Learn how to make money homesteading. There are several ways that you can supplement your income or earn a full time living from your homestead. This has 35 different ways to help you make your homestead work for you.
How to Make Money Homesteading
When our kids were little, we knew we didn't want to do the typical 9-5. Although I fully support a family's right to choose what is best for their family, we didn't feel that daycare was the right choice for our family.
I wanted to stay at home with the kids, which ended up being the best choice for us because our boys were eventually diagnosed with autism.
We moved to the farm 12 years ago. I was already writing to earn extra money, but then we decided that we really wanted to work to be a stay at home family.
Yes, that's a thing! And it is absolutely the right choice for us.
That doesn't mean that we don't work outside of the home at all. My husband is a tactical instructor, so he holds classes several times a week.
I have an office outside of the home to get some quiet time to work, but I do most of my work from home.
Although our main jobs are teaching and blogging, we still have other ways to make money homesteading. Whether you want to live off of your homestead or just want to supplement your income, here how to make money homesteading.
Is Homesteading A Lot Of Work?
Homesteading can be a lot of work, especially if you dive in without the proper research. There are many aspects to homesteading, and of course things get more stressful when it comes to taking care of other lives.
However, if you do the necessary homework there are plenty of ways to make the homesteading lifestyle more manageable. Plus, there are plenty of ways to learn how to make money homesteading.
What Jobs Do Homesteaders Have?
Being a homesteader does not always mean devoting one hundred percent of your time to homesteading. Some people like homesteading and are able to turn it into a career on its own.
Others still work traditional jobs and homestead during their off hours. There are also plenty of homesteaders that work from home. Homesteading, when approached correctly, can be a flexible hobby or career.
There are plenty of ways to learn how to make money homesteading, which is part of the reason homesteading has become so enticing.
Can You Make A Living Homesteading?
Yes, homesteading can absolutely be a career. Plenty of people across the country have been able to turn their homesteads into major sources of profit. You can make money selling products from your homestead, or by making content related to homesteading.
Turning homesteading into a career requires you to learn how to make money homesteading. I recommend you start with a homestead business plan.
A homestead business plan will allow you to plan out what income streams you would like to create and concentrate on those. Always remember to tailor your homestead business plan to what you already have, as to make things simple early on.
35 Ways To Make Money Homesteading
You may be asking yourself, “How can I make money homesteading?” Well, there are plenty of ways to do it. Learning how to make money homesteading can really help you turn your hobby into a second source of income, or even a career on its own.
With some hard work and a carefully made homestead business plan, you can start making money off of your homestead!
1. Selling Eggs, Milk, or Wool
Selling eggs from your chickens or milk from your goats can be a great way to make some extra cash, just be sure to follow all health department regulations.
2. Publish Articles or Blogging
Publishing articles in journals or other magazines is a great way to get your experiences and any tips you have learned out there, and make money while doing it.
3. Sell Leftover Produce
Selling leftover produce is a great way to make money, and can help to reduce waste. Plus, many people opt to build a shed or small stall where people can stop and purchase vegetables without you needing to be there.
4. Sell Leftover Firewood & Lumber
Oftentimes expanding your homestead means clearing trees or old buildings. Why not sell off the extra wood?
5. Cater To The Holidays
There are plenty of ways to cater your homestead to the holidays. For instance, you could plant a pumpkin patch and sell pumpkins and other fall related items during the colder months.
You could also plant trees for Christmas or raise turkeys for Thanksgiving
6. Sell Natural Health Products
Many natural health products can be made, packaged, and/or sold right from your home. Of course, be sure that you are in compliance with the FDA and your local health department while doing so.
7. Grow Microgreens
Microgreens are a great source of money as they do not require much investment, and yield a higher return than most plants. Growing microgreens has recently become a popular way to make money homesteading, and for good reason.
8. Write A Book About Homesteading
It is easier than ever to self publish a book, and books about homesteading have shown to be very successful. You can write about tips for homesteading, your experiences, or a fiction piece set around homesteads.
I have three books on Amazon now, and they continue to make money month after month. My books aren't directly related to homesteading, but they are about natural living.
9. Raise Worms For Bait/Crops
Raising worms is pretty easy to do, and does not require much to start. Plus, they can be sold to local fishers to use as bait. You can also sell them for composting, and you can always use them around your own homestead.
10. Start A Blog About Homesteading
Just like writing a book, there are plenty of ways to start a blog about your homesteading experience. You can write guides like this one, or get into the personal aspects of homesteading.
Homesteading in Ohio is my third blog, and I earn a full time income from blogging. It's not an instant way to make money (my oldest blog is almost 10 years old!), but it is a pretty sweet gig that can be lucrative.
11. Teach Classes
Many communities have space for you to rent out or make use of to teach classes. Classes can be taught about all sorts of things, and I recommend teaching about specific aspects of homesteading.
For instance, you can teach a class all about soap making, and then a class about chicken coop maintenance, or whatever you want to teach others about!
We started teaching homesteading classes because everyone always joked that they are coming here if SHTF. We'd rather teach you how to be sufficient so we have a community to rely on.
12. Sell Dehydrated Goods
Many dehydrated goods, such as dehydrated tomatoes, apples, and other fruits, are in high demand right now. Whether you use natural processes, or store bought appliances, there are plenty of ways to get in on the dried food craze.
A Harvest Right freeze dryer is an excellent investment for homesteaders and to make money. We are in the process of getting a license to sell freeze dried fruit and freeze dried candy. Other states are more lenient with their cottage laws, so be sure to check your local laws.
You can also learn how to dry tea herbs to sell tea blends.
13. Rent Out Space For Photoshoots
If you live in a rather scenic location, or your buildings are safe and rustic, you can always rent out space for photoshoots.
14. Rent Out Space For Events
In a similar vein to the previous entry, you can also rent out buildings or land for events such as weddings, parties, and other such gatherings.
15. Start A Bed And Breakfast (Or AirBnB)
If space isn’t an issue you can try renting out rooms to give others a taste of the homesteading experience.
16. Make a PIY Farm
Making a pick-it yourself farm is pretty simple. Start by dedicating some plots to popular veggies, and then charge others to come in and pick out the produce that they want.
All of the work is in the starting and maintenance, so you don’t have to pick, store, or sell the produce yourself.
17. Sell Animal Manure
If you have lots of animals, chances are you have lots of manure. Manure can be sold to other homesteaders and farmers that don’t raise animals for use in their gardens.
It’s a free gig and only requires you to collect the waste and store it for others to come and buy.
18. Rent Out Land And Pastures For Other Animals To Graze On
Renting out land for others to have their animals graze on is a great way to make some extra money. All you need to do is maintain the land when not in use and let your client take care of the rest.
This is a great way to make money homesteading as there is minimal work required.
19. Grow Medicinal Herbs
The medicinal herb market is rapidly growing, and often medicinal herbs are pretty simple to grow and don’t take up a lot of room. Capitalize on this growing market by planting medicinal herbs to sell during the harvest season.
Learn how to make hydrosols at home to sell, too.
20. Use Spare Metal And Wood To Create Crafts
Many homesteaders are able to make use of scrap wood and metal and turn them into aesthetic craft projects. You can make all sorts of signage and decor with leftover scraps that you probably have an abundance of.
You can also make functional furniture and other items that are sure to be a hit among homemakers.
21. Make Jellies, Jams, And More!
Making jams, jellies, and other fruit based products is a great way to use up excess fruit that you might have. They can be sold in many places and are typically a big hit among consumers.
Be sure to check the cottage laws in your state for selling requirements.
I used to sell a lot of my low sugar jams like my low sugar strawberry jam canning recipe or my unique jams like my vanilla bourbon peach jam or strawberry vanilla jam canning recipe.
22. Make Homemade Soaps, Balms, And Lotions
Oftentimes soaps, balms, and lotions can be made using ingredients found on homesteads. There are plenty of ways to grow or otherwise make the ingredients necessary for these products, making them a great way to earn extra money.
Learn how to label soap for sale and follow all labeling requirements.
You can sell on Etsy, your own site, or at farmer's markets. I have an Etsy shop selling printables, and I think the fees are modest for the exposure.
23. Offer Storage
If you are asking yourself “How can I make money homesteading?”, consider all of the extra space you might have.
If you find yourself with loads of extra storage space, consider renting it out to others to store machinery, vehicles, boxes, and anything else. This is an excellent way to make money homesteading as you don’t have to contribute any labor.
24. Start A Pet Sitting Business
You might as well make some more money taking care of animals. If you have the space you can always start a pet sitting or kennel business.
25. Sell Tanned Hides
If you are already raising meat animals, why not sell the hides as well? Tanning hides is a great source of income, and if you are really good at it you can have others bring hides for you to tan.
26. Sell Flowers
This is an especially good tip if you are already growing rarer flowers or especially pretty flowers. Flowers can be easily sold for a quick profit, especially during special times of year.
27. Stud Out Your Livestock
If you have a male animal that has particularly good qualities, consider studding them out to other homesteaders. This is a classic way to make money homesteading, and easy to do.
28. Keep And Sell Bees
Honey and bees are always in demand, and they are an excellent source of profit for homesteaders.
Keep track of your bees with this printable beekeeping log book to create a binder.
29. Harvest And Sell Straw And Hay
Straw and hay are necessary for homesteading, and can be easily collected and sold to other homesteaders.
30. Pre-Sell Meat From Your Animals
When it comes to raising animals, oftentimes you can sell the meat before the animal is processed. You can have people buy parts or percentages of the animal and then when it comes time, all of the meat is already sold.
31. Sell Leftover Seeds
Selling leftover seeds is a great way to offload last year's seeds and make money while you are doing it.
32. Sell Dairy Products
This is an especially good tip if you are already collecting dairy from your cows. Consider making and selling products such as butter, eggs, milk, or even ice cream and yogurt.
33. Sell Farm Fresh Baked Goods
Baked goods can do really well at farmers markets, which is why it is a good idea to sell them, especially sweets and breads.
This is one of the more popular ways to make money homesteading, and if you are a good baker can be an excellent source of income.
34. Raise And Sell Meat Birds And Smaller Animals
Raising and selling smaller animals is a great way to make money, and you don’t have to worry about the butcher process either.
35. Grow And Sell Mushrooms
Mushrooms are surprisingly popular, and there might just be a big market for them in your area.
Now you know how to make money homesteading! We do several of these, and the classes and blogs pay the bills. Selling on Etsy and my freelance writing and books are for fun money.
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