Have you ever thought about making money off your homestead? Not selling it off, but actually using your land and animals to make an income. There are all kinds of ways that your homestead can help you earn extra cash, you just need the determination to get going! Here are 35 moneymakers you may literally have in your own backyard.
Fresh Eggs
People will pay you for farm fresh eggs from free range chickens. They taste better, they are bigger, and given the store prices on eggs lately, you will definitely make money!
Farm Raised Chicken
Another food item people will pay for is farm raised, free range chicken meat. Many people are raising chickens just for this purpose, and learning to process them on site to sell to others.
Farm Raised Beef
Like chicken, farm raised, grass fed beef is a definite money maker. There is a certain taste and quality difference when you purchase grass fed beef over the grain fed counterpart.
Fresh Cows Milk
If you can navigate and adhere to fresh milk regulations in your area, you will definitely have a line of customers who want to buy fresh cows milk for their families.
Homemade Butter
If you dont have enough extra milk to sell, you can take the cream from the top of your milk and make butter to sell. Fresh, homemade butter is always a hit at farmers markets! Try experimenting with flavored butters as well as traditional salted butter.
Goats Milk
If you raise milk goats, you can sell your goats milk, like you would cows milk. Again, just make sure to stick to the laws in your state and county regarding the sale of fresh milk.
Goats Milk Soap
Another popular item you can sell is soap made from goats milk. You can stick to unscented or add in essential oils or herbs to create custom scents.
Goats Meat
Same as with chicken or beef, you can raise goats for their meat, too.
Open a Dog Kennel
If you love dogs, consider starting your own kennel to board dogs whose owners have to travel.
Become a Dog Breeder
If you have farm dogs like Great Pyrenees or Border Collies, consider becoming a breeder to sell to other homesteaders who are in need of a herd dog.
Raise Bees
Bees can be a lucrative income source, especially if they produce a lot of honey. Take a class to learn more about the art of bee keeping and then you can soon have a steady paycheck coming directly from your land.
Raise Rabbits
Rabbits not only make great pets, many people also use them for hunting or for meat. Even if you can’t stand the thought of butchering rabbits, you could raise them to sell as pets.
Sell Rabbit Poop
Rabbits poop. A lot. And that poop is excellent fertilizer for gardens and container plants. If you have a lot of extra poop that you arent using to fertilize your own stuff, you can sell it!
Sell Compost
Many people make their own compost, and it can also be fairly profitable to sell it as well. Start a huge composting area and then see if you can find local customers who are interested in fortifying their garden this year. Suddenly your old trash is new cash.
Sell Seedlings
If you have a greenhouse and start your own fruit and vegetable seedlings, you can do extras and sell them at the farmers market or to friends and neighbors.
Sell Produce
Do you have a garden overflowing with extra produce? Set up a roadside stand or at the farmers market and sell it. This is a great way for kids to get involved in the gardening process, too!
Got Fruit?
If you have extra fruit, turn it into jam and sell it! Homemade jam is way better than the store bought variety. You can make all sorts of varieties of jellies, jams, and preserves.
Grow Pumpkins
A pumpkin patch could be a great money maker for your homestead. Whether you let people pick their own or you do the picking, many people are willing to pay for homegrown pumpkins.
Firewood
If you have lots of trees, you can chop and sell your own firewood. Additionally, you can bundle up twigs and limbs as kindling and sell that, too.
Raise Pigs
You can raise pigs and butcher them for meat. Many people will buy a whole hog or half a hog that has been processed into various cuts and put in their freezer once a year.
Sell Plants
Do you have a green thumb? If you can grow houseplants and flowers in abundance, you can have a mini nursery and sell your plants.
Sell Seeds
Saving seeds from your harvest each year can not only give you a leg up on next summers garden, selling extras can be profitable, too. Heirloom seeds are a hot item in the gardening world.
Sell Chicken Poop
Like rabbit waste, chicken waste is equally valuable. Chicken poop makes great fertilizer for gardens and plants.
Baked Goods
If you can bake, many people will buy homemade breads, cakes, and other goodies. This can especially be lucrative around the holidays.
Raise Sheep
Many homesteaders can raise sheep and sell their wool for a profit.
Photo Settings
If your homestead or farm has great spots for taking photos, contract with local photographers to use your land for sessions.
Horseback Riding
Owning horses can be a money maker if you bring groups in for horseback riding lessons or for trail rides.
Host Farm Tours
If your farm is sizable, you might be willing to open your farm to tourists or school groups for a tour. At a few dollars a head, you could make quite a bit of cash!
Teach a Class
If you are well learned in a skill like gardening or soap making, try using that skill for profit by teaching others.
Rent Out Grazing Space
If you have acres you arent using, you can rent out that land to others for grazing animals or for gardening.
Build Items to Sell
Carpentry is another skill that can make you lots of cash. Many people will pay top dollar for handcrafted furniture and other goods.
Make and Sell Wine
A vineyard is a fantastic way to make some cash from your homestead. Try your hand at making your own wines and selling them, or even just sell your grapes to other winemakers.
Sell Trees
A Christmas tree farm is a wonderful idea for making a profit on your land. Many families use real Christmas trees and would enjoy coming to a farm to choose their own tree.
Build a Corn Maze
Planting several acres of corn and cutting a pattern into them would be a fun way to earn some cash by inviting people to come walk through a corn maze. School and church groups, as well as families love doing this in the fall.
Homemade Spa Products
Women love buying homemade natural beauty products like lip balms, lotions and candles. You could make your own using homegrown herbs and essential oils.
As you can see, a side income could be just waiting for you on your property. Get creative and start earning some cash!
