Running A Successful Homestead Business Raising Blackberries

Tips, Tricks

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Almost everyone with a homestead yearns to find a successful Homestead-based business of some kind, to help make the property self-sustaining. Well, this video describes in detail, how to begin the process. Follow me as I let you in on some tips I've learned while building my own Homestead-based Business. In this video, I'm going to take you for a walk through my Blackberry U-Pick Farm operation, but your business could be blueberries, raspberries, fruits or vegetables. And don't think you'll need 40 or 50 acres to have success. I have about 17 acres, but my blackberry U-Pick operation is only using about A QUARTER of an acre. In the past few years, I've learned a few tricks that have propelled my homestead business to a nice part time cash income. Blackberries are seasonal, but enough money can be made in a short time (4 - 6 weeks) to really make it worth your while. Using the tips discussed in this video could help you to have one or more "seasonal" business ventures on YOUR homestead. I hope this will inspire you to start your own home-based "Homestead" business. Take care, alan http://homesteadadvisor.com/ Here's a link to the Blackberry Wine Video that I mentioned: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zqbo2Eo1stA&list=UUEHPs560RHUcsD0modg-lSA Here's a Link to some baskets like I use: http://astore.amazon.com/homegardenfarmimprovementemergencypreparedness.homesadvis0b-20/detail/B001397PEG Here's a link to a small scale that can be used... This one does not weigh in "tenths" of a pound. I couldn't find one like mine: http://astore.amazon.com/homegardenfarmimprovementemergencypreparedness.homesadvis0b-20/detail/B004164SRA Here's a link to some T-Shirt Bags like I use: http://astore.amazon.com/homegardenfarmimprovementemergencypreparedness.homesadvis0b-20/detail/B0025W9ALG

Comments

Ok so first I would like to say great looking place. I am 48 years old and had a few heart attacks and would love to do something like what you are doing. I am not able to retire but would love to at least start moving in that direction. I planted about 350 blueberry bushes that are still to young but should be producing next year. I would have to at least make 20k to survive. Do you think that would be possible in the Mississippi area with u-pick blueberries and farm stand? Oh one more thing I live in the country without a lot of traffic. Is it just a waste of time to try it?

put up another awning with chairs.
plus a water cooler and cups.. People get hot and cool water would be good. could use water jugs frozen to get the water cold and then refreeze for next days use.

How many pounds would 1 plant yield during harvest? I'm only wanting to grow some for myself.

We planted two, 160 rows of Triple Crown in 2014, boy they finally turned on this year. Thing is we picked about 32 pounds the other day in the terrible heat and put in the garage and when I got them out the next day I sat them on the counter and got out my canning stuff and the Steam Juicer and the finally to around to washing them and there was all these microscopic worms all over them! I am an old farm kid and I have never seen anything like this before. The ones we picked earlier did not have these things. Had my husband spray with Captain Jack's Dead Bug Brew so now the worms are gone, as the batch I picked today and washed them around in clear vinegar water and they were clean as a whistle. We picked some Sunday before the spraying and my box did not have any worms, but my husbands box had a couple in the water. I think it is caused by getting a mushy ones in the box that have the worms in them. Anyway they were hideous and I just wonder what the heck those things are called because I want to learn to keep them far, far away. Thank you for any help.

I'd love to see a follow up video on this. Additional tips you have, things that have worked well or things that have not worked well, etc. I'd like to ask a question but don't want to be rude in any way...could you give a rough estimate of how profitable this endeavor is. We are buying an 18+ acre farm and would like to have a you pick operation but I just wasn't sure if the profit would be there. Also, can you talk about what kind of insurance you carry for the u-pick...or is that just included with your homeowners?

Home made jam with a slice of bread for the kids before they pick would be another good idea.

Great videos, very informative. How many lbs. of Blackberries do you think you sold last year? How long did your U-pick season last? Good luck next year.

"Thank you, lord, for keeping everybody safe..." Because he doesn't want to be sued, not because he cares for the well being of people.

This year why don't you have everyone sign a liability waiver! Couldn't hurt just incase and wouldn't cost you anything but the price to print out the forms. Just try and name about everything that could possibly go wrong in some detail. Also, put up a big sign of multiple dangers on the farm and that they enter at their own risk. Hope this helps!

Live in Tyler were in smith county r u located would love to bring the family and get some black berries and visit

you should put all you videos on different blackberry recipes on DVD. Then sell them at your table.

Just made some Fig cuttings today from established trees. I'm in Warren, AR (45 min North of AR/LA line). Also got my 3 cuttings ea of 3 different varieties from UC Davis a week ago. Trying to get roots on them now. I have a single thornless blackberry (UofA, Ouachita? maybe) that live out of four I got on ebay. It's budding new growth now. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and insights, very useful info and good videos.

Thanks for the info. You sound like Matthew McConaughey, easy to listen to.

considering the price of blackberries in the grocery store, this is a bargain!

Put a rabbit pen and or a goat pen out there during picking days, put some of the animals in it, and do the same thing with their feed. You get the animals fed for you, the kids will love it, so will the parents/grandparents and you make money on the feed also. Good business.

I liked the blackberry video. and subbed. Will watch a few more.

You say it's about marketing but you don't advertise that you sell onions and tomatoes along the road