Herbs have been used in cooking, medicines and cosmetics for thousands of years. Now, herbs are being rediscovered, as people around the world seek a healthier and more natural lifestyle. They also provide a link to our past – a time when the pace was slower, things were simpler and almost everyone had a backyard herb garden.
Herbal use has grown dramatically in three areas in recent years. Today, you’ll find cooks using more fresh herbs. New medical research has shown many herbs can be useful as healthy alternatives to expensive drugs. In Germany, for example, doctors write seven times as many prescriptions for St. Joh’s wort as for Prozac when treating patients for depression! Walk into almost any retail store, and you’ll find herbs used in an amazing variety of products – soaps, candles, teas, potpourris, medicines, bath oils, even “dream pillows” for kids.
Although Europeans use almost four times more cooking herbs than we Americans, this is changing fast, as cooks discover the benefits of cooking with fresh herbs. Thanks to the influence of cooking magazines, television cooking shows, and a growing level of culinary awareness, customers are asking for fresh herbs at grocery stores, and buying potted culinary herbs to grow at home. According to Kent Taylor, one of the largest and most successful herb growers, “The market for fresh-cut herbs for restaurants and grocery stores is still wide-open.”
Marilyn Mueller started her herb business as a sideline, growing for friends, and it rapidly grew into a full-time business. She and her husband built a small commercial greenhouse to grow herb starts for transplanting to the field and to grow and sell herb bedding plants. The cost of the greenhouse and production equipment came to $7,000.
According to Marilyn, “To my complete astonishment, within the first four months of retail sales we had recovered our entire investment and still had plants left for our fields. We also found out that growing herbs in the greenhouse is easier than growing potted plants, flowers and vegetables.”
Marilyn and her husband also grow five acres of field-grown herbs, using just an old Troy-Bilt tiller. The herbs are sold in bulk to the natural foods markets and to manufacturers of teas and natural medicinals. “There is nothing to stop you from creating your own niche in the herb world. The market is there, all that is needed is the product,” says Marilyn.
One Pennsylvania herb grower found herself with extra basil and parsley during the growing season. Her solution? She makes up 12 ounce packets of pesto sauce, freezes them, and sells the sauce to restaurants in the winter when basil prices are much higher. She claims the restaurant chefs can’t tell the difference between her frozen pesto and fresh made.
Another creative grower creates herb mini-gardens for windowsills and apartment balconies. The two best sellers are a “Pasta Mini-Garden”, with basil, oregano and rosemary, and a “Salad Mini-Garden”, using parsley, chives and salad herbs.
Because of their wide appeal, culinary herbs make sense for the first-time grower. You can get started with the most popular culinary herbs, then expand your herb business to include medicinal and fragrant herbs and value-added products as your herb knowledge grows.
“You’ve done everything for the potential grower except weed the garden. I’ve wondered how to market, how to set prices, what to try. Your guide answered all my questions and makes me feel that with a little work, we can do anything!” Linda Lee….Texas
It’s important for new herb growers to find a “niche” that fits both their experience level, skills and the local market. Starting a backyard herb nursery can be a wonderful way for beginners to turn their love of gardening and plants into cash. It’s one of the best ways to “bootstrap” a few hundred dollars into a good income. In Growing Herbs for Profit you’ll learn how to grow and market the ten most popular culinary herbs and the ten most popular medicinal herbs, using potted plants as your special “niche.”
The secret to making good money with a backyard herb garden is to specialize in high demand herbs that can be container grown to save space, time and water. Just one small backyard growing bed with 100 square feet of growing space will hold 400 potted herb plants with a retail value of over $2400. One grower, limited to a fifty foot wide backyard, was able to set up eight of these growing beds, earning over $20,000 in three months. In addition to selling potted herb plants, you’ll learn about “value-added” herb products, such as herbal pet products, herbal windowsill gardens, and “dream pillows” to produce even more profits.
Growing Herbs for Profit is packed with solid, up-to-date information you can put to work right now. Here’s what’s covered in this guide:
- Top ten culinary herbs and top ten medicinal herbs to grow – chosen by herb industry experts.
- Best herbs for popular herbal teas.
- Growing tips to help you produce more herb plants with less work.
- “Secret formula” for herb growing supersoil blend.
- How to use plug trays to start hundreds of herb plants in a ten square foot space.
- Wholesale sources for seeds, herb seedlings and growing supplies.
- How to sell out every herb plant you produce.
- The four best places to sell your herbs.
- Double your profits with “value-added” herb products.
- The seven essential herbs for dog and cat owners.
- Herb growing resources.
“As a newcomer, I feel very fortunate I ran across your book. I have spent a small fortune trying to find the information you cover in just one guide. Keep up the good work.” Francine Weston…California.
How much can I make growing herbs in my backyard?
Using our simple system of raised beds and potted herb plants to reduce wasted space, weeding, watering and maximize profits, a backyard grower could make as much as $20-$24 per square foot of growing area. A typical backyard, allowing space for paths, could have 1500 square feet of growing area, which could produce a part-time income of $30,000 to $36,000 yearly.
With the help of our guide, you’ll be on your way to a great income, year after successful year. There’s nothing more satisfying than making money growing plants. Sure, like anything else, it takes work. There’s no such thing as a “money tree.” But if you love gardening, you’ll enjoy every minute. It won’t seem like work at all. And the raised growing bed system cuts the work to a minimum.
Your book is a helpful resource. I like both the positive attitude about starting a herb growing business and the easy to read and understand material. Would recommend it to others who are interested in growing herbs for profit. Sold $400 worth of potted herbs on the first day the Farmer’s Market opened!” Jim Smith – Virginia
Order Now and Start Growing!
We have just released the second edition of “Start Your Own Backyard Plant Nursery,” which includes all the information in “Growing Herbs for Profit” and “Growing Flowers for Profit.” Now you get it all in one book
“Start Your Own Backyard Plant Nursery” is a 180 page book, and you can order it in E-book or printed format from Amazon.com. The E-book is just $4.95, delivered as an instant download so you can start reading now on your smartphone, tablet or computer. The printed book is just $14.95
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