We recently built a house on a couple acres of my family's farm. We have been praying for the Lord to help us make wise use of the space He has given us. We have also been praying for the Lord to give us a way to make money from home. I had been working outside the home, but I'm finding that I need to be home full-time now and my focus needs to be on my home and the people in it. (I know, duh, right? LOL) Does anyone have any ideas that I'm not thinking of??? We plant a huge garden at my mom and dad's next door already, so we won't need to take up space for that. Here are some of my interests....help me figure out how to make money at it! 1. animals/livestock 2. gardening/orchard 3. landscape photography 4. art/craft painting/pottery 5. writing children's books??? I'm sure some of you are finding ways to use your interests and limited resources to supplement your family's income. Please let me in on your creative ideas! Thanks!
I'm posting this so you can help me remember to find the name of a book one of my profs recently mentioned that details making money as a freelance writer/photographer. I have class tomorrow night, so I should be able to find someone in my cohort who remembers the name. If not I can call her office Tuesday and get it for you. It's literally a step by step guide.
Animals/Livestock stuff will honestly depend on where you live and your market. Here - I can sell eggs for example for $5.00/dozen and I sell out. About 1 hour west of here - they go for $2.00 and people can't get rid of them. It's taken us 4 years to get to this point. Now - you can make Goats Milk Soap - the investment is of course in the goats - and then stuff you need to make soap. You also would be getting milk for your family which can save a little $$ as well. My friend is doing this and sells her soap for $6/bar and is doing pretty well so far (she just started) Then - buy a cow (meat - not dairy), finish it off on your farm, sell 1/2 and keep 1/2 - sell it for enough to cover YOUR costs and then you have meat for your family You can do the same with pigs - buy 2, sell 1 and keep the other (again selling the 2nd to pay for yours). Gotta run - and I hope this helps a little!!! I'll try and think of other stuff when I get back
Around here I know my local homeschool group people like buying fresh goat and cow milk that has not been pasturized. you can set flyers up or something or just by word of mouth. can you set up school field trips to your farm? make money on the tours? can you teach art classes? sell home made pies or trail mix at the farmers market?
FYI about the fresh goat/cow milk that is NOT pasteurized: it is illegal in some states so make sure what your states laws are first ( if you choose to do the milk). I watched a great special on Planet Green network all about the fresh milk debate. My cousin-in-laws live on a family farm in CA ( 3 families on many, many acres) and some sell eggs, dried herbs ( for crafters and organic soaps/lotions makers etc) , soap & lotions ( Goats Milk) , cards ( out of homemade paper with dried herbs and flowers in them) and they can stuff to sell at the farmers markets ( salsa, chutneys, fruit , pickles, etc). One of the cousins did ( they own a restaurant now) knit stuff from the sheep's wool they had, she even hand dyed everything with natural products. They have also done "homesteading" classes to newly moved to the country city folk! They sale the lotions and soaps online : http://www.blackbirdbotanicals.com/ I recommend this website, a lot of people on there own farms or homesteads and have to sale stuff from the farm in order to live. You just might find a few things to do from your farm ! http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/
I'd like to add that you really need to look into the actual law itself and not just ask around. There is a common misconception in Missouri that it's illegal to sell unpasturized milk. The media has even reported this to be fact. The actual fact is that it is only illegal to sell it en mass commercially. A family farm is allowed to sell X number of gallons a month. It has to be sold by word of mouth (no advertising or booths at farmer's markets, though you can use the markets to spread word of mouth). Farmers here who do sell unpasturized milk are able to make a killing on it. They sell it co-op style (usually) and it is priced between $9-$12 a gallon. They have one set pick up time every two weeks. I think it's a pretty good system. Of course, if it's commercially legal in your state, you're not likely to be able to charge as much, but it's something to look into.
I thought about making homesoap but wonder what the market would be like here. field trip idea is great. also if you could maybe grow corn and make a corn maze out of it and open it up to the public and have carvial games during the season. Great field trip for schools and such. When we lived in Mo, we would take field trips to one, It was a great fall field trip , the kids loved it.
About selling unpasteurized milk...it's illegal in our state to sell it for human consumption. It's not illegal to sell outright, just illegal to sell it for the intention of human consumption. I would imagine any state with a law concerning unpasteurized milk is similar to ours. We have a local farm that sells it and states that law on their refrigerator. Now, what you do with it when you get home is your business, but the farmers have their back sides covered. You can probably start raising goats rather inexpensively compared to other livestock. I'm sure you can find a good demand for the milk in your community. Make sure that if you do milk that you follow all guidelines for collecting it without contamination. Also eggs are a good idea. People are really into more healthy alternatives for themselves and for the animals they get food from.
I would like to hear back from Amie myself about that book. I have been writing alot but not making much money for it. I would love it if I could make more for my family doing it.
I like the maze idea. We have a farm about 10 miles from here. The man has a huge pumpkin patch and opens it every year. He sells his pumpkins for $5-$15, depending on size. He makes a killing. Families get to pick them themselves. Then he also has a huge corn crop. He turns it into a maze and charges $11 a person. Again, he makes a killing, especially on the night walk. He dimly lights it and decorates the inside. It is a real maze and is easy to get lost in, especially at night.
Are you able to grow lavender where you live? We have a few large lavender farms in SoCal and they make a pretty penny selling the oil from the lavender as well as the plants.
One idea I heard about sounds like it would be fun but we don't have the farm for it. Some farms have opened up to weddings. They "rent" a space for an outdoor wedding during the warmer months of the year obviously. If you have a really nice area you could use for weddings you could offer to take their photos as well? Just a thought.
Thanks for some great ideas, ladies. I've lived on this farm my entire life (minus a couple years in IA) and I think I'm too "local" to think of new uses on my own. I'm liking the milk goat idea. Still need to research it more. My husband and I only own a couple acres. We have access to more, but not in an income earning manner, unless my dad would like to join in on something for retirement. We have corn mazes in our area. We don't have nearly the land to compete with those places. There is one nearby that is about 10 acres if I'm not mistaken...theother is only a 2 acre maze. I had also been looking into babydoll sheep. I need to learn to spin, though, if I do that. I'm having a hard time discerning this time unless I'm just supposed to be waiting more patiently for God's answer. LOL I did receive confirmation that I am NOT supposed to get back into breeding German Shepherds. Submission was difficult on that one. Keep the ideas coming! And thanks again!
We are preparing to build a home on our land back in Australia. The land is zoned farming, so we have to put forward a proposal to our local council, showing how we intend to farm out land. We haven't decided which path we will take but our short list includes ( in order of likelihood): * tree farm - growing blue gums or the purpose of firewood and wood chips *seed propagation - of local flora ( to be sold at local farmers market) * olive trees- to sell olives back to other farmers in area ( at this stage we aren't interested in the actually pressing of the olives) *growing/selling of bulbs ( irises, tulips etc) * Christmas tree farm.
You could do a vineyard. I am in wine country here and EVERYONE seems to be opening up a vineyard!! We do the "fall festival" type thing without a corn maze. Even with larger ones in the area - we are packed. We take kids back to gather eggs ($3 and they take home their 6 eggs)..... free hay rides around the property.... stuff like that - and honestly it's exhausting for just us to do. Soaps are awesome to do as mentioned before. It really depends on HOW MUCH income you really need/want to generate. Eggs are simple spending money..... cows are an income for awhile - BECAUSE they are paying for YOUR food as well. I have a friend who barters with beef... she raises the cows (after she buys the little things at auction) and then will barter with people to get the things she wants and needs. With the beef, pork, lamb, and even goat meat, I haven't bought anything in awhile. I buy chicken only because I sell out every week of what I butcher. I'm HOPING to be able to stick some of mine in the freezer for the winter this year. Fresh chicken sells really well - if you can get over butchering it. For wool - it's a tough call. My friend does it with her sheep - but then at the same time.... she will cull and butcher the lambs to sell the meat from them. Dual purpose.
Grapes are difficult. They are like children in their needs. Sometimes you can forget they are there, other times you spend all night every night keeping the frost off. You have to be devoted to the crop for it to be successful. (I'm a vitner, so I looked into growing my own grapes and decided against it).
We already have some grapes at my parents' house I help tend. We use to have a nice orchard, but we only have apples now and they aren't tended well. I don't mind tending these things at all, but my dad is burnt out on it. Maybe I can get him into it again if he knew he had regular help. We are planning to have chickens next spring. We have always had those when we've been able to. We will only break even after buying grain, but we like organic everything so eggs are worth having your own chickens for. I don't think I could butcher animals that I raise...other than chickens. Funny, cuz I grew up on a working farm. We hunt and fish. Good 'nuf. I need to continue praying over it. We have such a limited amount of space that is actually ours. I have a fear of committing to anything because it might be the "wrong" choice, so instead I do nothing. Admitting it is the first step to recovery, right?
Some of the best advice my mom ever gave me was, "when in doubt, do nothing." I think you're wise to wait until the Lord gives you the go ahead on something.
But then again, and this is what my dh has told me, Do your research, pray a lot. If you don't feel God calling you to a specific thing , then pick the thing or things you feel most qualified to do, or most interested in and go with it. Keep praying and don't look back and say, "Maybe I should've..."! God will bless you taking that step of faith. He may not actually care which one you choose, but He can bless what you choose if you still pray and listen for Him to lead. God works in so many different ways, so he may want YOU to make the choice if He hasn't made anything clear to you.
