Making money from a hobby farm is hard.
Too many people supplement their hobby farm with an outside job, and while that is good and fine, if you are looking for your hobby farm to carry itself financially, these small business ideas should get you off to a great start.
Everything takes work. Usually, a lot of work, before you see results.
Those who don’t give up are those that will succeed.
Making money from a hobby farm is possible, but you need two things.
You need to be realistic with how much money and time you are willing to invest as well as willing to think outside the box.
Refuse to accept the normal.
Be courageous and different.
A profitable small hobby farm can help you quit your job and make homesteading your main source of income.
How to make money from a hobby farm
As always, check your local areas rules and regulations before going ahead with any of these.
Eggs
Laying hens are simple to take care of, and if you are able to feed them grass, and let them run around outside, you can market your eggs as free-range or grass-fed.
Grass-fed laying hens produce eggs that are much more delicious than supermarket eggs, and once people taste them, you will be able to sell them like hotcakes at a market. Profitable egg farming takes some diligence and wisdom.
Poultry
The #1 animal to farm for profit, broilers are in high demand. As long as you have the proper facilities to house these, they take little investment.
Petting Zoo
Many people would love to visit a small farm, and making your farm open to the public can be a great source of income.
Offer farm visitations to schools in your area.
Just be sure to have proper insurance policies in place. You don’t want to run into trouble with the law.
Fruit
Plant some strawberry plants, and raspberry bushes.
When people come to visit your farm, you can offer extras for sale, depending on the season. Blueberry bushes also are popular with people.
In our area, we have saskatoons, which are very popular with people. They also do really well in our sandy soil.
Dogs
Breeding dogs (in a humane manner) is another way that you can make a little side money.
Many people want a purebred dog, and they can make you a nice side profit.
Make sure you have the proper facilities and are able to care for them as you should.
Compost sales
Compost is very valuable, and as more and more people realize the health of their soils is important, it will become even more so.
Making compost requires a proper ratio of browns and greens, but with practice, you can become skilled at this.
Large production of compost is also possible with enough material. Compost sells for $46.50/cubic yard in Edmonton, Alberta (2020).
Rabbits
They produce rapidly, eat your grass, and taste like chicken. Need I say more?
All Natural Soap
If you got goats, you can make goat milk soap.
People love it. But what if you do not have goats?
You can also make soap from other ingredients that are available off of amazon. What you do need to do is to make your soap extra special.
Make it All-NAtural, or use your own dried herbs for the mixture. This will entice people to buy it more easily.
Dairy
Have a milk goat? Make some cheese.
Cows? Sell some milk (IN certain areas this is not allowed, so, again, check your regulations!)
Learn how to make cottage cheese, kefir, or other types of cheeses.
The learning and selling potential here is huge.
You will not be able to compete with the commercial dairy farms, but make yours unique and healthier and you will find your customer base.
Vegetables
Fresh vegetables at a local farmers market is another small farm business idea.
Depending on your ability and desire to grow food, this can be a profitable side venture.
It does take a lot of work though, but as a farmer, you are probably already aware of that and not afraid of hard work.
Honey
Raw unpasteurized honey is a prized possession, and quite expensive to buy at the store.
Learn about beekeeping from another beekeeper for maximum success.
Bees
Once you are skilled at beekeeping, you can start selling your own bees to other ambitious honey producers.
Flowers
Cut flowers are popular at farmers markets too, and can turn a tidy profit.
Are you creative and skilled at arranging flowers? Selling bouquets is a great idea.
Tulip and Lily Bulbs
Selling bulbs will give another stream of income for your farm.
To minimize start-up costs, start by planting a little, and as they grow, you can divide and grow more.
After a while you will have many beautiful flowers to sell in spring, but also many bulbs to sell in fall.
Microgreens
In some parts of the world, microgreens are very popular.
If your local area can support this, and the demand is there, start with some microgreens.
Market Gardens
Market gardens are an amazing way of making a profit from very few acres.
On one acre of land, people are able to grow enough food to sell to make over $200, 000 per season. These require proper management for success.
Mushrooms
Growing mushrooms can be done in an urban area, as long as you have the proper equipment.
Wedding Venue
Extra land? Create a beautiful place that you can rent out for weddings and other social gatherings. These require an initial investment but can have a big return after a while.
B&B
In a secluded area of your farm, build a luxurious cabin. Rent it out as a Bed and Breakfast, providing a simple breakfast every morning you have guests.
For those seeking some peace and quiet, they will be happy to pay you money.
You can even market this as a place for couples to go on their anniversary or wedding night. Just make sure it’s in a private location.
Herbs
Dried herbs are expensive, but yet people keep buying them.
Properly dried, you can set up your own website and sell them that way. Your market is determined by demand and competition throughout the world when you sell online.
Skin Care Products
Natural skin care products that are made with essential oils and no chemicals are very popular among health-conscious people.
Make your own, and sell them.
This is a small business that can quickly turn profitable. Make arrangements with local health stores to sell your stuff at a commission to reach a greater audience.
Offer courses and trainings.
As you learn, offer to teach others what you are learning.
Providing courses and training, either online or in-person, is a great way to make an income. I personally would love to learn how to dry herbs, so if you have this skill, start teaching others.
Making your small farm profitable is not easy. It requires a lot of hard work and intentional planning upfront. As with everything new, you will make mistakes.
Learn from your mistakes and keep on going.
Every idea is great, but not every idea will work for you.
Depending on the type of soil, area, as well as your finances, will determine what and how you can do to make money off of your homestead.
Not all of these small farm business ideas will work for you, but with a little brainstorming and a lot of hard work, you can make your farm profitable.