You already know how many great agriculture business opportunities are out there. But there’s a narrower, and potentially more lucrative, niche for entrepreneurs to consider — organic agriculture. Sales of organic imports have grown steadily, reaching $47 billion in 2016 according to the Organic Trade Association.
Organic Agriculture Business Ideas
And that means there are still plenty of opportunities for U.S. agriculture businesses to profit from the organic agriculture market. If you’re interested in getting involved with this growing niche industry, here are some organic agriculture business ideas to consider.
Organic Produce Farm
One of the most popular ways you can get into the organic agriculture business is to grow organic produce. This is similar to regular produce farming, just without the chemical pesticides and fertilizers used by conventional farms.
Organic Dairy Farm
Similarly, you can start a dairy farm where you use natural processes and organic feed for the cows.
Organic Livestock Farm
Or you could start a livestock farm where you also use natural materials and processes to raise your livestock.
Organic Fish Farm
There’s some debate about how organic farmed fish can really be. But you can stay away from pesticides and follow the guidelines from the USDA for organic seafood.
Organic Grocery Wholesaler
Whether you grow one type of organic food item or have a whole farm, one option for selling those items is to be a wholesaler for large chains like Whole Foods or Walmart.
Organic Market
You could also open up your own organic food market where you sell organic items directly to consumers.
Niche Organic Store
Another retail type option would be to open up a small shop that focuses on a specific niche like an organic tea and coffee shop or a health food store that sells Mediterranean inspired options.
Roadside Farm Stand
If you have a small farm, you could also sell your products directly to consumers with a roadside farm stand that you can set up during busy seasons.
Farmers Market Vending
There are also plenty of farmers markets around the country that you can rent space from to sell your organic foods.
Organic Farmers Market
Or you could actually organize your very own farmers market and just work with organic farmers.
Organic Feed for Livestock
Since organic livestock farmers need to use organic animal feed, there’s another opportunity for agriculture business to provide that product to farming customers.
Herb Growing
If you have a smaller space to work with, you can also grow herbs to package for sale to consumers or retail outlets.
Organic Bath and Body Products
You can also grow various plants like lavender and aloe to use in bath and body products that you can then sell.
Organic Canning
If you grow fruits or vegetables organically, you could create jams, salsas or other products that you can package in cans or jars to sell online or in stores.
Organic Baby Food Sales
You can also use organic produce and turn it into packaged baby food to sell to health conscious parents.
Organic Dog Food Sales
It’s also possible to use some organic food items to make dog or cat food or treats to sell in specialty pet stores or even online.
Supplement Production
You could also grow certain plants like turmeric or beets that you can turn into organic supplements to package for sale.
Natural Cleaning Products
You can even use some organic items like lemon juice or olive oil to create natural cleaning products that appeal to health and eco-conscious families.
Organic Restaurant Wholesaler
For businesses that want to sell organic foods on a wholesale basis, you could actually sell right to restaurants rather than retail stores.
Farm to Table Restaurant
Another option would be for you to grow food on a rooftop or nearby farm and then use those organic items in a farm to table restaurant menu.
Organic Juice Bar
You can also use a variety of organic produce in juices and smoothies that you can sell at a specialty juice bar.
Organic Gardening Service
If you’re looking to start a service business, you could offer gardening services to people who want to grow their own vegetables or other plants without the use of unnatural materials.
Organic Compost Sales
You can also collect materials for composting and then sell organic compost to farmers or gardeners that want to only use natural materials.
Urban Rooftop Garden
You no longer need tons of space to start a farm or grow food items. You could start an urban garden on a rooftop or in a small lot and then sell those items to visitors or nearby businesses.
Organic Farm Consultant
Or if you have lots of organic farming expertise, you can start a business as a consultant where you help other agriculture businesses looking to go organic.
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This article, “25 Organic Agricultural Business Ideas” was first published on Small Business Trends