The most lucrative crops are not always edible.
Planting goji shrubs “bare root” (when they are dormant) in late winter gets them off to fast start.
PROFITABLE HOBBY FARM IDEAS FULL
Light harvests can begin in the second year after planting, though it takes four to five years of growth before full production is reached. For optimal fruit production, grow one of the named cultivars, like ‘ Crimson Star ‘ and ‘ Phoenix Tears ‘ (named varieties are not typically invasive). In fact, the plants are so robust that they’re considered an invasive species in some regions of the country. They are disease-resistant and adapted to a wide range of soil and climatic conditions. Goji berries, a close relative of tomatoes, grow on head-high shrubs. With yields up to 7,000 pounds per acre in fresh berries, this is potentially a lucrative cash crop for American farmers. Dried organic goji berries regularly sell for $20 or more per pound, with the fresh fruit fetching a significantly higher price at farmer’s markets. This “superfood” is grown primarily in China, but the plant is equally well-adapted in North America. PHOTO: Shutterstock / Katarina Bockova Goji Berries
Simply tie bunches of the flower stems together with twine and hang in a barn, shed, or other well-ventilated structure to dry for at least one week before bringing them to market. The disease-resistant, fast-growing plants are easily propagated in a greenhouse by cuttings and will grow big enough to produce a sizable spray of flowers in their second year lavender will continue to flower for 10 years or more after planting. Irrigation and fertilizer are generally not needed. Lavender grows in a wide variety of climates, but requires well-drained soil. A one-acre planting can produce about 12,000 bouquets per year, which are worth $10 each or more on the retail market. But the simplest way to sell lavender, which requires minimal investment in time and equipment to produce, is as dried flower bouquets. reports that one eight-acre lavender farm in the Northwest grosses more than $1 million per year from it’s various lavender products. This common garden plant has various commercial uses, including essential oil and value-added products like soaps and lotions.
PHOTO: Shutterstock / Kirsanov Valeriy Vladimirovich Lavender There is one drawback: it takes from five to 10 years for the roots to reach a marketable size. The ginseng market varies from year to year, but when the price is high it’s possible to net up to $50,000 per acre. The crop is so valuable that a growing guide from Purdue University recommends protecting your investment by “installing security cameras, keeping guard dogs, and embedding microchips” in the roots. Rake back the leaves and plant them directly in the native soil – no fertilizer necessary. It is typically planted in the fall from seed, which costs up to $200 per pound. The forest needs to be mature enough to cast full shade moist, well-drained soil is ideal. Most native hardwood trees are suitable as a canopy for growing ginseng. “Wild-simulated” ginseng, which is planted as an understory on tree plantations and in naturally-occurring forests, has emerged as a popular, and profitable, alternative to true wild ginseng: it sells for $300 to $700 per pound. Wild ginseng is becoming increasingly rare, however, to the point that many states have severely restricted its harvest. It is also planted in open fields, though ginseng cultivated this way commands a fraction of the price, as it is not considered as medicinally potent. Wild ginseng root, a medicinal herb which is found in forests throughout much of the northern and eastern United States, is harvested on a commercial scale and sold for astonishing prices, largely to Asian buyers. A list of corm sources for crocus varieties that are suitable for commercial spice production is available here. Crocuses are bulbs and cannot easily be reproduced from seed, so growers plant corms, the fleshy tuberous roots. To help expand their viability, the University of Vermont recommends planting them in high tunnels, a simple protective structure made of plastic sheeting over a frame of PVC pipes, which allows saffron to be grown in much of the country. Saffron (pictured above) crocuses grow best in dry regions with mild winters, such as coastal California.
Roughly 50,000 flowers are needed to produce a pound of the dried herb, though this requires just a quarter acre of land, hinting at just how lucrative this crop can be. Selling for $5,000 to $10,000 per pound, saffron is the most expensive culinary herb in the world, mainly because it is composed of the tiny, thread-like stigmas of the crocus flower. The North American Center for Saffron Research and Development, a new program at the University of Vermont, hopes to make New England the new hotspot for this ancient Mediterranean herb.
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