Expert: Kindred Beisinger penname K D Elizabeth Beisinger - 9/3/2010

Question
So, my family is looking at a 75 acre property of farmland 9 miles out of Ann
Arbor, MI. I guess it's my job to ask all the necessary questions they have :).

We have never owned a farm before, and we want to own one that maybe we
can make some money on and have fun with. We want to start small.

The farm already has 2 small barns, a stable, and a quonset hut, not to
mention two fenced in pastures, slaughterhouse, and a chicken coop. It was
built in 1899, but everything is pretty sturdy, If we bought the farm, we will
do some little fixing up, too.

So, here are my questions, if you can answer them:

-How much would it cost to own a couple of hens and broilers, maybe some
sheep, and some goats (yearly)?
-We want our farm to be self-sustaining. What crops would we need to do
that? How much would those crops cost?
-To earn a little more money, we were thinking of growing some flowers or
pumpkins and maybe doing some fruit trees or raspberries. Would this be a
good idea? How much would this cost?
-Of course, we want the standard veggies, too, like tomatoes, lettuce,
cucumbers, squash, onions, and herbs. Costs?
-Would hiring a farm manager be a good idea?

As I said, we want to start small. Is this doable for a family of four? We're all
super excited if it will work out. If it isn't, though, what could we change?

Obviously, we wouldn't be using up all 75 acres with the above. My parents
we talking about renting the space to other farmers, then sharecropping. We
would definitely try to grow our own straw/hay, but we don't think we could
manage a whole cornfield.

Thanks in advance!

Answer
Dear Caity,
I will try to answer your questions individually and hopefully this will give you some info to share with the family, but this sounds sort of like a possible homework question.  
Here goes.
First, if you've never farmed before, 75 acres is quite a bit to "start small."  
As for livestock, if managed properly, a beginning investment will continue to propagate.  
A dozen hens and a rooster will provide enough eggs for the family as well as enough fertile eggs to produce chicks, either by a brood hen setting or an incubator.  The chicks will then either be pullets that grow up to be more hens or roosters that will be broilers or fryers.  It really only takes one year for the flock to dramatically increase, as well as providing eggs and meat.
Sheep and goats require good fencing and if you decide to go with goats, you can have both meat and milk, as well making cheese if you so wish.    
A nice herd of goats can run anywhere from $500.00 to $1,000.00 for a buck and four to six nannies.  You can pay more for registered stock, but that doesn't really change the meat or milk, so I don't recommend paying the several dollars more for paper, as it can truly triple the cost.  Within a year, you will more than double your herd, and can sell the kids or raise meat or both.  Goats usually twin after their first kidding.    
As for produce, seeds are cheap.  Fruit trees can run anywhere from $15.00 to $70.00 depending upon the size.
As for a farm manager, I think 75 acres is not nearly large enough for that.
You could rent 40 acres, even 60 for someone to row crop, pasture, or hay.  Then have 25 or 35 acres for your garden and your goats and chickens, and your own hay.  That is more than enough to provide food for a family of 4.  Farming requires hard work and careful planning to actually succeed.
I wish you well.
Kind Regards,
KD Liz
www.covenantsanctuary.net