Every farmer starts somewhere, and practical knowledge can make a big difference.
What is one skill you believe every beginning farmer should learn first—soil testing, planting, animal care, equipment maintenance, budgeting, or marketing?
Share your city and state, what you produce, and one lesson you wish you had learned earlier.
My wife and I are buying a small place in Oklahoma, 1.17 acres. We should be in by November 1st 2026. We want to grow fruit and vegetables plus have an herb garden and winter garden. We are older than most farmers at 69 years and 63 years young, plus we are both disabled, so we may take a little longer to get things done, but we are determined. I hope to tell you all about our progress in the coming months and years. 👍😀 Plus have some progress pictues.
Water can shape production, costs, and long-term resilience. What is the most effective water-management practice you use, such as rainwater collection, irrigation scheduling, ponds, wells, or conservation methods?
Share your city and state, what you produce, and one lesson that could help another farmer or rancher.
Weather can change a season, a budget, and an entire operation.
What is one practice, tool, or backup plan that helps you prepare for drought, flooding, freezes, heat, or severe storms?
Share your city and state, what you produce, and one lesson that could help another farmer plan ahead.
Strong records help producers make better decisions before investing time or money. Which record is most useful on your operation—expenses, yields, animal health, labor, inventory, or customer orders?
Share your city and state, what you produce, and one lesson your records have taught you.
Every operation has a limited amount of time and money.
If you could make one improvement this year, would you choose better fencing, irrigation, equipment, storage, livestock genetics, marketing, or recordkeeping?
Share your city and state, the type of operation you run, and why that investment would create the greatest value for your farm.
Let’s talk about the costs that catch people off guard.
What’s one expense you underestimated when starting or growing your operation?
It could be feed, fencing, repairs, labor, insurance, fuel, or something else.
Share your lesson so others can plan better and avoid the same surprise.
Let’s do a quick Producer Spotlight thread.
Comment with:
1) City + State
2) What you produce (livestock/crops/products)
3) What you have available right now (or when it will be ready)
4) Who you want to connect with (buyers, land, equipment, partners, services).
Experienced farmers and ranchers, this one is for you.
If you had to start your operation completely over tomorrow, what is ONE thing you would NOT do again?
Would you:
🐄 Start with fewer animals?
🚜 Buy less equipment?
🏡 Lease before buying land?
Every year, agriculture changes.
What's one trend you think more people should be paying attention to?
🌱 Regenerative agriculture
🤖 AI and automation
🥩 Direct-to-consumer sales
🌿 Medicinal herbs
If you could teach every new farmer ONE skill before they started, what would it be?
🌾 Soil health
💰 Farm finances
📈 Marketing
🐄 Animal husbandry
🚜 Equipment operation
Let's put Rural Exchange on the map!
Comment below with:
📍 Your City & State
🌱 What you grow or raise
🤝 What you're looking for (buyers, land, equipment, partnerships, etc.)
You might find someone right in your area!
Quick funding tip: before you apply for any grant/loan, get 3 things in one folder—(1) a 1-page farm/business summary (what you produce, who you sell to, and your goals), (2) last year’s basic numbers (income/expenses or a simple cash-flow), and (3) a clear project budget with quotes or realistic estimates. Having these ready makes applications faster and helps you avoid “almost approved” situations.
Question for Rural Exchange: What funding are you pursuing this season (equipment, infrastructure, land, livestock, marketing, conservation), and what’s the #1 document you’re missing right now?
If you could wave a magic wand and fix one challenge in agriculture today, what would it be?
🌾 Access to affordable land
💰 Funding and financing
🐄 Livestock markets
📦 Processing capacity
👨🌾 Labor shortages
Let’s make it easy to connect this week.
If you’re selling, buying, or offering a service, comment with:
1) City + State,
2) What you have or need,
3) Quantity/price range (if applicable), and
4) Best way to contact you (DM, email, phone, website). Keep it agriculture-only and please do your own due diligence. I’ll pin this thread for the week so members can find opportunities fast.
No matter where you are in your agricultural journey, everyone is working toward something.
What's your biggest goal over the next 12 months?
🐄 Expand your livestock operation
🌾 Start your first farm
🏡 Purchase land
🚜 Improve infrastructure
Let's help the next generation of farmers make better decisions.
What's one purchase you made that you wish you could do over?
🚜 Equipment that wasn't needed?
🐄 The wrong livestock?
🌱 A crop that didn't perform?
🏡 Land that wasn't the right fit?
Starting a farm is exciting, but these are some of the most common mistakes I see new farmers make:
1️⃣ Buying equipment before having a business plan.
2️⃣ Starting with too many enterprises at once instead of mastering one.
3️⃣ Underestimating startup and operating costs.
4️⃣ Focusing on production without a plan to market and sell.
5️⃣ Not building relationships with your local Extension office, USDA, and other agricultural resources.
I never thought to reach out to our local extension office, or the USDA just beginning. I figured you would already need to be a successful Ag business. I will get on this ASAP!
I d like to say hello. Im new. Im 70 years. Id like to move from the Southwest where I live in an RV Park back onto some acreage. Im interested in a very small farm to keep me moving. I raised chickens and have had limited success growing food in Desert conditions. Im interested in Virginia as it has a mild winter that would benefit my health. William
Would you rather have:
100 acres and 20 cows
OR
20 acres and a direct-to-consumer beef business?
Explain your answer.
100 acres and 20 cows, you can grow a direct-to-consumer beef business with the land and cows.
Not enough capital?
No business plan?
Wrong enterprise?
Too much equipment?
Trying to do everything at once?
What do you think?
A) 10 debt-free acres
B) 100 acres with a mortgage
C) A profitable farm business with no land
D) A ranch with 100 head of cattle
You can only pick one.
The New World Screwworm has now been confirmed in multiple cases in Texas and New Mexico, putting livestock producers across the country on alert. Officials are increasing monitoring, quarantines, and control efforts as concerns grow about potential impacts on cattle, sheep, goats, wildlife, and the broader livestock industry.
My question for Rural Exchange:
Do you believe the U.S. is doing enough to prevent a larger outbreak?
👇 Comment below:
✅ Yes, current efforts are enough
❌ No, more action is needed
• Grazing management
• Livestock genetics
• Soil health
• Marketing
• Farm finance
• Direct sales
🤔 If You Had $10,000 To Invest In Agriculture Today, What Would You Start?
Would you choose:
🐄 Cattle
🐑 Sheep
🐐 Goats
🥬 Produce
Newer to farming or expanding into something new? Post your city + state and one question you’re working through right now (financing, grazing plans, soil tests, marketing, equipment choices, recordkeeping, compliance). Experienced members—reply with one practical tip or resource that helped you. Let’s keep it supportive, no spam, and focused on real-world solutions.
Start. Research First Farm Location and Funding.