On top of bartering, bargain shopping, and repurposing, I've been thinking about selling some of our extra stuff in our effort to be more sustainable.
For example, right now I have 8 or 9 rabbits in my freezer and 8 more that will be ready to butcher in about 6 weeks. By the end of spring, I'll have more than enough rabbit meat to last the year. By raising one or two litters over the summer I could sell enough rabbit meat to pay for a lot of the rabbit feed we buy.
And then there are eggs. Plenty of farmers in my area sell eggs. But there isn't anyone selling them at the local farmer's market. Maybe I could get some of my chicken feed costs covered that way.
Soap? Pretty soon I will have all the supplies I need to start making our own soap. Why not get my share of the artisan soap sellers' pie?
I've started looking into the Indiana laws regarding selling meat and eggs. I found them a little confusing so I called the local extension office. They were helpful in pointing me to the links where the laws are located (which I had already found) but couldn't really help me decipher them. They did say the phone number listed was a good place to get advice so I will be calling with all my questions soon.
And here are my questions for y'all: Does selling from your homestead help? Is it worth the time and effort? How do you market your products? How did you find your customer base? Please share!
