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Making enough money from right here on our homestead is our ultimate goal. Not having to go to an outside job we can’t stand. No more going to town unless we want to, that is the life we are striving for.
But, it often times seems a lofty goal. How could we ever become income independent and not have to have outside employment? We’ve been planning and scheming, though, and I’ve come up with 103 ways to make money from your homestead. And the best part? Ninety-seven of these things can be done on a small homestead! We only have an acre here, so I tried to come up with things we could do right here with the land we have available. And I have to say, I’m pretty impressed with what I came up with.
I’ve found that with a little creativity and determination, the sky is really the limit when it comes to ideas. There are so many ways you can earn anything from pocket change to a full-time income from right on your own property, regardless of the size.
And you can earn that money doing something that you love and actually enjoy doing, instead of something you have to do in order to make ends meet.
103 Ways to Make Money From Your Homestead
There are many, many ways to make money, but make sure you know your local laws, first!
How to Make Money from a Backyard Garden
No homestead is complete without a garden. Go ahead and share the fruits of your labors with others to make some extra cash! Here are some great ideas to get you started.
1. Plant extra produce and sell it at your local farmer’s market.
2. Preserve your produce into jams and jellies for sale.
3. Start extra seeds and sell the seedlings to others who don’t start their own.
4. Start some fruit trees and sell the saplings.
5. Save your heirloom seeds, package them up, and sell them.
6. Make your own compost/fertilizer and sell it.
7. Sell bunny poop.
8. Start a mushroom farm.
9. Sell fresh herbs
10. Sell dried herbs
11. Make garden markers.
12. Start a CSA.
13. Make a little u-pick farm.
14. Dehydrate your produce and make dehydrated snacks to sell at your farmer’s market.
15. Make homemade tomato cages for sale.
16. Make small greenhouses for sale.
17. Raise compost worms and sell them.
18. Sell fresh-cut flowers.
19. Sell potted flower arrangements.
How to Make Money from Backyard Poultry
Backyard chickens and other poultry are so much fun! Why not make some money off of them too?
20. Sell farm fresh eggs.
21. If you have a rooster, sell hatching eggs.
22. Sell day-old chicks, ducklings, or poults.
23. Sell pastured chicken.
24. Raise mealworms for chickens and sell them.
25. Raise guinea fowl and sell keets.
26. Sell pastured turkey.
27. Rent out chicken butchering equipment.
28. Hatch and raise hens to laying age and sell layers.
Making Money from a Home Dairy
I cannot wait to get our goats in the spring. Here are some great ideas to make some money from your small homestead dairy!
29. Sell bottle goats or lambs.
30. Sell milk.
31. Sell butter.
32. Start a herd share.
33. Stud services for goats or sheep.
Share Your Knowledge
We all havethe knowledge we can share with others. That’s why I started this blog! Shareyour knowledge and make somecash doing something you enjoy… passing on lost arts or just sharing your journey!
34. Start a blog.
35. Write a book.
36. Become a livestock consultant.
37. Teach classes on homesteading skills you have. Such as spinning, soap making, bread baking, etc.
38. Teach piano or guitar lessons.
How to Make Money from Livestock
Chickens and dairy animals are great, but there are tons of other animals that make up a homestead. Here are some great income ideas using different animals.
39. Breed livestock guardian dogs.
40.Raise goats for meat.
41. Raise pigs for meat.
42. Sell meat rabbits.
43. Start beekeeping, and sell the honey and beeswax.
44. Sell bees.
45. Raise and sell fish.
46. Train bird/gun dogs.
47. Raise fiber animals and sell the fiber.
48. Spin the fiber and sell yarn.
49. Raise and sell fishing bait.
How to Make Money with Homemade Goods
Feeling crafty? Have a skill like woodworking or blacksmithing? Sell those handmade goods for a profit. Here are a few ideas.
50. Wood furniture and signs.
51. Homemade crochet/knitting projects
52. Become a Ferrier.
53. Take it one step further and become a modern-day blacksmith. Make knives or even ornate metal decor.
54. Homemade soap.
55. Sell homemade goods at craft fairs.
56. Make and sell your own lotions, creams, and salves.
57. Flies for fishing.
58. Jewelry.
59. Custom pottery.
60. Do mending, sewing, or even alterations.
61. Quilts.
62. Bat and/or owl boxes.
63. Dog houses.
64. Rabbit hutches.
65. Make and sell other livestock buildings, or even just draw up plans if you’re creative, and sell the plans.
66. Custom clocks.
67. Floral arrangements for cemeteries.
68. Custom bird feeders.
69. Custom bird houses.
70. Create bread bags and boxes.
71. Fresh bread.
72. Jerky.
73. Tan and sell hides.
74. Homemade chocolates and fudge.
75. Sausage.
76 . Essential oils.
78. Buy and resell on eBay or Amazon.
How to Make Money from Foraged Goods
We live where there is plenty of room to forage. Be sure you have permission before going on to someone’sprivate property, though!
79. Morel mushrooms.
80. Walnuts.
81. Polished rocks.
82. Scrap metal recycling.
83. Find antler sheds and make things from them, or even sell the antlers.
84. Maple syrup.
85 . Firewood.
Sell Your Services
We all have some skills or equipment that others don’t. Sell those services to help others out and still make a few dollars.
86. Freelance writing.
87. Freelance photography.
88. Snow removal for others.
89. Yard work for others.
91. Mechanical maintenance.
92. Welding projects.
93. Gunsmithing and repair.
94. Farm sitting for other locals.
95. Pet sit.
96. Rototilling or tractor work for others.
97. Have a sawmill and sell lumber.
If You Have a Room
Consider yourself lucky. But seriously, here are a handful of ideas for you that we homesteaders on smaller properties can’t do.
98. Boarding for other people’s stock.
99. Rent out pastures.
100. Sell straw or hay.
101. Pumpkin patch.
102. Christmas tree farm.
103. Grow and sell beef cattle.
While none of these ideas are going to make you rich overnight, they can be lucrative opportunities to get you out of the rat race and home where you want to be. It takes hard work and dedication, but, it’s more than worth the benefits you gain from your labor!
Other Homesteading Posts You’ll Love:
- 41 Ways to Become More Self-Sufficient
- 15 Things to Look for When Buying Homestead Land
- 10 Things You Should Know Before You Start Homesteading
