Vegetable gardens are not likely the first thing that springs to mind when you think of planning your independent business. The pastoral image of potatoes and corn growing in the backyard seems rather remote from the highly competitive world of trade and commerce. In fact, gardening has more in common with business than what appears at first glance.
As I was planting my garden this spring, I was thinking of how gardens and gardenong relate to business and entrepreneurship. Obvious at first, of course, are the many greenhouse, nursery, bedding plant, and vegetable sales tables at the local Farmers' Market. The garden producer and their suppliers are big businesses in and of themselves.
Turning that unused acreage behind your house into a commercial market garden or truck farm combines the power of business with the garden itself. As we shall see, you don't have to be a market gardener to recognize the similar patterns of business and gardens. That said, I would recommend market gardening as a wonderful and healthy sideline business for you to start in your spare time.
Before one opens their new entrepreneurial venture, a business plan is required. Financing, marketing, sourcing of inputs, production, and personnel are just a few of the required areas of a powerful business and marketing plan. Gardens require a similar plan.
You must decide where each vegetable will be planted and the amount of space allotted to each type of plant. This is especially important if your garden space is small and cramped. Too much corn planted and there will be no room for potatoes. Too many space hogging cucumbers and pumpkins, and your garden will be over booked for available space, like a hotel on New Year's Eve.
Crop rotation and soil enrichment must be planned, often several years in advance. To combat plant diseases and lowered fertility, plants must be rotated to different locations within the garden. Last year's pea or bean patch works well for this year's heavy nutrient using corn crop. Compost or commercial fertilizers must be applied. Insects must be controlled. Water is an absolute necessity. As with a small business, the garden has its essential input requirements.
The garden must be kept weeded all summer long, and guarded against pests with leg totals varying from two, to four, to six, to countless. Plants must be watched for signs of disease. If you have ever had your peas or bean plants mould, or something bad occur on your potatoes or corn, you know that the entire crop can be lost. As with watching the day to day activities of your company, the garden requires constant vigilence as well.
When the garden plants mature, and the vegetables are ready for harvest, care must be taken with their picking, and with any storage requirements. Potatoes, large onions, carrots, and turnips are often stored dry for winter. Other vegetables are frozen or canned for preservation. Care must be taken to prevent the loss of quantity and of quality. As with your business, a failure to plan, for unexpected good times or for bad outcomes, could destroy the entire year's revenue.
When you are planting your garden, think in terms of business planning as well.
Your company's financial well being, and your garden's bounty will be the better for it.
