Growing groceries for deer and other wildlife is no easy feat. It takes time, money, knowledge, and plenty of equipment. Fortunately, there are different methods for different budgets, and for shops whose clientele don’t own John Deere tractors and monstrous no-till planters, it pays dividends to stock other items more suitable for them.

Identifying What Customers Need

Today, the average food plot costs approximately $200-250 per acre, not including tractors, four-wheelers or expensive implements. That’s just the fertilizer, lime, seed and other basic necessities.

In an age where virtually everyone is strapped for cash, many people can’t afford the most expensive food plot equipment. Sure, you might make a big sale every now and then, but let’s be honest — you won’t beat larger retailers’ prices anyway. So, let’s focus on optimizing inventory for the bulk of those who walk through the doors.

Most DIY food plots are less than an acre, and the majority are around a quarter-acre in size. Generally, a quarter-acre food plot is about 20 to 30 yards by 40 to 50 yards, which smaller equipment and hand tools can handle. Most hunters refer to these as micro plots or poor man’s food plots. Use those terms when selling to customers.

Seeds to Stock

What someone plants depends entirely on several factors, such as geographical location, soil type, time of year and more. It’s important to stock the right things for the region you’re located in. Also, stock the right things for the time of year. Generally, with some exceptions, you won’t plant the same things in the spring, summer and fall.

Beyond that, it might prove beneficial to stock plenty of perennials, because they don’t have to be reseeded every year. Most hunters prefer these because they get more food plot for their money. In this regard, clover is king, and being such small seeds makes germination easier, especially for those who put in budget plots.

These three-leaf, bit-sized morsels are perfect for most food plotters. It’s a hardy plant that’s relatively simple to keep alive. It requires some maintenance, but that’s no reason to shy away. There are several good options within the clover family, though, including red, white, crimson and ladino. These are generally planted in the spring or frost-seeded in late winter. Once growing, clover is one of the most desirable plants on the landscape.

Brassicas are also popular options, such as turnips, radishes, canola and rapeseed. While beets are often falsely considered part of the brassica family, these are actually part of a different group. Still, all of these are excellent food plot options. Generally, these need 90 days to reach full maturity. Customers will need to time plantings with this in mind, location depending. Once established, these are excellent food sources, especially once weather turns cold. The first hard frost triggers a sudden increase in glucose, resulting in a sweeter-tasting plant.

Clovers and brassica species will likely create most of your sales, but there are other options, such as popular agricultural species. These include alfalfa, corn, grain sorghum, oats, soybeans, and wheat. Other legumes and oddball species that drive sales include buckwheat, cereal rye, chicory, cowpeas, lablab, sunflowers and winter peas. Of course, these are all very different plants with different requirements, but they’re solid seeds to keep on shelves.

Fertilizer to Offer

Another pair of items to consider is fertilizer and lime. Of course, there are often regulations to follow when stocking and selling this, so do your homework. Once those boxes are checked, it’s a hot-ticket product to consider.

Generally, soils inside of timber and thick cover are more acidic. Increasing the pH — to get close to that desired 6.5 mark — is necessary for healthy plants. The fact that most food plots are in such thick, remote locations translates to a need for fertilizer and lime.

Applications of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium will likely be needed to get the soil ready. A soil test determines exactly what combination of these three elements will put the ground in tip-top shape. But if hunters don’t want to take that step, offering a standard option is the next-best thing. Often, 10-10-10, 12-12-12 or 13-13-13 will do in a pinch.

Tools to Inventory

As mentioned, soil tests are crucial for success. While many food plotters consider this an add-on and not all that necessary, they’re wrong. Stock these and sell them as a critical component for success — because they are. While land managers can do soil tests through their local ag extension agency or via online services, manufacturers also provide soil tests, such as Antler King’s Instant pH Soil Test Kit.

For those on a budget, certain items will serve them well. The first order of business is spraying (and killing) all unwanted vegetation. A backpack sprayer and budget-based herbicide will do just fine.

The next is a chainsaw or hand saw. Clearing ground for plots isn’t easy, and removing trees, shrubs and other underbrush requires sharp teeth.

Knocking down weeds and grass can be done with tractors, bushhogs and other fancy equipment, but a riding mower, push mower or weed eater will do the trick, albeit more slowly.

As for exposing the soil, in timbered ground, a leaf blower might push aside most of the forest duff and leaf litter, but areas already receiving significant sunlight will have a thick, matted layer of vegetation. Here, a small ATV disc, garden tiller or yard rake is necessary.

Then it’s time to put seed in the ground. Hand-crank and walk-behind seed sowers will likely be hot sellers, but I prefer the former. Walk-behind models are often clunky and more difficult to use in hard-to-reach places — not to mention how aggravating it is to push these things over and around root wads, tree stumps and other obstacles.

The Add-On Items

Once the primary products are in the shopping cart, consider tacking on a few other things. Plot boosters and soil conditioners, such as Antler King’s Plot Max and Clover Fuel, are popular items among food plotters. These are generally great items to keep on hand.

Great food plot screen seed options are other things to remember. Deer feel more comfortable using plots if they’re secluded, and hunters have better hunting experiences if deer can’t see them coming. Screens solve both of these problems and can increase your bottom line, too. Solid plant species that serve this purpose include Egyptian wheat, little (or big) bluestem, miscanthus, prairie cordgrass, sorghum Sudan grass and switchgrass. Choose your preferred variety based on what grows best near you.

Food plots aside, there is plenty of other gear hunters will likely purchase. After going to the trouble of planting these plots, they might just want a trail camera to monitor deer activity. Have batteries and SD cards in stock as well. Treestand and ground blind options are other add-ons. Where legal, minerals and bait can be solid sellers, too.

Read the Customer

Like with any sale, it’s all about determining where the customer’s head is without them actually telling you. Ask them a series of questions to gauge what direction they’re going and what they need to get it done. Then, sell them what they actually need and no more. It’s better to efficiently serve, impress and retain a customer than to cram a bunch of stuff down their throat and never see them again. Be a good retailer who drives sales, but be a good person first.