm. Everything else is too much work, and not enough profit. Cannabis profit margins are insane. Low supply, high demand.

Looks like you can legally home grow in AZ as a mmj patient under the right conditions.

#3

I’m interested, but concerned about security and legal liabilities. When you talk about earning or market potential as being poor, I think these issues are addressed by Curtis Stone, the urban gardener. Of course, I can’t speak from experience. I’d be open to growing medical marijuana. Do you have any information pertaining to how someone would get into that market?

#4

I can tell you about medical marijuana laws in Maine.

An individual 21 or older can become a medical marijuana caregiver for up to 5 mmj patients. It cost $240 annually for each patient slot, plus $31 for a security background check. Each caregiver can have one employee.

There are 8 dispensaries in Maine, and around 4000 caregivers currently.

You can find all the rules and forms here:
http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/public-health-systems/mmm/index.shtml

But the market will be shifting to retail/recreational

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#5

You might want to reach out to the folks at Bardo Farm. They moved up here about a decade ago to start their off-grid farm and are liberty-minded people. They do a monthly potluck if you end up visiting before you move.

I’ve also had good interactions with Walpole Valley Farm and it seems like they’re doing very well. They sell mostly meat and eggs, but also run an inn and just opened a farm-to-table restaurant up in Walpole.

I watch many of the same channels and often daydream about following that path, though doubtful it’d ever be in the cards for me. I’ll settle on buying stuff from the many people in the area that have :slight_smile:

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#6

Thanks for the info. I’ll check them out. What’s holding you back from farming?

#7

I’ve got a pretty good deal worked out with my employer working remotely for them and that’d be pretty hard to give up. Also pretty young kids, though in a few years that’d be a pro and not a con. A big part of it for me is just not eating garbage and knowing where your food is coming from. There are a lot of people with small farms up here helping to solve that problem.

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#8

Welcome from Team Porcupine Real Estate! New Hampshire itself is fairly rural, so it’s easy to find a place to homestead and farm. Many, many people have chickens and goats and small farm animals. Since there are so many towns to choose from, I’d suggest taking a trip to visit and see what areas resonate most with you. We recommend renting for 6 months to get a feel for the various areas.

If you have further questions or need anything else, you can email us at info@porcupinerealestate.com and we’d be happy to help you.

Amy

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#9

Thanks! We’ll keep that in mind.