Farm & Garden Guides
Everything you need to know about growing crops and raising livestock. Free, comprehensive guides for farmers, homesteaders, and gardeners.
Featured Guides
Our most popular and comprehensive guides to get you started.
Coffee
Shade-grown arabica from seedling to roasted bean
Tomatoes
From cherry to beefsteak, soil to sauce
Raising Chickens (Layers)
Egg-laying breeds, coop design, and flock management
Avocado
Hass, Fuerte, and tropical varieties for any climate
Beekeeping
Hive setup, honey harvest, and pollination services
Raising Beef Cattle
Pasture management, breeds, and herd health
All Guides
Livestock Guides
12 guides
Raising Chickens (Layers)
beginnerEgg-laying breeds, coop design, and flock management
5-6 months to first eggs
Raising Broiler Chickens
beginnerMeat birds from chick to processing in 8 weeks
8-12 weeks to harvest
Raising Beef Cattle
advancedPasture management, breeds, and herd health
18-24 months to market
Dairy Farming
advancedMilking routines, nutrition, and breed selection
24 months to first milk
Raising Dairy Goats
intermediateSmall-scale dairy with Nigerian Dwarf and Nubian goats
1-2 years to first milk
Raising Meat Goats
intermediateBoer goats and browse-based feeding systems
6-9 months to market
Raising Pigs
intermediateHeritage breeds, pasture raising, and feed management
6-8 months to market
Raising Sheep
intermediateWool and meat breeds, lambing, and pasture rotation
6-12 months to market
Raising Ducks
beginnerDual-purpose ducks for eggs, meat, and pest control
5-6 months to first eggs
Raising Rabbits
beginnerCompact livestock for meat, fur, and fertilizer
8-12 weeks to market
Tilapia Farming
intermediatePond and tank-based aquaculture for protein production
6-9 months to harvest
Beekeeping
intermediateHive setup, honey harvest, and pollination services
First harvest in year 2
Tropical Crops
10 guides
Coffee
advancedShade-grown arabica from seedling to roasted bean
3-4 years to first harvest
Cacao
advancedBean-to-bar chocolate starting with your own trees
3-5 years to first harvest
Avocado
intermediateHass, Fuerte, and tropical varieties for any climate
3-5 years to first fruit
Banana
beginnerPlanting, bunch management, and sucker propagation
9-12 months to first bunch
Mango
intermediateGrafted varieties, pruning, and pest management
3-6 years to first fruit
Sugarcane
beginnerPlanting, harvesting, and processing panela
12-18 months to harvest
Yuca (Cassava)
beginnerDrought-tolerant staple crop for tropical climates
8-12 months to harvest
Passion Fruit
intermediateVigorous vines with sweet-tart tropical fruit
12-18 months to first fruit
Papaya
beginnerFast-growing tropical fruit tree for year-round harvest
6-9 months to first fruit
Ginger
beginnerShade-tolerant rhizome for culinary and medicinal use
8-10 months to harvest
Garden Vegetables
12 guides
Tomatoes
beginnerFrom cherry to beefsteak, soil to sauce
60-85 days to harvest
Corn
beginnerSweet corn, field corn, and three sisters planting
60-100 days to harvest
Potatoes
beginnerSeed potatoes, hilling, and storage varieties
70-120 days to harvest
Peppers
beginnerSweet bells to scorching hot reapers
60-90 days to harvest
Beans
beginnerBush, pole, and dry beans for every garden
50-70 days to harvest
Squash
beginnerSummer zucchini to winter butternut and pumpkins
50-100 days to harvest
Cucumbers
beginnerSlicers, picklers, and vertical trellis growing
50-70 days to harvest
Lettuce
beginnerCut-and-come-again greens for continuous harvest
30-60 days to harvest
Garlic
beginnerHardneck and softneck varieties, fall planting guide
8-9 months to harvest
Onions
beginnerShort-day and long-day varieties for every region
90-120 days to harvest
Carrots
beginnerDeep beds, succession planting, and rainbow varieties
70-80 days to harvest
Sweet Potatoes
beginnerSlip propagation, warm soil, and curing for storage
90-120 days to harvest
Herbs & Flowers
3 guides
Cool Season & Berries
5 guides
Kale
beginnerCold-hardy superfood that thrives in cool weather
50-65 days to harvest
Broccoli
intermediateMain heads plus side shoots for extended harvest
80-100 days to harvest
Blueberries
intermediateAcidic soil lovers with years of berry production
2-3 years to full production
Strawberries
beginnerJune-bearing and everbearing for sweet summer fruit
4-6 weeks after flowering
Turmeric
beginnerGolden rhizome with anti-inflammatory properties
8-10 months to harvest
Plan your farm with all these crops and animals
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Get Started FreeFrequently Asked Questions
Common questions about starting a farm or garden.