Hi everybody - I have recently acquired c. 300ha (and looking to buy more) of agricultural land in SE Europe (Romania) and while I have local managers running it for now I would like to educate myself on the optimal way to plant. Specifically I am interested in crop rotation and ways to maximize the use of the land i.e. get 2 crops a year. The climate is extreme continental and prone to droughts although the Danube is only 30 km away. The top soil is black earth, cernozemic. Any suggestions or pointers to sources of information would be highly appreciated.

1) Are there any local markets for the crops?

2) Is there any storage for the crops?

3) Is there any irrigation?

 

Tesla's first question is always the first question. Never, ever produce anything you cannot sell easily and locally. 

How much farming experience have you, and in which countries? I have normally found when moving country that it is best to do just whatever the neighbours are doing for a couple of years, and then make a very small trial of a crop I know something about and that the local climate will allow to grow successfully if I want to diversify. Most of the neighbours will have been around for a long time. They produce what they do because the soil and climate suits it. Sometimes they do get it wrong (eg there are many neglected eucalyptus plantations in Portugal) but not normally with annual crops. They might make a mistake once, but they will not do it again.

Do you have any climatic info - winter and summer temperatures? Are there any permanent crops on the land, or do you know what has been grown in recent years. Is it all arable, or some grazing, any livestock? Any of this info would give a guide as to what might, but only might, be possible - provided you have the market.

Sopunds like an interesting challenge anyway. 

i know someone who went farming in romania about 8 yrs ago.

he came home for a bit, then went back for the harvest, only to find it had already been cut, by persons unknown.

I'd be there in a flash but the wife wont stand it. I have a bit of conversational Romanian under my hat ;) Cant help thinking it is not the new frontier anymmore - how about Mali or somewhere more exotic?

A good opportunity for you OM, I used to harvest great volumes of honey from old eucalyptis plantations!

I keep getting offers from Brazil, mainly in cattle breeding, there are some good prospects there for those young enough to make a new life there.

Thanks andy, but remember Tesla's first question!!!!!

We kept a few hives on the Black Isle, and would have a couple here if we take a swarm. We had one once, but they decided not to stay. My wife is a wee bit old fashioned like that and will only have bees if they decided they want to be here. Anyway there are masses of bees around about. If I stand in the middle of my place I can count more than 50 hives in the view. Today they are working acacia and Japanese quince (Chaenomeles sp?).

I have never yet seen a eucalypt in flower in Portugal. Strange, some of the trees would seem to be well old enough to flower.