Are you thinking about becoming a gardener?
Urban farming can be a relaxing way to escape from your 9 to 5 job, but it can also become a career choice.
Many people try their hand at gardening only to find that it can be a thankless task that could become a costly hobby.
Let us give you the 411 on urban farming and how it can become a job that pays the bills.
First, decide whether you want to become a gardener for the private sector or a city government. This is important because each has pros and cons that can make or break your new career choice.
Private Sector
Pros:
You will get hired as a private contractor for a land developer/ owner who will pay you per hour to grow food, flowers, or general landscaping design. Pay can start at $15 plus an hour, depending on the task or your general skill set.
Cons:
You are trading time for money, and you have zero say over the project or land you are working on. Remember, this is a private developer, and you work for them. When they change their minds or find someone cheaper to hire, you are out of a job.
City Sector
Pros:
You have a lot more say in developing the land because you are growing for the general community. The rules don’t fluctuate, and you can grow whatever you want (provided the crop is legal in your state).
Cons:
The city will not pay you a salary. You have to figure out for yourself how to make the project profitable without breaking the rules in your city license, which you sign every four years.
Now that we have stated the pros and cons of each farming sector, it’s time to talk about money and investment. Both sectors will take a little upfront investment from you to start. This article is not for someone who has the money to lease a farm lot and start production. This article is for a hobby farmer who wants to quit the 9 to 5 and start farming. The first rule is, don’t quit your day job… yet. You will need to invest in farming education and equipment first. Then choose a sector to work in. The private sector is easy. You grow crops, get paid, and go home. Remember, in this sector, you have little say and no rights to the land. You do what you are told, and that’s it.
There is no upfront payment in the city sector, but the possibility is endless if you know what you are doing. You also do not own the land in this sector, but you are leasing it, which gives you more rights than working in the private sector. Here is a financial rundown of why the writer of this article now works in the city sector and has her own plot, which by the way, you would have to pry out of her cold, dead hands.
| ASSET MAPPING TOOL KIT- Total Garden Bed Value For Urban Farmers Working In 10455 Zipcode |
| * The following research was conducted from 2019-2021 for the zip code of the 10455 area. This information is the estimated value of a garden bed based on |
| land prices in the 10455 area code. This estimate is also based on the average gardener's work season in the Northeastern United States of America. |
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| El Flamboyan Garden Stats: |
Garden Size: 1/2 acre
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| Number of beds: 30 |
| Number of members (including relatives of members in household): Over 35 People |
| Onsite Structures and units: 1 Casita, 2 Tool Sheds, 1 Green House |
| Number of City Lots in Use: 4 lots |
|
| LAND PRICES IN 10455 ZIP CODE |
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| Average Price per Half Acre: $1,100,000 |
| Average Price Per Square Foot: $198 since 2018 |
| Total Annual Land Tax: $21,175 per year/ half acre |
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| PRICE IF YOU COULD BUY YOUR GARDEN BED from the City of New York |
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| Size of Garden Bed: 4 feet by 8 feet = 32 square feet |
| Price of 32 Sq Ft Bed: $6,336 Per Garden Bed |
| Annual Garden Bed Tax Per Year: $122.68. (1.925% New York County Tax Rate) |
| Communal Area Rental Fee: $600 per day (Events on Main Lawn and Usage of Stage Area over 1000 Square Feet) |
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| GARDENER SWEAT EQUITY |
| (Estimates based on average urban gardener work per season) |
|
| Pay Per Hour: $15 per hour rate |
| Saturday Work Days: 9am to 2pm |
| Monthly Meetings: 2 Hours per month |
| Garden Events: 5 Hours per event |
| Total Events Per Year: 2 Events |
| Winter Snow Shoveling: 20 Hours Per Year |
| Estimate Amount Earned in Sweat Equity: $2,055 per season |
|
| It would take you over three years to pay off a garden bed mortgage in sweat equity. |
| This does not include your annual land tax. |
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| References for Garden Bed Value |
| Loopnet.com |
| Zillow.com |
| Propertyshark.com |
| Therealdeal.com |
| Smartasset.com |
| Storefront.com |
Now that you have all this information, what can you do to make money as an urban farmer without breaking any laws or rules:
- You can sell seedlings and seeds to other farmers
- You can sell dry flowers and herbs
- You can sell instructions on how to build garden beds and other garden-related structures.
- You can start a farming blog
- You can develop your own farm education and sell workshops
- You can start an all-natural beauty care line
- You can develop textile food waste dyes and educational products
- You can make and sell compost or build compost bins for other farmers
- You can become an Urban Homesteader
PRO TIP: If you see another farmer doing well in one of these areas, do yourself a favor and double down in another niche instead of trying to put that farmer out of business. People tend to frown on this kind of nasty capitalistic behavior in this industry. Farming is hard work, so don't make it harder on yourself or someone else.
I know what you might be thinking; those city plot numbers look great. Why not just try to keep all that land to myself and produce crops for profit? First of all, that is totally illegal, a true waste of your time, and downright nasty. I know farmers who have locked the community out of city lots, and they all end their farming careers the same way, broke and angry. Remember there are costs you have to consider, and a city plot be it 1 acre or smaller is not big enough to compete with upstate farming and mainstream farming manufactures. The urban farming system is built for collaborators. Because the land, tax, and lack of profitable production are a consideration, there is little to no value in ownership of city lots unless you are a real estate developer. We chase those A-Holes away quickly. Getting a lease is a great deal, and you no longer have to pay for the lease in the City of New York.
We hope this article answers any questions you may have had about the value of Urban Farming. It's a wonderful career or a relaxing addition to the career you already have.
Happy Farming.
