Extending the growing season by adding a greenhouse has become an important factor to consider for our small farmer’s market business. After feeling out the need for produce most requested in local farmer’s markets, we noticed one key factor – the early bird gets the worm. The first produce out the gate was eagerly purchased […]

How to Define your Ideal Customer: Part One Defining your ideal customer can transform your homestead business and supply you with a steady stream of happy customers! Whether you provide a homestead service, have an agritourism operation, manage a market farm, or operate a small handmade business, we all have one thing in common: customers. […]

Have you heard of Etsy? It is an online marketplace where vendors can sell handmade and/or vintage goods. Selling on Etsy has lots of benefits for us. It has a lot of name recognition and has been around long enough to be a publicly-traded company. Lots of lifestyle magazines feature  products found on the site. […]

Winter weather on a farm or ranch is a much different experience than in a city or town. As a homesteader, there are preparations for the upcoming rain, snow and freezing temperatures that need your attention. One of these preparations will be your current farming equipment and whether you should replace it before winter arrives. […]

We moved to the country in 2002 to start growing our own food organically. I also wanted to get “honest” exercise — rather than exercising in a gym or on a treadmill. And I wanted my children to grow up with a sense of purpose in life. We had no desire to sell anything. It’s […]

Sustainable Certifications As They Relate To You As we transition back to agrarian values research indicates the importance of sustainable certifications and an increase in goods sold. You may find yourself contemplating the value of additional certification if you haven’t already achieved it. Transparently defining the value of your goods insures that customers can trust […]

Gut Check Aaron from High Spirit Farm had been pounding the pavement, talking with chefs and grocers about buying his produce. It was early March when we sat down, and he was pretty sure that he had five commitments for purchasing throughout the season; he felt confident he could sell $45,000 worth of produce.   […]

Search for the words “home business” and you’ll find dozens of interesting ideas. But are the popular business suggestions you read about a good fit for you and your family? I suggest instead, starting by answering the questions: What am I passionate about? What skills do I have to offer the world? How will my […]

Instagram is unique among social networks because of the way it engages its users. Engagement is the way that users interact with the posts on a social media network — the more likes, shares, and comments a post has, the more engaging it is. In this guide, we’re diving into how to create content for […]