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Smart farming - growing money by growing super greens and herbs

ArtRyumin

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Hey folks, i searched the forum and there doesn't seem to be anyone 'growing' anything for money. I have been researching the smart farming categories and can't help but think of all the land i have available where i live that should be producing money.

Just today visting a local grocery store i stopped at the super greens/sprouts sections and was blown away by some of the prices:
Chines - plastic box container, 10g = $4.09
Basil - plastic box container, 10g = $4.09
Italian parsley, 10g, $4.09

These prices are probably high as if you shopped around you could get a way better deal but i wa non the less a bit shocked realising i gould grow pounds of this and after researching on how to actually grow them it seemed quite enoyable (i've been growing cactusus and a small selectionof house plnats for a few years now for profit)

I can see selling to local restaurants, green smoothie stands around the city as well as taking online orders.

I have the perfect family member to hire to look after the operation releaving myself of quite alot of time and focusing on distribution and customer acquisition.

I am currently working on another business and i don't want to get overwhlemend by doing two projects at onces but it just makes sence to utilise the land i have which the annual council rates aren't going to change if i produce off the land so i makes sence tome. I have no idea about the horticultural industry apart from knowing how to clone some exotic house plants and put them into pretty containers for resell after a few months, so would love to hear from anyone that knows about this space. And i'll be sharing my experience along the way, my next step is to aquire growing trays and the seeds of the selected super greens i'm going to grow.
 
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MTF

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Good luck. I'll be watching this thread as I find this business pretty interesting so please keep us updated.

You might find this book helpful: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I2FYZJC/?tag=tff-amazonparser-20

In the second chapter they talk about the most profitable crops and offer tips on how to command good prices.

For them, the 10 most profitable crops sales-wise are:

1. Greenhouse tomato
2. Mesclun mix
3. Lettuce
4. Greenhouse cucumber
5. Garlic
6. Carrots (bunch)
7. Onion
8. Pepper
9. Broccoli
10. Snow/snap peas
 

Caroline888

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In rgeards to HERBS. Some people grow very rare and difficult to grow herbs - and then sell the dry "organic" herbs on Etsy, or through individuals websites. And YES they make good money from it. However it is very time consuming ... and You never know they outcome ... some rare herbs might not grow in difficult environment.... for me it is a bit of "slow lane"...
 
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ArtRyumin

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Is it possible to grow Saffron in your country’s climate? That would be really profitable. Watching this thread for developments.

I think your target market would be pp interested in locally sourced food. That’s been a huge movement in recent years.
turns out saffron grows very well where we are. Looks like a tricky one to grow and harvest but indeed highly priced, thanks for the suggestion much appreciated, it's on the list to find it's place on the plot

Edit - after a night of researching Saffron - i understand why it's sometimes prices as much as gold, It's super labour intensive (must be picked by hand) and around 150 flowers are required to produce a gram (with luck on your first couple grows) i think i'll reserve this crop for later one once we're established and can venture into something a bit more advanced and risky - but profitable.
 
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ay47

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Is it possible to grow Saffron in your country’s climate? Saffron is more valuable than gold pound for pound. So that could be really profitable. Watching this thread for developments.

For the rest of your produce, I think your target market should be pp interested in locally sourced food. That’s been a huge movement in recent years.
 
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W. Sabria

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i like the idea of growing bamboo. seems like a big market right now and it grows quick!

I just learned a friend of mine has been growing salt water coral and anemones as a hobby. He started selling and it's been going so well for him, he's looking to quit his job soon as a corporate accountant and join the Fastlane!
 

Raoul Duke

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ArtRyumin

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Slightly off topic, but you're in New Zealand: Manuka Honey = Money. If you're exploring new ideas explore that. Crazy markups, likely better than selling herbs.

That is actually one of the things i've been looking at also, here we need a license to have bees so i've singed up to the next available one to get the legal req's sorted and looking at complimentary plants to aid the bee production. It would have been a long term investmet planting Manuka trees and waiting for the bees so i was thinking mixing in lavendar and other flowering shrubs that could also be sold off as dry herb and also give to the honey production. I don't see why small scale farming and bees wouldn't work together.
 

ArtRyumin

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In rgeards to HERBS. Some people grow very rare and difficult to grow herbs - and then sell the dry "organic" herbs on Etsy, or through individuals websites. And YES they make good money from it. However it is very time consuming ... and You never know they outcome ... some rare herbs might not grow in difficult environment.... for me it is a bit of "slow lane"...
I'm in the processes if identifying what to grow at the moment.
I did consider the fast lane/slow lane of this option but considering that i already have 5 acres to turn into cultivated land that can produce money i see this as a small time investment for the set up, hiring a family member to run the operation and than harvesting, the biggest expense whch would have been land leasing i can get for free as i'm already paying for the land. With the amount of time in between planting to harvesting will leave me with plenty of time to work on my other FL project and look for customers for the harvest.
 
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Scot

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@kkompoti are you still around? I know you’re concentrating on your farm right now.

Also, @Raoul Duke tagging you in, because the idea of farming was tossed out to you.
 

ArtRyumin

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i like the idea of growing bamboo. seems like a big market right now and it grows quick!

I just learned a friend of mine has been growing salt water coral and anemones as a hobby. He started selling and it's been going so well for him, he's looking to quit his job soon as a corporate accountant and join the Fastlane!
oh wow great idea, i wasn't even thinking about about anything like that and that could be done inside the house. I used to have fresh water fish tanks and that was an expensive hobby, the salt water fish tanks are even more expensive. Target market i would think would mostly be hobby enthusiasts?
 

ArtRyumin

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?

I've found this:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxRNoSSkLkE


This would reduce cost for me, when I finally go that route.
Thanks for the share, had a few light bulb moment. I did considering using shipping containers to grow in and cut the roof off to put in clear panels for natural sun light and it'll still be insulated but also comparing the cost at the moment from building green houses using timber and single glazed window panels that i'm waiting to get prices from local supplier to weight up the costs.

I have 5 acres to dedicate towards cultivating and from everyones suggesting and research been putting together a crop list and matching it to the sowing/harvesting seasons here locally, it's been a very enjoyable experience so far.

Are you growing in soil or hydro?
 

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