Farmers

Yeah I like the self sufficient way of life as well. I grow veggies and herbs plus last weekend pulled the old bee boxes out to fix up before spring. My girlfriend has fallen inlove with alpacas so 2 of them will be on the way soon as well lol.

 

Bees and alpacas would make me happy.
Apart from being cute and interesting, what sort of outcome do the alpacas give? Cashmere?

 

Cashmere is goats ... but you do have to shear Alpacas annually and their fleece is very soft

 

There seem to be a few around these days. Everyone has just a few. Is there money in it or are they pets?
Bees/honey would be gold, wouldn't it?

 

Thanks a lot Lizzie for your comprehensive response. It was pleasure and inspiring to read your story. Hopefully you do not mind, but I am full of questions

How did you got started with garlic at the first place? I mean did you bought your place at first and then decided what type of plants are suitable to grow on your lot or were you looking for property to buy specificly for garlic? If 1/2 acre lot produces one ton of garlic, have you considered to expand the production or does your current market suistain only 1 ton and everything else is too much and not adding extra value?

In the area that we have been house hunting there are a couple properties growing olives, so the soil there is probably suitable for olive trees. Also every second property has wines. Unfortunately I do not know anything about wines or olives, except I like eating both

A lot to study and I definitely will try to find the book your mentioned.

 

Alpacas are really good organic lawn mowers. Normally really friendly and low maintenance. They need to be sheered once a year and has really soft fleece. But I do not know anyone who has made any money with them. Maybe the breeders? Alpacas are really good 'watch dogs' and scare off or kill foxes. Some people uses them to guard their sheep or even chickens.

 

plenty of foxes

 

Most certainly ... "wild" and natural honey is in hot demand ... but I'm allergic to bees so wasn't an option

 

We bought the property first - with the vineyard - then hubby started asking what else we can grow to make money (he's facing retirement) that would go well in our area ... we looked at more vines (no money in wine grapes) - olives (no money in olives) - saffron (I ain't getting up before dawn for no damn flower) - garlic ... hey ... grows well nearly Australia wide - huge demand to buy direct from the grower - long storing with no special storage equipment needed (up to 10 months in bread crates in the shed) - low cost to grow - easy to freight ... perfect ...

We could upsize, but half an acre (one ton) is about perfect for two people to manage outside normal work ... any more and we'd have to look at bringing in workers. Once hubby retires we can probably up to 2 acres before we'd need to invest in specialist machinery ... although we'll probably just up to one acre (2 ton) ... which would give us net around $40k a year.

As for the tourist cabins ... ... due to location - investment was just under $1mil and returning $300k/yr gross or, after all costs (including paying for management, linen hire, electricity, online booking fees, pool and grounds maintenance etc) around $120k net a year ... we always could take over management and grounds work at any time - but I really don't want to hear from drunk guests at 11pm complaining they've lost their key - or at 7am to report the kettle has blown ...

 

Yes, well that sounds pretty damn good. I used to love the Pokolbin wines back in my drinking days.
Just wondering - how do you find out who will buy your produce and how much you'd have to have and how much you'd get for it? I could see myself as a bee-keeper for sure.

 

Hi Lizzie,

I completely agree with you about picking saffron flowers before dawn or getting drunk phone calls from 'house guests' where is my keys... There has to be easier way to make some money...

Sounds like you find your niche with growing garlic. How easy was it to find market to your produce initially? How did you start marketing?

Problem with olive trees is that it takes a long time when olive trees mature and you start to get any grop. Here one local farmer preserves olives as well as produces his own olive oil. Maybe that's the only way to make money with olives

 

Loving honey, but unfortunately bee-keeping is out off the question for me because I am allergic.

 

Bees are awesome and the fresh honey is amazing. Im not doing it for profit but it goes well at markets.

Alpacas are just going to be pets but are used for there fleece but they dont produce much also good to keep foxes away. They actually will kill a fox which i still find hard to believe.

 

I've noticed that my kelpie x Doberman/rhottie doesn't phase them at all. Their attitude seems to be; "bring it on."

 

Wattleldo I want to see that dog sounds like a very interesting mix.

 

Before we started planting I set up a webpage with an online shop and FB to document the process ... got into a local market selling my Spotty Dog range whilst waiting for the garlic (and for a "fill-in" product it's sure taken off) ... got an interview in the Newcastle Herald which turned into a full page ... and it went nuts from there.

The main marketing point is to engage your market on a personal level ... I don't mean posting photos of the kids of telling them how your holiday went ... but day to day farm life - things the dogs and horses get up to (even if it's just being super cute) and try and post something at least every second day - city folk find farm life fascinating.

I also give away a bit for auction prizes (and shameless publicise) and tee-d up with a 2-hatted local restaurant to provide scapes (flower heads) in exchange for a free meal ... they also ended up buying my undersized fresh harvested garlic bulbs which, for most farmers, is a waste product - when they are fresh you can use them skin and all - the chef roasted them as whole baby garlic to go with the suckling pig (yummo) ... needless to say I piggybacked shamelessly all over FB on the back of the market and restaurant ... and now I have a second local, high quality, restaurant taking my spring garlic thinnings (like shallots but with a garlic flavour ... I have no qualms about posting awesome photos of my product packaged up and being delivered.

And the "tourist" based-market I'm at is brilliant because often you'll get someone from Sydney who then goes home and orders a kilo online. Then they friends and neighbours and family buy ... the secret is to educate people that fresh - never cold stored - garlic will stay fresh air stored for 5-10 months depending on the variety. I always have cut garlic on stall and I am amazed at how many people smell it, stop and taste it. So many people love garlic but struggle to find a quality product.

Basically you have to have no qualms about self promotion - and be able to talk enthusiastically (and endlessly) about your product.

Oh - and somehow I ended up Secretary of the Australian Garlic Industry Association before I even planted my first crop

 

How could I resist?
Actually, I've kind of worked out his heritage myself. Tell me what you think:


And I'm pretty sure Blossom is poodle x cocker spaniel - what do you think?

 

Hmmm.....think I'll steer clear of your henhouse then. Thanks for the tip.

 

That's amazing Lizzie. You've clearly got a talent for marketing.

 

They are awesome dogs, Blossom is cute. The rottie x looks cool, you can see the rotty in color and the kelpie in shape. I bet he has alot of energy.

This is my boy Trooper kelpie x border collie