Part-time kelp farm possible? Shellfish too?
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Hi all,
Thanks very much to everyone contributing to this awesome resource.
I would be changing careers to get into ocean farming. I have 2 young kids (3 and 5 yrs old) and our family's health insurance depends on my current employment. I was hoping to be able to "test the waters" for a couple years while I figure out if the farm/I can do well enough for me to be able to leave my current job entirely.
The location of the farm would be either Long Island or CT coast and I would be commuting from NYC (at least at first).
I have 3 basic Qs:
1) Is it logistically possible to start a small kelp operation with 2 days/week on the water and 1 day/week of logistical/other work on land? I could manage a week/ten days straight of work on the water when seeding/harvest times require it, assuming that would only occur 2-ish times each year.2) Are there low-maintenance shellfish options that would work with a 2-3 day/week schedule?
3) How much advance notice does a farmer get for those times when you need to be on the water for a week straight and how critical it is to be able to drop everything and be in the water right now after weather events? Juggling the second job would be much more doable if I can normally expect advance notice of when I need to be on the water.
Thank you in advance for your thoughts!
Gregg
@gregg_s - Many new farmers in southern New England are only farming part-time while they are starting out (seaweed and/or shellfish). But the feasibility of doing that depends on a lot of factors (size of your operation, distance from where you live, whether you're planning to do marketing and direct sales or are selling your crop (fresh/wet) to a processor, and so forth). I encourage you to review the courses and lessons for some context around seasonal operations and high level business considerations. @suzie_flores might be able to offer some reflections on her personal experience running Stonington Kelp Company.
@gregg_s - To echo Kendall, many small farmers start out with farming as a second job. In fact I've heard @michael_doall tell people looking to get into the industry "Don't quit your day job yet!" So I think you're smart to try out the waters. Depending on whether you plan to grow kelp or oysters, there may also be a lag time in when your product becomes market ready. To learn more about shellfish farming there are some good resources we've compiled in this lesson of the Hub.
@lindsay_olsen and @kendall_barbery -
Wow, I had gone through the intro classes a couple of times and completely missed that there is a heap of more advanced and detailed content on those topics. Thank you both for referring me back to the hub for those.
And I'm glad to hear that I'm not crazy for thinking it can be a part-time gig. Feels a bit like jumping off a cliff blind otherwise...
@lindsay_olsen and @kendall_barbery -
Wow, I had gone through the intro classes a couple of times and completely missed that there is a heap of more advanced and detailed content on those topics. Thank you both for referring me back to the hub for those.
And I'm glad to hear that I'm not crazy for thinking it can be a part-time gig. Feels a bit like jumping off a cliff blind otherwise...
@gregg_s - Hi Gregg, I had started my oyster farm in 2009 as a part-time side business, and then slowly transitioned to full time farming over a couple year period as the farm grew. I think starting off ocean farming part-time is a good way to go for a couple reasons. One reason for me was just financial necessity - since it takes time to grow things, there is no immediate revenues or income (months or even a year or more). Thus, unless you are financially secure and don't need immediate income, holding on to your day-job to pay the bills is a must. Another good reason to start part-time is to make sure ocean farming is right for you. I think a lot of people find the idea of working on the water very romantic and don't realize how much work it really is, often in unpleasant weather conditions. I would advise anybody to make sure your heart is really into it before going all in. One way to test it out short of starting a farm is to get a part-time job on an oyster or kelp farm and see what's involved.
But farming part-time does have its challenges. Gear can sometimes break loose, and the more often you are at the farm checking on things the less chance of losing gear and your crop. Its also good to have a presence on your farm as much as possible so other water users know you're active and there checking on things and are less likely to mess with and/or steal your gear/crop. Not everyone on the water likes aquaculture, and acts of vandalism and theft do happen. One piece of advice I have in this regard is to make friends with your neighbors, especially if there are other farmers nearby that can keep on eye on your farm and call you if it looks like gear is breaking loose or strangers or on your farm.
There also will be times you might have to drop everything to take care of stuff at your farm. For instance, if a hurricane or large storm is approaching, you may have to run out to your farm to make sure everything is secure, and perhaps take your boat out of the water. If you get a call that a line is breaking lose, or someone finds your gear washed up on a nearby beach, you also may need an unexpected trip out to the farm. And once you start selling product, expect to get last minute calls from customers who ran out of oysters and really need a delivery by the next day. Its hard to say no, especially when you are just starting your business. Hopefully you can find some flexibility in your day job.
@gregg_s -
Hey Gregg,
I think the seasonality of the farm makes it inherently "part-time". I worked many years in my corporate 9-5 while farming and it was a lot to juggle as it required me to rearrange meetings according to unpredictable weather patterns but I have an amazing farm (and life) partner who can be a back up when needed. Currently, I only do consulting work and when the spring harvest season is underway I tend to only participate in projects that are able to be done in the evenings when there is no chance I would be on the water. This allows me the flexibility to get everything done safely when I have the weather windows.
In terms of how critical it is to get on the water, you need to prioritize safety (yours and other people using the water) so gear checks are really important. Otherwise you are harvesting based on your customers timeline. If you are selling to a bulk value-add vendor you would be working with them on scheduling pick up. I sell to various chefs so I am working on a delivery schedule we set up in advance. I always try and manage their expectations about weather in advance.
I hope this helps.
Suzie