Growing 10000 Trees On Acre - Expanding A Small Scale Nursery Business, an Update with Akiva Silver (PVP127)

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Today, nearly two years after our first episode (permaculturevoices.com/63), I am picking up the conversation with Akiva.

We cover a lot of subjects which we didn't cover in the previous episode including:

Selling to wholesalers, selling trees online, shipping trees, and dealing with state regulations.

In addition to the practical tips and techniques, you'll also get an update on how Akiva evolved as an entrepreneur...

Because a lot has changed in the last few years for Akiva.

In 2014 nursery sales were 50% Akiva's income, this year in 2016 Akiva expects all of his income to from his on site nursery.

He no longer works away from home as a landscape.  He's a full time nursery man, and business owner.

It's an awesome story of a small business, that just started on the side...

Business continues to grow for Akiva and it's still a business that's literally rooted in loose, nutrient rich soil.  Akiva's small nursery business grows over 1000 trees on a half an acre.  Thousands of trees plant tightly together in loose, friable soil.  Very tight spacings that force trees to grow tall and straight in competition with their neighbors resulting in a lot of nursery stock that can be sold in the first year.

How many people out there have some extra space where they could grow a few hundred trees?  Trees to use in the development of your own property or to sell.  If you sold each tree for $5 or $10, then we are talking about some significant money given the amount of space it takes.   

It is simple, but it does take time, it is hard work.  We aren’t talking about any sort of gimmicks here.  It is about putting time, work, and care in to nurse these trees along to the point where you can sell them.

One other point to take note of.  When we first talked back in 2014, Akiva was growing around 1000 tree's on half an acre.  Things have changed and he's now scaled up to 10,000 trees on an acre.

That's a lot of trees, on not a lot of land.  But Akiva's making a go of it enjoying every step of the way.

Learn more at permaculturevoices.com/127

Support the show at permaculturevoices.com/support