Foundations of Hobby Farm Planning

This unit introduces the lifestyle, visioning, site-selection, infrastructure, and basic equipment planning needed to launch a hobby or small-scale farm. Students will assess personal goals, financial constraints, property factors, and essential structures and tools to prepare for detailed site development and production units that follow.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze personal goals, lifestyle constraints, and community factors and produce a written farm vision and site-preference statement that identifies at least three prioritized objectives
• Apply financial planning skills to develop a startup and first-year operating budget for a hobby farm that includes at least five cost categories and projected expenses
• Evaluate a minimum of three candidate properties using a standardized site-assessment checklist (acreage, zoning, access, water, soil, wildlife, existing structures) and rank options with documented justification
• Demonstrate the ability to design an initial infrastructure and equipment plan that identifies required shelters, storage, animal enclosures, and tools (hand, power, and vehicle) with a prioritized acquisition timeline and basic safety considerations