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Short answers to the questions readers send Farm Zone most often, plus where to write if yours is not covered here.
Less risky than buying new is expensive, if you know what to check. Engine hours, hydraulic leaks and tire condition tell you more than the paint job does. A pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic costs little compared to the machine itself.
Some do, most do not at a meaningful scale, and the ones that succeed usually treat it as a real business with real pricing rather than a hobby that happens to sell extra produce. Selling direct at a market or through a subscription tends to outperform wholesale for a small operation.
When a piece is ready, which is why the gaps between posts are uneven. Everything we have published stays available in the blog archive, and articles are updated with a dated note when a change alters the advice.
It depends on the region, but raccoons, hawks and neighborhood dogs cause more losses than the predators beginners fear most. A secure, buried wire perimeter and a covered run stop the majority of incidents, and most losses happen during the day, not at night.
Far less than most beginners assume. A well planned quarter acre can produce a meaningful amount of vegetables for a household, and a few backyard chickens need only a secure coop and a small run. Start with what you can manage well in year one.
Some outbound links on this site are commercial and that is disclosed in our editorial policy, but a recommendation does not change wording because of a commercial relationship. If a tool is not worth the money, we say so.
At least once a year, ideally the same week each year so results are comparable. A single test tells you almost nothing on its own, it is the year over year trend that tells you whether an amendment plan is working or just adding cost.
Send it to info@farmzone.net. Anything we are asked repeatedly tends to become an article, and the ones asked most often are the ones that land on this page.
Start with the blog archive, or pick a topic from the about page if you would rather see how the site is organised first.
