How to Make Money on a Small Farm

Small farming is a great hobby! But can you earn money from it? We have spent the last 5 years running a small hobby farm business. Every year we tried new enterprises, and every year we tracked our money spent and earned. What have we found?

In this video we discuss selling farm fresh eggs, selling vegetables, selling pastured pork and chicken, and we also discuss running on farm classes.

[emperorselasi]

Hmm how i wished everyone commenting was into farming ...and not just speaking because they have mouths....God bless your hard work Justin Rhodes

[avamckenzie]

Me and my husband have two different approaches on making money on our farm, both which have worked fairly well. We have the standard "shop" we're we sell fresh produce, eggs, and things such as cheese and fudge from our goat milk. The shop doesn't make a huge amount of money considering we're we live we have many neighbors who sell the same products but it's our SERVICES that really hit the jackpot. We have weekly classes on many different things involving the homestead life, we have cooking classes in which we teach people how to easily cook more healthy meals from the produce that they can grow themselves, we also have gardening and animal info/caretaking classes. We are the only one in the area with these opportunities so we get all the business🙂

[rowenpedersen]

I’m a 12 year old boy who wants to farm pigs and makes some money for college so I can be a elk farmer when I’m older

[HolyPineCone]

As a small homestead I consider myself a great success when my egg sales covers the costs of chicken feed, plus a few free eggs per day for my family. If my numbers are correct that amounts to about 25 heritage breed hens and a few roosters. I'm on my way there! Great success here I come!

[hurricanefarms]

We have just started a small farm and so desperately want to make a full time income off of it. I am DETERMINED! Great info on giving classes. I hadn’t thought of that

[KATA]

I've enjoyed falling down into the YouTube rabbit hole watching your videos. Subscribed. Thanks for sharing your farm.

[polinareut]

Thank you for sharing your experience! We’ve been thinking about farm business and different ways to make money on it. Now we’re calling 20 farmers who would like to stream their animals and sell calls with them. You only need a smartphone with a camera and Internet connection, and a funny animal that you’ll stream.

[nateypecks]

Eggs work if you can produce them without inputs. Interestingly, this means that the Hen produces a better egg = more valuable product. Coupled with chickens' ability to improve pasture for free, and hey - win win.

[MrSpencers]

I grow fodder from wheat and barley seed to feed my chickens. this increases your profit margin by huge amounts. when you break it down its around $.05/lb of feed, you feed 20% of your flocks weight in fodder per day and you can see how this can greatly increase your profit margin. Also fodder fed chickens produce the best tasting eggs you've ever had along with being organic and knowing exactly what your birds are eating because you've grown it yourself. Fodder growing systems are simple and easy to build, plans can be found on youtube. I built mine for about $100 using wood I had around our farm and wash tubs bought from the dollar store, water pump and timer.

[ceepark]

Great video, thanks for sharing. I have goats, both meat and layer chickens and meat rabbits but raise them for our own meat more like a hobby than a business. Here in western WA feeder pigs are expensive also. Two years ago we bought them for 125 a piece. Too much meat for 4 people so we are going to try just one this spring.

[redbarnfarm]

Thanks for the info, I have a small farm, love my farm fresh eggs, fresh fruits and vegetables. Farm fresh chickens are the best also but a lot of work and we get attached to them, so we're sticking with eggs for now and they are great bug control. Love my goats too!! I might try pigs this year. Red Barn Farm

[normbograham]

Pigs were known as the "mortgage makers" 20+ years ago. They do not make what they once did, but then everything is tighter.

[doodleysquat]

Contrary to either of your's or John's conclusions, money can be made on eggs. It's all in marketing them, and developing a client base. This allows you to get top dollar for your eggs! If there are people out there who'll pay 50k for a car, and 15k for a car... there's people out there who'll pay $7/dozen for eggs, vs. $2/dozen. Research your feeding methods, shave costs, and think outside the chicken coop! All it takes is the right approach and it will happen, I did it the slow route myself and learned along the way. Only way I can keep any eggs in stock now is buy more chickens, and build more nest boxes. Egg price hikes don't even phase those who want quality. So show your clients superior quality, and they'll pay superior prices!

[sheilab]

I found that selling my eggs as hatching eggs brought in a decent profit.

[thebelhumeurs]

Thanks for the info, we're looking to get our farm business going as soon as we get to the homestead. Your videos are really helpful!

[ChicagoCFH]

cool video. I was recently thinking about selling extra veggies. I looked at some prices and realized i probably grew a couple grand worth of Kale alone last year. (organic). Interested to see your upcoming pasture pig video.

[jorgepedrosojunior]

Thank you for sharing your experience! I'm facing the same challenges in Brazil and it's good to know that it is not an underdeveloped world's problem only. Right now I'm changing my small farm vocation from veggies to meat trying to make the business self-sufficient, while feeding the family with good natural food. Thank you again

[frenatfarms]

Nice one.. Thank you for sharing. Starting something soon.. For now, I will be planting in buckets as I have no land

[zoephillips]

Another pretty untapped market-depending on your area- is a farm preschool program. In my area farm preschools are 4 hours or less and have zero licensing requirements and makes BIG money. Like $1, 000/mo per kid.
I’m a preschool teacher and like farming/animals as a hobby so when I opened my own farm preschool I found the real desire for parents in my semi-urban area to send their kids to a farm preschool.

[johnjohn]

your not trying to make money from farming your trying to make money from youtube true capitalist, good for you !