Herbs like fresh basil can be grown and sold to restaurants or stores.
Growing and selling herbs is a way to combine a gardening hobby with a chance to make some money. Herbs can be grown in large quantities in relatively small spaces and sold--fresh or dried--to a variety of outlets. Restaurants, small grocery stores, farmers' markets, florists, naturopaths, herbalists, and local craftspeople are among the venues available to sell your herbs. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
Growing Herbs
1. Determine what type of herbs you would like to grow and eventually sell. Do some market research first. Ask area restaurants and natural food stores if they have a need for certain herbs. One restaurant might make a lot of pesto and need a good source of basil, while another might need lots of lemon balm for their signature dessert.
2. Start your herbs in small pots or flats inside during early spring. Most herbs will do well in a standard potting soil and shouldn't need additional fertilizer. Wait until the danger of your last frost for the season has passed before planting outside. You can check for this date with your local extension service.
3. Transplant your seedlings or purchased plants into your garden area. Be sure that your garden area is well-drained and is placed in full sun. Most herbs do not like very wet soil, so be sure to mulch well. If the area you want to dedicate to the herb is not well drained, modify it by building raised beds, or install drainage tiles. Sometimes adding sand to the soil can help drain it better. Fertilize your plants. Mulch around them. Weed often. Control pests my handpicking them off your herbs or using other organic methods like soap sprays. Most restaurants that purchase herbs expect they will be grown organically and doing so gives you a niche product you can market and sell.
4. Determine which part of the plant your buyers will want for harvest. Herbs are often sold by the leaves, roots and flowers. Harvest leaves on their stems right after the morning dew has evaporated. Harvest flowers right before they are fully opened. Most herb plants will continue to produce after they reach maturity, so don't cut all the leaves or flowers off as soon as they're ready. Take sparingly from each plant to encourage more growth until the end of the growing season. Don't store directly in plastic. Place in paper bags or even cut the stems again and store in water like a flower arrangement--particularly if you are delivering to order or going to a farmers' market. Store them in the refrigerator. It is always best to harvest the day you plan to deliver or sell.
Selling Fresh Herbs
5. Market your herbs inexpensively at first, by creating a flyer detailing each herb you have and how much it is by the pound or ounce. Visit restaurants, stores, naturopaths, florists and other outlets you think might like your herbs. Give them a flyer or brochure, a business card and a sample of your growings.
6. Set up a stand at a farmers' market. You can sell plants to customers, as well as herbs cut for culinary and medicinal purposes. Create an interesting informational card for each type of herb you sell. Detail the history and uses of the herbs and maybe even offer a recipe.
7. Make something else. You don't just have to sell the herb as an herb. If you have a flair for the culinary yourself or like to make things, incorporate your herbs into your creativity. You can make fragrant sachets, dips, candles, soaps and all sorts of things with the herbs you grow. Each new product only adds to your profit potential.
Tags: your herbs, farmers market, garden area, herb have, into your