Owning farmland is the first condition of homesteading. As a homesteader, you must have plans to raise crops or cattle on your farmland and be self-sufficient. However, there are plenty of homesteader business ideas for you that will provide regular income to you.
Homesteader business ideas, as the name suggests are all related to your farm. Apart from the large-scale cultivation and growing of your food, you can also utilize this land and its resources to get good profit.
Homesteader business ideas can be short-term or long-term, seasonal or round-the-year. You have to choose the right idea that suits you and gives you a good profit.
You can use your aptitude or special skills in growing a particular homesteader business idea. It will pay you good returns as well as give you plenty of satisfaction.
Like any other business, you will need planning and research before you start working on any of the homesteader business ideas. Along with that, you will also need to market and publicize your business to get more buyers.
25 Homesteader Business Ideas
1. Christmas Tree Farm
Christmas tree farm is a profitable homesteader business idea. If your land has plenty of firs, pines, or spruce trees, you can start the business right away. Otherwise, you can start planting the trees and sell them within 4-6 years. However, in the meantime, you can use this farmland as a tourist spot, or a farm visit trip for local tourists. It will yield good returns.
2. Selling Fruits and Vegetables
Plant fruit and vegetable trees and sell them as your homesteader business idea. Focus on fruits and vegetables that grow fast for quick returns. Vegetables that grow fast include Lettuce, Kale, Spinach, Radish, Beetroot, Turnip, Broccoli, etc. Fruits in this category are Strawberries, Blackberries, Raspberries, Bananas, Citrus fruits, etc.
3. Selling Seeds
Selling seeds is a sustainable and lucrative homesteader business idea. Keep the seeds of veggies or fruits that are grown on your farmland and sell them in the market or to gardeners. Take special care of the seeds of good quality fruits and vegetables as they can be used to grow healthy crops.
4. Mushroom Farming
Mushroom farming needs small space and the output yields a high profit. Hence it is regarded as a profitable homesteader business idea. You can start mushroom farming in a small portion of your farm and get the harvest within 3 months. Selling fresh mushrooms to the local grocery store, restaurants or households is quite profitable. You can also dry them and sell them later.
5. Selling Dairy Products
Dairy products are always sought after and fetch high profits. If you raise dairy animals like milk cows and dairy goats, you can sell plenty of milk products like milk, butter, cheese, etc. This homesteader business idea is popular as well as profit-making. Selling farm fresh milk and milk products will give you high prices.
6. Making And Selling Compost
Make your compost and also sell it as your homesteader business idea. Composts have huge demand as far as organic cultivation is concerned. Small-scale gardeners also buy them. Hence you will have a ready market for compost. Good packaging is important for selling your compost.
7. Raising and Selling Worms for Compost
Another compost-related homesteader business idea is raising and selling worms. Raise a large number of worms and after using them for making your compost, sell the extra worms to cultivators, gardeners, and others for a good profit. This business will give you quick and several returns in a year.
8. Selling Microgreens
Selling microgreens is a very profitable homesteader business idea. You will need very little space for growing Sunflower, Wheatgrass, Collards, Broccoli, Kale, and Peas in their microgreen form. These have a great demand and you can sell them at farmers’ markets or directly to restaurants, eateries, or grocery shops. Prices are high ensuring a good profit for you.
9. Selling Homemade Baked Food, Jam
Selling homemade food can be a good and sustainable homesteader business idea for you. As a homesteader, you can start your bakery and make cakes, cupcakes, bread, cookies, etc. Along with these, you can also make jam, jelly, and sauces and sell them for a high profit. Handmade and farm fresh products will give you good profit.
10. Selling Eggs
Eggs are our substantial food and are used in number of food items. Hence selling eggs is a lucrative homesteader business idea. Raise hens, ducks, quails, etc for selling eggs. These have a regular and steady demand and will fetch you good profits.
11. Selling Meat
Raise meat-producing animals like lamb, goat, chicks, duck, cow, pigs, and others for selling their meat. This is an extremely profit-making homesteader business idea. You will need a well-equipped butchery for this business. With the prices of fresh meat being high, your income will also be high.
12. Raising Duck, Lamb, and Turkey
Not for meat, but raising duck, lamb, turkey, etc for selling them to other farm owners is also a very good homesteader business idea. Raise good breeds of these animals with great care and monitoring and sell them to farm owners, private buyers or slaughterhouses. Good breeds and the healthy condition of animals will give you high profits.
13. Stud Services
Offering stud services is a great way to earn a good income within a short span. In this homestead business idea, you can have male dogs or both male and female ones for breeding. After a litter is born, you can sell them individually or as a group to handlers or individual buyers. You need to have dogs of good breed and in demand and take all precautions and care for the birth of healthy puppies. Providing service as well as selling puppies are both profitable.
14. Pet Boarding
If you have space and can make the necessary arrangements, you can start pet boarding on your farm. This homesteader business will give you a good price for taking care of the pets in the absence of the owners. Good ambiance, caregiving, and facilities for emergency handling are necessary for this business.
15. Start a Nursery
Grow plants in packets or small pots and sell them to garden owners or individual clients. Growing a plant nursery is not much problem in your homestead. Selling these saplings is a good business idea for homesteaders. Grow decorative plants, succulents, flowering plants, and other plants that have good local demand. It is a sustainable business idea that is a good source of income.
16. Selling Bamboo Products
Growing bamboo in your farmland can be a profitable option. In this homesteader business idea, you can grow bamboo and sell different types of products made from bamboo. It has a wide range of uses from edible bamboo shoots to sports items, household items, furniture, Briquettes, and bio-energy products like charcoal, chips, etc. All these products are much in demand and will help you in getting high profits.
17. Selling Firewood
If your farmland has a lot of trees, you can opt for selling firewood by utilizing them. This homesteader business idea is a lucrative one, particularly in the winter months when the demand for firewood is very high.
18. Selling Dried Herbs
Your garden can grow a lot of herbs around the year. Drying these herbs and selling them as spices is an excellent homesteader business idea. These dried herbs have great demand as spices and for seasoning. You can grow herbs like basil, oregano, thyme, mint, rosemary, etc. Dry them in bunches and store them in air-tight jars or packets for sale.
19. Selling Flowers
Grow a lot of flowers in your garden and sell them regularly. Grow flowers like roses, marigolds, petunia, sunflowers, poppies, nigella, cornflowers, etc that grow quickly and easily. Sell the flowers to local flower shops and parties, functions, and event planners for a high price. This colorful homesteader business idea is a quick money-making one.
20. Selling Honey and Beeswax
Raise bees and get sweet returns from them. This is a profitable homesteader business idea wherein you can sell fresh honey and beeswax to local people or in packaged form to shops and markets. The demand is high ensuring a steady income for you.
21. Selling Bees
You can also sell bees after raising them. This is also a good homesteader business idea. Many honey merchants buy bees to make their production units. You can sell bees to them and get a decent profit.
22. Selling Animal Fibers
Raising different species of goats and sheep for fiber is a profitable business option for homesteaders. Raise animals like Cashmere goats, Angora goats, sheep, Angora rabbits, alpaca, etc for their fiber and wool. These fibers have a great demand in manufacturing warm clothes and are sold at high prices.
23. Microbrewery
A microbrewery is an excellent homesteader business idea. Start your microbrewery on your land and sell homemade beer and other drinks like wine directly from the brewery or to pubs, bars, hotels, and shops. Both are profitable for you.
24. Renting out the Land for Weddings, Parties, and Photo Shoots
Farmlands can be a great venue for parties, weddings, shootings, etc. Rent your land for parties directly or through event planners and get a good return. This homesteader business idea is quite common now. You need to maintain the land properly and give it a good look with trimmed grass and decorative plants.
25. Bed and Breakfast
If you have extra rooms in your homestead, you can rent them for bed and breakfast. Many people love the natural ambiance of the farmland with the facilities of walking in the garden, buying farm-fresh products, etc. This homesteader business idea will get you a steady income around the year.
The list of homesteader business ideas has many options for you. You can choose one or more to make it more profitable.
Editorial Team at 99BusinessIdeas is a team of experts led by Rupak Chakrabarty with over 25 years of experience in starting and running small businesses. Started in 2010, 99BusinessIdeas is now one of the largest free small business resources in the industry.