7 Ideas To Make Money From Growing Herbs

If you are living off the grid, sources of income can be scarce. However, you can earn extra cash growing and selling herbs.

How can you exploit the economic benefits of herbs? There are ideas to make money from growing herbs.

Some herbs can also be harvested from the wild for free if you live near a natural forest.

If you know some medicinal plants found in your location, you can earn extra money from them. But planting them on your property can make it even easier for business.

In this article, we will discuss 7 ideas to make money from growing herbs. We will also talk about some herbs you can consider for their medicinal benefits and where you can market your herbal medicine. Find out more, keep reading!

Economic Benefits Of Herbs

The market for herbal medicine is on the rise. People are becoming more inclined to favor natural remedies over tablets, capsules, or injections.

Herbal medicine is not only cost-effective but is also effective in treating most chronic infections.

With the ever-growing demand for herbal medicine, growers can make good money. We may not quote a specific figure here, but you will likely earn big from just growing herbal plants in your garden.

There is a large market for herbal medicine that is yet to be filled, and the demand will not be met soon.

You can specialize in herbal plants for treating human beings, pets, or livestock. Whichever the option, you can easily find a market for it at the farmer’s market, pet stores, essential oil companies, research centers, etc.

If you are willing to do marketing, growing herbs can be profitable regardless of your scale. You can use your garden to make money growing herbs.

7 Ideas To Make Money From Growing Herbs

Have you thought of growing herbs on your property for money? You can forage for the same in the wild, but you save time if you can just find them in your backyard.

If you want to make it a business, you should plant it on your property. If you don’t have your own property, you can consider other careers for offgriders.

There are 7 ideas to make money from growing herbs, including the following:

• Selling culinary herbs for chefs.
• Sell potted herbs in attractive pots for those in need.
• Selling herbal pots with natural healing recipes.
• Cater to the cat fanciers in your market.
• Create unique of gift items to sell.
• Making teas and oils from herbs.
• Making dried herbs in jars.

How can you make money from these ideas, and what herbs can you plant for the same purpose? Read on to find out more!

Selling Culinary Herbs For Chefs

Culinary herbs such as basil, dill, and parsley are on-demand at local restaurants. Chefs need them to spice up their broth.

These herbs are used in many different recipes. All you need to do is to ensure you have a constant supply of these culinary herbs.

Some chefs also prefer the less common herbs that can be potted and placed on the countertops until their needs arise.

You can think of lemon basil, French tarragon, and many others. You can also ask chefs you intend to sell to for the specific herbs they want.

Sell Potted Herbs In Attractive Pots For Those In Need

What better way to increase demands for your herbs than planting them in aesthetically-appealing pots?

Apart from buying the herbs for use, your customers will also prefer them for aesthetics. Growing decorative and edible flowers will double your chances of making money.

Once again, you need to pick some common cooking herbs such as basil, chives, dill, thyme, cilantro, and parsley.

It might be challenging to accomplish this task, but you will find it easy with time. Find the appropriate pots and heat the room when necessary.

Selling Herbal Pots With Natural Healing Recipes

The business of herbal plants can be booming if you choose your plants right and time yourself perfectly.

During winter, the cold temperatures are likely to trigger some conditions such as asthma. To ensure you have these patients in your docket, grow mullein.

Other on-demand medicinal plants include boneset, yarrow, and marigold for treating arthritis, cuts, scrapes, and stomach aches, respectively.

There are many other medicinal herbs you can consider. Without a doubt, these are ever on-demand as people prefer more natural ways of treatment.

Cater To The Cat Fanciers In Your Market

People like their pets and will go the extra mile to ensure their comfort. There is your opportunity to grow catnips to target cat fanciers.

Catnips are mainly used as a stimulant on cats but can also be used as sedatives to humans.

Catnip and catmint are the easiest to grow herbs for targeting cat fanciers. These can be sold at maturity in potted containers or dried.

Some people even include them as the ingredients for making cat toys. Usually, the potted catnips are sold when they are four inches tall.

Create Unique Of Gift Items To Sell

There is a high demand for gifts and decorations during festive seasons. It’s a great idea to create your own line of gifts to sell to others to make money.

For example, holly and mistletoe are perfect for creating Christmas bouquets.

The perfect gift ideas include dried lavender sachets, herb vinegar, herbal teas, lemon verbena soap, and candles. Grow them while targeting the festive season to cash in even more.

Making Teas And Oils From Herbs

As part of natural treatment, many people now use essential oil. According to physicians, these products can improve physical and mental health.

The grossing popularity of essential oil has created an opportunity for you to earn from processing your herbs.

With just a little investment, you can extract oil from herbs and bag your tea to sell to the neighbors or take to the market. You can earn a lot of extra income if you are good at what you do.

The common herbs for making essential oils include the following:

• Lavender
• Roman Chamomile
• Rose
• Hyssop
• Ylang Ylang
• Grapefruit
• Cedarwood
• Peppermint
• Spearmint

Making Dried Herbs In Jars

Growing herbs in the backyard is another lucrative venture that can earn you more money. All you need to do is find out the common herbs on demand, grow, and sell them.

Your garden can become a source of herbal medicine. When the plant matures, you can dry and/or grind them and put them in jars ready for sale.

Provided you know where you can sell them, your strength can be your limit. Some of the herbs you can grow at home include the following:

• Neem (Azadirachta indica)
• Tulsi (Holy Basil)
• Mint (Mentha)
• Parsley
• Aloe Vera
• Fenugreek or Methi
• Lemon Grass
• Khus (Vetiver Grass)

8 Best Herbs to Grow for Profit

There are hundreds of plant varieties you can grow in your backyard as herbs. However, we will limit ourselves to the 8 best herbs to grow for profit.

If you are venturing into it to make money, then consider any or a combination of the following:

• Basil
• Oregano
• Chives
• Parsley
• Rosemary
• Dill
• Coriander
• Lavender

We have already listed some of these herbs in the previous section. But there is more to talk about. Let’s get the details.

Basil

Basil is one of the most popular culinary herbs used in different recipes. Italian cuisine can never be complete without it.

It gains favor for its uniquely delicious flavor. It’s used in many dishes such as salads, pizzas, pasta sauces, etc.

Basil is best-selling at the farmer’s markets and restaurants for its spicy property. You can grow it from seeds, cuttings, or seedlings with ease.

If you start from seedlings, your basil herbs should be ready for market in about 60 days.

Basil is also very popular because it can be sold in many ways. You can pot it or cut and dry, ready for use as a spice.

Oregano

Oregano is also popular in Italian cuisines but is also used around the world. Its mixture of garlic and basil makes a delicious broth for many recipes.

Apart from the spiciness, Oregano also has many health benefits.

It has been used for many centuries in relieving ailments such as skin sores, aching muscles, asthma, cramping, diarrhea, indigestion, colds, etc.

So, it’s a good choice if you consider growing herbal plants for medication.

Oregano is easy to grow from seeds, but it takes quite some time to mature. So, many people sell them as seedlings, potted plants, or cut-fresh oregano.

Simply Organic Oregano Leaf Cut & Sifted Certified Organic

Chives

Chive is another herbal plant to consider growing for culinary purposes. It’s packed with many nutrients with an irresistible aroma and flavor.

Additionally, chives are commonly used for medical reasons. Many people who adore herbal medicine will come running for it once it’s ready for the market.

Chive is an easy-to-grow plant that can be potted or cut fresh and arranged in bundles. They have extended sales seasons compared to other herbs.

2.5 oz Bottle Chives Dehydrated Dried Chopped / Cebollinos Kosher

Parsley

Parsley is a perfect choice if you want an herb that will appeal to many people. It’s commonly used as an ingredient in various dishes, ranging from salads to stews.

You can choose either flat-leaf parsley or curly parsley if you are growing herbs for the culinary market.

Parsley is best grown from seedlings since its seeds take about two months to break through the soil.

But if you have the patience, you can plant the seeds and sell them as seedlings to other growers. Nothing also stops you from waiting for the herb to mature and sell to chefs and restaurants.

Rosemary

Rosemary is famous for its strong scent and taste. Chefs know all about that and only use it in small quantities. You can pot rosemary herbs to sell to restaurants or for its health benefits.

Fresh rosemary is commonly used in making tea, while dried ones are best suited for cooked recipes.

Rosemary is easy to grow. It regenerates so fast from the cuttings. You can sell it potted or fresh to immediate consumers or dried for later use.

Dill

Dill is a unique herb in this list, best known for its leaves and seeds. Those who need much stronger flavor use seeds in various food recipes.

But if you just want a mild taste, then leaves will go a long way.

Dill is grown from seeds, from which it grows into a huge plant. If selling the plant fresh, then you should remove all flowers to improve quality.

You can sell it as a potted plant or take freshly-cut leaves to the market. Alternatively, wait for the plant to mature to produce seeds.

Coriander

Coriander or cilantro is another commonly grown herb for its many health benefits. It’s rich in antioxidants and good for digestion. Both its leaves and seeds are used, but the former is the most preferred.

Coriander is a great herb to add to your home garden because it will give you yields every year. If you are after continuous supply and retaining your customers, then it’s the best choice.

Lavender

Who can talk about herbal plants without mentioning lavender? With many uses, lavender becomes one of the most on-demand herbs for any homesteader to consider growing.

It’s popularly used in cooking, decoration, and crafting.

Lavender is also best for producing essential oil and treating many medical conditions such as skin-related problems, chronic pain, and nervousness.

Fresh lavender flowers are used for cooking, extracting essential oil, and manufacturing skincare products. Dried flowers, on the other hand, is best for medicinal purposes and crafting.

To make money from growing lavender flowers, you need it on a relatively large scale compared to other herbs in this list.

Where To Sell Herbs

Anyone can grow herbal plants in their gardens, but marketing and selling the product is not for everyone.

Before planting, you should find out who your potential customers are and where to get them. You can consider the following places:

• Farmer’s Markets
• Local Restaurants
• Pet Stores
• Online
• To Essential Oil Companies
• To a Roadside Farm Stand

Farmer’s Markets

Farmer’s market is one of the best places to market and sell your herbal produce. It may be expensive to set up everything.

But once you are ready, then you will have a reliable market. It all starts by seeking out the permit from authorities.

If granted the permit, you find your place and set up a booth or stall where you will display your herbal produce.

To reach a wider audience and get profit, consider selling both culinary and medicinal herbs. It’s also encouraged to include herbs for essential oil production, but don’t forget to make your booth attractive.

Local restaurants

This is the best market for culinary herbs. You might need to visit many restaurants in town to see if they will need your herbal produce.

Also, this is the time to know the demand so that you don’t produce in excess or fail to meet the minimum requirement.

Selling to local restaurants can be competitive. So, you have to appeal to your customers by having high-quality products, favorable pricing, and proper presentation.

You can also offer to sell potted plants to chefs who want to have them.   

Pet stores

Herbal medicine is for both humans and pets. Depending on the herbal plant you grow, you may need to market your produce at pet stores.

If your local pet store doesn’t already stock them, then you can win by proposing sachets of high-quality catnips or other pet herbs.

Online

The online world is growing and has provided a conducive environment for businesses to thrive.

You can create a community on online platforms and market your home-grown produce. That’s possible from the existing spaces or set up your website.

Selling home-grown herbs online needs marketing and sometimes complex logistics if shipping across the country border. Do your research as necessary to acquaint yourself with all the steps.

To Essential Oil Companies

If you can secure a tender to supply herbs to essential oil companies, you can be assured of a constant market.

Just ensure steady production so that you don’t get replaced by another supplier. Essential oil companies are the largest markets for herbs such as lavender, rose, peppermint, etc.

To a Roadside Farm Stand

This is the most cost-effective approach to selling your herbal plants. Setting up a roadside farm stand can cost you nothing if you are a DIYer.

However, you may need to consult authorities if there is any licensing required to do so.

A roadside farm stand may be easy to set up, but your market may be restricted to the locals.

The Last Sentences

Growing and selling herbal plants is the best way of earning extra money. There are different herbs you can grow and sell to customers in many forms as needed.

Fortunately, the demand for herbs is on the rise. It’s your opportunity to start now and grow into the future.

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