Fresh Ideas for making money on the homestead

canadiangirl · #21 10/08/07, 05:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaineFarmMom

Customers didn't hesitate to hand over $4 a pint for jams and jellies. I'd charge $4.50 now. Artisan bread sells well. Be sure to look into the requirements for kitchen licenses.

A couple at my market sell for $7.00 a pint, jams, jellies, dilled beans and such. They are very busy too. A few week-ends ago he told me they sold 700 jars over 2 days! They have about 3 acres in production. They also sell chicken and pork, but it doesn't sell as well as the pickles. Mind you this is a very busy, upscale market.

I sell soap and sundries and do quite well. The trick is to have something unique and also add ons. Bags of potpourri do well. I "harvest" a lot of cones alder and spruce, rose hips add in other items and some fragrance oils.

Liese · #22 10/08/07, 07:42 AM

For growing ----ake mushrooms there is quite good info avail online at NC State Ag, Oaklahoma Ext. and Ohio State Ag sites. Initially very labour intensive - a speaker at a ag conference was offering a class at her farm...when she needed logs drilled and spawned, lol. Selling in a larger city market she was getting $10/lb

Also selling GM soap at the farmer's market but even at $1/oz; which is at the low end of the price structure, most people seem to be reluctant to part with $3 for a bar - this is not a high end market, those are 1.5-2 hrs away...not practical. In fact as many authors have pointed out it is better to have people come to the farm then to attend markets. That's my eventual goal ... have lots of work ahead for that!

travlnusa · #23 10/08/07, 07:59 AM

Plant about 2 acres of corn. After the corn has grown up about 12", lay out a maze and use a rototiller to make your paths.

Neighbor does this, and charges $3/person to go through it.

On Nov 1st, it is shut down, and he turns his cows out into the standing corn.

hmsteader71 · #24 10/08/07, 08:46 AM

This doesn't make great amounts of money but it does help bring in extra when we need it. I make homemade bread and sell it. I set a stand up up-town and I also have guys who work with my husband who order it from me. I make homemade white and wheat bread, jalapeno cheese bread, cinnamon raisin bread, zucchini bread and some others. I didn't do it as much when it was real hot because of heating up our house. But when I started back I really had the orders.