There’s something quintessentially romantic about a smallholding, and many of us dream of getting away from the bustle of the city and embracing a simpler, much more rewarding life.
While the idea of living on a small farm can seem financially impractical and a million miles away from your steady job and moderate income, in reality, smallholdings have plenty of financial potential that could keep you and your family in good fiscal health.
While there are other financial responsibilities to consider, such as maintenance of your land and your farming equipment – you’ll find parts to fix your tractor, here – many families happily live from the land provided by their smallholding and lead financially comfortable lives.
Whether you have dreams of owning chickens and livestock, or you have visions of growing fresh veggies to sell at a farmer’s market, there are dozens of ways you can make your smallholding work for you and make a living. Let’s explore some business ideas that will make you money from your smallholding.
Sell Fresh Farm Produce
One of the most obvious ways to make a living from a smallholding is by selling fresh, farm produce. Whether it’s passers-by, customers at your farmer’s market stall or you’re selling directly to local restaurants and eateries who want the freshest, local ingredients for their dishes, selling fresh farm produce is an easy way to make money. Consider these straightforward options:
- Sell fresh eggs from your chickens
- Keep bees and sell fresh honey/wax
- Grow fruit and sell homemade preserves and jams
- Grow vegetables to sell at your local farmers’ market
- Create homemade baked goods, made with fresh farm ingredients to sell locally
- Grow and sell fresh herbs
Rescue Animals
Many smallholding owners take on rescue animals, saved from slaughter. From goats and pigs to cows and battery hens, by creating a small animal sanctuary and developing a farm “experience” for paying visitors, you can easily charge visitors a fee to come and help with cleaning their pens, grooming, feeding, and even taking animals for walks around your land.
You could also offer this experience to schools and other educational settings. You can give the animals a good quality of life, make some money, educate others about animals and save animals from slaughter.
Sell Homemade Products and Farm-Based Services
As a smallholding, you’ll have the opportunity to use your available land and extend your skills to create all kinds of homemade products and farm-based services. All of which are a lucrative way to earn money from your smallholding. Consider the following…
- Making homemade candles and wax melts (using wax from your bees)
- Cutting and selling firewood
- Renting out your fields to other animal owners, such as horses and sheep
- Rent out small allotments for growing to local people
Final thoughts…
Those who believe smallholdings aren’t profitable, shouldn’t stop you from pursuing your dream of owning your own bit of land. Consider the points above about how your dream smallholding could make you money.
Nickida
Nickida is a first-generation Trinidadian American wife and mother of four. She enjoys sharing recipes from her childhood growing up in Trinidad with her readers. Nickida has a son with Autism and shares posts around traveling with a child with special needs to help other families like her own. She loves television, movies and is a true 80's baby.
Follow Me:
