Recently I saw a class offered by the local community college on growing plants as a hobby to sell as a part time business. It seems interesting and like something I might be interested in doing as a hobby and to make a little mone I have seen plants sold at the local Farmer's Market. I do wonder if there is a market for small home grown plants.
I did find a guy in Ohio that sells information on his set-up. Where I am is warmer than Ohio which would give me a longer growing season.
Anyone here have a business growing plants and selling them, other than vegetables?
There is definitely a market for homegrown plants (other than vegetables). I have never sold plants of any kind, but I can assure you that if you sold something unusual at the weekly farmer's market in my area, I would be one of your regular customers. Here -- way out west, in a very small town -- the same sellers are there week after week. After I buy my fill of plumcots (or Pluots, which I believe is the trademarked name) -- a delicious cross between plums and apricots (made by grafting the branch of one tree onto the other), I usually head for the lady who sells succulent seedlings.
The trick to success, I think, is selling something few others have to offer (thus, my attraction to the offerings of the "succulent lady"). If you do this, it might be worth considering inner-city farmer's markets. I haven't spent much time in Maryland, but I know I would be stopped dead in my tracks if I saw seedlings for sale on the streets of downtown Baltimore.
If I ever manage to overcome the challenges of the weather out here (it's cold and windy), I would love to turn our five acres into an agave farm; I understand there's quite a market for U.S.-grown agave, as even Mexico (where it grows like mad) cannot keep up with the demand. (It's used to make tequila, but in recent years has become insanely popular as a natural, healthy sweetener.) I hear that once the stuff takes root, it's almost impossible to
stop its growth! (It also makes a great retardant for soil erosion, and is a good "firescaping" plant.)
I expect that if I were to ever get it growing, agave would be a great little plant to sell in starter pots. And if one could grow it large-scale, it could provide a very nice income sold as a raw material.
So, yes, if you have the space, try it! Not necessarily agave, of course, but perhaps something that could serve double-duty as both a decorative and a useful plant. By "useful," I mean edible, and/or something that would be beneficial in terms of combating soil erosion or the like.
Good luck! If you decide to do it, I'd love to hear how it works out.
