Marketing high quality soil--ideas needed.

floyd2006

17 years ago

On our farm we have an unusual field for the area (SE MN) that is at least 15 feet deep in high quality, or "greenhouse quality" as they say, organic matter rich, black silty clay loam and underlain with two types of peat. It has been evaluated and documented by some soils specialists. It is believed to be the remnant of a Pleistocene era spring fed fen that never eroded over the eons. Some ancient animal bones have even been found with minor digging.

Would anyone have any suggestions for advertising vehicles one might use to reach the right buyer for such a property or mining rights to it? Websites? Trade journals?

The local companies prefer to use low quality topsoil for their projects that come from the gravel quarries. I don't know of any nearby soil bagging operations and I don't want to start one myself. I'm told greenhouses use primarily synthetic soils these days. This is organic soil--no pesticides used and certainly a remarkable deposit, but who would want it? It could also be used for wetland mitigation, but I'm unfamiliar with the process and its marketing. Selling the field (10 acres) would certainly help us save our farm. I would welcome any and all ideas. Thanks to all.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (3)

donn_
17 years ago
Floyd..unless I screwed up the math, you're sitting on about $5 million at retail in black gold. If I had access to it, I'd sell it to landscapers, organic farmers, homeowners and golf courses, by the dump truck load, for $20-$25 per cubic yard.

If you find just one volume customer, you can take his contract to the bank and borrow enough to buy the equipment to set up the business. I'll bet you could sell it all, at near retail, around the Twin Cities.

I sure wish you were closer to Long Island. I could sell that stuff in a heartbeat around here.
heptacodium
17 years ago
Right now, the best advice I have is to get ahold of the MN Nursery and Landscape Association and attend their winter show. It's called Green Expo or something, and it might be this week. Just sign up for the trade show.

There are a couple of soil vendors that exhibit at that show that may be able to help you.

Also, track down a guy named Bert Swanson, former bigwig in the U of MN Dept of Horticulture, now does nursery consulting. If your field really is that good, a recommendation from him goes a long way with nurseries and greenhouses in that part of the country.
floyd2006
Original Author
17 years ago
I just wanted to say thank you to all for your responses and encouragement. Its very helpful. I'm doing a lot of thinking and will post a follow-up shortly.