You can do so much on so little, especially with herbs. That was the message Michael Kilpatrick, founder of Growing Farmers and the Farm on Central in Franklin, Ohio, an eight-acre urban farm, provided during the recent Herbal Entrepreneur Conference.

Kilpatrick addressed what to look for when finding an herbal farm property. “The yield you can get off a very small space is tremendous, especially if you pick the right type of soil,” he said. “Don’t feel like you can’t do this if you don’t have 100 acres. You don’t even need an acre. Just test it and see if it’s for you before you expand.”

Much like a house-hunting reality show, there are certain must-haves a property requires if you’re considering turning it into an herbal farm. Kilpatrick outlined these six key principles:

  • Access – for power, water, vehicles and anything else that needs to physically reach the property. At his first farm in downstate New York, the terrain was very hilly and challenging for some trucks to climb (including firetrucks).

Also consider access for sewer or septic systems, as well as mail and delivery service, especially if you’re planning on shipping any product. Look at proximity to needs too, such as hardware or farm supply stores.

  • Water Source – Growers definitely don’t want contaminated water for herbs, which are generally seen as healing plants. Kilpatrick said a well or spring is generally safer than a municipal water source.

Water-testing labs are widely available in the U.S. – and he suggested talking to people in the community to see if there’s any issues with the local groundwater. How much water is available is key, as are any conservation efforts. Kilpatrick noted many herbs are very hardy, but water still needs to be a concern.

  • Market – Where are you going to sell your product? “Herbs a little more difficult than vegetables,” Kilpatrick said. “It depends what your product list is too – elderberry syrup is pretty ubiquitous right now, for example. It does help to move online and do e-commerce.”

But, as mentioned above, think about the logistics of shipping. One strategy Kilpatrick has seen succeed is selling a product that’s physically very dense – it saves on shipping and moving more product to special events and sales. Leafy and dried things can take up a lot of space.

  • Soil – “Soil can be changed,” he said, if it’s not ideal at the outset. You can bring in amendments and beneficial fungi, and even grow in raised beds. You can do remediation with compost, cover crops and pre- and probiotics.

“Definitely test your soils,” he added. “Don’t overwork your soil with tillage either. And avoid floodplains and super heavy clay soils.”

  • Weather – Kilpatrick noted there are definitely areas in the U.S. that have specific weather patterns, even locally. That presents another reason to reach out to the people in the community. “If you can, live in an area for a year before you buy farmland there,” he said. “Do your due diligence.”
  • Community in the Area – “It’s more and more important every single day,” Kilpatrick said of community. “You want a community that’s welcoming and agriculturally focused. And be invested in your community so that you’re welcomed.”

His final bit of advice when looking for herbal ag land was doing a little more research before falling in love with a property. Be sure that you’ll be allowed to do what you want to do before signing any paperwork.

by Courtney Llewellyn