This week I had a guest writer write about small scale farming for profit. Just some ideas of things that could be with a very small amount of space and to show you don’t necessarily need land to produce food. If you have the time and interest to learn there are many ways to turn a profit from food production.
The world is badly suffering from COVID 19; it not makes people stressed but also had a bad impact on the world economy which would ultimately lead to the food security issue due to high prices of food. Here in this article, I would share some creative ideas which you would not only opt as a hobby but also turn into a small profitable business. It would not only solve the food security but also improving the mental health of the people.
Mushroom culture:
Due to the huge demand mushroom, it would turn into a profitable business. You just required a room where you have to maintain optimum growing conditions like temperature, moisture, and relative humidity. You can place inoculum in a vertical bag to increase yield from a small area. They have a fast-growing cycle which gives multiple harvests in a short period as compare to other growing crops. A single room is enough to give full income worth from a small investment area.
Microgreen cultivation:
It is the stage of the plant right after emergence before they become baby green and turn into a full-sized vegetable. They are 10-14 days old and 1-3 inches tall. You can even grow them in a small spare room in your house. You just require a pair of greenhouse trays to initiate the growth of the plant then scale up according to the experience and demand. It will be a highly profitable small scale business. It worth 50 dollars per pound which depends upon different varieties.
Hydroponics:
It is a technique of growing plants in a soil less medium. In which the roots of the plant come in contact with the nutrient-rich medium or you also support the plant in growing medium through coconut coir or gravel. There is a different installing option which you can adapt according to your requirement.
- First, you can grow plants in static solution containers or plastic buckets where water may be unaerated or gently aerated.
- The second option is to a continuous flow of system where the medium constantly flows through the roots which allow roots to absorb nutrients and oxygen.
- Next is to mist the nutrient solution to the plant roots and not submerged in liquid or flow and drain where plants are flooded with water so drained several times a day.
It is a good way to diversify your small scale farming business and allow you to grow all year indoor or greenhouse. You can grow micro green to a full-size crop from it.
Aquaponics:
It is a symbiotic relationship between hydroponics and aquaculture. In which the waste produced by the aquatic organism is converted into nitrites by bacteria and used by plants as their essential nutrient. It is a very helpful technique if you do not have garden soil. You just need a spare room where you can install this system by using spare non-useable things. You just require a rearing tank for fish, settling basin where food of fish is placed bio filter, hydroponic system, and a pump to link both systems.
Apiculture:
It is the rearing of bee for honey and other by-products. A beehive box can be adjusted anywhere near a floral nursery. You can start with one or two hives of bees. Each hive can give approximately 200 dollars’ worth of honey per year. Besides honey, you can also get beeswax which you can use for making candles, soap, lip balm, and other products. In this way, this small scale hobby can be changed into a highly profitable business. You just have to spend half an hour per week. As you scale up your business you can even sell bees to other beginner beekeepers.
Sericulture:
Rearing of silk from the silkworm. If you live in an area with plenty of mulberry trees, then you can select this profitable hobby. The caterpillar feeds upon leaves and makes a cocoon around itself. After reaching an approximate size you can kill them by exposing them to steam or hot water. Each cocoon can produce 800-900-meter-long filamentous fiber having a 4-gram weight.
By adopting any one of above mention hobbies, you not only amuse by them but also turn into small scale profitable businesses.