Agriculture

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Small Farm & Ranch Sustainability

Specialty Crop Enterprise Budget Worksheets

There is growing interest and activity across New Mexico in producing fresh vegetables and fruits (specialty crops) to meet increased demand for locally produced food. Market opportunities include roadside stands, farmers’ markets, restaurants, schools, and local grocery stores. To assist current and prospective producers make informed crop choices, NMSU CES extension and horticulture specialists have developed on-line, interactive cost and return budgets for selected specialty crops- green chile, carrots, spinach, kale, field tomatoes, and strawberries. Budgets for apples, asparagus, and blackberries are under construction; more specialty crop budgets are scheduled for construction in the future. The budgets are based on half-acre operations; cost and return values are industry averages. The interactive feature of the budgets allows producers to enter alternative production cost, yield, and market price data that reflect local production conditions and market opportunities. Users of the budgets should keep in mind that differing circumstances can cause production conditions and market opportunities to vary widely among producers.