The questions people ask first.

There isn't one answer, because there isn't one kind of organic farm. The farmhouse model is more about the house and less about the farm. A homestead farm is usually about self-sufficiency and healthier food rather than commercial production, so the acreage you need is probably linked to what you can actually manage. For those with a more commercial bent, somewhere between 5 and 10 acres can be quite productive, depending on the business model you choose.

To begin with, you need the land, and if you're buying nowadays, that can be a tidy packet. If you were lucky enough to inherit, the answer is still very varied. Will you grow fruits or more intensive vegetables? At large scale or as a smaller market garden? You need more information before you can get a useful number. In any case, your investment should be measured in terms of both time and money, and you'll need a fair bit of each before you're self-sufficient.

If you aren't sure whether you'll enjoy this, be able to give it enough time or whether you'll be any good at it, it's better to start by borrowing or leasing. If, on the other hand, you're sure you're in it for the long run, willing to make a real lifestyle change or you have spare capital to deploy, then buying makes more sense.

It's really difficult to be sure without some first-hand experience actively on a farm. Farming is certainly not for all of us and most urban folks should probably look at this more as a part-time activity than a full-time occupation. On the other hand, for those who can't imagine anything more enjoyable to do, and are willing to live with the uncertainty that every farmer in the world experiences, the decision may be much easier. Only time and farming will tell.

For most of us new to farming, growing perennials and fruit trees may be an easier place to begin, less intensive in terms of daily time demands and an easier learning curve than seasonal vegetables. But what you grow should be decided primarily by the business model you arrive at for your farm. Just because you can grow something doesn't mean you should: Your access to markets is another factor that will help you decide.

To begin with, take stock of what's there. Just getting the existing trees or fields the care they need is usually the best place to start. Then comes the planning, based on what your future customers and markets are likely to need. If you're new to managing the farm, you'll have the challenge of learning quickly while deciding on a new path going forward. Old models aren't working and just keeping on with what has been a struggle in the past is as risky as trying something new. You'll also probably have to convince your family and staff that new ways are necessary to improve a struggling or dormant farm.

Only if you can get really good at a minimum of three things: learning the science behind successful organic growing methods; managing the operations of the farm, planning time, money, people and resources efficiently and effectively; and marketing your produce (with a good business plan too) to the more profitable markets, with a high focus on value-added products from what you grow.

At the closest place to your farm that you can, simpler logistics, to the most profitable customers you can access, avoiding commodification where possible and through as exclusive a channel or market as you can establish for yourself, usually through partnerships. Peri-urban farms have an advantage here, as they have access to customers who may be willing to pay a premium for organic produce. Think multi-channel from the outset.

Find a balance between making it affordable and attractive for the customer types you want to reach, yet make sure it's profitable for you, because that's the only way growth is possible for your farm business.

For commercial scale, yes, certification is usually necessary. At smaller scale, there are other ways to market produce grown without chemical pesticides or fertilisers. The right approach depends on what kind of organic farming you're practising.

Mostly because people underestimate the extent of work and challenges when they're getting started. Climate can play a role too, if it goes against you for successive growing seasons. We see people losing interest for a variety of reasons or unable to give the farm enough of their time. But the most common reason is that owners fail to identify a business model that works for them in the long term and aren't able to achieve consistent profitability. Some also don't stay in it long enough to reach that goal.

If you ask practitioners, these are very different styles of agriculture, but for our broader purposes, you can think of them as different flavours of a broad category we call organic farming. What they have in common is avoiding chemical inputs and adopting agroecological practices that mimic nature, for different reasons. In the actual practices, though, they have very different perspectives on what matters most for a more sustainable approach to farming.

A good beginning when you're starting from scratch will probably take about three years: setting your farm framework, business model and getting your natural processes somewhat stabilised. Crops, of course, can be produced in much shorter time periods. Sow some radish in the right season (winter) and you can have some to eat in just four to six weeks. But for most organic farms that don't have a windfall of some kind and aren't backed by unlimited time and capital, financial sustainability is between three and five years in the making.

Building good soil can be done in many different ways, have a look at our OWC 2017 archive to learn about many of them. The approach you choose will depend considerably on the amount of time you have and the resources available to you. When done well, you can see results in less than a year; if conditions aren't in your favour, it may take up to three years. Remember, though, that building soil doesn't help much if you don't maintain it well, and that's a job that never really stops on an organic farm.

Again, there are many views on how pests need to be “managed.” But most of the interventions in organic farming are proactive and preventive, not just reactive and curative, as in killing pests with chemical pesticides or herbicides. Organic pest management is a more holistic approach. Interventions include tools like pheromone traps and lures, herbal pest repellents, trap cropping and many other techniques, depending on the challenges you face on your farm or with a particular crop.

Most people pray for it, so the answer depends on whether you're in a place with moisture shortfalls or excesses. In our case, we're based in Goa and most of the time we have to deal with excesses of moisture. Most parts of India, however, tend to have periods when moisture availability is scarce and measures need to be taken to preserve and manage water use efficiently.

Workshops are short, focused sessions: a useful outline, or a deep dive on one topic. Coaching is hands-on work on your farm, customised to your land. It usually runs 12–18 months. The longest engagements are about two years.

We've lived in Goa for 20+ years and have farmed here since 2011. This is where we've done the majority of our farming, and in fact where we fell in love with growing food.

Good workers can be hard to find anywhere, you'll need to look hard, try many candidates, train them well, treat them well and work with them to help your farm thrive.