any advise on what to farm?

[Grant]

I worked as a teenager for my grandfather four summers making hay on his ranch in central Utah, and I have lived in California most of my adult life. The agricultures of both states are entirely dependent on winter snow fall, either used directly for irrigation as it melts in the spring, or collected in reservoirs for use during the peak summer growing season. Water use, even ground water, is carefully and strictly controlled. In Colorado a homeowner can't even collect water off his own roof because somebody else owns the runoff. My grandfather OWNED his own water, and I think that is true for nearly all Utah farmers.

I checked recently. Good plow land in central Utah, with good and adequate water, goes for $5K and up per acre. But they have a hard time selling equivalent land without water for $1K; most of it lies idle for grazing or gets sold in 5-40 acre lots for cabins. Only the high stuff with trees and a view is worth much.

Check into the water supply. If it's adequate, and you can control it, all kinds of crops are possible in Bari. If not, if you fence you get limited grazing a couple times a year; with semsem you get one, maybe two crops a year. Not a lot of return for any of the dry crops. which also require heavy labor for brief periods.

Unless they are just really sandy or solid clay or heavy alkali, most desert soils will support initial crops. One of the things you can do is dig a hole to see a cross-section of the topsoil. Compare this to photos of soil types in the ag books.

Research, research, research.... And good luck. In many ways I envy you.

Sadly, your best crop on that land may be apartment units.

 

[XoosBoos]

I worked as a teenager for my grandfather four summers making hay on his ranch in central Utah, and I have lived in California most of my adult life. The agricultures of both states are entirely dependent on winter snow fall, either used directly for irrigation as it melts in the spring, or collected in reservoirs for use during the peak summer growing season. Water use, even ground water, is carefully and strictly controlled. In Colorado a homeowner can't even collect water off his own roof because somebody else owns the runoff. My grandfather OWNED his own water, and I think that is true for nearly all Utah farmers.

I checked recently. Good plow land in central Utah, with good and adequate water, goes for $5K and up per acre. But they have a hard time selling equivalent land without water for $1K; most of it lies idle for grazing or gets sold in 5-40 acre lots for cabins. Only the high stuff with trees and a view is worth much.

Check into the water supply. If it's adequate, and you can control it, all kinds of crops are possible in Bari. If not, if you fence you get limited grazing a couple times a year; with semsem you get one, maybe two crops a year. Not a lot of return for any of the dry crops. which also require heavy labor for brief periods.

Unless they are just really sandy or solid clay or heavy alkali, most desert soils will support initial crops. One of the things you can do is dig a hole to see a cross-section of the topsoil. Compare this to photos of soil types in the ag books.

Research, research, research.... And good luck. In many ways I envy you.

Sadly, your best crop on that land may be apartment units.

Hmm thank you for this input. What would you say for the state Galgaduud. It means Red Soil. It actually red soil. Cities like Guriceel has alot of it. Would you say farming is good in red soil? I reckon alot of minerals is in that soil and uneducated people think its bad because its not the soil of the Jubba and Shabelle.

 

[Grant]

Red soil may be a little heavy in clay and light in organics but there is nothing innately wrong with it. You will want to amend for the long run, but water is still the critical issue.