By Barbara Wunder, FFVA communications manager

“There’s money to be made in this.” Those words from University of Florida Extension Agent Linda Landrum were just what the group of farmers gathered around her wanted to hear. Landrum was showing the group, participants in the Agriculture Enterprise Workshops for North Florida, the ins and outs of growing and marketing cut foliage.

Exploring alternatives in agriculture is not a new idea. Corn mazes, fresh produce markets, niche products and more have sprung up across Florida and the country in recent years. The Ag Enterprise Workshops were held in Live Oak, Fla., in mid-November and offered by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences’ North Florida Research and Education Center-Suwannee Valley. They were a logical extension of the efforts of IFAS’ Small Farms and Alternative Enterprises Focus Team, a group of Cooperative Extension Service faculty of the University of Florida and Florida A&M University. The team provides a Web site, http://smallfarms.ifas.ufl.edu/, as a service for those wanting to explore and expand those kinds of small farm possibilities.

Bob Hochmuth, UF/IFAS multi-county agent for the North Florida Research and Education Center, shares his knowledge about growing heirloom tomatoes.

Most of those attending the workshops were experienced to some degree in the field of agriculture, said Bob Hochmuth, a multi-county extension agent based at the North Florida research center. “There were some prospective growers who are not yet farming, but do own some land and are looking into getting started,” he said. “The majority of the audience would be classified as small family farmers, some part-time and some full-time, but all with commercial interests.”

Hochmuth pointed out that 90 percent of all farms in Florida are classified as small farms, which USDA defines as producing less than $250,000 in gross income.

Many of those attending the workshops were interested in ventures that would use land efficiently and fulfill the “buy local” demand, Hochmuth said.

Some of the topics presented were geographically limited to North Florida, but others go beyond those boundaries. They included production for niche markets with hydroponic systems, profitable plant alternatives, small ruminants, and fruit orchard opportunities.

In presenting the hydroponic workshop, Hochmuth pointed out that investment in that type of system does not have to be substantial. “For about $2,000, you can build a shade structure and grow in composted pots,” he said.

In addition to pointing out that money can be made in cut foliage, Linda Landrum emphasized in the plant alternatives workshop that many farmers markets are begging for those types of products, and that “unique is good.”

Cut foliage arrangements are in demand at farmers markets. (Butterflies enjoy them too.)

“Customers don’t just want roses and carnations, they want variegated stuff and plants that have interesting stems and other features,” she said.

The Small Farms Web site offers a set of key points to consider when deciding if a particular venture is for you. A chart lists possible enterprises and areas of concern related to each one. For example, under “Wildflower Seeds,” it says that although some experience and knowledge are necessary, regulations and pest management problems are low. On the other hand, nursery and hydroponics ventures come with serious pest management concerns. Hochmuth emphasized in his hydroponics presentation that, in general, those ventures that come with higher costs and risk levels can bring in higher returns. Each situation is different, and it’s important to think about considerations from startup capital and insurance requirements to how much land and/or building space is available.

Still, Florida boasts many successful entrepreneurs who have embraced their little corner in the world of ag alternatives. O'Toole's Herb Farm is a certified organic herb nursery and garden in Madison, Fla. The operation offers wholesale and retail herbal plants, fresh-cut herbs and specialty mushrooms. On site are two gift shops full of herbal products, regional art, gardening supplies and organic products. It also offers special events open to the public. See http://www.otoolesherbfarm.com/ for additional information.

Small ruminants are another alternative enterprise for small farms.

Another example of a successful ag alternative venture is Seely’s Ark of Dunnellon, Fla. Beth and David Seely’s business, one of the largest rabbit producers in the Southeast, started out with a few pet rabbits. They now have thousands of rabbits with about 500 producing does. In addition to the rabbits, the Seelys raise and sell worms, which feed on the copious amounts of manure the rabbits produce. This allows them to maintain a year-round business since rabbit production is lower in the summer months. See the article at http://www.ssawg.org/seely.htm.

For more information on what might work for you, your family and your future, contact a local extension office. Other resources, besides the Small Farms Web site, are available at the USDA/Iowa State University’s Agricultural Marketing Resource Center at http://www.agmrc.org/agmrc/default.html.