Setting up multiple streams or sources of income is a good idea no matter what we do in life, but it is an invaluable practice for the country family and an indispensable one for the self-employed country family.  If a catastrophe strikes one source of income, chances are there will still be others.  Furthermore, small streams quickly add up to a reasonable living.

But the benefits of having more than one stream of income are not merely financial.  No matter how much we enjoy what we do, we must have rest and variety for both our minds and our bodies.  Having more than one project breaks up the day.  There will be times when our minds can do most of the labor, and times when our poor tired brains can take a breather as we work our muscles.  Various chores become parts of our routine, things we expect and plan around and look forward to.

Variety is just as healthy for the land as it is for us.  Nature was designed to work in a series of complex checks-and-balances systems, such as the food chain and the water cycle.  Most living things benefit from other living things in some way.  Creating multiple streams of income can foster this biodiversity.

So what counts as a stream?  Consider some of these options:

• Fruits and vegetables.
• Homegrown grains.
• Grassfed meats.
• Fresh pies.
• Seasonal decorations.
• Handcrafted furniture.
• Braided rugs.
• Books.
• Hay rides.
• Corn mazes.
• Photography.
• Maybe even polished rocks!

Your imagination is the only limit here.

Need ideas?  Try the 5-Minute Brainstorming Challenge.  Take a pen and a piece of paper and start jotting down ideas.  Don’t limit yourself to the ideas in the list above or to what others do.  Dare to be creative, maybe even crazy.  You’ll be amazed at all of the different streams of income available to you.