How to Make Extra Money on 96 Acres

Land can be used to make money in many different ways.

A parcel of land is a good investment and a secure hedge against hard times. In addition to the value of the land itself, you could gain an income from it through many different entrepreneurial ventures. The best businesses for a piece of land are those that add to the value of the land while making money for the owner. Clear cutting the land or leasing it as a waste dump may make some short-term profit but is detrimental to the land and to its resale value. A good business supports the owner, provides a public service and leaves the land as healthy as it was before.

Things You'll Need

• Storage building
• Maintenance tools
• Farming tools
• Solar panels

Instructions

Start a Self-Storage Business

1. Open a self-storage business and rent units to people with nowhere to put their stuff. This venture has a relatively large start-up cost but can be quite profitable if you already own the land.

2. Build a utility building with separate and secure units to hold people's belongings. Each unit should be waterproof and secure from insects, mildew, and thieves.

3. Access further income by providing lots for rent where people can store their boats and RVs during the off season.

Open a Campground

1. Build a series of secluded lots where you can charge people to camp. Create flat sites of approximately 20 feet in diameter with space for a tent or a camper.

2. Build permanent fireplaces where people can cook, to make it easier for them and to encourage them to build fires in one place, safely and responsibly. Build picnic tables and put them next to the fireplaces.

3. Provide some of the sites with electricity and running water hookups and rent them at a higher rate to people with RVs.

Start a Farm

1. Research what crop will provide a good return on investment and grow it on part of your land.

2. Grow specialty, high-value crops such as ginseng, garlic or herbs. Market them in a roadside stand or wholesale them to local restaurants and stores.

3. Help the health of your crops and gain further income by keeping bees, which will pollinate the crops and provide honey for use and sale.

Sell Solar Power Back to the Grid

1. Install a bank of solar panels to produce electricity that you can sell back to the utility company. Research the feasibility of this in your area; some utility companies will not buy back power, while others are required to.

2. Hook up the system to your house so that you can use the power, or make the system separate from your house and solely for sale back into the grid.

3. Investigate the purchase of trackers that keep the panels pointed at the sun for the entire day, producing more electricity per panel. This is only if you have wide, flat land.

References

• "How to Make Money in Self Storage", R.K. Kliebenstein, Coast to Coast Communications, 2008
• My Small Biz: Start a Campground Business
• Organic Gardening and Homesteading: Homesteading Income