Farming can help you generate high profits, provided you know what crops to grow. Whether you’ve got a backyard, greenhouse, or small farm, you can earn significant income by planting the suitable crops that bring in the most revenue and commodity items.
This article will walk you through the 13 best cash crops you must grow on your small farm to generate high returns.
13 High-Value Crops For Small Farms
Whether you are just getting started or want to add a profitable crop to your established farm business, here are the 13 high-value cash crops to grow:
1. Mushrooms
Believe it or not, mushroom farming is a lucrative business. They’re high-value cash crops, particularly oyster mushrooms, and can easily and quickly be grown even in small spaces. Perfect for urban growers, they can take anywhere from six to eight weeks from start to harvest.
Although the prices vary for each variety, you can sell five pounds of a bag of Oyster and Shiitake mushrooms for anywhere from $26 to $33.
2. Microgreens
Microgreens are another high-value cash crop you can grow in spaces as small as basements, shipping containers, or garages. Best for urban growers and small farms, they have increasingly low startup costs and a quick growing cycle (turnaround time).
This means you can harvest and sell your first cash crop within a few weeks (anywhere between 2-3 weeks top). Microgreens, like mushrooms, have a limited shelf life and can be sold from $20 to $50 per pound.
3. Ginseng
If you have adequate time and ideal growing conditions, ginseng can be a perfect crop for additional profits.
The crop has two main types, i.e., American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) and Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng), and offers a range of medicinal benefits. For example, it helps lower blood sugar, increases energy, improves cognitive function, helps prevent flu, and combats inflammation.
This small, long-lived forb can easily take five to eight years to mature and can be sold at a relatively higher price, typically $400 per pound or more, to Asian buyers.
4. Lavender
Lavender is commonly known for its fragrant oils used in soaps, perfumes, etc. So, it can be highly profitable when grown for commercial purposes. Although it requires well-drained soil, you can grow lavenders in different climates.
You can easily make $120,000/acre by selling dried or fresh lavenders. And that figure can grow considerably if you create value-added products such as lotions or soaps. Typically, lavender plants take three to four years to mature.
5. Saffron
It sells for $5000 per pound, making Saffron one of the world’s most valuable and expensive herbs. Although growing Saffron can be challenging and labor-intensive, you’ll be rewarded with high return-on-investments (ROIs) when you succeed.
Harvesting time is around eight weeks, from seeding to reaping. When it comes to revenue, one acre can yield ‘three pounds’ of the saffron crocus, worth anywhere from $15000 to $30000 per acre.
6. Goji Berries
Popularly known as a superfood or wolfberries, goji berries grow mainly in China. However, they’re equally well-adapted and famous in North America, including the United States.
They help treat various health problems like diabetes, fever, age-related eye conditions, and hypertension.
While goji berry plants can take three years to mature, you can accelerate the process by purchasing bare-root berry plants that reach full production in two or fewer years. You can sell it for $20 per pound or more easily.
7. Wasabi
Wasabi or Japanese horseradish is like gold—consumers must pay a lot. It can easily fetch around $160 per kg at wholesale, making it one of the most high-valued crops you can grow.
The plant is increasingly hard to grow in America as it’s grown in waterbeds—a farming method that’s uncommon in North America. It will be mature enough for harvesting within fifteen months to two years.
8. Bonsai Plants
Bonsai plants need little space to grow like small pots. It can take you anywhere between two and three years to reach harvesting.
However, once your plant matures, you can sell it for $20 or $260. If you train your bonsai plants well, you can make even higher profits, typically $10,000 or more.
9. Bamboo
The most profitable crops aren’t always edible. Bamboo is a fine example—it’s a fast-growing, sustainable plant that makes an exceptional cash crop.
Although it can help you bring generous revenue, it takes ample time (typically five to seven years) to grow and mature. Container-grown bamboo can be sold on average for $30. You can place 2500 plants on a quarter-acre and sell for $30, helping you make $75,000 easily.
10. Gourmet Garlic
Also called Allium Sativum, garlic is growing in popularity and demand in America. For example, around 24000-26000 acres of garlic, including gourmet garlic, are planted throughout the US annually, with a total production of 400M pounds.
Unlike ordinary garlic, gourmet garlic can be sold for around $16 per pound and may take three months to harvest after seeding, making it one of the best and most profitable cash crops.
11. Chives
Believe it or not, herbs like chives, basil, catnip, and cilantro can bring more profits than others. Often known as gateway plants, chives are hardy, easy to grow, and need little care.
They grow year-round and take 30 days to mature after transplantation or seeding. The market price of chives is around $8-$12 per pound.
12. Basil
Basil is a lucrative cash crop used to treat insect and snake bites, stomach spasms, intestinal gas, fluid retention, worm infections, kidney conditions, and head colds.
The plant can be harvested in three-four weeks and sold for $50 to $60 per pound. Whether grown for fresh-cut sales or as a potted crop, basil is a culinary herb in demand throughout the year.
13. Arugula
Arugula, like lettuce, is a fast-growing, high-yielding crop that requires limited space in a garden and has low labor costs.
Also called roquette or rocket, it contains various nutrients like folate, potassium, calcium, and others vital for keeping your heart healthy. You can harvest the plant in around 40 days and get $6 per pound.
Conclusion
If you’re short on time or space, cash crops can effectively increase your profit margins. Choose any of the 13 profit crops we rounded up on the list and earn generous additional income year-round.
Whether you’re starting or want to scale up your small farm, you may require a reliable, secure source to get farm loans and mortgages. Look no further than United Farm Mortgage!
Unlike commercial banks, United Farm Mortgage can help you secure farm loans so you can start growing cash crops and make substantial profits.
Call us today at +19135493776 to learn more about our services.