posted 4 years ago
Hi Mike:
Welcome to permies. I have a few errent thoughts I will send your way:
1) Pick a main project and focus on getting that established first (identify your zone 0) and work your way out from there.
2) Having the heated greenhouses is awesome, I'd try to make good use of those while you have access to them.
3) If you're doing this for money, you'll need to identify your target audience. Do you plan to sell to restaurants, farmers markets, road side stand or CSA?
4) I'd hold off on planting trees & bushes until you have some kind of a legally binding contract. I'd want at least a 10-year lease or a purchase agreement before planting anything substantal or doing any major earthworks.
5) I like your idea of raising pasture birds, but I'd recommend doing some research on state meat processing regs first if you're doing this for market. I remember reading something awhile back about some conflict with USDA inspections causing a dust up in Maine (I think this pertained to selling meat out of state), not sure what ever became of that.
6) Not to discourage you, but unsure if winter forage for birds in Maine is a good use of your time. Wild birds will likely outcompete your birds for the resources.
7) It's too late for this year/season, but garlic might be a good crop to experiment with. From what I've read, very little garlic is grown here domestically and that might have a good return on investment (not sure if the conditions in Maine favor it though). Potatoes perhaps? ...Maine is well known for potatoes, but probably hard to compete with the big guys unless you do gourmet varieties. Maybe look into doing mushrooms?
Hope that helps some,
-Pete
Om is where the heart is.