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The Cutting Garden

Growing Your Own on Someone Else's Land

15 years ago

Taking a study break to share with you an exciting, but confusing, dilemma. Mostly because I need the voice of experience. First of all, I had to interview a florist to get an idea of how they run their business, for school. Well, I love to garden, and we have a new local farmer's market, and you all have me curious about whether I could sell cut flowers there. Long story short, I interview local florist, he says he would buy ALL of my cuts!! Now I'm skeptical, but starting to feel good, like maybe I can do this thing. I don't have the land, BUT there is someone in town who does, do I dare ask her to rent her land to me? She used to grow pumpkins on it, so I know it's fertile, she probably just doesn't want to do it anymore. She used to be my daughter's Girl Scout troop leader, then her girls babysat for me when I needed someone for a couple of hours after school. So I know her & her family well, we just haven't been in touch for awhile. Is this crazy or what?? I have another girlfriend who will go along with whatever, she's great that way, heh. The question is, does anyone here farm on someone else's land? How would I handle irrigation? Thanks for your input.

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Comments (3)

bryan_ut
15 years ago
prairiegirlz5, I do lease land to grow on and have done for a longtime from different people. Here are a few items you need to adress:

1. How long they will lease it to you? I would say at least 3, I have a 5 year on part and a 10 year on another. This will determine what you will grow and improvements you might make.

2. Price: I have done from free to $100 an acre.

3. What utilities are there? You need to adresss irrigation first. You need water, electricity is nice too.

4. What improvements will be made and by whom? Are you to take care of all the land and area around it?

Now on to the florist: I have heard this before. Be very careful determine how much they are willing to pay for what. How much are they using right now of each type and color of flower? How much of what can you grow and when. For example maybe there are tons of weddings they buy white callas or casa blanca lilies for in May. Can you get casa blancas to bloom in your area in May? There are alot of factors, read and research all you can.

Good luck.

Bryan
prairiegirlz5
Original Author
15 years ago
Bryan~Thanks for your reply. I know I'm jumping the gun quite a little bit. I really do appreciate the heads up, as I know it would be in my best interest to be prepared as much as possible before I make my proposal.

This open land is part of a little homestead, there are at least three houses and a barn on the property. I know they have well water, what I don't know is what that means exactly. They're obviously on the outskirts of town.

Recently, I've gotten positive feedback from every resident I've spoken to regarding a CSA operation, so I am currently leaning to going with that approach, and starting small with the flowers as a sideline. The local government may be able to offer some assistance, at least spread the word in the town newsletter. If there is enough interest, I would have a diversified base of potential customers to begin with, between the CSA, the farmers market, and the florist. He mentioned zinnias, my floral instructor expressed an interest in cut branches of woodies (fall), so I am getting a sense of what the local market is looking for, and when. I need to do much more research and planning before I begin.
Yeah good luck, I'm gonna need it.
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prairiegirlz5
Original Author
15 years ago
Back to reality...I've decided to scale back, and look at what we can do from our own backyards. My girlfriend and I are each going to try a version of the sample garden in The Flower Farmer, hopefully sell the zinnias to the florist and some of the rest of the flowers at the farmer's market.

When the housing market picks up again, my family is going to sell our house and move to a place with some land we can either buy or lease, adjacent to our property. I will be reading this forum with interest, as I know I have a LOT to learn from all of you. Thanks again bryan for your response, it gave us lots to think about.

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