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Would you love to make some money from your fruit trees?
Most people who grow fruit at home do it for the sheer pleasure and satisfaction of growing their own food. Or just because they love gardening. You might grow fruit because you’re dreaming of self-sufficiency or because you want to teach your kids where food comes from. Growing food at home certainly lowers your environmental footprint.
These are undoubtedly all great reasons for having a fruit tree.
But imagine if you could also make some extra cash from your fruit trees – would that be useful?
How to think about making money from fruit trees
When we talk about “making money” from fruit trees, we’re not necessarily talking about cash.
There are lots of ways of using your produce to improve your food and financial security. Selling for money is an obvious one, but swapping with other produce, getting involved in a local LETS scheme, or being part of some type of circular economy are all viable alternatives.
In Australia, we’re all familiar with Farmers’ Markets. However, most of us probably don’t associate them with backyard growers. They’re mainly used as an outlet for farmers, with, well, …. farms.
When we did a study tour of America, we noticed a different approach.
We saw that not just farmers, but passionate gardeners on every scale put up their shingles on fruit stands, market tables, and farm stalls everywhere.
Can backyard growers sell fruit to the public?
We can’t ignore the fact that here in Australia, conditions are quite different. We have a relatively small population and quite restrictive planning regulations. For better or worse (often worse), commerce seems to be not only allowed but encouraged everywhere and anywhere in America.
But still, much of what we saw fit nicely with our 20-plus years of experience selling fruit in Australia.
Making your entire living from fruit growing is a big commitment.
But if you have a passion for growing and making, it’s not too much of a stretch to turn your hobby into what is commonly known as a “side hustle” and earn some extra cash.
Is there a market for home-grown fruit?
If you think you’re too small a grower, or the market for “local/organic/home-grown” is saturated, think again.
In Australia, farmers’ markets are a rapidly growing and highly successful sector. But they still only supply a tiny percentage of food to a small percentage of the community.
That means there’s a huge and largely untapped market of consumers who are increasingly interested in buying locally produced food.
So, how do you turn your passion for growing fruit in your backyard into a source of cash?
Our top 12 tips for making money from your fruit trees
1. Feed yourself first (including preserving some of your summer crops for winter).
The more of your own fruit you grow, the less income you need to buy fruit that someone else grew. Plus, the food you’ve grown yourself is usually more nutrient-dense and satisfying than any food you’ll ever buy. (This also means you’ll be healthier, which means you’ll save money on health care!)
2. Look for your local food swap, or set one up.
Even informal exchanges with friends and family can save you a lot of money. A growing number of suburbs and towns now have some version of Local Economic (or Exchange) Trading System (LETS). This is just one type of local, circular, non-cash economy that can make a massive difference to your bottom line.
3. Value-add.
Aim to use everything you grow in some way. Particularly, try to turn your low-value produce into something delicious and usable or saleable. Jam, vinegar, cider, juice, baked goods, pickles, preserves, sweets, pies…the list is limited only by your imagination.
4. Focus on quality
This applies to your growing and your presentation. This is exactly what the Grow Great Fruit program is all about. If you’re serious about making some extra cash from your fruit trees, we definitely recommend you focus on improving both the quality and output of fruit from your fruit trees.
5. Diversify and offer choices.
Diversification maximises your food security and profitability. Plan your garden for maximum variety and a long harvest by including different types of fruit or other produce, different varieties, different price points, and different value-added products. All will help you grow more, which will give you more to sell or trade.
6. Know your stuff.
For example, know the name of the variety you’re selling, or the technique you’re using to make cider. Become the expert.
7. Be transparent.
Don’t make up BS excuses for why it’s “too hard” to grow organically, for example (we’ve heard them all). Just be honest about what you do and why.
8. Find and know your market(s).
There are SO many ways to connect with potential customers these days. Thanks to social media (see #9), many are free or low-cost. In the post-COVID era, online sales are particularly important, and it’s now easy to set up cashless and contactless sales channels through farm stands, local school networks, CSA, or deliveries.
Just be careful to do your costings on these first, as offering delivery can quickly eat into your bottom line. For online sales, platforms like the Open Food Network provide a purpose-built website for you to sell your produce. There are a lot of ways to manage the logistics of getting the food you grow to the people who want to eat it.
9. Connect with your customers through social media
Instagram devours food photos. Social media marketing is really simple. Just tell your story of why you love growing food and how people can buy it. It takes some care, time, and dedication, but over time, you’ll build a strong following of loyal customers.
10. Team up
Think about a partnership with family, friends, or other like-minded people who want to make some side cash from their gardening hobby. This can increase productivity, profitability, and most importantly, fun!
11. Be creative
What do you (or could you) have/grow/make that somebody wants to buy? Or what “waste” products could you source from other farmers and repurpose? Think outside the box, and don’t be scared to try something different.
12. Set some goals and have a “can-do” attitude.
While you’ll save yourself a lot of time and stress by staying within the relevant laws (e.g., using a registered kitchen), there are still many ways to legally and safely grow and process food for sale.
Many people are completely disconnected from where their food comes from. Micro-growers can play an important role in fixing this.
You might be able to help feed your community with your excess produce. You’ll also be setting a great example of how to grow your own food.
Plus, you could be making some extra cash and proving that money really can grow on trees!
Related Articles
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Bake delicious warming winter cakes from the fruit you’ve grown on the fruit trees in your own garden for extra satisfaction.
9-step process for preserving fruit
Learning to preserve your own fruit is a great way to use up gluts and give you a steady fruit supply throughout the year.
What do you think about growing pears?
Pears have gone out of fashion, but they’re actually easy to grow, delicious, and versatile – a fantastic addition to your garden.
Hi there,
Wanted to quiz you on No 8 – Value – Add.
It is all very well to suggest that people with small excess amounts of produce sell the the public.
However, there are some serious considerations regarding where value added products a created. In most small holder set ups this would not extend to a commercial kitchen, as it isn’t in mine. Yet, it is my understanding that any products created must be from a commercial kitchen. Also, it is my understanding that all such stalls must be registered with Streat Trader.
May I have your comments and any input you may have on this issue, as I am constantly conflicted about what the right thing to do is.
Regards,
Irene Brooks,
Trentham, Vic.
Hi Irene, you raise some great points – yes, you’re right that in Victoria value-added products need to be produced in a registered kitchen, and as we mention in the article we don’t advocate breaking the law, the risk isn’t worth the cost and hassle. (Lobbying for changes to food laws that unnecessarily restrict access to locally produced food is a great idea though). Luckily, there are lots of kitchens around that are available for a fee. Different ways of keeping the costs down may include making as much as possible within the session, combining with a friend who also wants to make stuff, or doing a deal to exchange produce/labour with someone who’s kitchen has downtime. Also, getting a home-kitchen registered may be easier and more affordable than you think depending on what you want to produce. A great starting point would be to talk to lots of other small producers about how they’ve solved this problem, eg stallholders at farmers markets. Lots of stallholders also do their cooking/production in their temporary stalls, so that’s another way to think about it, or getting someone with a commercial kitchen to make your stuff on consignment. Streatrader is a very easy online process.
There are often commercial kitchens nearby which can be hired by the hour.
Council licenses can also be inexpensive.
Many areas have commercial kitchens for reasonably-priced hire – here in the Sunshine Coast, for example, there’s a super one just outside Coolum.
Great info! Thanks Angela – super useful
Hi Katie,
My thanks for your comments to my query – I’m most sorry that I didn’t read passed No8!
I have been thinking about ‘borrowing’ a commercial kitchen for ages, but have always found myself stymied by not knowing how to go about finding one – do you and/or Angela have any suggestions on that?
Thanks in anticipation,
Irene
Hi Irene, I think two good places to start would be the local Council, and the local farmers market – both by asking stallholders if they know of or rent out their commercial kitchen, or check in with the market management to see if they’re aware of any kitchens that are available. Best of luck!
You can go to restaurant and ask to use there kitchen when it’s not in use
Great idea Graeme, thanks.