Is Permaculture profitable to farm for money?

[@SimonHume81]

Here in Italy agriturismo (agriculture tourism) is a 'growing' business, basically a restaurant on a farm using their own produce, they seem to do well

[@EcoInstant]

@@SimonHume81 'agri'tourism is a great topic for another video! Thank you!

[@abeljones7900]

I can’t thank you enough for your thorough response! Thank you for taking the time to share your experience around the money portion of Syntropic Ag. This has definitely given me some things to think about!

[@oliverschultz4943]

Excellent advice - thank you Sir!

[@Debbie-henri]

Once you start looking into permaculture, you start looking at diversifying your crops as much as possible - to cover yourself in these times of more extreme weather patterns. One plant may luxuriate in the extra heat one year, while anything plant hate it. In the following year, when it may be cooler and wetter - the plants may trade places in terms of yield. At one point I had 70 different types of fruit, nut and common perennial vegetables in the garden. They haven't all survived, but rather than struggle to help those that were failing survive, I let them go and stayed with the ones that make it easily. I'd say that 'superfoods' are definitely something to have in the garden. In my climate, Blueberries do very well, they command high prices, and no one outside of a couple of supermarkets is selling them organically. My blueberry plants are still growing, many are still young and only produce a very few berries, but they still save me £4.50 per week for at least 6 weeks of the year. I've just worked out how I can propagate them in my climate. It's a slow but sure method. However, in a few years, I will be selling them, and I know people will buy them. I live in a zone where berries work best. I found out the hard way that I need to trial one bush of a certain type one year before laying out more money to buy more of the same. For example, one year I bought some yellow raspberries, and then discovered they taste of nothing, the berries fall to bits, and they are prone to mildew. No value for our own needs, useless as a marketable item. However, by mistake, I obtained an 8-9ft high Summer raspberry among a batch of Autumn raspberries, and the tall one is by far the superior variety. No idea what it is, but it is definitely marketable. I'm propagating it, of course, to slowly become the more dominant crop. As well as the usual fruits and nuts, there are other potential crops. I was fed up of paying more and more money out for new bamboo canes. So I bought 3 clump forming bamboos for a difficult corner - not only to harvest canes for myself in the future, but also to cut and sell in bunches to other gardeners. It's still a crop. Still money. Doesn't weigh much if you find a local garden centre as an outlet, or if you intend to sell at a local farmer's market. Don't forget, people aren't just looking for food, there will be keen gardeners looking for plants and garden consumables. I intend to milk my permaculture garden for every product it can produce - fruit, nuts, veg, canes, stakes, special mulches, nectar and wild plants, seeds, moss for hanging baskets, and eggs. I have a whole list of things drawn out for future sales.

[@bloodlove93]

might i recommend looking into the peach cobbler blueberry and pink lemonade blueberry. also as for other plants,idk what you do but for human \animal feed and fertilizer look into moringa and pingeon pea. might also be interested in coconuts as survival food if you can grow them, possibly sugar cane or another sweetener, rectangle or square bamboo or arrow bamboo might be something you like...i know there's more I'm forgetting but just waking up and trying to breathe, can't think well currently. check sowexotic ,burpee,passionforplantation, daleysfruit, veliyath gardens, foodforestnurseries, eureka farms....theres a few sites i keep up on my garden tablet to look for new plants,if they don't have it.....good luck finding who does i guess.

[@eldarblog]

I think that your approach is very interesting as the USA rolls back on globalization and becomes an isolationist country local markets will become more important than ever. I am a firm believer that we as people should never stop learning, diversifying and adapting.

[@sagēzin1111]

In CA valley, working on less than a quarter acre suburban plot. My goal with it is to cut back on expenses. I also would like to plant fruit trees in quiet areas around my city to help generate energy.

[@bloodlove93]

idk if your area of cali is like mine but look into the moringa tree, it's food for humans and animals, not the tastiest thing ever but holy hell is it a nutrition bomb, great especially if your region has many poor or homeless, they can literally grab leaves and eat them to stay semi healthy and full. imo great tree for public because it draws just enough attention but not a ton like a fruit tree would, unfortunately it's technically even more valuable but most people don't know that or don't care...because well fruit taste good not like horseradish. just expensive if sold as a supplement, but otherwise it's perfect for feeding anyone who walks by and wants or needs some.

[@EcoTheExploiter]

5:24 what scale do you need for it to become money?

[@EcoInstant]

It really depends on the product. But consider that the term "small-batch" has become quite popular in recent times - this is the right place to start with farm business, defining what a "batch" means. Batches are transformed goods that generally are easier to ship and have a longer duration.

[@bloodlove93]

depends what you consider "money" i assure you as a californian my idea of money is drastically different from someone in say virginia. also depends what you need,want and do with that money. but usually on average most people can find a creative solution in as little as a quarter acre,up to 4 acres max unless you have a family or otherwise a helper group. look into fast growing things, like berries, tropical fruit if you can grow it like jackfruit or sugar apple for a faster profit.

[@srantoniomatos]

Permaculture is anti comercial by design. Polyculture makes it anti comercial. Perenial/forest systems demand time. Lots of time. Return can be counted in decades. This in its self make it unprofitable from start. Nice to homesteading, some selfsuficience... it will cost money, dosent makes money. Not by growing and selling food. Maybe if its part of an agrotourism, rural tourism kind of thing. Or if its a place to offer workshops, to make youtube videos... Of course, there are exceptions, but... i just dont know not even one. P.s im a permaculturist. Its a labour of love.

[@srantoniomatos]

Ps. A few more facts that dont help permaculturists make money. Most of us dont come from agriculture background and families. Which is good, our mind is more open to different theories and pratices. But also bad, because most of us dont have pratice, pratical knowloge, we dont know about technics, tools, about the climate and plant cycles, land management, markets, etc. So...its a big learnning curb, from theory to pratice. So, we have lots of will, lots of preconcived ideias, but no land, no money and no experience. And, as usually is a isolated and inovative endenvour (homestead like) we also dont have connections, suply chains ,etc. So we communicate and learn and share mostly in internet (and we love to talk about "community" 😂). End up being a labour of love, and most of us have side works to support our permaculture activities. I do landscaping as a job..

[@normanvasquez5968]

How about avocados in the local market? And animal products, like eggs, milk, rabbit meat?

[@EcoInstant]

@@normanvasquez5968 Excellent questions! Markets will be different in every area but I would love to talk about what I have observed in our local market 👨‍🌾

[@normanvasquez5968]

@@EcoInstant Pig meat should be a big one. Everyone eats pig. 🐖 And feeding them is easy, especially after having lots of rotting food. My name is Norman Vásquez and I started my permaculture journey after the pandemic. Found Permaculture in April 2021, and have self-taught my way since then. Thanks for your thoughts and philosophy, I liked the money video and the old one on how climate change should be viewed as a bunch of local changes. I am from central Honduras, in the dry corridor of Central America.

[@traildriving]

Organic, hexane free castor oil bottled in glass in the latest rage in Beaty care all over the internet right now. Just a heads up.

[@traildriving]

Beauty care

[@EcoInstant]

@@traildriving yes its a really cool product, I thought about getting my hands on the machine to grind them up but I didn't relish the shipping side of things.

[@traildriving]

If it’s legal can you sell direct to consumer on a web site?

[@bloodlove93]

um....that wildly depends on what you mean by legal, if you imply mango then yes absolutely ship it off. if you're referring to say...marijuana being legal where you are.....no......no......stop before you get caught.

[@traildriving]

I know a guy in Alaska is profitable with polyculture in Alaska.

[@pulungnanang]

2 things permaculture unable to provide. This is when you need money. 1. Healthcare provider. There's certain degree of illness you can not do self medication. 2. Product of technology. No matter how good your craftsmanship is, you will need product of technology to do this crafting activities.

[@EcoInstant]

@@pulungnanang both of these are great points, especially technology. In video games, everyone can craft 'machines', but real life is different

[@bloodlove93]

yup definitely for number 2 look at 3rd world areas, ever seen durians harvested? it's stupid and reckless and dangerous... but they can't afford the tool to make it easy and safe,an articulated boom lift because it costs more than a hundred villages make in a century.