If you are looking for ways how to make money on a homestead, you are in the right place. This list may be short, but that is because I chose realistic ways to generate income with your homestead.
When learning new homesteading tips, one of the best is how to generate an income to offset the costs it takes to raise and grow the foods you love.
I am sure you already have a few ideas in your head such as your products. Actually, selling products is at the top of this list as well. Products such as eggs, herbs, produce, livestock, milk, cheese, butter, soap…
I could go on and on.
And yes, all of those ideas are all good ways to make money, in fact, I am going to talk about them in further detail below. Because they are easy enough that you can start using those ideas right away.
But I will also talk about a few ideas that are outside the box. Unique ways to generate income with your homestead.
I hope you can incorporate a few of these ideas so you too can bring in an income so you can stay home and live your dream of homesteading full time.
Homesteading.
One of the most expensive hobbies…EVER.
That is what my hubby loves to tell people. And he’s pretty much spot on.
Homesteading can be expensive. There are buildings to build and shelters needed for livestock. Gardens to create and expand. Animals to feed and give care to every day. And equipment to buy and upkeep.
And all those things cost money. So, it is no surprise that homesteaders are always trying to find creative ways to make an income doing what they love.
Living a simple and self-sufficient life off of the land and close to home.
For me, I like to have several income streams on our homestead. Some bring in a little and some bring in a lot. But when you add it all together I am able to make a full-time income with my homestead.
UPDATE: As of January 2022, I am making double what my first income goal was in 2018. Keep reading to see how.
Yes, you totally just read that right!
I make a full-time income with my homestead.
How I Make Money On The Homestead
First I am going to share with you how I make money with our homestead, later in this article, I will list out common ways (and some uncommon) to generate an income with your homestead. If you are looking to make a full-time income with your homestead, you will need to incorporate more than one revenue stream. This list will hopefully get you started as you work to find the best options for you and your family.
Money Making Option #1
On our homestead we raise about 25-35 chickens and to help compensate for the feed costs, we sell the eggs to a local restaurant. This comes out to be about 10-12 dozen eggs sold each week at $3.00 a dozen.
This money could be enough to offset the feed costs of not only your chickens but some of your other livestock as well.
Final possible gross income: $24-$36 a week or $120-$140 a month
SLCG PRO TIP: Before deciding to sell eggs on your homestead, be sure to read the rules and regulations regarding doing this for your particular state. You can find the rules online or contact your local extension office.
Money Making Option #2
We also raise a herd of Nubian and Boer goats.
Each year we breed our goats so we can keep our gals producing milk. We then sell the offspring to other families that want to add goat milk to their own family farm.Most goat kids can bring in anywhere from $100-$500 depending on the breed, and quality of stock. We recently began breeding a meat/dairy mix so we can open up our market to other buyers. By doing so we are able to sell our whether or bucks to a larger market.
CHOOSING THE BEST GOAT BREED FOR YOUR FAMILY
Final possible gross income: $100-$2,000 a year depending on the number of goat kids available for sale.
Money Making Option #3
We also sell goat milk to pet owners to feed allergy-stricken pets as a way to make money on a homestead. This brings about $5-$7 a gallon and we are able to sell up to 10 gallons a week. We also sell goat milk to local soap makers as well. Goat milk soap is huge in our area and selling milk this way is fairly easy to do.
SLCG PRO TIP: Milk rules and regulations are very important and you will need to do your research before selling milk of any kind. Again, you will want to contact your state to get a printout of the rules and regulations in your area before selling goat milk to anyone.
Final gross income: $50-$70 a week or $200-$280 a month
As you can see, these options bring in a bit more money than the egg sales but it takes a bigger investment to get started. This option also requires a daily time investment, another aspect to keep in mind.
Money Making Option #4
If you have a garden, especially a large one, you can offer a different take on community gardening that brings money to your homestead. This is a great way to share produce in larger amounts with folks in your area that do not have the room or the time.
For a set price you can “lease” out a portion of your garden for folks to grow in. This is really not too much work on your end and a great way to bring in a bit of passive income.
SLCG PRO TIP: You will want to have a contract if you choose to go this route. This will allow you to be firm on times, rules, and warnings of accidents on your property. As with anything, do your homework completely before diving in.
For a spin on this option, we like to do a garden swap. What that means is to allow folks to pick from our gardens in exchange for us picking in theirs. This way you can put all of your focus on growing one type of produce so you can sell a larger volume to produce auctions.
One year we had so many tomatoes it was crazy, but our peppers were not quite a success.
We swapped our tomatoes with our neighbor’s peppers. She picked for her own use and we picked for ours.
No, this was not a direct income source but it was a way to fill a need without costing us additional money upfront.
Money Making Option #5
Most homesteaders have gardens and that means many income ideas will be focused there. Selling produce to neighbors that are not able to garden is a great way to not only help out others but an easy way to bring in a bit of revenue as well.
This option is not quite as reliable since pests, disease, and mother nature all rule the amount of produce you are able to sell, but you may find that you always have at least a few things you can put out for sale each season to bring in money to your homestead.
Money Making Option #6
Finally, my biggest income generator is my homesteading blog.Yes, the one you are here reading right now.
After I had been homesteading for a little over 5 years and working two jobs besides, I knew I needed to find a way to make my homesteading dream a money-making reality.
I had this idea to teach other folks how to homestead and thought I could start a blog to do that very thing. You see when you have been raised in the suburbs starting a homestead from scratch can be a little daunting. To learn all that I could, I checked out book after book from the library and visited different farms in the area. It took a crazy amount of time and postponed my dream for several years.
I can’t help but think how helpful it would have been to get all that information from one website. One that covered the things I wanted to do in print, video, and pictures.
And that right there is how my homesteading blog, Simple Living Country Gal, was born.
After just 9 months I was able to quit both of my outside jobs and really dive into my homestead full-time.
After another 12 months, I was making more money on my homestead than I ever had before.
That small idea that I had one day in 2016 has now turned into a full-time business that employs 5 people.
Yes, you totally read that right, I have people working for me!
Crazy how that happens.
You wake up with an “out there” idea and before you know it, it’s real and it’s AWESOME!
Now, I am not telling you to go out right now and start a blog. What I am telling you is to give it some thought to see if it might just be right for you.
If you love your life and love to help people at the same time, then blogging may be the answer you have been looking for.
Think about it, this could be your chance to help others start a homestead. A chance to walk people through the path to a more simple lifestyle.
A life away from chaos and stress and finally into a life they love.
Ask yourself this…..
How great would it be to work from home on your homestead full-time?
To do what you truly love every single day and actually make money at it?
To, in turn, help others live their own dream of homesteading?
READ: 7 STEPS TO TAKE BEFORE YOU BEGIN HOMESTEADING
Sometimes all you need is a little nudge and that is what this is for you. Your nudge to take your homestead to the next level and make money doing what you love.
Because sometimes selling eggs is not quite enough to make your homesteading dreams come true.
Starting a blog is NOT easy, I am the first one to tell you that. But once you gain your momentum and get things up and going it can be the most rewarding experience in the world.
Stop settling for little and reach for the stars.
Yes, you can create a successful blog teaching others how to garden and homestead. I am proof that you can. All you need to do is dip your toe in the water and try it out.
How to Make Money on Your Homestead
Now that I have shared with you what I am doing, let’s add to this list and give you a few more options to consider.
#1. Selling Produce
I talked about this already but there are a few areas to consider when you are looking to sell what you have grown. This includes vegetables, fruit, and even herbs both fresh and dried.
Ways to sell produce from your garden and orchards.
- Farmer’s Markets
- Roadside Stand
- Online with Craiglist or Facebook Marketplace
- Word of mouth
#2. Garden Plots or Field Rental
Another tip I mentioned is renting out small plots of your land for suburban and even city folks to enjoy the gardening experience. This is a great way to make a little money without much work on your end.
If you have a large number of acres you can also look into renting them to a farmer that is looking for more land to grow crops or feed for their livestock. You can ask a local farmer if they or anyone they know is looking or you can post an ad on the board at your local feed mill.
#3. Animals
If you have livestock then you probably already are doing all that you can to bring in revenue to help supplement for their care. This may include selling offspring or overstock that you have. A few areas to consider for selling platforms are:
- Craigslist
- Facebook Marketplace
- The bulletin board at your local feed mill.
- At your local auction barn.
If you have eggs, milk, or meat to sell as well you can still refer to the list above but also add the following options.
- Local Restaurant
- Farmer’s Market
- Local Meat Market
- Roadside Stand
#4. Education
This option is quickly growing and for good reason. With the world changing so quickly more and more families are looking to start homesteads of their own and this means they need help. Why not be that help for them?
I know I already talked about blogging but that might not be an option for you so here are a few more ideas to consider.
Vlogging – Hosting a YouTube channel with how-to videos
Podcast – Hosting a podcast on how to start homesteading.
Kindle – Write a small ebook that you can sell on Amazon.
Speaking – Hire yourself out to speak on what you know. A few ideas are:
- In-home speaking
- 4H
- Local extension office
#5. Equipment
Many new and small family homesteaders simply do not have the money to purchase the equipment they need to get started. If you have that equipment available you can rent it out and for an additional fee, include your service running the equipment as well.
This is a great way to not only help out a local family but generate a nice income as well.
#6. Barn Rental
Another option again for a new. or small family homestead is to rent out part of your barn. This is a common practice where we live and it is a great way to make money without much effort.
Post an ad or let folks know in your area that you have space available, being sure to note the animals your barn is suitable for housing. You will need to have a contract drawn up, so it is clear what the renter is responsible for and what you will be responsible for as well.
Finding ways to generate an income with your homestead may just be easier than you first realized. Walk your land and see what you can offer to your community then take the next step to turn that idea into a profitable and helpful opportunity.
Homesteading does not have to be an expensive hobby. It can be a profitable business if you are willing to think outside of the box.
Do you make money on your homestead that is not on this list? Share in the comments below!
MORE HOMESTEADING RESOURCES:
- 7 Steps to Take Before Starting a Homestead
- How to Start a Homestead
- Books to Have in your Homesteading Library
