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Making a living in agriculture is hard work, but it can be profitable. Depending on your skillset, interests, nearby markets, and access to capital, farming can be an extraordinarily fulfilling career. After years of exploring the agricultural landscape, visiting farms, and talking with hundreds of farmers multiple business models have proven profitable.
Many of these models require relatively low startup costs, while others take a few years to ramp up to full production but can be started part-time. Whether you are an existing farm looking to diversify your operations or an aspiring farmer aiming to switch career paths and grow food for your community and yourself, this list is full of ideas for your and your business’s future growth.
Microgreens have become a trendy and healthy food option for consumers and restaurants alike. These small, nutrient-packed plants are harvested shortly after sprouting and come in various shapes, flavors, and textures. This model is great for beginners and offers great opportunities to get into food production at a relatively small investment. Donny Greens is a great example of how this method can be profitable, especially as a first farming venture.
Beekeeping offers multiple revenue streams, from honey and beeswax to propolis and pollination services. Demand for locally produced, natural honey is growing. This route can be capital intensive, especially if pollination services require transporting hives—sometimes to other states. There is a big learning curve to be successful in beekeeping, especially amongst the pests and diseases that can wipe out entire hives. I recommend finding your local or state beekeeping association to find mentors near you.
Market gardening involves intensively growing a wide variety of vegetables on a small scale, often less than 1 acre. This makes it more accessible than larger production models, but it can still be quite capital-intensive. Because of the wide variety of crops being grown simultaneously, this model is highly labor intensive and requires an extensive skill set.
Market gardening has become one of the more popular models for those wanting to grow for a living. The Market Gardener Institute and Neversink Farms are two educational leaders in the space, where you can learn step-by-step how to build a profitable market garden from the start.
Flower farming has become popular to help serve fresh, local flowers at weddings and local events. This farming model can be lucrative, especially when selling to florists and event planners who work with clients with bigger budgets. However, it is highly seasonal and requires deep knowledge of flower varieties. Flowers also have short shelf lives, which adds layer of pressure on timely production and sales.
Check out Lennie Larkin and Lynsey Taulbee for mentorship and proof how to make flower farming a profitable and fun business model.
👉 Interested in selling flowers? Learn how to start an online flower store to take pre-orders for the market or sell bouquets online. Read our article How to Sell Flowers Online: 4 Easy Steps to Get Started.
Gourmet mushrooms, such as shiitake, lion’s mane, rishi, and oyster mushrooms, are in high demand for their culinary and medicinal uses. Mushroom farming can be done in small spaces indoors, allowing for year-round production and virtually eliminating the need for land access. Cultivating mushrooms demands a highly controlled environment, so contamination can quickly destroy an entire crop. There is a learning curve to cultivate consistent mushrooms, but this model can be highly profitable once a rhythm is established.
Southwestern Mushrooms has documented their journey from the beginning on their YouTube Channel, showing how you can grow a gourmet mushroom farm from the ground up!
A U-pick orchard allows customers to harvest their own fruit, creating a unique and enjoyable experience for families and tourists. It can also help eliminate labor costs, which often are the biggest expense for fruit growers. U-pick farms depend on good weather and require careful planning for visitor safety and liability concerns. This model tends to lean more into the hospitality realm of agrotourism, but it offers processed goods like jams, pies, etc, to those who visit the farm to pick fruits themselves.
My favorite U-pick orchard is Miracle Farm, started by Stefan Sobkowiak. I hope to visit it someday, especially after watching the film about how he started it.
Running a plant nursery involves growing and selling plants, often alongside gardening supplies and potentially landscaping services. This business model allows you to serve both commercial growers and retail customers alike. The increased interest in home gardening and landscaping has opened up new opportunities for plant nurseries, specifically through e-commerce channels. However, starting a nursery requires a significant investment in infrastructure, a deep knowledge of plant care, the ability to manage a wide range of plant varieties, and the ability to manage a team of employees.
Perfect Plant Nursery is an exciting example of how they turned their family’s nursery business into an e-commerce powerhouse. Through social media, they offer houseplants, trees, shrubs, and more to customers nationwide!
Custom grazing allows farmers to manage livestock grazing on leased land, often for absentee landowners who do not have the resources or expertise to manage it themselves. This is a relatively low startup cost if leasing land and leased animals. There is a growing interest in holistic grazing practices that benefit the land and the animals. However, managing livestock owned by others can be complex, and expertise in rotational grazing and pasture management is crucial, so working on a ranch prior is a good option.
Greg Judy is the most famous example of profitable custom grazing. He even wrote a book called No Risk Ranching, which I highly recommend if you want to explore this model.
Edible landscaping can be a profitable and rewarding business model. While it isn’t inherently farming like the other business models, it builds to the growing interest in sustainable living, allowing homeowners, municipalities, and businesses to have beautiful landscapes that also provide fresh produce for themselves and their communities. This can be lucrative, as design and landscaping can offer profitable margins while maintenance services after installation can provide additional steady and recurring income.
Food Forest Abundance started exclusively as an edible landscape business that expanded into education. They sell edible landscaping designs, and their pricing is based on the size of plot.
Examples: Food Forest Abundance & other non profits - https://foodtank.com/news/2018/07/organizations-creating-edible-landscapes/
Using a farm as a venue for weddings and events can generate significant income. However, getting started can require substantial capital investments, and permits may be required, depending on local regulations. Opportunities exist to generate multiple revenue streams, such as venue rental, farm-to-table catering, and lodging. Maintaining the venue’s facilities, managing both seasonal demand and client expectations, and addressing potential weather issues present ongoing challenges and investment.
If you are interested in whether hosting weddings or events on your farm is worthwhile, check out Breezit – it’s exclusively based in Caifornia. Still, you can use it for inspiration and pricing.
Agritourism can be just as lucrative as weddings and events. Farm stays invite visitors to experience life on a working farm, offering unique accommodations, tours, hands-on activities, and potential farm-to-table eating. This can also help generate revenue during the off-season and new customers for farm sales. Establishing a successful agritourism requires significant investment in lodging and compliance with regulations, making it a long-term investment and commitment for farm owners.
Paicines Ranch in California offers farm-stay opportunities, and I can attest that they are cozy and unique. Their ranch is a haven for biodiversity. They also offer weddings. Beach Plum Farm is another example that also offers an on-farm market, farm tours, and a kitchen where you can enjoyan authentic farm-to-table dinner.
Farming comes in many shapes and sizes, some more profitable than others, but all fulfilling in their own way. Depending on the geographical context, surrounding marketing opportunities, and the farmer's desires and skills, there are many business models that they can pursue to generate a profitable and purposeful farm operation.
Some of the most profitable models include microgreens farming, beekeeping, market gardening, flower farming, mushroom farming, U-pick orchards, plant nurseries, custom grazing, edible landscaping, wedding venues, and agritourism farm-stays. These models are known for offering diverse revenue streams, scalability, and low to moderate startup costs, depending on the model.
Microgreens farming and market gardening are excellent for beginners. Microgreens have a relatively low startup cost and quick growth cycles, making them ideal for new farmers with limited space. Market gardening can also be lucrative on small acreage but requires more labor and crop management skills.
Depending on the model, challenges include weather dependencies, high labor requirements, and capital investments. For example, beekeeping faces issues with pests and diseases, while U-pick orchards must manage liability and visitor safety. Some models, like mushroom farming, require a controlled growing environment and are sensitive to contamination.
Options like custom grazing, microgreens farming, and mushroom farming can be started with relatively low investment, especially if you lease land or space and gradually expand. Custom grazing, for instance, allows you to manage animals on leased land, reducing upfront costs.
Agritourism models, like U-pick orchards, farm stays, and farm-to-table dining experiences, offer unique opportunities to generate income by attracting visitors. These models can supplement regular farm income, especially during the off-season, and help build strong customer relationships.
Models like plant nurseries, wedding venues, and agritourism are highly scalable. Plant nurseries can expand through e-commerce, while wedding venues and farm-stays can scale by adding additional services, such as lodging, catering, or events, depending on your investment and market demand.
