1. Farming with Two- Managing for Profitability and Longevity Three Springs Farm Emily Oakley & Michael Appel Oaks, Oklahoma 1
2. Overview Our farm Why Oklahoma? How we got here Our goals Benefits Challenges What it takes Farm tour— seedling production, equipment, cover crops, crop rotation, disease and pest control, anchor crops, harvesting and preparing for market, marketing, record-keeping, profit/loss Avoiding burn-out 2
3. Our Farm Own 20 acres: 3.5 in annuals & 2.5 in perennials Located 65 miles east of Tulsa, OK Certified Organic Sell through farmers’ markets and 100-member CSA in Tulsa Full-time job—no off-farm income Just finished our 7th season Two-person farm—no hired labor/interns 3
4. Why Oklahoma? Emily is from Tulsa Land is some of the most affordable in the country Up-and-coming/ expanding markets Don’t have to compete with well-established farms Appreciative customer base Supporting progressive ideas in a conservative state 4
5. How We Got Here Studied international sustainable farming Emphasis on social justice, environment and gender Internship on large-scale organic farm CA 50+ employees and 5+ interns Inspired by Nordell’s Beech Grove Farm No two-person farm internships exist Have to apply lessons of other internships 5
6. Our Goals To be as small as possible while still making a living Instead of continued growth and expansion, we strive for efficiency in time and costs To have a meaningful “off”-season Time to be involved in activism To farm for the long-term Remain a two-person operation 6
7. Benefits of a Two-Person Farm Keep our hands in the soil, not in the office Don’t have to manage people Get things done the way we like them Less paperwork Clear conscience Ability to stay small—need to be larger to justify labor costs Need less land—makes purchasing a farm more affordable 7
8. Challenges If it’s going to get done, we have to do it No one else to rely on; no sick days Easy to get over-extended Cap on income—we can only earn what we can earn, not what we can make off of other people Lonely at times Relationship strains—being together ALL the time 8
9. What It Takes Cooperative decision-making Efficiency—good time management Investment in equipment Weed control—little time to hand weed Fertility management and variety selection—fewer crops, better yields Harvest—must consider the hours required to pick and prep each crop Need a strong direct-marketing outlet 9
28. Our Weed Philosophy Aim for weed prevention rather than control Cover crops, crop rotations Limit hand weeding through mechanical and cultural practices Quick crops, like salad mix, never get weeded Once crops are well-established, weeds become more an issue of aesthetics than competition Weather and time do not always cooperate. When that happens, we call our weeds an “under-sown” cover crop! 28
30. Cover Crops Cover crops as smother crops very effective for eliminating perennial grasses and preventing annual broadleaf germination Oats/Peas for winter Sown in September, winter kills Grows quickly, easy to incorporate in spring Millet and/or cow peas for summer Sown in July, ready to incorporate in approx. 45 days Drought and heat tolerant, quick growing, high volume of biomass, amazing nitrogen fixation 30
36. Crop Rotations We divide our field into 2 equal parts – 1 for spring crops and 1 for summer crops. Each year we rotate these two fields. This prevents weeds from getting established. spring versus summer weeds The Cycle: spring cash crop (lettuce, broccoli, etc.) summer cover crop (millet) winter cover crop (oats/peas) summer cash crop (tomatoes, peppers, etc.) winter cover crop (oats/peas) spring cash crop (lettuce, broccoli, etc.) 36
61. Records We Keep and Why FIELD RECORDS Seed Order Crops, Varieties, Organic Greenhouse Schedule Field Notes Planting Schedule Projected and Actual Harvest Records Pest and Fertility Notes Labor and Rain Index FINANCIAL RECORDS Quickbooks Pro Income (market & CSA) Expenses (checking, credit card, petty cash) Market Sales Receipt What we bring to market How much we sell/price Market Journal Other Tax Expenses 61
62. Profit and Loss Overview Income CSA $20,000 Farmers’ Market $60,000 TOTAL $80,000 Expenses Farm $10,000 Selling $6,000 Administrative/Tax$8,000 Other $3,000 TOTAL $27,000 NET INCOME $53,000 62
65. Avoiding Burn-out Eliminated fall CSA Secured a long-term land arrangement Stopped wholesaling to stores and restaurants No longer offer “Basket” CSA Reduced number of market weeks from 26 to 22 weeks Only attend 1 market per week 65
