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N0mad87 t1_j48ebue wrote

I don't know much about the economics of small organic farms but my quick math says:

  • 4 full time employees at $30k = 120k
  • The owner must need to make at least 60k if they have kids
  • Farm equipment, taxes, insurance, farmers market fees and memberships, all other COGS - 25k?? (Total guess)

So a 6 acre farm needs to sell over $210,000 worth of produce and seeds just to make sure everyone lives. Is that possible?

Google says an average annual CSA membership is $550 x 180 customers (of the Newport farm CSA) is $99k.

I am not a farmer. Genuinely interested in how the numbers work if anyone has insight

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Squidworth89 t1_j4b4ar6 wrote

You’re stopping at like the first line.

6 acres in production for vegetables.

Some animals separate from that.

And perennial plants. Doesn’t say how many acres for that.

The farm prolly makes more off perennials.

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N0mad87 t1_j4bj5q3 wrote

Ah, good eye. I misread that the 6 was for only the veggies. I'd be interested in the total farm size then. I'm sure margins are still tight

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Tronbronson t1_j499ncc wrote

I've never picked my local ones brain on prices, but you also have a lot of excess that gets sold at a wholesale/retail level outside of the CSA. Not sure if its enough to get to 210,000 but they will have more customers than a CSA

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