$75,000 SECRETS REVEALED - How Small Homesteads are Making BIG MONEY in 2025

[@stuffnsuch631]

I'd add to that, convert the raw ingredients further down the chain. Don't sell beef, sell jerky, honey can be flavored, potatoes into frys, dehydrated vegetables or spices, apples into a pie or canned good ect. Take the raw material you sell for low prices and convert it into a more refined specized product(expensive) .

[@TallCFarms]

I started with 15 chickens back in 2010 - as a last ditch fly control method for my horse boarding business. It worked! But, chicken math. So, started selling eggs, got more chickens, sold more eggs. 14 years later, I've got 100+ chickens, and they pay for themselves, add on about $500-1000 profit over their feed and it's golden. I don't do tractors. I have a large (24x24) coop in the barn, and the chickens range all over the property on their own. The only "more work" I had with the expansion was more feed. This past year, I had more eggs, and some customers dropped off, so I was taking 50 dozen to the local food bank every other week from March - August.

[@fredthegreg]

Wow that's a huge surplus of eggs 🥚

[@ParallelAlternatives]

This is awesome! I utilized the food bank for a year in mn and there was a stint that I would get fresh farm eggs in the share, and it was such a blessing to me!

[@TallCFarms]

@@ParallelAlternatives I enjoyed doing that a lot. Where I live, everyone has their own chickens, so I deliver my eggs. Was really feeling worn out from the weekly drive, so swapped it up with one week deliver to customers, one week drop off at the food bank. I'll probably do it this next year too, when production ramps back up.

[@victorialg1270]

Thanks Jess, Alyssa, and Robin for sharing your story.

[@busker153]

If you run a small homestead that loses two-thousand dollars a year, but it feeds your family, the question then is whether the time to farm is balanced out by the elimination of the food bill. I assume typically that it does not, and then you have to consider the time it takes away from you being able to work a J.O.B. to earn bill money, rent, and taxes. My plan is to take the one acre plot I am moving on to (this month, hopefully!) and beginning to turn it into a food forest. Stage One is to grow the food my wife and I need to live on. We have abandoned our American lifestyle, and could easily live from our homestead exclusively once we have chickens (for eggs) and avocado trees (for a great fat source that can grow on a plant). Once that is accomplished, the plan is to find chefs in top rated restaurants in and around town who would like access to the best, most nutritious produce they have ever seen. If that can pay the rent and bills, that would be amazing!

[@OfftoShambala]

Congrats! I just moved onto a property in sept but I still have to work a job for a bit so I’m not as active in the building I’d like to be doing

[@slandshark]

I like the plan. I wonder about the process of setting up contracts with local restaurants. Are you in a place with a lot of homestead competition? My Wife and I just bought 3 acres last month. Right now it's all alfalfa, but we are turning it into a homestead/flower farm. It's a lot of fun to plan, but its taken a LOT of effort and money to get going. So far we have water and a driveway on the lot, plus our RV. Hopefully power gets turned on tomorrow. It has cost us tens of thousands of dollars beyond the purchase of the land just to get to this point. I know prices of land/prep vary by state, we are in washington state and it's expensive here. Since it's winter we are limited on what we can prep for, but there's a lot of work to go. Just setting up the RV to survive in the winter is days worth of work (and a lot of money!). We had a shed built (more money!) with power and that will take more days to turn into an office (even more money for insulation, etc). We still need to add cold storage, etc to the property for the flowers. Lots of work! We'll get chickens and sheep as well, plus keep 1/4 acre alfalfa to help feed the sheep. Main goal is flowers, secondary is vegetables (and fruit trees, etc) to feed our family of 6. My Wife is already starting networking with local shops to help sell her flowers. There's so many unknowns, including costs, that I understand why a lot of people don't get to homestead, let alone be profitable. We were blessed with enough capitol to pay for most things out of pocket so far (although we have a loan for the property). I'm going to focus on grants in the coming weeks to see what we can get help with (things like cover crops, hoop houses, etc). And at the end of all this prep, we still don't even have a house or garage, just an RV and a shed and good chunk of land. It's a lot of work, so anyone reading this thinking of doing something similar make sure you are completely motivated to follow-through and prepared to be patient. I work in tech and we are leaving the suburb life, so this is a huge change for us, but it feels incredibly awesome to be on our land knowing the potential. Wish we'd done this 10 years sooner. :)

[@Budgetingflamingo]

​@@slandsharkThere is a flower farm in YT called you can't eat the grass. She goes into specifics that you may want to watch!

[@robr307]

A big benefit for my homesteading has been a combo of a sawmill, 400sqft carpentry shop. It's made the expanding and investment cost pennies on the dollar when it comes to building barns, coops, garden beds. I make what I use or want in bulk then just sell the excess.

[@Homesteadyshow]

Dude. That is awesome, would you tell us more about it? Fill out our questionnaire if you would like to share more! www.thisishomesteady.com/homesteaders-how-do-you-make-money/

[@leedavis6354]

I think you're forgetting about the added cost of insurance. Somebody comes to your homestead / land you're going to need to have additional Insurance just in case somebody gets hurt. You got to protect yourself on top of that you need LLC protection

[@lolasimmons9152]

Hi there, I just wanted to wish you and your family a wonderful blessed Christmas and Happy New Year. I love your videos and I love your moustache. You're very awesome and give us lots of very valuable information. God bless you and your family.

[@NewAgeFarming101]

Hi, thank you for sharing ideas with us which can help us make our homesteads profitable. I have been watching you since last 7 years. I wanna watch your daily chore vlogs. please start doing it

[@nancyseery2213]

I'm retired and not in it for the money. I just don't want to lose money! God bless y'all and keep growing.

[@PrairieDawnC]

A hobby that breaks even is a win in my books!

[@PrairieDawnC]

A hobby that breaks even is a win in my books, but your health surely profits from your activity.

[@nancyseery2213]

@@PrairieDawnC i enjoy what I'm doing and end up with food, so the whole garden is a win for me!

[@nancyseery2213]

@@PrairieDawnC A bad day in the garden is better than a day inside in front of the TV! Just kidding, I very seldom watch TV.

[@CuriouslyCute]

Ditto except I'm at the START of working, not the end!

[@theantil7]

@26:04 just imagined this being read out by a lawyer in trial and how horrible it would sound hahaha. Great video!! Very informative

[@CuriouslyCute]

Sounds like he gave a generous gift to help his kids start their own business under his mentorship. Sounds beautiful to me!

[@leeb4607]

I have been struggling to sell firewood. Even at $75 a load lots of time and work involved. Then one day I was farting around and chainsaw carved a Gnome house out of a piece of fire wood I hadn’t split yet. My wife and all my family loved it. It happens that apparently I can sell on chunk of firewood carved into something nice for $50 and up. My back loves the idea. Right know I have family and friend orders. And hopefully will do a spring sale at my church. Possibly Facebook which I really don’t want to open an account also eyeballing a stall at a craft/ antique store for passive income. Hopefully it will be selling items when working my regular job.We will see how this goes. But I figure even at $25 for a fancy piece of firewood I am far better off.

[@Homesteadyshow]

That little wooden gnome is the embodiment of this whole concept. Sell those Gnomes Lee!

[@sallycampbell7709]

👍❤️I’m making lazy Susans out of a 1.5-2” thick mesquite cookies inlaid with cool materials such as copper and turquoise.

[@terribuckner3256]

Fun video and great content. Definitely scaleable message that can be applied to all our circumstances.

[@theoutlaw33]

Thank you so much for this very informational video. Very helpful!

[@TRuth.T]

Thanks for sharing. We are 100% grass fed beef farmers in Central WI. on 130+ acres. We are soo glad for the meat we usually sell enough meat to get our meat paid for. Anyway, after almost 40 yrs. of farming in several states, were selling the farm. We have 100+ Amish within 2 miles of our farm, abundant wildlife, 100+ trees to tap etc....

[@derek9285]

Hopefully you’re selling to the Amish

[@TRuth.T]

@derek9285 Were open to Amish or English. Were English so this farm/house is set up with electric needs. The Amish in our area don't usually stay as long as English in one place.

[@sicilysmith5440]

If you begin homesteading to make money, you are doing it for the wrong reason and should stop immediately. If you are starting to homestead for a healthier way of life, a $1,980 "loss" is nothing compared to what you would spend on big pharma.

[@FarmerBrad]

5:07 that’s why I automate the watering of the chicken waterers

[@dhansonranch]

Thanks to the featured homesteaders. Austin, your closing remarks are something I believe in - my words, you have to TRY! or in your words, don't give up. One thing that I see so many folks doing is striving for the best and hoping folks will buy it. Maybe some will, but not all. Reducing to Good or Better and being able to sell everything is something one may have to do and then slowly work it up to the best if want. As an example, I feed my layer hens commercial feed...why...because folks in my area will not pay the price for organic eggs - It's not the best, but it is better because they are fresh, get sun and fresh greens daily. As a result, I can't keep eggs in the house and I make some money in the process. Some good thoughts in this video!

[@Homesteadyshow]

Yes! Don't let perfect be the enemy of the good!

[@intentionalhomesteadingmi]

Submitted a survey. We just finished our year around $60,000 from our 5 acres! 🙌🏻 I’d love to share more about it with you!

[@TimandLiamsEastcoastkoillc]

thank you for sharing this this was a great segment I'm making profit on your homestead do's and don'ts

[@ashleehouse5204]

Good info. I've thought about selling stuff but usually end up giving it away. Haha!

[@jamesking1033]

Great episode, lots to think about!

[@benmartling]

Maybe this isn't obvious, but these dollar amounts... Per what? Decade? Year? Month? How long did it take them to acrue that. Because if it's 15k/y I'm fairly certain no point has been made but if it's per month then heck yeah man.

[@michellecelesteNW]

I'm thinking about how hard this all is, especially as a solo person. If you have to also factor in the costs of a mortgage or anything else... I just think those are very slim margins for the effort. Not to be a downer, I want a homestead again.

[@Homesteadyshow]

Actually, most small businesses don't have profit margins as good as these 3 Homesteaders. 10-20% profit margins are considered healthy for a small business, these homesteaders are killing it at 15, 50, and 66% profit. Now, you are right, it is hard work, and as a solo person with a mortgage these specific ideas would probably not work, everyone featured in this video had a significant other earning a living off the homestead, but they are ideas that can inspire us to figure out what would work in our own place in life for sure.

[@michellecelesteNW]

@@Homesteadyshow Were the numbers after the living costs or before?

[@simplyjan9498]

Loved this!

[@nancyrasmussen2016]

Wondering, did you ever grow and sell new baby chickens? Very interesting! All good to know! Thanks for sharing!

[@LoWsDominios]

There is a difference between having a homestead for feeding you family and having a business. And some people dont understand that. If you want to open a business you gotta give the people what they want.

[@RainforestFarmer]

This was a good episode to watch as I wash dishes with 3 dozen fresh eggs behind me with no plan. It’s only going to get worse when summer comes and we are drowning in them.

[@duckfarmer8630]

The beard is a great look for you 😊

[@MrVillabolo]

When the money figures are mentioned, is that monthly or yearly?

[@richy7tube]

I like the video! Here is the summary of what I heard. Let me know if I missed anything. We all need to sell some kind of value added item or "goodies" that we raise on our farm And/or we can sell information or "expertise" as the foundation of a profitable business. Then once that business is somewhat established, it is now possible to sell the goods or "fries" Since there is a surplus of goods already there as a result of you growing them in order to put them in the value added item, that now become profitable.

[@Homesteadyshow]

You got the gist for sure Richy. Just focus on multiplying your profit, not products. Don't try to be a grocery store, but rather, a specialty shop/ specialist.

[@АлександрПохоруков-я3ъ]

Привет из Росии, успехов в вашем деле и будте счастливы в Новом году.!!!!

[@donnapeitz8737]

Talk to doug and stay homestead 😊

[@gfox1097]

I wish my dad let me keep the profit, after I did all the labor 😢

[@Alien2799]

I would imagine that for every person who "makes it" there are many who do not make it selling the same services, products etc.

[@Homesteadyshow]

yeah, businesses fail all the time, but there are trends for sure that work better

[@MR.NOBODY11111]

You could charge people to feed your animals for you. Fish farms and petting zoos do it. You also can compost the manure and charge for that also.

[@Homesteadyshow]

yeah, I love that idea

[@joanneganon7157]

Hey Aust👋, is it Baby time?. Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas 🎅🤶🙏🛷. Your Pig production didn't fit when you moved, good job not putting yourself through that by researching your new area🎉. JO JO IN VT 💞☃️

[@mary_samuelson]

I do want the shirt.

[@Homesteadyshow]

Yeah, I legit considered printing it... a few more comments like this and it may happen

[@BestLife1133]

It's a game of nickels but the Amish do it!

[@breesechick]

Hey guys

[@GrandmaBeth2dogs]

I have to many eggs, I think i should do art again, 🤠✌

[@PhilippeFernandez]

You can sell eggs, just freeze dry them. Have you priced pasture raised, freeze dried eggs? 😳🤪

[@Homesteadyshow]

hmm... that is a new idea to me... love to know more! Do you do it?

[@tomh4591]

all great ideas, except you're not factoring in another huge cost when it comes to at least the "go" suggestion, permission #1 (government IS a huge pain) liability/insurance etc. all is fun and games, until karen can't access an ADA bathroom with her power wheel chair, or when a kid gets stung by a bumble bee and is allergic or bit by a bunny god forbid...I think the "go" should be altered a bit, in the sense that not only should people "go" to your property, but rather you should/could GO to where the market exists, and still live in a rural area with "no market" to avoid all the permissions required to do what you want to do. whether that's provide to a CSA, or taking goods to weekly/monthly swaps, or set up pick-ups rather than on-sites that would otherwise require special permissions and fees and the likes...i live in a rural town with very few regulations, and the only "successful" agrotourism business around is a big 40+ acre orchard that hosts all kinds of permaculture gatherings and the likes. well, you would think our small rural town would get behind and support this sort of thing. instead, all the retiree karens complain and file noise reports and road traffic reports every single year they host an event lol. ridiculous. i've seen lots of farm to table businesses in the area close the doors after being open for a short period as well. it seems the largest hurdle around me anyway, are government pests and code enforcers. alot have tried the old "ask forgiveness rather than permission" and have financially failed miserably. the states that have the markets, have the most difficult rules, the places where its easiest to farm how you want, have the least market. painfully ironic, by design of course by the big corporate interests in bed with the politicians, nothing new.

[@Homesteadyshow]

That is for sure an issue. But I can say from experience, lability insurance for on farm visits isn't a HUGE cost, i've done it before. It is just another cost that must be factored in. And yeah, check your zoning. Karens are everywhere.

[@hopgardenhomstead7217]

🙏❤️

[@danielthompson3205]

LoL america sayN that 2020 was a reason to get chickens.. Meanwhile in Australia 2022-2024 we litterally still getting chooks becuase the supermarkets are having issues stocking eggs still... Even into 2025. - I grew up in the 90's with a rough 50 odd head of chooks, some geese and ducks..

[@TheOneJBass]

It's not that 😂

[@Homesteadyshow]

🤣 I had fun with that joke