Farm Project: Garlic Train Farms

Sean McBride, Brittany McLaughlin, Eddie McLaughlin, Henry Butler

Project Overview:​ The objective is to startup a small scale farm following the Market
Garden Model described in Jean-Martin Fortier’s ​The Market Gardener​. The plan of
operation is to create a small scale organic farm, that puts heavy emphasis on close
crop spacing to maximize yield, while also utilizing low-mechanized hand tools to take a
biologically intensive approach in farming. Lastly the farm will function as a local source
from which the community of Galloway can obtain and appreciate fresh organic
produce.
Property Description and Farm Design:

Figure 1: Aerial View of property boundary. Property address is 245 W. Jimmie Leeds
Rd, Galloway, NJ 08205. Yellow line marks the border of the property, encompassing a
total area of 15.88 acres. Soil pH is low in organic matter, and has an acidic pH.
Compost will be added (10 wheelbarrow loads/bed) and lime to increase soil quality.
Figure 2: Farm Layout. A total of 8 plots will be cultivated for growing crops
(represented as black rectangles). The plots will include 10 beds each, at a uniformed
length of 100 ft long x 4 feet wide (36in beds and 12in walkways). The red lines marks
trees that will be removed to free up land and prevent shadows from shading out crops.
Two compost piles will be placed, one on each side of the farm, under shade cover
(represented as the brown polygons). An electric fence will surround the farm to protect
crops from pests, covering a perimeter of 1334.78 ft. (represented by the orange
polygon). The 3 car garage (marked in yellow) will act as the central storage area for
tools and equipment. Lastly a water tower will be constructed in the middle of the farm
(represented as the blue square) to collect rainwater for irrigation.
Crop Production and Rotation:
List of varieties
● Brassicaceae: Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower
● Greens: Kale, Spinach
● Alliums: Garlic (Silver White, unless later studies reveal a more optimal variety)
● Legumes: Green Beans, Chickpeas, Lentils
● Cucurbitaceae: Cucumbers, Squash, Zucchini
● Solanaceae: Tomatoes, Peppers, Eggplant
● Roots: Beets, Carrots, Radish
All the brassicaceae, alliums, cucurbitaceas, and solanaceae that we chose are heavy
feeders. Our greens and roots are light feeders and the legumes are nitrogen fixers. We
integrated light feeders between heavy feeders as to not drain the soil of nutrients, and
to reduce compost additions to every other year per plot. We also spaced the
Brassicaceae and Solanaceae 4 years (4 plots) apart from one another as to let the soil
regain health. Legumes are planted in 2 plots each year to ensure that there is plenty
nitrogen in the soil. During the off season, winter, we will plant the cover crops cereal
rye and white clover to sustain the raised bed, prevent erosion, and promote soil health.
Plot 1 Plot 2 Plot 3 Plot 4 Plot 5 Plot 6 Plot 7 Plot 8
Brassicac Solanacea Cucurbita
Year 1 eae Greens Alliums Legumes e Roots ceae Legumes
Brassicac Solanacea Cucurbita
Year 2 Legumes eae Greens Alliums Legumes e Roots ceae
Cucurbita Brassicace Solanacea
Year 3 ceae Legumes ae Greens Alliums Legumes e Roots
Cucurbita Brassicac Solanacea
Year 4 Roots ceae Legumes eae Greens Alliums Legumes e
Solanacea Cucurbitace Brassicac
Year 5 e Roots ae Legumes eae Greens Alliums Legumes
Solanacea Cucurbita Brassicac
Year 6 Legumes e Roots ceae Legumes eae Greens Alliums
Cucurbita Brassicac
Year 7 Alliums Legumes Solanaceae Roots ceae Legumes eae Greens
Solanacea Cucurbita Brassicac
Year 8 Greens Alliums Legumes e Roots ceae Legumes eae
Expenses
● Hoop House: $3,500
● Greenhouse: $11,000
● 2 Wheel Tractor + accessories: $8,500
● Cold Room: $4,000
● Irrigation System: $3,000
● Indoor Seeding equipment: $600
● Hoes and Wheel Hoe: $600
● Broadfork: $200
● Earthway Seeder: $122
● Rakes, Shovels, Spade, Wheelbarrow, ect.: $200
● Sprayer: $100
● Harvest Basket and Scales: $300
● Electric Fence: $500
● Compost (ACUA): $4,500
● Seeds: $4,534.40
■ We got the seed prices from johnnyseeds.com and
○ Cover Crops: $254.00
○ Brassicaceae: $931.50
○ Greens: $161.05
○ Alliums: $250.00
○ Legumes: $141.25
○ Roots: $116.95
○ Cucurbitaceae: $1,076.50
○ Solanaceae: $1,603.15
● Tree Removal: $3,000
● Water Tower: $800
● Galloway Green Market: $200
The total costs come out to $45,656.40.
Profit and Selling Plan:

We will start out selling at the Galloway Green Market and 30 baskets CSA. The table
below shows our estimated prices for each crop that we plan to grow the first year. The
prices may vary depending on how much we harvest and the demand for each crop. As
we become more established we will further expand our by becoming vendors at the
Stockton University farmers market to introduce younger generations to the benefits of
buying locally sourced organic produce.

Products Price Products Price

Beefsteak
tomatoes $3.00/lb Squash $1.50/lb
Cherry tomatoes $5.00/lb Zucchini $1.75/lb
Eggplant $3.00/lb Cabbage $1.00/lb
Peppers $4.00/lb Broccoli $2.50/lb
Beets $2.50/lb Cauliflower $3.00/unit
Carrots $2.50/lb Kale $2.00/unit
Radishes $1.50/unit Spinach $6.00/lb
Cucumber $2.00/unit Garlic $1.50/unit
Green Beans $3.75/lb