How to Make Money Homesteading

By Tara Dodrill

So, you’ve got the dirt under your nails, chickens in the yard, and a pantry full of home-canned goodies—but the electric company won’t take pickled beets as payment. That means it’s time to talk about something every homesteader wonders at some point: how do you actually make money homesteading?

Don’t worry, friend. You don’t have to give up your simple life to start turning a profit. In fact, with a little ingenuity, a lot of elbow grease, and a sprinkle of self-sufficient homespun wisdom, your homestead can help support your family—financially as well as physically.

Whether it’s fresh eggs, heirloom tomatoes, goat milk soap, or a freezer full of pasture-raised pork, people love knowing where their food comes from. Farmers markets, roadside stands, and even local Facebook groups can be goldmines for selling your the harvest from your vegetable garden, soaps, home remedies, chickens and bees, pick your own berry patches, greenhouse plants, quality soil from your compost piles, organic produce, colonies of honey bees, and farm fresh eggs, to earn income from your homestead. You can raise and sell items from your homestead with very little start-up costs.

Just be prepared for city folks to ask if your eggs are vegan. (Bless their hearts.) Your journey into homesteading side hustles will bring you into contact with a wide array of folks, many will eagerly ask questions about your land ownership experience, want animal husbandry tips, and half acre sustainable agriculture if they happen to be modern homesteaders from suburban and urban locales.

Growing chickens for eggs self-sufficiently is one of the elements of homesteading that keeps increasing in popularity. Tips for keeping chickens and how to raise animals for a successful homesteading experience will also be often asked by those just embarking on this homesteading life. This gives you a great opportunity to market your homesteading classes (see below) when working your booth at the local farmer’s market.

Raw honey is great, but honey-sweetened lotion bars? Even better. Think jams, jellies, herbal tinctures, candles, beeswax wraps, or anything that takes your homestead goods to the next level. You can use honey in personal care products and home remedies too! These command a higher price and often make better gifts (or impulse buys at markets).

You’d be surprised how many folks want to learn how to milk a goat, start a sourdough starter, or build a compost bin. Use your skills to teach others and make a little side income. Bonus: you’ll meet like-minded folks and maybe make some lifelong friends—or at least barter partners.

Sharing your large or small-scale homesteading knowledge can range from beginner homestead classes about growing vegetables, growing food, food preservation, zoning laws, how to harvest from a bee hive and use honey, preserving food, how to make sourdough, how to raise chickens, and getting your garden beds ready for the growing season are just a few modern homesteading topics you could teach workshops on to share your homesteading skills.

If you love to write, chat, or film, share your homestead journey online. Monetize through ads, affiliate links, digital products, or sponsored content. Just don’t get too fancy—we’re not here for perfect countertops, we want real-life grit and gravy. The growing interest in homesteading and living a simple self-sufficient lifestyle will draw hordes of viewers to your new homestead videos and online content.

Got a knack for pruning fruit trees, building chicken coops, or setting up raised beds? Offer those services locally. You’d be surprised how many backyard dreamers are willing to pay for a little help getting started.

Grow extra plants or save heirloom seeds to sell to other gardeners. A “beginner herb garden kit” or a “backyard chicken starter bundle” can be super appealing for folks who want to dip their toes into the lifestyle.

If you’ve got the space, consider hosting guests. Farm stays, glamping tents, or even a rustic cabin rental can bring in extra income while sharing your lifestyle with others. Just make sure your roosters know the rules about quiet hours.

Are you a fermenting fanatic? A goat-whisperer? A chicken tractor engineer? Turn your knowledge into a downloadable product or self-publish a book. It’s passive income with a homestead flair.

Okay, it’s not technically cash, but trading extra eggs for a haircut or goat cheese for childcare saves you money, and that’s just as good as earning it in our book. Plus, it’s old-school economics at its finest.

The trick to making money homesteading isn’t putting all your eggs in one basket (unless you’re selling said basket of eggs). Try multiple streams of income that suit your homestead’s size, location, and your personal skills.

Want to level up your homestead hustle? Join us at the Heritage Skills USA Homesteading Summit, June 6–8, 2025, in the stunning Hocking Hills of Ohio.

Here’s what you’ll find:

• 100 hands-on homesteading classes taught by self-sufficiency experts in blacksmithing, herbalism, off-grid living, butchering, bushcraft, foraging, and more.
• 25 classes just for kids—because little homesteaders need skills, too!
• Special guest Dave Canterbury and the Pathfinder School crew offering bushcraft workshops daily.
• Discounts for military, first responders, homeschoolers, and groups

Rub elbows with thousands of like-minded folks from 26 different states who share your passion for self-reliance, sustainability, and good old-fashioned know-how.

Get the full scoop and grab your tickets at www.heritageskillsusa.com!

Homesteading isn’t just a lifestyle—it can be a livelihood. Whether you’re selling eggs, teaching classes, or building a homestead brand, there’s a way to earn an honest living while staying true to your roots.

Remember: every big farm started with a small dream and a patch of dirt. So keep planting, keep building, and keep dreaming. You’ve got this.

And if you ever feel overwhelmed, just take a deep breath, hug your goat, and remember why you started. (And maybe come hang out with us at Heritage Skills USA—we’ll be there, coffee in one hand, seed packets in the other.)