Farming takes effort and patience. America banks hugely in agriculture–providing agricultural products to families here and abroad.
For aspiring farmers, sometimes it’s easy to get overwhelmed with starting a farm with no concrete plan. But it’s important to know that it’s okay to start small because farming costs a lot of money.
Good thing the USDA offers different farm loans that can help finance your plans to start your farming business. The USDA offers microloan programs to finance small, beginner or niche farm operating costs.
And if you’re thinking about focusing on growing specific products, perhaps you want to try your hand in operating a niche farm. If you’re still thinking about what to grow in your farm, here are some of the many niche farm ideas to get you started.
Mushrooms
There’s a steady demand of gourmet mushrooms for a while now. From oyster to shiitake and other kinds, mushrooms are ideal since it’s easy to grow and when sold, its returns are very promising. You can begin sourcing small grocery stores or selling them in your local farmer’s market.
Herbs
Fresh herbs are still better than those pre-packed, dry herbs because they’re usually cheaper and more organic.
You can start growing various herbs like basil, rosemary, and some others then sell them to grocery stores and restaurants. If you want you can branch out into making candles, oils, teas, and soaps with various herbs for more profit.
Ask our lenders about how to get USDA financing today.Dairy Products
Milk, yogurt, cheese, and butter. Those are some of the dairy products you can start making. Invest in taking care of cows and make different dairy products from their milk.
Consumers nowadays are big on homemade and organic products and this might be your way to make a good profit out of it.
Honey
Beekeeping and honey production is one of the most interesting niche farm ideas out there. You can make a profit out of honey and you can open up your bee farm for educational tours.
The very good thing about honey is that it’s not only made to be used in food but it can also be a cosmetic ingredient. Since there are a lot of consumers who fancy making DIY cosmetics, you can sell honey in small quantities for that purpose.
Fruit Farm
There’s a lot you can do with fruits other than just selling them. You can make jam, dried fruit snacks, cosmetic products and even sell seeds for those who want to grow their own small farms.
Among other niche farm ideas, operating a fruit farm is an option where you can make a lot of products. And like bee farms, you can also open your farm for educational tours and even hold classes for those who want to make different products as well.
Bed and Breakfast
Along with your farmland, you can utilize extra space into something that can help you make a profit, too. If you have a barn, you can turn it into a small bed and breakfast for those who need to get away from their busy lives for a while.
Adding a small bed and breakfast can help you earn extra profit other than from your farming operations. It’s a nice plus to add in services like an immersion experience to help attract more customers.
Learn more about different USDA loans here.