Make Cash for Blondes: Learn How to Make Money with Backyard Buckamoos

Let’s make some money by getting your hands dirty with BACKYARD CASH CROPS, which can be either a full or part-time job. The way to make money is to find a special hard to find product and not your run of the mill tomato or pepper crop. Learn how to run a road side stand selling common and specialized products.

I know you are thinking a lot of backbreaking work...well yes there is some work that is required but there are techniques you can use to reduce the amount of labor that is required once your garden is established. First you need to decide how large and where you want your garden and then you can decide which crops you want to market for money. The potential that you can earn depends on your crop selection, quality and quantity of crop and how you are going to market your business.

Different crops depend on different types of soil and weather conditions. Some do best in direct sunlight with limited water while others like some shade and a lot of water, so you need to decide on the crops for the space you have selected and then buy the best seed, tree, vine, plant or bulbs available.

The most labor that is involved is preparing the ground for planting, and then some labor will be needed to maintain your crops such as weeding, trimming, harvesting, packing and selling. Some crops require less maintenance; however, this is a great business for the entire family.

Your start up cost will include not only the crop but you will also need a variety of tools to start. A shovel, hoe, wheelbarrow and fertilizer will be needed and will probably run you less than $200. To prepare the ground the best to is a tiller or 5 horsepower rototiller. You may be able to rent one from a garden center, Lowes or Home Depot.

Which are the best cash crops for a backyard garden? If you have less than 1 acre focus on crops such as asparagus, strawberries, raspberries, herbs and other similar crops that can produce large amounts in small spaces. Be sure to research what type of soil is best for each crop. Natural or organic fertilizers are great to improve your soil. Another great way to improve your soil is by composting. Composting turns leaves, grass clipping, food scraps and other organic material into rich soil. There are soil testing kits available to help you determine what crops will grow best in your type of soil. Mulching is a technique to reduce labor, because mulching will eliminate weeds and will help keep the plants moist.

Specialized fruits to grow in your garden are kiwi, guavas, and Chinese dates. But, for most people just starting in the "cash crop" business, the four small fruits recommended are; raspberries, strawberries, blueberries and grapes are the most cost effective.

There are several different ways to make profits from flowers: selling flower bulbs, cut flowers, and flower plants and a small business can be built from a ½ acre or less. The best flowers to grow are; roses, violets, wildflowers, carnations, chrysanthemums, snapdragons, canna, crocus, daffodils, iris, lilies, tulips and gladiolus. Some can also be sold as cut flowers while others can be sold as bulbs.

Herbs are becoming more popular therefore there is a growing demand and great opportunity to sell. Since herbs are small you can produce a fair amount of income per acre as much as $12,000 - $15,000. Herbs can be sold dried or fresh. Be sure to read up on growing and maintaining an herb garden as different herbs require different conditions. There are three classes of herbs; culinary those used for cooking, fragrant some are used in teas and medicinal which are used as sleep aides. The more successful herb growers plant and sell a wide variety of herbs, while other stick to herbs that are in big demand, like peppermint or catnip. Use the catnip to make catnip cat toys.

Fresh vegetables can produce $20,000 per acre and it is recommended to grow at least 8-10 of the most popular crops. Asparagus can yield 2,000 per acre so it is great for a smaller garden. Beans, Brussel sprouts, carrots, corn, lettuce, peppers and cucumbers are great to sell at you road side stand. Other vegetables could include; onions, tomatoes and radishes. You could also take these to your local farmers market and sell them on the weekend. Specialized vegetables are organic vegetables, they require a little extra work, but worth it as these may be sold directly to restaurants, local health stores and food co-ops.

If you are setting up a road side stand in your front yard make sure your prices are 10% - 20% lower than your local market, unless they are organic. This is basically a labor intensive business, relying on your skills in preparing the soil, planting, maintaining, gathering and marketing your crops. A cash crop business can be very rewarding for the whole family, you are not only enjoying working outdoors, you are making some BACKYARD BUCKAMOOS!