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Howdy!

My wife and I are embarking on a "semi-retirement homesteading"
adventure on 13 acres on the central Texas Gulf Coast.

The land has not been in agricultural production in at least 15 years,
this being the time period we've owned it.

When last it was, it was in watermelons. In fact, it is textbook
watermelon land, since it is fine deep sand.

Our reasons are both economic and philosophical. Although we have no
for-profit aspirations we aspire to eventually cultivate at least 10
acres. The reason for this is so that in 5 years we hope to be
elegible for an agricultural use property tax exemption.

My wife loves to garden. Without doubt she'll be the one taking the
lead, but I am also enthusiastic. We have a dinky Farmall Cub tractor,
a 3 row garden plow, and a disk.

We are about to place an order for some seed stock from "Native Seed
Search". We expect to concentrate on "the three sisters" corn, beans,
and squash. But we're eager to companion plant some other things as
well.

As the project evolves I'm sure I'll have lots of additional questions.

But for now, the burning question is: How big of a plot to plant?


Start small and try a variety of things in the first year. Learn what grows
well in the district, what cultivars are best and how to grow it etc on a
small scale before you commit yourself. Do successve plantings so you can
determine the right time(s) of year for each and so you can dispose of your
first crop locally, or eat it or give it to neighbours without having a glut
and no commercial market lined up.

During this first season check out your possible markets. There is no point
in growing (say) corn if there is no demand or the transport costs are too
high or the local mega-agribusiness has it all tied up. If possble find a
niche crop so that you don't compete with agribusiness. Also check out the
availability and cost of manures and fertilisers and how you are going to
water your crop if it doesn't rain enough.

I would think a test planting area for all the above of no more than 1/4
acre total would keep you very busy. Plant the rest in a luguminous cover
crop, suitable for the area, to be turned in at the end of the season. This
will 1) reduce weeds 2) increase organic matter 3) increase Nitrogen which
you will surely need for corn (and a few other things too).

David