Unique Cash Crop Ideas

As many of you know, my passion is bringing wild and obscure foods to public knowledge and I’m a big believer in introducing new crops to our agricultural system. I’m sure there are some of you out there who enjoy the foraging content and reading my usual stuff, but there may be some of you out there who want or need new crops to grow for profit on your small farm or homestead!

Recently I sent you a special edition interview with Dustin Kelly, a man who has made a business out of selling an invasive fruit. This week I’d like to share my top list of uncommon and wild plants that I think could have culinary and profit potential in the right market.

* Obviously, since I live in Michigan, this will largely be applicable to colder climates but many of these would work in most regions of the U.S.

I separated this list into two categories:

• Wild & Uncommon Fruits

• Wild & Uncommon Vegetables

I say “uncommon” because not all of these plants are wild in the U.S.

Let’s jump in:

Wild & Uncommon Fruits:

1. Honeyberry - Also called “haskaps” these small fruits are in the honeysuckle family. These berries look like oblong blueberries and have a similar flavor but with a deeper berry flavor that is hard to describe.

Some people are already starting to grow these around the U.S. and are having great success with a U-Pick model. I would also recommend looking into adding them to a CSA box, or value-adding them into jams, baked goods, and juices!

* One note about growing honeyberry: Do your research into what varieties you want. While they are very early producers, some will produce flowers at different times than others and you need at least two varieties to cross-pollinate!

Profit Potential: High

Difficulty: Low. Honeyberries are pretty easy to plant and maintain and are extremely cold hardy.

Time Investment: 2 years to start producing fruit. (Mine produced a very tiny crop in the first few months of planting, but nothing worth selling)

2. Elderberry - Elderberry is one of those crops that you hear people talk about all the time, but rarely do you see people grow it in the Midwest (at least in my area). Most of the U.S.’s Elderberry comes from Europe and is an inferior quality. I recommend planting elderberry on any farm/homestead, but if you want to use it as a cash crop, I’d plant rows of it.

I would recommend planning on value-adding elderberry right away. Fresh berries can definitely be sold, but the highest value is in the processing into syrups, juices, jams, and teas.

For more information, check out my newsletter on elderberry here

Profit Potential: High

Difficulty: Low. Elderberry propagates very easily, and once established does pretty well with little care. There is also a variety of elderberry for every state in the U.S.!

Time Investment: 2-3 Years to start bearing fruit.

3. Pawpaw - Pawpaws are a large native American fruit that has an astonishingly tropical flavor. While these fruits don’t have a long shelf-life, I think they could really be a huge seller in the right market.

For farms/homesteads looking to use pawpaw as a cash crop, I would consider doing a U-Pick orchard to save yourself the trouble of harvesting and let the customers eat them on their own terms, and I would definitely value-add as much as possible.

I also have a newsletter out on pawpaws here if you’re interested as well as a growing guide here

Profit Potential: Medium. This really depends on how well you value-add and market them since they are such an obscure fruit, but it can be done! Look to existing pawpaw orchards for inspiration.

Difficulty: Medium. Pawpaws can be a little bit nuanced to establish, but once established they don’t have many issues or care needs.

Time Investment: 4-7 years depending on age of saplings and variety.

4. Goldenberry - Goldenberry (also called “cape gooseberry” despite not being related to gooseberry) are small yellow fruits in the tomato family. They have a paper lantern husk around them like a tomatillo and have a tangy flavor reminiscent of citrus.

A quick note on goldenberry flavor (I’m passionate about this) not all varieties are created equal! There are a few varieties that I’ve had that taste a little more like a weird tomato, and others that tasted very tropical and tangy! I would recommend looking for varieties of the species “Physalis peruviana” as opposed to any of the other species.

I think goldenberries have tremendous culinary potential as well as huge market potential in CSA boxes, U-Picks, or as value-added items. My thought is you probably can’t go wrong with any of those options, but like any product, it has everything to do with how you market it.

These are technically tropical fruits, but they grow so fast you can easily treat them as a seasonal annual in colder climates.

Profit Potential: Medium. While they might be popular, I don’t think they’d fetch as high a price as others on this list.

Difficulty: Low. These are very easy to grow plants, but in colder climates just remember to start them early indoors! Some reports say that they reseed themselves very easily too making them likely to come back the following year.

Time Investment: 60-75 Days depending on variety.

5. Seaberry - Seaberry (or “sea buckthorn”) is a cold hardy shrub from Europe that produces small orange berries that are absolutely packed with vitamin C. These are extremely nutritious and have a tangy citrus flavor.

I am currently growing a seaberry right now, but I haven’t gotten fruit yet! This is a plant that requires a male and a female plant (1 male to every 7-8 females) in order to produce fruit.

I think these could be a great crop for northern growers, especially since it’s a natural source of vitamin C (only the acerola cherry has a higher vitamin C content!). I would recommend value-adding and maybe U-Pick if there was a good enough demand for it. The best uses for these berries are in curds, lemon replacement, oils, powders, and juice.

Profit Potential: Medium. Where there is demand, it could be very good but depending on your area it might be hard to create demand.

Difficulty: Low. Sea buckthorn is pretty low maintenance, salt resistant, cold hardy, and kind of does its own thing for the most part.

Time Investment: You’re looking at around 2-3 years to bear fruit.

6. Autumn Olive/Goumi - As evidenced by Dustin Kelly, autumn olive can be a great crop for the right market! As I mention in my newsletter on autumn olive, do NOT plant it. Forage for autumn olive or harvest it if it grows already on your land, but if you want something similar, plant goumi berry (it’s essentially the same plant but a different non-invasive species.)

I think these have potential in U-Picks, and at farmer’s markets especially. For value-adding, try juice, salsa, fruit leather, and baked goods.

My newsletter on autumn olive is here if you want more information.

Profit Potential: Medium. Autumn olive/goumi could fetch a fair market price for the right audience.

Difficulty: Low. Harvesting autumn olive efficiently can be done with old blueberry harvesting equipment, and neither goumi nor autumn olive require much care once established.

Time Investment: Around 2-3 years to start producing fruit.

Wild & Uncommon Vegetables:

1. Purslane - Purslane in my opinion should become a staple green in the American diet. It is extremely nutritious, delicious, and grows prolifically. My newsletter on purslane can be read here.

Purslane has an almost juicy crunch and can be used in anything leafy greens can be. For the farmer and homesteader, you probably already have it growing on your land as a weed! Since it’s great to eat and is going to grow there anyway, why not sell it? I could see it selling for as much per pound as lettuce which isn’t bad considering the low overhead.

I would focus on farmer’s markets and CSAs for this one. The nice thing about purslane is that it reseeds itself and doesn’t require starting indoors or greenhouse growing to thrive in a northern climate. The only real work is harvesting it. I would also look into Mediterranean restaurants and stores as a possible market since it is cultivated in those regions of the world.

Profit Potential: Medium. For the amount of work, you need to do, I’d say it’s worth harvesting and selling. Some reports say it regularly sells for around $10 per pound where it is cultivated and eaten.

Difficulty: Low. It grows everywhere even in the worst soil conditions.

Time Investment: Only the time you normally spend weeding!

2. Chickweed - Chickweed is a small weedy plant that grows in carpets around farms, gardens, lawns, disturbed areas, and in urban lots. It is also very good for you and can be used any way a microgreen could be! This is a spring green, but it is incredibly abundant.

I think it has culinary potential, and since it grows on its own every year, it’s definitely worth growing!

I would focus on selling fresh, making it into salves, and blending it into pesto. This is a very easy addition if you already grow herbs and garlic as well!

Another plant that you might as well sell if you’re already going to be weeding it anyway!

Profit Potential: Medium. When processed, profit can be pretty good considering the low effort. Fresh would probably not be as profitable.

Difficulty: Low.

Time Investment: Only your weeding time!

3. Wild Ramps - Ramps are a leafy onion (I’ll write about these this coming spring) that taste incredible. The flavor is like a fresh green onion mixed with the taste of garlic. It is very rich, and mouth-watering (seriously, you’ll taste it once and understand why people go crazy for them).

At market, they fetch a high price (around $50 per pound) because they are typically only foraged, the leaves and bulbs will sometimes go for different amounts when separated.

Note: The leaves and the small bulb are edible, but if you pull the bulb just remember that they will not regrow.

I would definitely sell fresh to restaurants and markets and make pesto, ramp butter, ramp garlic bread, and other value-added items if you have enough.

In some states, ramps are protected so be sure to check your local regulations about that. The other thing to note is that they really only grow in the Midwest/New England areas of the U.S., and they grow best in mature hardwood forests with moist soil. This is a pretty common ecosystem around me, so I figured this could be a great use of forested areas that can’t be farmed in traditional ways. Another factor is that they are tricky to grow because the seeds take so long to germinate (hence why I’d be hesitant to pull the bulbs).

This crop is also only available for about 3-6 weeks in the spring!

Profit Potential: High, but limited quantities.

Difficulty: Medium. They don’t require much care; they just take up to 7 years to germinate if you grow them from seed. Otherwise, they are easy to harvest the leaves from.

Time Investment: There is very little time investment involved unless you are growing them from seed in which case, you’re looking at 5-7 years before germination.

4. Stinging Nettles - Stinging nettles are well-known in Europe, but not nearly as well-known in the U.S. Not only is stinging nettle edible, but it is extremely nutritious and boasts a refreshing, leafy, green, flavor.

I don’t recommend letting customers harvest their own because of the fine stingers on the plant (avoidable with gloves). I also wouldn’t sell fresh; I would always value-add. Focus on teas, powders, and maybe even soup mixes, and drinks. I would also look into marketing to an audience that is interested in herbalism, natural remedies, and health rather than just the broader farm-lover.

This plant grows very commonly along forest edges, and stream banks. It is quite common on many farms (I’ll write a newsletter on this one at some point too!) so I think it could also make a great cash crop.

Profit Potential: Medium. Taking advantage of value-adding is highly important.

Difficulty: Low difficulty to maintain and grow, medium difficulty for harvesting. The stingers can be pretty irritating, but they will stop stinging once heated up.

Time Investment: Low. This plant grows fast and can be harvested a few times per year (the best harvests are in the spring).

5. Chicory - Chicory is common across most of the U.S. and grows in some of the worst soil conditions. The root is the main part that people would want to utilize and can be used as a coffee alternative.

To sell, chicory might get some sales as a fresh root or flowers, but I think making it into a coffee alternative is the real money-maker!

The roots can be roasted, ground, and blended with other flavors to make a simple caffeine-free, no-acid coffee alternative that could be both appealing and profitable. The roots can go pretty deep too, so it can be a little bit of a pain to dig up (I recommend using a sturdy garden fork to stick down near the roots and lever up to loosen the soil around the plant).

Profit Potential: High. When value-added, chicory can go for up to $11/lb dry weight, and up to $25/lb when combined with other flavorings or herbs. Considering that you have to do no work to grow it, I think that’s worth the trouble of harvesting.

Difficulty: Low. This is a resilient plant with no reason to maintain it. Harvesting can be made much easier by using a garden fork.

Time Investment: Low. Like many on this list, this plant is already growing there so the most time you’ll invest is in processing the plant. There are cultivated varieties that can be grown within a season (see my past publication on chicory).

6. Goldenrod - Goldenrod is one of those common misconceptions. You may see it all the time and get it confused with ragweed. Those yellow fluffy flowers on the roadsides and in fields? Yeah, that’s not ragweed! In fact, goldenrod actually helps alleviate seasonal allergies, it doesn’t cause them.

I think there is definitely a market for wild herbal products, and goldenrod is a great choice! Again, you don’t need to plant it, it comes back every year, and it’s very easy to harvest.

I would focus all of your attention on value-adding goldenrod. Think teas, tinctures, soap, cornbread, oils, syrups, fresh-cut flowers, and maybe even yellow dye. This is another plant that would benefit from being marketed to herbal enthusiasts and natural-remedy folk.

Profitability: High. I have seen half-pound bundles of dried goldenrod go for $35. There are a lot of value-adding opportunities here and considering the low-effort plant, I’d say take advantage of it!

Difficulty: Low.

Time Investment: Low. You can do a little more work for higher profit if you like, but if you just intend to sell dried plants that’s a very low commitment.

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