What's The Secret Sauce Tor Profitable Crops? Here's The Answer!

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What makes a crop truly profitable? Join Curtis Stone in this video as he discusses the factors that determine the profitability of a crop. Whether you're an experienced farmer or just starting out, this video provides valuable insights to help you make informed decisions and maximize your farm's profitability. Watch now and unlock the key to growing a truly profitable crop!
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About Curtis Stone:
Curtis is one of the world’s most highly sought-after small farming educators. His book, The Urban Farmer, offers a new way to think about farming𑁋 one where quality of life and profitability coexist. Today, Curtis spends most of his time building his 40-acre off-grid homestead in British Columbia. He leverages his relationships with other experts to bring diverse content into the homes of gardeners and aspiring small farmers from around the world. Learn more at FromTheField.TV.
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[@saronaalesana684]

I HAVE NEVER FARMED IN MY LIFE BUT VIDEOS LIKE THIS JUST MAKES ME MORE AND MORE MOTIVATED TO FARM AND IM ETCHING TO START. I AM IN THE PROCESS OF DOING JUST THAT. I HAVE BEEN SCANNING THE INTERNET FOR A YEAR TO PREPARE MYSELF FOR IT AND FOUND MYSELF TAKING A SHORT HORTICULTURE COURSE SO IT MUST BE FOR ME. I FEEL SO BLESSED TO HAVE FOUND YOUR VIDEOS. YOU ADDRESS EVERY CONCERN I HAVE EVERYTIME AND ITS SO MOTIVATING. THANKYOU FOR SHARING YOUR TALENT AND WISDOM WITH US. MUCH APPRECIATED. GOD BLESS YOU

[@offgridcurtisstone]

Super. That's the point. The world needs more farmers.

[@terrantula7733]

Hi Curtis from florida! I have been following you for about 2 weeks now and watching your videos. I bought your book about 2 days ago and still reading it. I just wanted to say thank you for all that you do and your such an inspiration! I can't wait to start into urban farming, my new adventure! Thanks!

[@jamesprigioni]

Priceless info Curtis. Thanks for sharing your info my friend

[@JohnJones-cj9iq]

I've watched a bunch of your videos, this one is the best! And your book is being delivered tomorrow!! Thank you!

[@ExamplePrime]

Really glad to see there are so many videos on farming here on KZbin. Really is the Information age when I can sit in a Van in the Highlands watching a video about crop profitability on my phone.

[@garyv2498]

Farmer just told me to make a spreadsheet..... subscribed.

[@MichaelJones-ti9fx]

Excellent! I am working my way through your videos. I am digging potatoes in my backyard garden while listening to you. I recently purchased your book. Have a great day!

[@tanstaafl72555]

This stuff is so fantastic. Subscribed and sooooo eager to digest all this. Thank you so much. I sold my business 3 years ago and have considered a number of other new ventures (I have always been entrepreneurial. There are a whole number of reasons farming may be a good fit, but I felt I needed a business plan and a sense of what I was doing. I hope to utilize the info in your videos. They are extremely encouraging. Thanks again. See you in June :)

[@markhaugsten9622]

Among all the homestead/aquaponics videos this subject is number one!

[@rossmalicki1142]

Okay, once I have my crops and have picked them out, how do i find sell it and how much licensing is needed to be able to sell fresh produce? Love the videos finding them extremely informative thank your for your time.

[@KaleidoscopeJunkie]

Good points for building personal food storage too !

[@alaniglesias5661]

dude I so needed this inspo, good luck with your farm!

[@mohannadmalik5373]

I am thankful to you for this great video and great book I still didn't finish it yet but believe it or not I already started to gather data in a spreadsheet I am happy because you are teaching us & you are a great great example of success in this life style commitment. So thank you

[@nkg7626]

very nice and helpful,would like to know spacing of lettuce in raise bed.kindly advise.

[@charlesmitchell1571]

Nice recap. Too the point. Thanks The book is awesome.

[@BN-fy8jy]

Great videos, motivating me even more to start my urban farm in Ireland! Brilliant 😊👍

[@zero7negative]

There's a few crops that I find to be a waste for growing. But b/c I like them as much as I do. I continue to grow them. One is carrots. Home grown and fresh carrots are like candy at my house. The other is Blacktail Mountain watermelon. I've been growing these for 4 season now. High yielding plant. And man is the flavor great. Both crops suck at generating money. But I enjoy growing them and that makes it worth it. I've had great yields from San Marzano tomatoes as well. They're what I sundry.

[@earledmondson6506]

Great info thank you so much for taking the time to make these videos, you help keep me motivated.

[@growdocprofesser6105]

This info is really good, it shortens the learning curve

[@bobmccall4462]

I have watched several of your video and love them. I got into this because we just started a raised bed for home use but now you have sparked an interest in the potentials for expansion. However first things first. What is the best configuration for yard. Trees or shade verse open space? Want o figure out the best placement of the beds to maximize growth. Thanks

[@interestingyoutubechannel1]

Excellent info! You mentioned in another video that you used to be a tree planter - with the generally drastically reduced labor cost for fruit orchards, have you considered allocating high-yielding profitable fruit trees on a small plot as a long-term investment?

[@offgridcurtisstone]

Yes, and I've tried it. I used to do urban fruit trees. Not really economical enough for me. Too much work.

[@kaceesavage]

Thanks for making these videos! What are some ways to gauge the popularity of crops when you are first starting out?

[@dlbuffmovie]

Good post for someone looking to buy a chunk of land for retirement. Thank you!

[@mrdanejunkin]

Hi Curtis. Really very useful. I think we all have some of these points floating around in the back of our heads but turning it into a proper Rubik to make concrete evaluations is excellent advice. So, anyway, I was thinking, you have points 1,2 then 3. high price per weight, 4, then 5. popularity. Aren't these two points really closely related? Like if a product has a high price then isn't it very likely also popular? This isn't a criticism, our anything. I guess I am just saying that as popularity is definitely the most important criteria for plant choice wouldn't then price be a very useful tool in evaluating popularity?

[@thesilence6543]

so veggies follow the preto distribution ?

[@elihu-oshosfarms6965]

Thanks Curtis. Am learning from you.

[@MH-xp3en]

I do not grow to sell but for years I have grown enough to feed my family we do not buy vegetables I have been thinking about a greenhouse what mil visqueen do you suggest

[@SteveHovland]

Great info. Would help to put your camera on a tripod. Even a $20 tripod works.

[@danawenzel3737]

in determining probable production costs for growing microgreens, i have a question....do you use your soil only once, or is this reusable? ...i imagine that there is a point where unharvested seed might "contaminate" the soil by inviting bacteria/fungus/mold... can you screen out the seed base? do you recompost the used soil, and start fresh each time? thanks

[@watertothepeople]

Hi Curtis, thank you for sharing this, very important! I have a suggestion, or more like I am curious: if you rate these characteristics 1-5, you give them different scores, but you still treat each of them with equal importance right? Or do you additionally allocate a "weight" (say 1-3) to each characteristic according to its importance in an additional column, and then multiply it with with the rating before adding them all up? Just asking this because you mentioned the high importance of "Popularity" for example..which you say should even be treated as "crucial" - thus having higher importance than others.

[@Ryanthefrugal]

just bought the book :) hope it's a good read

[@Warcraft_Traders]

thanks for sharing Curtis

[@orblef]

have you tried planting lets say lettuce under tomatoes to utilize space on slow growing crop

[@daletinafloyd8284]

Awesome information. Thank you. These prices are to restaurants and wholesale, not to the Public in Farmers Mkts, or is the pricing the same for both?

[@Dzloof1]

The link took me to this package and it said not the book Where can i buy the book?

[@honeytubs]

Thanks for your many videos!

[@lucbeast]

The greenhouse basil appears to be growing well!

[@offgridcurtisstone]

Yep. Have done two thin harvests so far.

[@giddycat4806]

11:30 Good summary.

[@hannocoetzer8763]

Almost like the Sun Tzu on practical art of farming.. as with the your ending rhetorical question of "is it worth to grow certain vegetables?" I think one really need to stay on top of the curve and not feel bad, some veggie that doesn't produce revenue today (or isn't popular), might do so next year - and so every veggie will hopefully oneday have it's time under the sun - pun intended.. Cheers man and thanks

[@thedutchhomesteader3775]

Just read about this in your book this afternoon :P What a coinsidence :)

[@zaarkhananal7165]

For a person who's just starting out and owns a 10 acre farm, how many crops would you suggested they grow in their first year?

[@miguelmata4649]

Would you grow something specifically for one of your customers that asks for it and risk that if they ever stop buying it you're left with a lot of extra harvest that you have almost now way to sell? I'm thinking of a very niche product.

[@christophersmith8014]

I grow things that I'm not sure if anyone will want, like broccoli raab, just to see if someone might want it when I have it to offer. If someone has a specific request to grow something then I think it's definitely worthwhile. Primarily, I would think that as long as the crop is a short term crop then the most I would be out is a single harvest worth should they decide not to purchase the produced amount. I would then crop it out and plant more of the common best sellers. Even the last harvest wouldn't necessarily be a loss since it could be offered for sale at a Farmer's Market or to an aggregater. After all, if one person wants it then there's probably at least one other person who wants it as well (especially if you were able to find seeds/transplants for it). If it's really a hard crop to find, it's hard to sell to the general public, and it's expensive to produce, then just have the customer pay a deposit for one yield's expected value in advance. That way you and the customer are sharing the risk. In essence they are renting bed space from you with the expectation of a certain return under your management. If you are always holding a deposit that covers your turn around cost there's nothing to lose. If it's a perennial crop then just take the deposit for an entire years value.

[@tumba3182]

great episode.

[@organicmechanic5173]

In order to determine your yield per linear foot, is it just trial and error or is there a better way than growing a bed of something new just to see if it's a keeper?

[@christophersmith8014]

The only way to tell what a crop will yield in a given space and conditions is to plant it, harvest it and weigh it. If you want to grow something that there is any data available for then trial and error is the only way, but if you want to grow some common things (which is really where all the money is) then just buy Curtis' book. He lists all of the yields he gets and it's worth paying what little it takes to get it. I'd also have you buy JM's book, The Market Gardener, since he grows a wider variety of crops and has info on crops that Curtis doesn't grow but are useful for running a CSA. Sourcing the data from other farmers will give you a reasonable baseline for production, but you will still have to grow it yourself to see if your specific climate, soil, etc. will give you more, less, or the same yield. Even some of the data you get may change based on trials; Like planting 9 rows of arugula per bed instead of 7 or at a tighter spacing and still getting the same weight yield per seed/action ratio, or planting tomatoes 10 inches apart instead of 12 and fitting twenty percent more plants per row with the same or greater yield per plant.

[@ChicagoCFH]

great video Curtis!

[@noahleng3701]

thank you Curtis ... brilliant

[@TheColoringLamp]

do you use supplemental light, heat, and double walled greenhouses, to extend growing season?

[@offgridcurtisstone]

Just in my nursery.

[@jodrodgar7194]

Yield. Hi Curtis, I'm wondering if you could share what your average yield in kg per square metre has been this last season. I'm staying with a friend and helping on her farm and she has been doing some research on small farms in England. She's looked at around 70 farms and how productive they are. She was wondering about other small farmers and their yields and I told her about you. Thanks, Joel.

[@project1003]

I would suggest another item for your checklist: Competition. If something meets all 5 of your parameters for a "good crop", but there are 15 other farmers selling it that you will have to compete against at every turn, it's probably not your best option.

[@rdallen95301]

Urban Farmer Curtis Stone where do you find price per lb for your crops?

[@offgridcurtisstone]

Search "prices" on my channel

[@STW1964]

Urban Farmer Curtis Stone

[@sanjanamadhura]

Thank you

[@tpsu129]

50,000 subscriber increase since the original posting, congrats.

[@torrminator2543]

Can you give me a list of some crops that meet all the criteria?

[@marckmartin4682]

Fresh Herbs. Microgreens Kale, Spinach

[@40ozSLURPEE]

buy his book

[@yekaterina6764]

I can't make a list because I have no idea how fast everything growing and what my price per pound is. I don't know even how much does it cost to grow(

[@JosephNieboer]

Great Advice, thanks

[@rylanguillen1]

Hey Curtis, since your beds are generally 3'x50', does the linear foot described a 3'x1' area?

[@offgridcurtisstone]

+rylanguillen1 30" x 50', yes.

[@chrisshepherd2762]

Curtis, I am wondering if you can fool the plant into thinking the days are longer by supplementing artificial lighting?

[@offgridcurtisstone]

Of course.

[@reinux]

Just wondering, wouldn't it make more sense to calculate the dollar value per foot for each crop, rather than the weight yield?

[@offgridcurtisstone]

+reinux we calculate per bed. Do whatever works for you. This is how I do it.

[@Phil-mt1ql]

Curtis - Super post! Vertently or inadvertently you have described the future of eating on planet Earth and wherever else we may try to go. Whatever one's station in the current para-dime (sic), eventually all rational humans will aspire to be a combination of Farmer and Maintenance Worker. Aaaaaaaaand lovin' it. Irrationals of course will have to fend for themselves. Lettuce pray their deep pockets and insatiable appetites be evermore focused on spring salad mix and local cheese. BTW - I'm not Amish, but ya gotta admire how they do things. BTW #2 - Serbia, perforce an unfortunate reputation as a pariah state, has over the years developed a remarkably effective local food/ urban living relationship. Pretty much entirely supported by what Irrationals might call a "shamefully equitable" black market economy. Even so, Serbs, a proud and brilliant people, seem generally unhappy with their lot. Why is it that we so often just don't know when we got it good. Sigh.

[@stahpitt8531]

I just picked the ones you suggested, no way you can fail with cherry tomatoes, spinach and lettuce.

[@bubba2974]

How about produce that is niche like the sun sweet cherry tomato ?

[@scryermountain]

YES....

[@barryfields2964]

Have you ever grown eggplant? And if so what do you thank about it.

[@racebiketuner]

Is this covered in your book?

[@offgridcurtisstone]

Yes.

[@grantflippin7808]

Cherry and Juliet tomatoes follow the first rule mostly

[@fisheye350]

do you grow peppers?

[@Arz547]

I have a farm, peppers are a niche market in my opinion if you can find a buyer like a pizza shop it will work but they weight so little it's tough to make a profit. 10 lbs of peppers won't fill a banana box and u might get 30 bucks for it.

[@HAL1400]

Is all produce sold by a farmer sold by the pound or also quantity? My local Kroger sells orange/red bell peppers at about $1.50 to $2 each and not per pound. Other peppers, like jalapenos, its per pound. So just wondering what their market up is. lol

[@maguayo1]

Why not use Vertical and Hydroponics?

[@offgridcurtisstone]

+Marcos Aguayo I like soil.

[@jacksvegi.plotcooking.7396]

love the videos but why 1/2 pound per foot?? does price per pound not matter???

[@offgridcurtisstone]

I don't think you're listening, price per pound is #3.

[@jacksvegi.plotcooking.7396]

Yep sorry, I need to pay better attention.

[@rwilson99]

great info! *side note: everyone that works in the IRS should be thrown in jail

[@mattheuscosta4782]

I'm from BRAAAAZIL BRO, keep punch and congra!

[@anthonyrstrawbridge]

good job, all I had was a consumer

[@parker3208]

Now I know why I can't afford to shop at farmer's markets. 😋

[@christiaanwisselo5308]

Your website is down... Bandwidth Limit Exceeded The server is temporarily unable to service your request due to the site owner reaching his/her bandwidth limit. Please try again later.

[@offgridcurtisstone]

It's back up.

[@holtscustomcreations]

First rule of business is to provide goods or services to the customer that they want or need at a price they're willing to pay. It's the customer doesn't buy it, you can't sell it.

[@juliusfucik4011]

This is obvious, but Curtis mentioned another principle in his videos: Creating a market. He brought the microgreens as they were not available on the farmer's market. He had no idea of the demand for such products, because they were not available to the customers. Sometimes you can create demand simply by supplying.

[@rawdonut]

My jaw dropped when I heard him say $4 per lb for tomatoes. So it's evident that he's located either new New York or California because no where between Florida to Chicago could I possibly sell one lb of tomatoes for $4 as a wholesaler. The retail store would have to tack on their profit to make money. So, $6 a lb. Is that even possible? Still, I know there's profit to be make but at 1/5 of comparability.

[@offgridcurtisstone]

You should travel more, because I've been traveled pretty extensively between those two places, also taught workshops there, and have seen the same prices and higher.

[@bosyeux2]

He's in Canada

[@TheGrandMasterFunk]

hey man, thanks a lot for sharing the info. :) Mucho appreciado

[@vegan_force_ken6710]

have you ever just asked a potential buyer "what would you buy?" or "what could you use more of?". is there a potential for failure there or do most business owners appreciate the upfront honesty?

[@Simar2674CABBAGE]

Aye Strawberries fit the criteria

[@TJLawJX]

So glad that you recognize the government's taxation as outright theft! So many people apologize for this theft and essentially consider it "their fair share" which is only mental gymnastics and cognitive dissonance at work.

[@tjz19d]

I'm not defending the government here but, without taxes we have no military, bridges,roads, hospitals etc etc. I think fair and competitive taxation is what people really want. Taxes are still way to high and their to many different taxes I believe labor should not be taxed. Just my opinions don't take it as an attack I understand the frustration.

[@chevy6299]

Curtis and I had that talk a few months ago and I was an instant fan of his.

[@MrFarmer1997]

I am not sure about in Canada but in the US the money you inherit from the death of a loved one is taxed. So they basically tax your money twice. I do like my roads and regulations making it so I don"t have to worry about the food I am buying, but they do waste a lot of money.

[@tjz19d]

I'm in America and yes everything is taxed twice which is bull I agree totally. In the end we have to have some taxes people some people need assistance some abuse this too it's a sad fact we have to live with. I do also agree the amount of waste and abuse and it's gotta stop for everybody's sake.

[@TJLawJX]

We can all recognize that taxation is theft and coercion. We all recognize that theft is wrong, and we know this because even the people who tax don't want to be taxed themselves. Given this, I'm certain that it is not a leap to think that no good or service should ever be delivered at the threat of theft or coercion, because theft and coercion is wrong. So that leaves us to imagine how we might solve these societal needs in a more ethical way. I think the idea that society can not exist and prosper unless one group of humans has the moral authority to rule over and steal from another group of humans is fundamentally flawed and that it might be time for humans to imagine new methods to deliver these common goods and services without stealing from each other to do it.

[@marcelveldbloem9175]

you make me dizzy with the moving camera not ok !!

[@offgridcurtisstone]

+Marcel Veldbloem just focus on me;)

[@cavemantero]

dollar bills is what makes a crop profitable

[@imover9999]

"How much the government steals from me." Taxation is theft! That and another video you were ragging on government made me like ya even more!

[@NJoyWinning]

Great material, stop freakin walking back and forth! Christ, I was carsick from watching you.

[@wizlawz]

Planate Earth

[@skylermoyer4733]

You're going to make people dizzy walking forward and backward and moving the camera around like that.

[@offgridcurtisstone]

Toughen up. If you want to farm you're going to have to toughen up anyways ;)

[@dairyUA]

Taxation is not theft if you want to live in a society where police,fire,military etc are the responsibility of someone else and not yourself

[@offgridcurtisstone]

+dairyUA when something is taken against your will it is by definition theft.

[@dairyUA]

When you're business is massive you won't have to pay tax anymore! Seriously though, you are a good guy and I'm sure you would pay your share to community necessity but the majority of humans are not hence we have taxation, unfortunately we have people in government/federal who are not business people and the money is not spent wisely

[@andydelarue9344]

Worried on out government taking you money, go and live where you don't pay tax , then tells us how good are the schools ,roads hospitals.

[@offgridcurtisstone]

Is that english?