Homestead on the Range has come a long way since we launched our website almost five years ago. Our site was originally self-hosted, but about a year ago we moved to WordPress.com, and we haven’t looked back. If you are considering launching a new website for your farm, small business, or personal enjoyment, or if…
Category: The Business
Pros and Cons of Niche Marketing
Niche marketing is the norm for many small business owners, no matter what they are selling. Before diving in, however, it’s best to have an understanding of both the opportunities and the challenges of niche marketing. Are you ready to capitalize on your strengths as an entrepreneur in a niche market? Read on. Pros…
Scribus
You don’t need a pricey suite of software to turn out professional-looking documents to represent your business. If you are motivated and reasonably artistic, you can use Scribus, a powerful open source desktop publishing program freely available to everybody, to design flyers, brochures, and more for your farm or other enterprise. Scribus was developed to…
Kansas Department of Agriculture Licensing Guides
Agripreneurs have to be careful to keep up with the legal aspects of their businesses. Fortunately, the Kansas Department of Agriculture has put together a series of licensing guides to help innovative business owners see at a glance what permits and licenses will be necessary. The PDF downloads cover many types of businesses: Agritourism. Aquaculture….
Farm Fresh
Are you considering direct marketing grassfed meat and dairy products? Before you begin, perhaps you could benefit from a little food for thought on the subject. Try Farm Fresh: Direct Marketing Meats & Milk by Allan Nation. You may or may not agree with all of the philosophies contained in Farm Fresh, but you are…
What is Community-Supported Agriculture?
One of the main features of the recent local foods movement is a desire to connect farmers and consumers. On the one hand, many farmers want to share their practices with their customers, keeping them informed about agriculture. On the other hand, consumers want to learn more about how their food is produced. Among the…
9 Unique Agritourism Ideas
Agritourism is one of the most popular trends in small farms today. Some producers love to share their crops and pastures with guests, often taking the opportunity to educate people about farming and ranching, both conventional and alternative. Is this an enterprise that you have considered adding to your farm? If so, you might be…
You Can Farm
Unlike some of the other Joel Salatin books we recommend, You Can Farm is not a practical how-to guide, but a philosophical challenge geared toward beginners. It’s a great way to start contesting paradigms and brainstorming outside of the box as you are guided through the process of creating a vision and making it happen….
Starting & Running Your Own Small Farm Business
That first year of entrepreneurship can be rather daunting, no matter what your business is. Fortunately, Sarah Beth Aubrey walks you through the process in ten steps. The ten steps outlined in Aubrey’s book, Starting & Running Your Own Small Farm Business, are: Build a plan. Test the waters. Get the money. Choose your business…
Free eBook: Building a Sustainable Business
Are you considering making the jump and turning that farming hobby of yours into a real business? Do you already have a farm business and are considering expansion, new options in your operations, or maybe passing the enterprise along to the next generation? If so, you might want to map out your ideas in a…
