Three questions farmers want answered

I’ve interviewed Bill Brim (co-owner of Lewis Taylor Farms and Georgia hall-of-fame farmer) many times about the viability of adding commercial greenhouse production to their open-field operations. For those who know Bill, all will attest that he has forgotten more about agriculture than most farmers will ever know, and who’s expertise in all kinds of agriculture is second to none. When Bill speaks, we listen.

First and foremost, Bill is a businessman who happens to excel at farming. And as a businessman, the key questions that Bill wants answered to prior to expanding into CEA are:

·       Will I make any money doing this?

·       Who is my buyer?

·       How much does this cost?

In that order. If there is money to be made and buyers to sell to, then the third question is easier to swallow. Granted, the investment needs to pay out quickly so the farmer can breathe easier (price matters). But if the numbers prove to be positive, then cost becomes more of a nuisance than a barrier.

Until farmers are comfortable with the answers to these three questions, it will be impossible to expect traditional open-field famers to make the leap to indoor agriculture where they can leverage their pre-existing assets and agronomy expertise needed to thrive. These will be the core three questions I’ll address at the upcoming CEAg World event in Raleigh later this month. See you there!