🌱to💰• Growing Money In Your Yard Series • {pt2} • Grow What You Know & How to Find Profitable Opportunities
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Welcome to
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Knowing What to Grow & Growing What You Know
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IF YOU ARE NEW TO THIS SERIES, PLEASE READ THE PARTS BELOW BEFORE PROCEEDING
Grow What People Want to Eat!
- • Profitability & Space
- • Identifying Opportunity
- • Choosing What to Grow for Market
- • My Focus is Tomatoes - Why?
- • Some Profitable Ideas for You!
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💸💰Let's talk Profit 💰💸
If you have acres of land or a fraction of one - you can make money growing something! Depending on where you live & applicable laws, you might be able to make an incredible amount of money in ways you might never have thought. Identifying what to grow is not all that difficult. What requires the least amount of work, fetches the highest profit margin, and is easily scalable? Figure that out. That's what you want to grow, but you should always 'grow what you know'. Grow what you are good at growing and have the most experience with. It is far easier to find success in an endeavor that is not totally new to you - it will pay to have experience and can cost you otherwise.
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Symbol | Denotes |
---|---|
☀️or 🏠 | Outdoor or Indoor |
💰 | High Profitability |
⌛️ | Long Return Time (ROI) |
🚀 | Fast Return Time (ROI) |
Growing | Symbols (refer to key above) |
---|---|
Tomatoes | ☀️💰🚀 |
Peppers | ☀️💰🚀 |
Oyster & Shiitake Mushrooms | 🏠💰🚀 |
Annual Flowers | ☀️or 🏠💰🚀 |
Perennial Plants | ☀️💰⌛️ |
Herbs | ☀️or 🏠💰🚀 |
Trees | ☀️💰⌛️ |
Cannabis | ☀️or 🏠💰🚀 |
Fruits | ☀️💰⌛️ |
Microgreens | ☀️or 🏠💰🚀 |
Worm Farming | ☀️ |
Now, let's get into some more details about the ideas above. I will share some thoughts and ideas from myself and others in the industry, accompanied by some very helpful and inspiring links/resources. Growing for profit is within reach of many that simply need to realize the potential and do it for themselves. There are many factors that will depend on where you live, legal restrictions, and obviously many others - please take into account those variables. Otherwise, this would be a million pages of hypothetical scenarios.
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Growing Tomatoes
First on the list because it's what I know and what I grow. I love to share information that helped me to get where I am. So, allow me to share something that greatly inspired me. According to ProfitablePlants.com:Most commercial growers allow about 6 square feet per plant. Productive heirloom tomato varieties will produce 20 pounds or more of salable tomatoes, worth about $80 at retail prices. That's a return of $13 per square foot of growing area."
I find this to be dependent on variety, but the varieties that I grow - grow much more than 20 lbs. per plant. I find that the market does support $4/lb for heirloom tomatoes, but this is not the case everywhere. You might find your area supports a price higher or lower - that's why planning is important.
Also, keep in mind that crop-loss and damage must be factored into your projected yields, but I will go much further in depth on that in the coming series. I want you to consider growing tomatoes if you have the space required - it is a lucrative venture! I will share many great resources that include many topics that I will go over in future articles of this series but feel free to read on - you'll find some great things to consider. Like this: How to Make $40,000 Growing Heirloom Tomatoes.
I sell tomato plants to people who prefer to grow their own and tomatoes to those who do not. It keeps things pretty simple and one venture pays for the other. I'll be sharing exactly what and how I do what I do - I grow tomato plants (like a Boss!!) - and I'll show you why I say that in the coming parts in this series. If you would like to know how you can turn $2 worth of seeds into $200 in 6 weeks - stick with @grow-pro. I know the plants and I know the business. I'm growing my business and helping others to grow along side me. I will share what I know to help you grow.
![](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://steemitimages.com/DQmSYCWkAU6diaJEyrCsyrebQVhbtqTRUsdEYXcqQFrqKgu/week%207%20holsey%20heirloom%20farm%202017.png)
I plan to share far more than what is covered in any single resource I've found yet - that doesn't cost you money to read. My goal is to share my experience and knowledge along with great tools and info that is already present. I will add value to the info already abundant, but not often found by the right people. I want more people to learn how they can make extra money & grow it right at home. Let's toss some more ideas around, shall we?
Growing vegetables; not all of them will be profitable to grow
When considering a lucrative money-making opportunity, think about specialty niche-based products. You want to grow something profitable and unless you can compete with large scale operations, then you might consider tackling a smaller market. Growing rare varieties of tomatoes, pepper, onions, and vining crops like cucumber can be lucrative in the right locations. Growing broccoli and asparagus won't be a quick return, so consider the growing season and time it takes to become profitable.
Consider Mushrooms whether you're a rural or urban gardener!
Growing Specialty Mushrooms, like Oyster & Shiitake can be quite lucrative for urban & rural gardeners alike. You might be shocked at the returns one can achieve in a small space. This can be easily done in a shed or basement or even garage. Micro-scale operations can be even smaller, like a closet or a 2 ft x 2 ft area. Take a look at what can be achieved with only 100 square feet (10'x10' area):
"Gourmet mushrooms. Mushrooms are an ideal specialty crop for urban farmers, as they are grown indoors and produce a very high return per square foot. The two most widely grown gourmet mushrooms are oyster and shiitake, which are available fresh or dried in many grocery stores. Oyster mushrooms are especially productive and can produce up to 25 pounds per square foot of growing area every year. At current prices of $7 a pound, that’s $17,500 worth of harvest from a 10 x 10 space. Although both oyster and shiitake can be dried, most are sold fresh – an advantage for local growers who supply grocery stores and individuals at farmer’s markets." Profitable Plants Digest
Annuals & Perennials - Shrubs & Trees
It's important to check your local laws and restrictions before starting this venture. In my area, I cannot sell anything considered to have a "woody-stem": most shrubs that are perennial, all trees. I would require licenses, inspections, and all sorts of legal hurdles to do that - so I don't bother. It is best to refer back to PART ONE. It is a very lucrative business, so it is worth looking into the laws and seeing if it might be a viable opportunity for you. I'd love to do it, but the government makes it not even worth the effort in my state.
Growing annual flowers and perennials takes a pretty limited amount of space and can fetch nice returns. Shrubs and trees can see 750% mark up and higher. Certain specialty trees and shrubs can net HUGE returns (likely why my state government has their hands in every operation). You can plant seed flats of 72 or more at a time and sell them once they have been potted to a larger container - selling at $1 per plant can return $72 and your investment under $15 for pots, soil, seeds and around 2-3 hours of your time. Keeping it simple when you are beginning is important. Simple and efficient. Figure out what grows well in your area and what sells. It is fairly simple to generate small amounts of extra income this way because you already grow plants anyhow!
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Growing Herbs - Culinary & Medicinal
Another lucrative opportunity as the general consensus swings toward natural, homeopathic, and holistic healing practices. We've been tricked into thinking that only Big-Pharma medicine can heal us and keep us well. This is a blatant disregard for the truth. The truth is, it kills a lot of people and creates more sickness every year.
Not only can you grow medicinal herbs for healing and health benefits, but also for culinary purposes. Many chefs will gladly buy from local growers and are more than happy to pay for quality product. If you have limited space, consider this route.
You might want to read @ecoknowme's recent article Steemit Community! DO YOU GARDEN? HELP The EcoKnowme Help you, Help others, while growing your Own Medicine/Business. for some further insights on how medicinal herbs can be a profitable venture.
You can take a look at this list of 20+ Highly Profitable Cash Crop Plants To Grow
and see what others consider worthwhile ventures.
![](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://steemitimages.com/DQmUQCLEsgiBHii6eDVq8mQQtN6hgjwXN8igxMk1f8NHKUR/basil-banner-grow-pro.jpg)
NOTE: These are simply ideas, please remember that doing your own due diligence is necessary.
Consider your location
Where you live greatly determines the market value of what you're growing. Grow something profitable. The reason I'm sharing the ideas in this article is to get you thinking about what is profitable near you. I'd like to have a discussion in the comments below - what do you grow and what is profitable (and legal) near you?
Consider Cannabis
![](https://steemitimages.com/DQmQkoTRnU1Z2WTHTzPcmoMeXGGYuX8zmctQpH45datFztn/cannabis-2273796_960_720.png)
We have covered checking the laws and have considered your location. Now, if you are in a state where cannabis is legal to grow - you might be able to achieve the greatest returns of all the plants I have mentioned here. I highly recommend researching the laws and doing your own due diligence first, obviously.
We have covered checking the laws and have considered your location. Now, if you are in a state where cannabis is legal to grow - you might be able to achieve the greatest returns of all the plants I have mentioned here. I highly recommend researching the laws and doing your own due diligence first, obviously.
Maybe some of you are saying no way man, but you need to realize what the potential is. We are talking about a crop that can produce returns like no other. We are talking about $1k per square foot and beyond.
![](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://images.pexels.com/photos/84463/cuckooflower-tomato-breakfast-red-84463.jpeg?w=940&h=650&auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb)
Microgreens
You will be surprised at the potential profits - I have found some growers pulling $1,000+ per month in extra income - from 25 hours of work or less per week. If you are a gardener with a green-thumb for starting plants from seed - you might want to consider this as a viable money-maker. Some people are terrible at starting plants from seed, so there are plenty of other ideas to consider.
In a small garage or basement area, a grower can utilize LED lights, conserve energy and maximize potential profits by selling directly to the consumer. However, many chefs and restaurants are always sourcing fresh ingredients from local growers. That is beneficial on a larger scale, but I recommend starting small. That's what micro greens are, they're small! Microgreens aren't micro profits!
Have you considered a worm farm?
![](https://steemitimages.com/DQmYe5mNc2nJ8fBEUsPnfzNUexTQ78HiVeQAhgLVWgNXrBE/16617175-earthworms-macro.jpg)
source
I highly recommend checking out @Gungadin's recent article:
Worms:- Some basic info for you to start at home
If you have a little space and time - this is something that can make some money! I buy worm castings for building soil, I usually use 1 part worm castings to 3 parts soil. I use it for everything from seedlings to in the garden. I have worms in abundance all around my property, but I still bought over 75 lbs of worm castings this year. You'd be surprised how much this shit (literally) is worth.
I highly recommend reading @gungadin's article, Worms:- Some basic info for you to start at home. Gunga started with 1 worm farm 6-7 years ago and now has 4! There are some very interesting facts shared in Gunga's article and this is exactly what kind of expert knowledge we on Steemit can all benefit from!
Please take some of this information and run with it!
Think about how you can take advantage of one or more of the opportunities I've shared here. If you can, try to combine them to maximize your profit. Take some time to think about what I've shared here and prepare your mind for the next step: starting a business. I plan to share what and how I do what I do in the next part of the series, for those that are looking to profit from growing tomatoes.![](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://steemitimages.com/DQmdt9ct3knXzHfnJG6e8UzrzQ4cNqnaSHkTb6XE6F4yVJX/pexels-photo-286748.jpeg)
Here's what's coming up in the future parts of this
🌱to💰- Growing Money In Your Yard Series:
PREVIOUS PARTS OF THE SERIES:
Any Questions?
Are You Creating Content That Can Help This Series?
Let's Talk!
Message Me On Steem.chat HERE
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@grow-pro you got picked up by curie! Yay!!!
We garden and probably save $100 a month during the summer! But our yard is too small to grow enough for sell. To many mouths to feed, so just for ourselves!!
thanks @abookworm, the #curie vote was on the 'goals of Steemit' list! I must credit @locikll for his support and submitting my post for the @curie. My short time here has been a lot of fun already!
I love to hear people growing their own food! But... I don't think any yard is too small. Have you considered selling plants? This can really help cover costs of the garden! I started with simply buying my garden seed, starting more than I would plant and selling a few to offset my costs. I was able to sell enough plants to expand from 17 tomato plants to over 100. I sold my tomato plants for $12 a piece, so one could achieve the same results with a small patio or less than 100 square ft.
Think vertical! Grow upward when you can't grow outward. Vertical systems work great for strawberries and leafy greens. If it is something you want to do, I have no doubt that you can indent fly a way that works for you. It never hurts to try. 😎🔥🚀 STEEM ON!!
Teach me how to grow steem and I will follow you to the end of the world Master.
Haha! @holm, well don't follow me or we'll both be lost 😆. I'm just having fun! Just getting started here, but my 'super secret strategy':
Aim for the gutter and you're never disappointed (aka expect nothing and anything is a bonus!!).
I have goals for this platform, but maybe not similar to many others here. I'm not here for money; money is the byproduct. A network of creative and intelligent people is extraordinarily valuable to me (more than any amount I could make here) and I know that Steemit harbors A LOT of these types of people.
You would be amazed at how much value can be generated when just a few like-minds connect. This is only the beginning.
I am considering and experimenting with microgreens at the moment. I really like the pea sprouts. My local super market may consider selling them for me, as she supports alot of the local economy and farmers.
Micrgreens are great because of the fast turnaround time, @gardengirlcanada. Local markets and grocery stores do like to source products from local growers, so it could very quickly become a viable business opportunity for you.
I will suggest to sell directly to the consumer when first starting out. Selling to a retail market will fetch 100-500% or more over selling wholesale. You can make more and sell less by selling straight to consumer. I'll be covering all of this much more in depth in the next parts of this ongoing series. Thanks for your support!
Thank you. If you could cover doing business in a smaller community that would be great. Most articles directly target the larger cities and there are so many different challenges doing business in a smaller community. following you
There are, as you said, many challenges to establishing an ag-based business and developing a market for your products in a smaller community - but it also has advantages. Word of mouth is the best form of advertising and word spreads fast in a small town! You've got my wheels turning now! If you have any questions that you would like to see some particular attention to - feel free to toss them my way! I'll be sure to cover them in the coming parts of the series.
Ok here is one since you asked. Competing with the Farmer's Markets and the Menninits. Our Farmers markets charge over $1000 a year just to have your table or stall set up, so it is not a good investment for me with a smaller population, and we do have the Menninits to compete with as well. They are well established and not a far drive from our little community. My community is the population of approx $13,000. Thanks for the expanding your knowledge to the little people of the world. LOL
Glad you asked! The Universe has funny ways of aligning our paths..
I live literally a few houses down from farming Menninits that sell produce. We buy our blueberries from them, actually! 50lbs at a time ((because that is the minimum)) and they are tasty & cheap! Hard to compete with that if you intended to sell blueberries around here..haha
That's why I focused where many others weren't looking - specialty, niche based produce that, after some moseying around the community, I found were not being offered. Filling a gap in the market is much easier than fighting over market share with businesses with an already established presence and share of the market.
We don't do farmers markets either, it isn't economical fo our scale operation. We do have many private, small business around and that is the secret tool to use in small communities. Network with a business that will either sell yr produce for you or allow you access to their market. A gas station can quickly become a place to sell produce if you makes friends with the owner. Support them and they will support you. We actually have been utilizing a local gym to our advantage and the owner gets all the produce he can eat for allowing us to access his clientele. Win for all parties involved. His members love having fresh produce right outside the door after a workout.
We had to get really creative in order to find our success and we have done pretty well I'd say, for our first year selling to market. We are surrounded by farmers and gardeners and still have made our presence known in a very short time. We have a reservation list for our produce and it is sold by the time we pick it.
My next part of the series (coming this week) will be focused on What I do and How I do it - from how I started to where I am and what to avoid in between. I'll share my marketing secrets that I used to find success as a freelance artist, landscape designer, and now a tomato farming Steemian 😉
I'll be sure to cover our discussion here & hopefully get more people growing money in their yards!
Thanks again for your support and your time, @gardengirlcanada
You make good sense. The struggles are real with the Menninites. LOL I love the concept of the Gym's. For a small town we have 5 gym's/yoga studio's and chiropractic/message places. I will attempt to build a networking opportunity with them over the winter. I am already connected with them as my children are elite athletes so everyone know's my family in our community. Thanks again for sharing your brilliant concept. Yes the Universe does connect like minded folks, glad I met you and will be eagerly watching for your future posts.
Incredible post man, a beauty to read, although I do not have any property with large free land right now I definitely will be looking back through these in a year or so when I will have a few larger sections (might even buy some for the sole purpose of growing organic produce).
Thanks @locikll, much more to come - this is just the start!
Buying land that pays for itself is a wise investment. Best advice I can give is buy the cheapest property in the neighborhood. That's what we did. Higher value homes around your will increase your home value and you don't need to spend top $ either. Let that thought marinade 😉
Thank You for your support @locikll
I know that was you that must've submitted this for #curie! You are awesome!!! You are, as I said before, truly invaluable to this platform. 🏆🔥🚀
You're absolutely right, there is a group value associated with neighborhoods along with the individual property value ( I do quite a bit of property investments but usually invest in apartments as they have a much higher Return on Investment in New Zealand).
No worries mate :) this was an excellently written article which was perfect for project Curie and for the numerous people who have since read it and also found it interesting. People like you and @finnian are incredibly important for the platform's future, So as you like to say; STEEM ON! :D
Very nice of you @locikll
Smart man! Property investments are the way to go. Residual income and especially with apartments. Very lucrative investment here in the states. I have invested in quite a few things, but property has been a great investment. Took 5 years of searching & a wild stroke of luck, but totally worth the due diligence and wait! I bet there are some hot spots in New Zealand that are prime money maker properties. It's a gorgeous place, so I imagine it gets plenty of tourists. Love to see it for myself one day. It's on the bucket list.
I can't thank you enough, @locikll!
Your gracious support is most deeply appreciated!
Great minds think alike! I had a similar proposal but focused mostly on medicinal herbs. Please have a look! I will be resteeming all of your posts on this topic since I would LOVE for this to take off on Steemit. Another idea I had that I would like to run past you.... @jerrybanfield is a busy Vegan. I have seen videos about his diet and his yard and I think it could be GREAT if the community to organize around him (at first) to showcase how suburban agriculture could be implemented through Steemit to provide food and employment through the local and online community. Will review your earlier post now. Bravo! great idea for gardeners on Steemit to take things to new heights.! Cheers @ecoknowme
https://steemit.com/gardening/@ecoknowme/steemit-community-do-you-garden-help-the-ecoknowme-help-you-help-others-while-growing-your-own-medicine-business
Edited my article to include yours @ecoknowme ☮
Thanks for the support, we can all grow together! 🔥🚀
⇪ STEEM UP & STEEM ON!! ⇪
note: I am happy to network with fellow steemian-gardeners, but I believe we can easily grow a strong base of users without power-players. Sure, it is wonderful to have their support, but let's attract their support by creating high-quality content together. THEY WILL COME TO US (if they're smart ). As my account grows on Steemit, many others will grow along with me.⚡️ We are the power ⚡️
Awesome! Thanks @grow-pro !
I was just asking @grow-pro yesterday about Saffron. I bought some from Amazon. It sells as it grows and without much processing, and it sells very well. It's magical stuff and has a lot of benefits for many different ailments. It makes me wonder how hard it would be to grow it and if there's profit to be had. I strongly suspect there is. That's just one example of many other medicinal plants and herbs!
It is very expensive for a reason though :/ I live in India and it is surprisingly not that much cheaper here. It requires a particular climate (altitude maybe) and for a large area, you get a small amount and it is labor intensive. That said, it might be something that just needs to be figured out and done better. Square foot gardening or BioIntensive for Saffron would be very interesting to see since those guys would know how to optimize efficiencies the best. Will look into it! Thanks for the tip @finnian! cheers @ecoknowme
yes, @finnian I looked into it - Saffron likes to grow zones 6-9 & I'm zone 7. It actually grows wild here on my property. They are awesome to watch in early spring. I'm going to ask a friend that owns a nursery to get me some corms (crocus bulbs) and see if I can get a big 'ol saffron patch going next year. I read it takes 50-60 flowers to make one tablespoon of saffron spice, so I'll do a few thousand square feet 😎🌱
I'm also growing some chamomile (German), which has a ton of awesome health benefits. I did a post in my early days (haha I'm a seasoned 52 days now..lol):
Chamomile - The Medicinal Plant Superstar ⭐️
Have you ever considered the essential oils market @Finnian? You would gasp at the money being made.. Wild profit margins! We can chat about a couple ideas that might really pique your interest 😎🔥🚀
Hmmm, it didn't sound that complicated from what I saw on Amazon. I think people are simply using the part of the plant to make tea?
I'm not the one with the green thumb. @elyce is. Her father was a florist, and its in her blood. She REALLY enjoys working with plants too. I wish she would pursue it more, for I know it is one of her main passions.
Speaking of that, she's dying to see your place. Those are her words, not mine. She's interested in seeing the setup you have there.
It really is not all that complicated, especially with abundant information and tutorials online. You should tell @elyce that @grow-pro says it's time to grow! haha
We just moved into this new place last year and I'm a struggling 1-man-band here..haha We bought the property for the land value and have much to do yet.
It takes me 5 hours to cut the grass, so you might imagine I do not accomplish anything quickly as far as working on the house goes! Outside is going to get a major overhaul for next season and that will begin at the end of this month and likely continue until next spring. This year my focus (outside) has been to grow plants and trees for landscaping I plan to do in the future and really test different areas of my property for light, soil, etc. I am also testing several trellis systems for my tomatoes - next year I know exactly what works here best. It is entirely a learning experience for me this year, but I believe it is necessary to reach the goals I have set in my mind.
In order to finish what needs to be done inside, I must start generating income outside. Which is entirely starting from scratch. We are under construction - all the time..LOL I literally go from drywall, to plumbing, to irrigation, to cultivating grounds. It is nonstop and I have 99 projects half-complete. It's tough with two kids under 4 - that's my first full-time job. It is no wonder I have been to the chiropractor 45 times this year..(not exaggerating, unfortunately, that number is a conservative guess).
OSHA might make us wear hard hats if I show any more photos..haha!! Hopefully, I will get this place to where I want it soon. I'd love to be able to have you both up for a visit once I can get some of these projects knocked out.
Headed outside now to set some posts and sweat glory all over the lawn ✌️😎
Here is some I found in my yard in February and transplanted it. It pops up randomly around here.
I was thinking I might sell some of the produce from my garden this year but I've become too good at growing a variety and planting in a way not to get overwhelmed at one time. I get a ton of tomatoes but I freeze them and cook with them. Everything else gets eaten but I'm saving a lot of money :).
I started out giving food away and people started to pay me anyhow, so I started approaching my growing methods from a commercial perspective. It can be greatly beneficial even if you don't plan to sell anything.
Why? Short answer: growing commercially requires maximizing yields, minimizing labor. Commercial growers grow more food per square foot because they are relying on that produce to sustain business. The average gardener could learn a great deal from reading and researching the topic. Learning how to grow more food in the same amount of space you are growing in now. It's possible 😉. You can grow tomato plants that yield 80+ lbs. of tomatoes in a season depending on where you are growing. I'm going to encourage you to try it @garden-to-eat, if you don't sell it you can always make lots of happy neighbors! The more we know, the more we grow! Thanks for dropping by, I always try to follow and support fellow gardener-Steemians & #greenthumbs 🔥🚀 STEEM ON!
I think it's a good idea and the more people you can convince to grow food to sell the better. We need to become less reliant on commercial agriculture and more self sufficient. My objective here is to help folks get started or progress to larger gardens and a wider variety of crops by sharing the knowledge I've built up from over 35 years of gardening. And of course you never stop learning so I'm picking up some new ideas from others also.
While I'm focused more on gardening to eat I think we have similar goals. I buy mostly organic when I'm not eating from the garden and after several years of calculating the amount of produce coming from my garden I averaged $1,500 a year savings not counting what I gave away. Thanks for following. Following you back.
Very nicely put, @garden-to-eat. Right on the money
Commercial growing is essential for us to sustain life, but it tends to be quite different; small scale farms compared to large scale operations are vastly different with different products. With more local produce growers selling to market - the market (all of us) win. Better prices, better products for consumers. If we generate an abundance of healthy food, help others to generate a profit from their valuable skills - we have won! Let's bring the power back into the hands of the consumer. Glad to have made your acquaintance @garden-to-eat and I look forward to growin' together 🌱🍅😉
Same here!! Thanks
Resteemed brother....this is high-quality info!
Thanks @liberty-minded!
{{High fives iPad, does Michael Jackson dance}}
Wow, what a long and valuable post! We are hoping to get some dirt to our name in 2019 and I would love to start growing some for profit, although our main focus will be to grow for our own consumption.
I really like the idea of growing mushrooms and will add that to my list of things to look into. From what I've gathered they don't require much work compared to what you can fetch for them and now that you've mentioned drying them, you don't have the risk of losing all your profit if you don't get a crop sold for some reason. I'll follow along and look forward to learning a bunch more from you.
I really appreciate the support, @frugallady! Very exciting times! Its never too early to plan, you've got the right idea. Before we ever went to settlement on this property, I had already downloaded the solar path for the property for the next 25 years. By the time we purchased the property, I knew what parts of my property got the most hours of sunlight. Needless to say, I had a garden before I had furniture in my house 😋
Growing culinary mushrooms can be a very lucrative opportunity, indeed! The amount of money that can be generated is astounding when you consider the limited time and space required. It something that a grower can produce and like you mentioned, can dry and store if need be. Not quite a perishable as many other garden products.
Growing for market simply means growing more produce - this doesn't always mean you need more garden space than you currently have. A hobbyist gardener might produce just enough from the garden to eat, can, or freeze. A commercial grower is likely going to grow much more food in the same amount of space. It comes down to process & technique. I always recommend that gardeners research commercial growing techniques.
Take tomatoes for example. Some will have you believe that the average tomato plant will only produce 10-15lbs. per plant. It's true if you want it to be, but I have plants already this year that have done over 50lb on a single plant. Not really impressive when you consider there are experts out there on YouTube that have yielded over 1,000 pounds of tomatoes from a single 65ft tall tomato plant. I know, that's crazy. I want more people aiming for those numbers, rather than the minimum figures that many "Gardener-friendly" sites publish.
Also look into truffle orchards, an incredibly profitable venture if you are in an optimal growing location. I was blown away at the amount of money being made on truffle orchards.
There's plenty more information and useful resources to come, @frugallady! Stay tuned 🔥🚀 I'm just getting started!
We're all going to grow something better together
I can tell that I will learn a lot from you as just that comment taught me two new things: solar paths can be downloaded (pontential topic for a post maybe?) and people have truffle orchards?!
My mind is blown and I'm eager to learn more. Thank you for taking the time to write such a great response.
My pleasure! I love what I do and I do many things 😋
I appreciate that you took the time to engage with meaningful discussion and I do believe we have created some new future topics together, @frugallady! Certainly worth my time and I thank you for yours!!
Thank you for your post. My partner and I are about to move from Darwin to the Bundaberg area of Queensland, Australia, so we can grow our own fruit and vegetables. I am the green thumb of the relationship and plan to grow a number of heirloom varieties.
8 ) infinity happiness
I wish you & yours a fruitful journey (pun points!), @miriamaendres. Growing your own food, at any capacity, is a rewarding experience. The best part about growing heirlooms (largely the reason I grow mostly heirloom varieties) is collecting seed! You can establish a 'bank'. That makes you more self sufficient and if you enjoy gardening - it can actually reduce stress. I will be doing a ton of garden related topics in the near future, once my tomato season is done 😋
What's the annual low temperature where you're at in Australia?
Brandon, I am currently in Darwin, Northern Territory. The mean maximum is 33.3, mean minimum is 19.3 annual rainfall is 1722 mm mainly November through May. Childers is where we are moving to is around 4 hours north of Brisbane, Queensland has a mean maximum of 30.8, mean minimum is 9.9 annual rainfall is 1070 mm basically year round.
8 ) infinity happiness
That is a healthy amount of rainfall, wow! I'm on Eastern coast, U.S., and my area gets an average of 40.72 inches (1034mm) annually, with 111 days of precipitation average. We get most of that in March, July, and September.
🙏 Good health & wealth, in abundance, to you & yours! Best luck with your move and Happy Growing!!
Brandon, The mean max and min are for the hottest and coldest months. Thank you for your information. I grew up with my parents measuring rain in points and inches. For me I still think in those terms.
8 )
Good one from you again @grow-pro. I have always loved farming but am in a rented house dat is why i don't farm because i can move anytime.
Thanks @yaanivapeji, one day you might have a farm! Always great to learn, plan, and dream my friend!
👍👍👍