Homestead sales

[Chic Rustler]

Just wondering what kind of goods you guys make and sell from the homestead and what you charge for them.

So far we have just sold eggs for $3 a dozen. It seems to help offset feed costs but some friends are telling me that my wife should sell some of her canned goods. So I'm sending her with a case of pint jars of different things she's has pickled. Okra, spicy okra, sweet relish, dill relish, bread and butter pickles etc. We are going to see if she can get $5 a pint. That's not much of a profit when you factor in the costs of the garden and canning supplies but I think it's a profit none the less.

 

[Mini Horses]

Where is she going - for sales?

I sell eggs & make goat milk soaps. Sell at a couple beauty shops, feed stores & some town craft & festival events. It makes cute stocking stuffers, teacher gift baskets, etc. I do make cheese but normally use it as gift items for friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc.

Most states have "cottage laws" or something along that line name wise, that define what, where, how, you can sell without issue. Again, some things require certain packaging, even some kitchen inspections, etc. Never know. Your county Ag office can tell you info or at least where to find it.

For instance, in VA we cannot sell raw milk. But many farmers have sold "herd shares", so you own a portion of the herd or animal and since it "yours" they cannot deprive you of the raw milk. You pay a board fee to the farmer to care for the animal. That equates to farmer income. There are a couple cow "herd share" programs that get about 800+ a month per cow! I figured it out!! PLUS if "owner" isn't picking up, a delivery fee to a central pick-up -- generally a customer who then gets free delivery for handling product for several others. I know of one such goat operation locally but, a few further inland. hundred miles or so. You can sell raw for "craft or pet use". I'm pretty sure some of the humans bark! BUT cannot tell you it is for them -- then You are liable & subject to prosecution.

There's always a balance that you need between time & acceptable income. I would love to stay home FT & have the farm contribute enough to offset some of my work now. I feel I need about 2-3 yrs for that (tractor will be paid!) I'm looking at connecting with someone with a farmer market stall in a high traffic location and selling veggies & flowers to or with them. I raise, they buy & sell. There are a few "families" that have an interest in buying direct from the farm as they want fresh and no garden area. Have to be careful with insurance coverage there. Plus I don't want "just anyone" arriving at my farm.

Chickens pretty much offset feed with egg sales...but, I free range!! If I raised more chicks, can sell those easily. Goats, kid sales generally offset most of their feed. Again, lots of pasture & browse helps. I could milk a lot more if I concentrated on it & plan to this kidding.

I have all the milk, cheese, soap, eggs, chicken & goat meat if I want it, that I need (& my 2 kids). Veggies...as much as I want to grow & preserve. Anything above that is excellent, IMO. It's lot of work but, I love it. A farmer will NEVER earn what they are due for their production!

 

[Chic Rustler]

Well, we're outlaws so.......

My wife is a hairdresser. She sells eggs to her coworkers.
She sold 6 dozen today. That will buy a bag of feed! And we get more than we can eat anyway. We can't eat a dozen eggs everyday.

I thought it would be a good idea to unload some of our excess okra and what not as well. We have about 80 jars of different pickles from this season.

 

[Hinotori]

I think it's just raw goods we can off farm sell here. I'm pretty sure any food that is prepared in any way requires a kitchen inspection.


I don't do much of anything anymore. Hubby was selling eggs to his coworkers, but then two years ago they started sending him out on the road a lot. I didn't get any replacement chicks that year or since.


This last June he was laid off and got a new job. So no sales and I'm letting the layer flock dwindle.


I sell cull silkie pullets. They bring in enough to more than cover silkie feed cost. A silkie hen eats a third of what a large hen does. (That means I can have 3 times as many, right?) With this current silkie project, I have people waiting impatiently for me to have giants to sell in a few years.


I'm going to get more ameraucanas. If I advertise the blue eggs, I should be able to compete well with all the neighbors selling brown eggs. That's just a side benefit as I like ameraucana and want to show them.


Looking around at what people sell around here, I think I need to get my green houses going. Vegetable plant starts sell well, especially if they are a type that the store don't carry. Neighbor down the road is doing good selling trees

 

[sumi]

When I lived in South Africa we sold eggs from our flock (the demand was so massive I ended up with more than 50 layers and still couldn't meet it). The money from the egg sales and the odd cockerel sold paid for their feed and made a tidy profit. I free ranged them and bought feed in bulk, which helped.

Beside that we cut down trees on nearby land (offered by the owner who wanted them gone) and sold fire wood. I made jam with the extra strawberries from my MIL's garden and sold that. I grew lots of vegetables and sold some of the surplus. I raised and butchered pigs and sold the meat from home (allowed to in S.A.) I also briefly baked and sold bread, but the profit was so tiny, it wasn't worth the hassle.

 

[NH Homesteader]

We sell extra meat birds and the occasional package of pork (legal under certain circumstances in NH, not legal everywhere). Eggs, when we have extra, and I plan to sell soaps and lotions when my goats are in milk next year

I am however, careful about who I sell to. Food lawsuits are very real and I'm not going to lose my farm to make a few extra bucks.

 

[Mini Horses]

Well, we're outlaws so.......

Often I am, too. But your wife has an outlet that can let you go "under the radar".

A good friend owns a shop & she begs me to provide these things to her customers -- many are aging & no longer bake, etc. But, they love to buy for kids, grands, etc. and I've had success with offering holiday cakes, pies, candies, etc. They love the soap gift baskets and I have even offered some custom sewn items in the past. (I made custom clothes for years -- everyday, prom, wedding dresses, plus home décor & pet items, etc. ). I have offered samples @her shop & taken orders for seasonal goods. Worked well.

You just have to watch for a niche & work it.

 

[baymule]

We sell eggs for $4 a dozen, non GMO, the feed costs twice as much as regular layer pellets. I sold a few jars of jam, wild plum and peach, half pints for $5, pints for $8. We are taking 3 lambs to slaughter in a few weeks, pre-sold for $8 a pound, hanging weight, plus processing. Not that we are getting rich, but it helps with expenses.

 

[lcertuche]

I have no critters or garden for profit but I did sell no-bake chocolate peanut butter cookies to raise money for our church to buy a van to pick up people who don't drive. Since a few other members have hit me up to help. I didn't take anything for supplies or my time considering it more of an offering to the Lord. So as far as I am concerned it was all profit.

 

[milkmansdaughter]

We're looking at making and selling garden raised bed boxes, and possibly rabbit hutches, and small chicken houses, and possible pecan wood. We have a LOT of free wood right now. Eventually, were hoping to sell fruits and nuts and possibly veggies at a farmer's market. We have chickens for eggs and meat, and plan on adding rabbits next, then bees. This year, we planted 16 blueberry bushes, 5 blackberry, 3 lime trees, an olive tree, and a peach tree, plus we already have established 2 pear trees, 1 apple tree, two black walnut, multiple pecan, 1 fig, and both muscadine and scuppernong grapes. Add a big crop of veggies, and hopefully we'll have enough for ourselves plus extra of everything to sell. We expect to lose money this first year or two as we get everything established, but have a 3-5 year goal to have it all paying for itself eventually.