Living on your own homestead is a dream that has yet to become true for many. Learning how to make money on a small homestead will help you reach your dreams faster.
Simply because it takes money to become self-sufficient.
Money and time. Usually, it is money that holds us back from reaching for our dreams to our full potential.
Building a self-funded homestead is not only possible, the opportunities are endless. If you have an entrepreneurial mindset and are willing to put in the work that is required, you will succeed.
There are many ideas out there, and often it can feel like everything has already been done. There are no new ideas, everything has already been done under the sun!
But if you will lean into your God-given talents, passions, and skills, you will find a way to serve other people that will give you a sense of fulfillment, as well as help you to fund your homestead.
My husband and I live on 10 acres, and we have dabbled in quite a few money-making ventures, and have learned that it’s not as easy as others make it look.
You need to understand the market of your community, as well as know where your strengths and weaknesses lie.
I struggle with marketing. I always feel like I am begging for money. Others are natural salesmen.
Don’t let your weaknesses hold you back though. You can teach an old dog new tricks! Remember, there are no failures, only learning opportunities.
Making money on the homestead can help to fund your dream while living the life! Our dream is to build a completely sufficient homestead, off-grid, and debt-free. This dream is within your reach, but it’s crucial to make a plan and stick to it.
4 Different Money Making Categories To Make Money on Your Homestead
Products
A number of homesteaders sell products, and it can often seem like the golden nuggets when it comes to funding your homestead.
Products can add value to your operation because you are already producing them for yourself. Produce a bit more, and you have your income as well.
However, things are not always what they seem.
Too many homesteaders underprice their products, and therefore are only making pennies on their products. It is very important ot know what your costs are.
If you are not making a product, you are giving it away for free. Your bottom line needs to make sense.
Products that you can sell include:
Eggs (but read this before you start)
If you decide to sell eggs, you need to know the costs associated with egg farming. Hidden costs can take from your bottom line very quickly.
Milk (if your state allows it), and cream.
Selling raw milk and cream is a huge market as more and more people start realizing the health benefits of raw dairy. Make sure you track your feed costs.
Flowers
Selling bouquets of beautiful flowers at Farmers Markets is a great way to make a bit of extra money on your homestead. Planting perennials such as lilies, tulips, and irises ensures you don’t need to plant them every year, and will give you a nice profit. Selling your flowers to local flower shops is also a potential way to earn an income.
Market Garden
Plant a Market Garden! Greens are especially profitable, but other vegetables can do well too. Your proximity to an urban center is vital, as there are more people who will buy from you.
Mushrooms
Mushroom farming is very profitable on its own, but the start-up costs a bit more. You need to buy mushroom spores and have the right setup to grow them properly. This article will help you get set up.
Microgreens
You can grow microgreens inside, which makes it a favorite for urban homesteaders. Become a supplier for a local restaurant and your demand becomes pretty consistent.
We always raise broilers for ourselves. The biggest setback is the amount of labor it takes to process them, but building your own slaughterhouse would help a lot.
If you have a local place that would process them for you, you could potentially sell them to local stores as well. Raise them as grass-fed or grain-free and you have your own niche market.
Fruit
Fresh fruit, such as raspberries and strawberries are such a hit at Farmers Markets. Fresh fruit is the best. You could also open a U-pick and let visitors pick their own fruit.
Puppies
I see a lot of small homesteaders raising a litter of puppies a year. It helps to produce a little income, and they are too cute.
Rabbits
Soap
Jams and Jellies
Honey
Herbs
Grow herbs and sell them dried. Or get your Herbalist Certification and make your own tinctures to sell.
Online
Making money online with a youtube channel, a blog, or social media is a big hit for many homesteaders.
Making videos while you are doing your daily chores and activities is a great way to share your journey as well as have some income coming in.
Unfortunately, building an audience and monetizing an online business is a lot more work than most people figure. Along with all the work of a homestead, plus potentially a full-time outside job, you aren’t left with a whole lot of time.
You can earn money online by:
Ads on your website
The first step is creating your website, and producing enough content to drive traffic. This one is a steep learning curve but if you have skills in websites, this could potentially be an option.
Affiliate Marketing
Do you have a strong following on social media? Recommend great products that you yourself personally love and use. The small commission that you will receive adds up over time.
Digital Products
Are you creative and love designing workbooks, planners, and other digital files? Package them digitally and sell them for a small price.
Email Marketing
Growing an email list is important for any small business. Building a relationship with your potential customers will mean more sales in the future.
Growing an online business usually means content creation, so if you are good with writing or video editing, then this might be a great way to make money while working on your homestead.
The good thing about an online business is that there are low start-up costs. However, if you are not a technical person, building a website from scratch can be hard.
Services
Another great way to monetize your homestead is to offer services.
One thing to remember is that with this way of working from home is that you are usually offering your time for money. Different venues will take less of your time so it’s important to take that into consideration.
Animal Boarding
Teach a Course on Your Speciality
Wedding Venue
Airbnb
Campsite on your yard
Network Marketing
Network Marketing is a HUGE way people are making money from home in this day and age, and while it can get a bad rap, it’s no different than any other marketing.
Find products that you are passionate about, that you can share with people genuinely.
Similar to affiliate marketing, network marking is more geared to growing a team of people, and helping them to become better at marketing said products.
Norwex
Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products that are great for you, Norwex is a Norwegian company that offers 35% commission to its consultants. Find out more here.
Young Living
Essential Oils are so great for your own natural health cabinet. I use a lot of them in our home.
Mannetech
A health and wellness company, they have some great vitamins. I love their MannaBears.
Plexus
Their children multivitamin is my favorite for my kids. I have yet to find a multivitamin that surpasses this quality.
While Network Marketing gets a bad rap, especially as MLM’s, you need to realize that every time you recommend a product to someone, you are taking a part in Network Marketing.
Do not try to sell products you don’t love yourself. Be as genuine as possible. Don’t do it just for the money. If you use a product that you love, then sign up for their commissions.
Live in the country and making money is possible, you just need to be creative in your efforts. Teach yourself how to market your products, either online or in person. See what your community needs, and step in to fill that need.
Learning how to make money on a small homestead will help you reach your dreams faster. Each situation is unique and finding what works for you and your family will help you to succeed.
