One of the great things about making a living on your homestead is earning an income doing things you love. But there are some things to keep in mind to successfully transition from hobby to work. If you want your hobby to be a successful business venture, you need to treat it as a business! […]

If you have lots of extra goat milk, and you’re tired of just feeding it to your pigs and chickens, what can you do with it that would also bring in a little extra income? Most people immediately think of selling milk, ice cream, yogurt, or cheese, but those types of businesses require a big […]

As a professional farmer or rancher, your attention gets pulled in multiple directions on a constant basis. The self-sufficient life you have chosen for yourself and your family demands daily maintenance and perseverance. The work needed to maintain your buildings will wear down the equipment you utilize. Whether it’s the tractor or tilling machine you […]

Email newsletters are a great way to keep in touch with your customers and let them know what is in season on your homestead. It’s a great way to highlight new products, important dates (like first or last market days of the season) or share exciting news about what is going on at your homestead […]

Excerpted from Market Farming Success by Lynn Byczynski Scheduling After you have completed the exercise of figuring out how much to grow in order to meet income targets, you can get to work filling in your planting calendar. You can do this with a pencil on a big paper calendar or use a computer. First, […]

Imagine that a family with small children comes to your farm one day to purchase some of your products. While there, one of the children picks up your friendly old barn cat. The next thing you know, the child is crying because the cat scratched him. Oh, well, that’s unfortunate, you think, but he’ll be […]

Crops have always been a source of food and fuel for humans and animals alike. As the population of the former continues to grow and the climate of the planet continues to change, the importance of farm crops rises with every passing year. Why Crop Yields Matter The demand for plant materials not only concerns […]

A big part of Etsy is the ability to connect buyers with makers. (If you’re not familiar with Etsy, be sure to check out Part 1 of this article!) One of my favorite parts about running the farm stand is meeting my customers face-to-face. While this isn’t possible when you are selling online, Etsy does […]

Professional farmers and ranchers, as well as homesteaders use farm equipment to improve efficiency. While the use of a hand spade may not seem equal to the use of a tractor, both are tools that ensure a greater return on productivity for your efforts. Even with the right equipment, though, it’s important to plant, reap […]

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 […]