Own A Horse or Homestead Farm? Let It Pay Your Bills

Many people dream of retiring to horse farms, going off the grid, and living self-sustaining lifestyles. However, few people make it as far as buying land — which should include a focus on horse property if you’re dreaming of owning a few horses — and having their own homestead. Now, it’s time to turn your fun new horse farm/homestead into a business venture that allows you to share your passion with the world.

Today, HorseProperties.Net shares a blog full of ideas on what you can do to create an income-generating homestead farm.

Board Horses

Boarding horses is a great option for anyone that’s purchased a large estate to house their own equestrians. In addition to boarding, you could offer riding lessons, grooming services, or work with a therapy agency to use your own horses as therapy animals. If you haven’t already bought, check out HorseProperties.net’s listings by state.

Sell Fresh Vegetables

If you’ve ever purchased your food from a CSA, you already know the benefits of eating locally grown foods. When you have a large plot of land and the passion to pursue gardening, you might launch your own CSA. Modern Farmer explains that it’s a smart idea to open up as a legal business entity and to draft an agreement before you get started.

Open Up For Photoshoots

Photographers are always looking for fresh spaces to shoot their subjects. If you have beautiful or unique features, such as a waterfall, pasture, or long fence, you can charge photographers and their clients by the hour to use your land as their backdrop.

Launch A Wedding Venue

Rural weddings are all the rage, and, if you have a large barn on your property, you have the perfect spot for a wedding venue. Georgia-based Cold Creek Farms explains that there are many reasons couples choose barn weddings, from having room to spread out to the great photo opportunities that await.

Host Guests As A Bed And Breakfast

If you love to cook, you can turn your farmhouse into a cozy bed and breakfast. You don’t have to have dozens of rooms, and a small, intimate retreat will appeal to adult couples looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Getting Started

Separate Your Living Areas

Before you launch any type of business endeavor from your home, you will need to get with your family to decide what areas need to be off-limits to guests or patrons. Obviously, your main living space, such as your living room and bedrooms, but also decide if any areas of the land should be marked as off-limits to the public. For example, if you have a cliff with a steep drop-off, you may need to put a fence and warning signs up before you open.

Market Your Business

Chances are, you will rely on word-of-mouth in the early days. But, building brand awareness is crucial to put your business when it is in a growth stage. One way to do this is to create imagery that showcases what you do. This starts with a logo, but you do not have to pay a graphic designer to have a professional-grade image created. You can use design logo online free apps and tools that provide icons, text, styles, and colors that let you adjust each feature until your art is just right.

Establish An LLC

Forming an LLC is an inexpensive yet priceless move that can protect your personal assets. You may be able to separate your home from your business by establishing an LLC structure. Further, this makes you look more credible to your potential customers, and you’ll enjoy some tax advantages when it’s time to file.

Your farm is your home, but you don’t have to keep it to yourself. You can share everything from your bountiful harvest to your serene views with people who are more than willing to pay for what you’ve got. This will put you one step closer to being fully sustainable and it will help fund all of the fun things you and your family will do on your homestead.

Written by Cindy Aldridge