Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Question of the Day

I, like many of you out there, would like to make money off of our farm. That has always been my dream. But, there really isn't many forums or things like that that can tell you how.  So, what better way to learn about making a little extra money on the farm then to ask people that do it?  So leave a comment on how you may make a little extra money on your farm, or just out of your back yard. Or, if you know of a place to get some info, leave a comment. Maybe by leaving your comment, you just might help someone out there become the next Donald Trump. lol. So my question is, How do YOU make some money off of your farm.

So until next time,

Small Farm Girl, question askerer.

20 comments:

Melodie said...

We really don't make much money off our farm except selling the occasional goat. But we make money by saving money,we have our garden and I can,we have milk,meat and eggs. To buy all that,especially organic and free range would cost a fortune! I would love to be able to sell excess produce one day though.

The Haphazard Countryman said...

Right now we only sell eggs from our free-range chickens for $3/doz. to people from my office.

We also have a garden and grow food for ourselves. We didn't do too well this year, so didn't can much, but hope to next year. We also planted fruit trees, so waiting a couple years for those.

I'd like to do a cow or two for ourselves and to sell to friends, but the Good Wife isn't on board with that yet. She isn't on board with doing a pig or two either.

angela said...

I am like melodie, trying to make money is really hard. How do you put a price on all the hardwork and if you feed your animals with organic feed it raises the price of the final product. And when your competing with cheap alternatives in the supermarket you dont have the demand. So I am happy to just save as much money as I can by producing the best quality food for my family and myself. A dollar saved is a dollar earned.

Candy C. said...

I sell extra eggs and produce at the local Farmer's Market. I also bake homemade bread at home and sell it at the Farmer's Market, that has been a good income source. I was glad Arizona changed the laws to allow the sale of homebaked breads, cookies, etc. to the public. It is hard to find ways to make money from the farm. :(

small farm girl said...

I agree with you all. Saving money is just as important as making money. I just would like to know if there are ways that you make money on your farm. That makes us farmers just as much as the BIG guys. lol

Michaele said...

I sell eggs, rent out grain bins and have a family business using our goat's milk. I hope to do more with farmer's markets in the future.

Phelan said...

I sell eggs, and a product not illegal to sell in my state but illegal for me to advertise off property that I sell it, breads and pastas and pastries, various meats, jellies and chain maille made from baling wire.

Unfortunately with this years drought, I am unable to sell a few of my products due to low production rates.

Word of mouth gets a lot of it sold

small farm girl said...

Phelan, you kill me. lol

Carolyn said...

I had to admit it, but we don't really even "make" money on the two or three gallons of goat milk we sell a week; same with the eggs. It helps with the feed bills though.

I figure it's just part of our costs of being able to have healthy eggs, meat & milk for ourselves. I suppose I'd get more takers if I advertised, but Paul doesn't like strangers coming down to the house (and honestly I kind'a agree).

I'd like to try selling baked goods & goat milk soap at the little Farmer's Market, but there are already people there doing that. I know that there's nothing wrong with competition, and may try it next spring when the market starts up again.

Wish I could give better advice!

duckidaho said...

I sell eggs currently. I have sold produce at the farmers market in better years, but this year was really hard with the weather. The laws in Idaho have recently changed concerning the sale of raw goat and cow's milk. We will be working to comply with the new law soon in order to sell raw milk. I hope to get back into the sale of produce next year...if the weather cooperates.

Anonymous said...

on my 5 acres, i grow veggies to can and freeze for myself as well as blueberries, bush cherries, figs and other fruit...if i am lucky and have bountiful harvests of anything then i do sell what i cannot use for my own table or as gifts. i also quilt and sew - i call myself an artist of stitchery - i rent a half booth at a local crafts mall and sell quilts, and other sensible homemade pretties. i dont make a lot of money at it, but i do make the rent on the booth and a little bit of profit that i save for "rainy days and emergencies". just yesterday i made $40. for stitching up four pretty xmas stockings for a neighbor...i do not have any farm animals to care for but if i did i would sell eggs, milk, cheese and meat. however, i have a few acres that could be rented for pasture.

Modern Day Redneck said...

With you being a reader of my blog for a while now, you know we do everything there is to make money off the farm.
The farm side was really successful this last year until we had to sell the breeding stock do to breakdowns of the AC, Well, AC again and the well again. It was a tough one last summer.
We hatched our own eggs in monthly stages. That way we carry any age a customer is looking for. Last year we sold around 500 chickens or more.
We also buy and sell goats. I think last year we sold around 50 to 60 goats. Add in there geese, turkeys, quail and rabbits, I bet we sold over 700 animals last year.
As you know we only opened the Mini Farm once a month. That way we can advertise in feed stores, Facebook, Craig's list, the blog and word of mouth. We had many repeat customers calling and wondering when we were going to be open.
While the Mini Farm was open that weekend, we set up tables with home made pickled/canned goods and salsa. They could also pick the gardens for price per pound.
Before it got too hot, the last couple of weekends we were open I also built rabbit cages to sell, Had T-shirts, cook books, fresh and hatching eggs along with worms and worm dirt.
We would average around 30 to 40 people a weekend and were growing.
If everything would have stayed it's course then I was going to add a general store this next year and start selling goat milk soap, Homemade laundry detergent and some other little things like key chains, bumper stickers, dog outfits and homemade dog treats, but that's how it goes.
I am still not going to give up. We are now re-starting our breeders and hope things hold together.
The blog, I have found out, is not a place to sell things for me. I just did a "Solar Bathroom Wall Movement" where you could buy a spot on the bathroom wall and promote your blog or name for only $10.00. I did not have as many as I thought for such a great idea, but it was still fun. (You still have time, hint, hint)
To finally answer your question, lol, just try anything until something sticks. Heck, even the wife made some quilts and quilting crafts and had them on display. The whole thing is, get customers to your place and then promote add-on sells.
I was hoping this thing I started would get big enough I could rent out space in the general store to other vendors and start my own CSA.
It will get there one day.
Good luck and sorry for the long answer.

Modern Day Redneck said...

Sorry, me again. I wanted to tell the one biggest mistake I made. I did not save any of the money we were making. As soon as we would get it I would turn around and put it back into the Mini Farm building this or that trying to get too big too quick. That is what bit me in the butt when things went South.
Just a thought.
Oh, the youngest said she wanted to do a petting zoo that weekend when we are open so that might be something we look into later as well.
Sorry again.

thecrazysheeplady said...

Make money from our farm?!? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Phelan said...

oh wow, I made it sound like I was selling pot. Nope just an animal product, not plant based.

Anonymous said...

i am the one with the five acres..had to reply again cause i forgot to tell you what i do thaat helps me market what i sell. i use my facebook photo albums..that way my friends and their friends can help me market my stuff as well as sometimes buy stuff.

V.L. Locey said...

We don`t make alot of money off our farm. We sell eggs, and extra kids, goslings, ducklings and poults. This year we raised some meat turkeys and will sell one to a freind. We`re not allowed by law to sell milk, which is a darn shame because I have TONS of folks asking for it.

Hughes ap Williams said...

Here is a blog that you should follow - Cold Antler Farm:

http://coldantlerfarm.blogspot.com/

Carol............. said...

Hmmmmm...our place just costs us $$$$$$$$$.......will have to think of something grand maybe do outdoor weddings in the garden and around the pond.We've had 3 family weddings that turned out very nice.

Angela said...

We don't make any money right now because we are developing our business model. We do plan on offering workshops in building chicken coops, having an aquaponic greenhouse which will offer local restaurants and people produce year round. We'd like to have workshops on how to build earth structures like earthbag buildings and strawbale homes.We also would like to sell proven couples such as our ducks, rabbits and so on.
In the meantime, we continue to keep our eyes on the prize of self sustainability so that one day we will not need much money at all to get all our needs taken care of. Saving money is making money. When it only costs us $5.25 per month for a family of 6 to do laundry, and the detergent smells awesome and clean, that is money in the bank. It used to cost us $36.00 per month, or $432 per year and $2,160 in five years. Our homemade detergent costs $5.25 per month to make, or $63.00 per year and $315.00 in five years. That is a HUGE difference, and that's only detergent. We can live so much better than we are, make money, save money and have our community grow in knowledge. There is great value in that.