Spin Farming: small scale urban farming possibilities

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Spin Farming small scale urban farming
possibilities

• UMSOF Class
• Spring 2009

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Spin Creators Founders
Wally Satzewich and Gail Vandersteen from
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan are the co-creators.
Roxanne Christensen is a co-founder from
Philadelphia- she is also the president of the
Institute for Innovators in Local Farming. Will
Allen is the Executive Director of Growing Power
in Milwaukee and Chicago.
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What is SPIN Farming?

• Small Plot INtensive
• Its organic based techniques make it possible to
  generate 50,000 in gross sales from a half acre
  of land growing common vegetables such as
  carrots, spinach, lettuce salad mixes, beets,
  chard, cucumbers, tomatoes, beans, radishes,
  scallions, herbs, summer squash and garlic.

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SPIN Farming

• Land base
• Equipment and Tools
• Organic Practices
• Weeding and Irrigation
• Layout Relays
• Work Load
• Pricing Marketing
• SPIN Formulas

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Land Base

• Start with your backyard
• Move into neighbors, friends, families
  backyards- talk to landlords and elderly
  neighbors that dont want to keep up back yard
  spaces
• Community garden spaces
• Rent or exchange land for produce or discounts at
  market

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Urban Land Base Advantages

• Water- easy access onsite
• Minimal wildlife in the city
• Microclimates! Cities are typically heat islands
  that can be 6-8 degrees warmer than outlying
  areas.
• Proximity to markets In the city, customers are
  nearby

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Equipment

• Low initial capital investment
• Tools
• Irrigation equipment
• High Road vs. Low Road
• Post Harvest Equipment
• Marketing Equipment
• Vehicle

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Tools

• 2 ft wide Rototiller
• 500-5000

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Tools

• Earthway Seeder 100

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Tool for weeding, marking rows, digging furrows

• Earthway Wheel-hoe for digging furrows 100

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Tools for weeding
Cultivator 50
Colinear Hoe 50
Stirrup Hoe 50
Broad Hoe 50
200
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Irrigation Tools

• Irrigation tools
• Wand attachments 20
• Sprinklers 20 each
• Garden Hoses 15 for 50 ft
• Soaker Hoses or Drip Tape 15 for 50 ft
• Plastic or Brass Manifolds 20
• Hose Repair Kits 10
• Couplings 5
• Washers 5
• Total 125-300

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High Road vs. Low Road

• Walk-in Cooler for the high road 3,000 to 10,000

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Processing Equipment

• For Permanent Post-Harvesting Area
• Post harvest shed
• Tables
• Drip Trays
• Bins
• Wash basin / sink
• Plumbing
• Grey water Recycling
• Garden Hose Attachments
• Mesh Bags
• Digital Scale
• 1,175 - 2,300

• Non-permanent Post-harvesting Area

• Canvas market Umbrella / Shade Canopy
• Digital Scale
• Wash Bins
• Drip Trays
• Folding Tables
• Garden Hose Attachments
• 295 - 580

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Marketing Equipment

• Signage
• Canopy / Umbrellas
• Tables
• Baskets
• Tablecloths
• 560 - 910

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Dual Use farm personal transport Vehicle
Use what you have 0 extra
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Equipment Cost Total

• 5,000 - 20,000
• Doesnt include cost of seeds!

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Organic Practices

• Not certified organic
• Local- your customers know you and your operation
• Use organic, locally sourced inputs like Coffee
  grounds, compost, oilseed meals (from feed
  stores), leaves, grass clippings, crop residue
  straw / hay
• Use Crop Rotations and companion plantings
• Use remay for flea beetles
• Dont use pesticides- hand pick infestations or
  get rid of diseased / infested crops.

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Weeding

• Weeding Strategies
• Walkways broad hoe, wheel hoe, narrow
  rototiller, mulching
• Between rows
• Bed Areas- collinear hoe and stirrup hoes, narrow
  specialty cultivators
• Row / walkway- broad hoe, collinear hoe, small
  rototiller
• In-row handwork
• Perimeter Rototiller, broad hoe
• Goal 1,000 ft2 / hour

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Irrigation

• Garden Irrigation tools determined by crop
• Hand Watering with Wand attachments
• Sprinklers
• Soaker Hoses
• Drip Tape
• Flooding with a Garden Hose

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Layout

• Standardized bed 2ft X 25 ft created by
  rototiller
• High value vs. Low value crops

High Value Crops More than 100 per 50 ft2
bed Spinach Carrots Scallions Herbs Radishes Lettu
ce Beets Greens
Low Value Crops Less than 100 per 50ft2
bed Potatoes Cabbage Corn Winter Squash Green
Beans Peas
Goal 75 of space in high value crops 25 in low
value crops
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Layout Relays

• Relay the sequential growing of crops in a
  single bed
• Intensive relays 3-4 crops per bed per season
  (ex. Spinach gt Radish gt Carrots or Scallions gt
  Lettuce gt Spinach gt Radish)
• Bi-relay 2 crops per bed per season
• (ex. Peas gt Carrots or Lettuce gt Beans)
• Single relay 1 crop per season
• (ex. Tomatoes)

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Layout 1,2,3 rule

• Smaller farms need to focus on 2 3 relays per
  bed per season more area in 3 relay beds (75
  in 2 3 relays, 25 in 1 relay areas)
• Larger farms can have 1, 2 3 relays per bed per
  season- more area in 1 2 relay beds (50 in 2
  3 relays, 50 in 1 relay)

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Work load

• Workshop vs. Written Info
• 5-day work week ?
• Monday-Thursday 6 AM- 8 PM
• Friday 6 AM 5 PM
• Saturday 8 AM 2 PM at Market Selling
• Sundays minimal watering
• Utilize friends, family, elderly, volunteers,
  etc.

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Markets

• Farmers Markets
• CSA- once you know what youre doing and capable
  of supplying
• Restaurants
• Buying Clubs
• Avoid wholesale marketing- minimizes /bed

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Pricing at the Farmers Market

• Mix and Match multiple unit pricing
• Two price tiers ex.
• These items 1.50 each or any 3/4.00
• Radish bunches, green onion bunches, herb
  bunches, garlic bulbs
• These items 3.00 per bag/unit or 2/5.00
• 2lbs potatoes, 1 lb carrots, bunch of beets, 1/2
  lb bag of salad mix, 1 lb bag of green beans

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SPIN Formulas

• Weekly Sales Target Example
• 500 / week
• 250 units at 1.50 each (333 - 375)
• 100 units at 3.00 each (250 - 300)

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SPIN Formulas

• Weekly Sales targets
• Novice farmers (1-3 years experience)
• 500 / week for 20-30 weeks
• Apprentice Farmers (4-5 years experience)
• 1,000 / week
• Advanced Farmers (6-10 years experience)
• 2,000 / week
• Expert Farmers (10 years and beyond)
• 2,000 / week

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SPIN Formulas

• 1,000 ft2 farm
• 13 beds X 300 (3 relays/ season) 3,900
• 5,000 ft2 farm (1/8 acre)
• 60 beds X 300 18,000 farm revenue
• 10,000 ft2 farm (1/4 acre)
• 120 beds X 300 36,000 farm revenue
• 20,000 ft2 farm (1/2 acre)
• 240 beds X 300 72,000 farm revenue
• 40,000 ft2 farm (1 acre)
• 480 beds X 300 144,000 farm revenue

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Philadelphia Summerton Tanks

• On ½ acre
• 1st year 26,100
• 2nd year 38,000
• 3rd year 52,000
• 4th year 68,000
• 290 beds mostly in 3 relays per season

2 ½ to 4 people full time per 9 month growing
season
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SPIN Farming

• Interesting Ideas
• Innovative use of tools
• Sustainable?
• Could make a small acreage farm profitable
• For more info http//www.spinfarming.com/

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2006 Cornercopia sales/ ft2 breakdown

• Chives 7.25
• Cilantro 6.88
• Sunchokes 3.79
• Dill 3.65
• Cucumbers 3.03
• Basil 2.75
• Lemon Balm 2.63
• Beans 2.43
• Tomatoes 2.20
• Kale 2.10
• Onions 1.90
• Salad Mix 1.83
• Sage 1.73
• Chard 1.71
• Beets 1.62

• Spinach 1.30
• Chinese Cabbage 1.15
• Broccoli 1.05
• Carrots 1.00
• Brussel Sprouts .96
• Radishes .85
• Potatoes .80
• Kohlrabi .75
• Mint .67
• Peppers .66
• Edamame .54
• Turnips .38
• Cauliflower .33
• Eggplant .19
• Corn .16