As modern life reveals many of its drawbacks, there is a growing segment of the population that has decided to return to a simpler time. Often it starts with growing a garden and then morphs into homesteading with livestock and more vegetables than one could possibly eat.
When this happens the next logical step is to turn this hobby into a business. It may seem extreme to end up as a small farmer in the 21st century, but the reality is that this can be a fantastic way to make a living.
In this article, I will give you some tips on how to take your homestead hobby to the next level.
1 – Get equipped
For a while now, you have been managing your farm by hand. Maybe with the help of your partner or some volunteers in exchange for produce. But, if you want to turn a profit then you’re going to need to use some farm equipment. Tillers, tractors and other farm machinery will make your work fast and efficient so you can spend more time doing things like marketing on social media.
Sure, there is the expense of buying the equipment and maintaining it, but it will pay for itself in greater production. And you can write the purchase and ongoing expenses off of your taxes. Even the fuel is tax free as farmers use red diesel to power their machinery.
2 – Find your niche
The great thing about running a small operation is how quickly you can respond to customer needs. In fact, this should come first since you are able to decide on the products you want to sell and how you want to sell them from the beginning.
You shouldn’t try to grow everything and please everybody. Find a type of produce that people are wanting that they can’t find, or be the local organic gardener for high end restaurants in your area. Finding a small segment to focus on will keep you working more than you would imagine.
3 – Add value
You’ll have to sell a lot of produce and eggs to make a profit so a good way to make extra money is to provide added value products. For instance, you could take the ugly veggies that you’ve harvested and make pickles out of them or sauerkraut. Baked goods are always popular and if you are raising meat, then you can make prepared meals like meatballs or something similar to sell.
4 – Get good at marketing
I mentioned marketing on social media earlier, but can’t stress enough how important it is to use the internet for marketing. Besides social, you should be making Youtube videos to bring in some potential customers as well as create a brand that people recognize.
A blog can also help bring in organic traffic if you target the right keywords and use SEO techniques. Have an email list for people to sign up once they hit your blog or social media and you will be able to sell all year round even when the harvest is over.
