Growing Things For Money

Hi Netrod, on top of growing things, I think you can consider breeding fish and insects for sales. Those who like to catch catfish or other big fish from the rivers or lakes prefer to use live baits. Some hobbyists who keep expensive fish also like to buy breeder fish and insects to feed their pet fish. I think it is a good idea to breed guppies, mollies and goldfish for selling to those folks. You can go down to the local fish shop, and see what kind of breeder fish they sell there. Many hobbyists shy away from buying those fishes from the local fish shop, since those fishes carry too many parasites, and are unhealthy.

One thing that we did when I was younger is that we had 2 acres of garden. So we sold much of it by the road. But my dad also use to take us to town to where the elderly lived, and we would sell the vegetables to them cheap at least once a week, many of them even gave us tips for bringing the vegetables to them. If we had any left over at the end of the year, and my dad wasn't in the mood to sit and sell them out by the road, we would take them and give them to the elderly, but we always got our tips. I think it all depends on where you live, Like in Maine many people there grow beans and sell them. Squash also makes a good amount of money in the North East. But as for southern states I think its mostly chili peppers and tomatoes.

What about growing herbs and spices? That's something that a lot of people enjoy but don't grow themselves and the prices in the store are pretty high. Small fruits are another good product. Strawberries, blackberries, raspberries and the like, command good prices and are not hard to grow once you get started. You may not get a crop the first year, though. Herbs like oregano, sage, rosemary, mints and so on, will grow easily and you'll get a crop quickly. First, though, check out your markets. I have heard of people selling to good restaurants and doing quite well. Farmer's markets and roadside stands where they're allowed, would be other outlets. Friends, neighbors and so on, might buy, but if I were you, I'd put out a few feelers for that market. Go and talk to restaurants, or find out about farmer's markets in your area.

That's a good idea for now.. but there is a bill that is on the table trying to make it illegal for us to grow our own vegetables (even for our own consumption -let alone to sell) I've been hearing about if for months.. but finally some others are starting to open their ears... Oprah is helping... http://www.oprah.com/community/thread/102953 So don't invest a lot into that.. you might end up losing your shirt.

You can sell your vegetables or fruit at a farmers market. You usually have to pay a fee to setup though. You can setup a roadside stand but if you live within city limits you should ask about the law. You should check the local grocery store and see what they are selling. Out of season crops go for higher prices where I live.

We have quite a big back garden and grow all our own veggies organically. We did consider growing something for profit but you'd have to do it on such a large scale. Strawberries apparently grow very easily and their retail price is considerable. Also thought of growing saplings and selling it off to the major paper manufacturing companies in my country. Nothing ever came of it tho. We grow our own veggies like tomatoes, spinach, lettuce, cabbage, cauliflower, chillies, corn, beans, peas and so much more. Not very useful for retail but we do save some money by not having to buy it from the shops. Climate is also something you should consider before trying to grow your own...