If you live on a homestead or are new to homestead living, chances are it has crossed your mind to try and make money off your land. Whether it is 1 acre or 100 acres, it is definitely possible to bring in some income from homesteading.
If you have ever wanted to make money homesteading, then read along for ideas on how you can start!
HOW TO MAKE MONEY HOMESTEADING
Sell eggs. One of the easiest, and arguably most popular way to bring in a little extra cash is by raising chickens and selling eggs. You can sell by word of mouth or by putting a sign at the end of your driveway advertising the price. Often you will get repeat customers when it comes to farm fresh eggs because they are so good and so healthy.
Grow produce. Grow a BIG garden, enough to not only feed you and your family, but also to produce enough to sell.
Make soap. You can make handcrafted soap with natural ingredients, some from your farm. If you have a goat you can use goat milk in your soaps, or you can grow plants like lavender to make a fragrant smelling soap. You can sell at markets, by word of mouth, or even online on sites like Etsy. Here is a tutorial if you would like to get started on how to make soap.
Plant flowers and make bouquets. There is nothing quite like buying fresh flowers from the market or straight from a farm. Tulips, zinnias, and sunflowers tend to be quite popular in my area.
Raise your own meat. Chickens, beef, pork, buffalo, and many more options are available if you want to get into selling meat. Be sure to look into the regulations in your area as this determines whether you can butcher them yourself or whether you need to bring them to an abattoir.
Make wreaths. On our property we have discovered wild grape bushes. I plan to use the vines to make some wreathes as gifts for this Christmas, but you could definitely get into selling wreaths. Pine tree branches are another great option for wreathes, especially at Christmas time.
Grow herbs. Dry them out and make your own spice mixes to sell. The market is a great place for this one as well.
Harvest wood. If you have enough property, you can harvest wood off of it and sell for people who need it for their own woodstoves but don’t have enough land. You can also sell it to people who may need some wood for local camping. You often can’t transport wood too far so make sure they are local campers!
Breed animals. Sell the babies. Goats, rabbits, chickens, cows – many people are looking to buy babies of all these animals for their own homestead.
Shear your sheep and Alpacas. Sell the fiber to crafters. Or make your own products from the wool and sell the handmade crafts.
Become a beekeeper. Sell the honey. Who doesn’t love honey?
Tap the trees. If you have maple trees on your property you can harvest sap and make maple syrup.
Make Candles. There are many different things you can use to make candles, but if you keep bees you can also make beeswax candles.
Make preserves. Jams, salsas, and sauces are often sold at local Farmers markets.
Grow Christmas trees. While trees take years to grow, if you are in it for the long haul than Christmas trees can be an excellent option. People love to come to a farm and cut down their own tree for the season.
Rent out your land. If you have a lot of land you can rent it out for various uses. People might be looking for land to farm on, or to hunt on, or even to get married or take beautiful pictures at.
Teach homesteading skills to others. Many people want to learn how to sew, preserve food, keep bees, or many other homesteading skills but have no one to teach them how to do it. You can teach others what you know for a fee.
Milk your cows, sheep, or goats. Sell the milk. Be careful on this one though, as many areas do not allow you to sell raw milk. However, there are some locations that allow it. Be sure to look into your community’s laws.
Board horses. Many people want horses but don’t have the land, or need a place for their horse to go while they are on vacation. If you have to space and a barn with enough room, consider boarding horses.
Bake breads and pastries. This is another item you can sell at Farmers markets. It’s hard to resist fresh, homemade baked goods!
Grow seedlings. Some people don’t want to grow their own seedlings and would rather buy them. Grow seedlings and sell them!
Build with wood. Pallet signs, homemade furniture, and wooden toys are all things you could sell if you know how to work with wood.
Smoke and dehydrate meat. Make and sell jerky and sausages.
Grow pumpkins. If you have the room, start a pumpkin patch. You can have others come and pick their own, or you can sell them already picked.
Harvest straw or hay. There are always people looking to buy straw or hay for their animals.
There are so many ways you can make money homesteading. While most of these won’t get you rich quick, they can be great side hustles. Plus, the work is enjoyable! If you can figure out how to make money from your land, why not try it?
Do you make money from your homestead?
