SEATTLE, WA © 2007 Barbara Adams www.BarbaraBerstAdams.com.
Herbs are a favorite crop for micro eco-farmers. Some focus on a particular herb, such as lavender as seen in the June 2007 Micro Eco-Farm of the Month. Others enjoy growing and selling a variety of themes, such as ethnic culinary herbs, Biblical herbs or colonial herbs. Whatever types of herbs you grow, you may find a way to enhance your current herb farm or start a new one by including some of the following newer niche herb products for sale. These revolve around "value-added" products, items you make on the farm from your crops to add to their retail value (for example, making and selling a lavender bath basket rather than selling wholesale bulk dried lavender); and "agritourism," or the idea of inviting community and/or tourists to your herb garden or farm for a fee as an additional source of revenue, plus to gain direct sale customers for your value-added products.

Be careful of making your own health claims for your products, as such claims are restricted in some countries. However, your products will sell better when their health benefits are revealed, so to do it properly, you can quote a respected third party research entity which has published information on the health of herbs. One of the best sources for this is The Herb Research Foundation, which describes itself as the world's source of accurate, science-based information on the health benefits and safety of herbs---and expertise in sustainable botanical resource development. They can be reached at 4140 15th St. Boulder, CO 80304, (303) 449-2265 (Office), (303) 449-7849 (FAX), www.herbs.org. The Herb Research Foundation also offers an extensive list of herb plant and herb seed suppliers.

HERBAL PRODUCTS TO PRODUCE AND SELL:

Grow herbs of historic times or far away lands, and give fee-based tours and usage demonstrations. Possibilities include American Shaker medicinal herbs, Biblical herbs, famous culinary herbs of France (such as those grown for Herbs de Provence) or indigenous herbs used by the natives of your area.

Create your farm's signature herbal soft brew, meaning devise a flavor of a one-of-a-kind farm-made soda pop for sale at your roadside stand, farm B&B, or local farmers' market. Micro breweries have become extremely popular. Cash in on the soft version. Soda pop was historically made at home by brewing herbs into root beer, and local soda fountains mixed a variety of fruit and herbal blends with carbonated water. These drinks actually started out as health drinks, and turned into the commercial product that, in some countries, now have health warnings listed on their containers. Return soda pop to its delicious, wholesome, and healthful roots. Once you find just the right formula and recipe, sell it from your own farm stand, through your CSA or farm B&B, at farmers' markets, and to local gourmet restaurants.

Grow an herbal tea garden, offering fee-based tours and usage demonstrations as part of your income stream. Herbal tea (more properly called herbal 'infusions') are nothing new. But what is new is the growing number of people who want to connect with actual farms and gardens and restore lost crops and flavors. There are more than 70 herbs that can be grown for tea. At your demonstrations, add value-added herbal products for sale: such as tea blends, herbal tea gift baskets, children's tea party gift baskets, and rare herb starts.

Use monthly fee-based tea parties to help sell your usual herbal value-added products: Chocolate mint sachets, world market tea blends (for example, mix your own lavender with fair trade South Africa rooibos tea purchased by you in bulk, as does Pelindaba Lavender Farm), herbal smoked sea salt, herbal bath and home spa products (bath salts, lotions, splashes), dried herbal mixes for smoking foods, farm-made rose and lavender ice cream, herb soup bags and herbal incense, to name a few possibilities. Consider turning at least one of your tea parties into a themed escape from current reality, as does a popular tea house near our farm…encouraging guests to dress in Victorian costume.

Focus on value added herbal wedding products. This type of herb farm can go well with a U-cut flower garden that produces its best flowers May through July. Offer head wreaths, garlands, silken bags of dried lavender to throw on the bride and groom instead of rice or birdseed, sachets as gifts for the bridesmaids, boutonnieres, bouquets, herbal infusion bags to flavor the punch, herbal flavored wines, and herb and flower cake top decorations.

Concentrate on building a reputation for the best herbal vinegars, cordials, and herbal infused wines. A growing number of people are familiar with the culinary uses for herbal vinegars, but ordinary wine can also be turned into a delicious culinary ingredient. Offer demonstrations on their use, sell them in gift baskets, and look into selling them for full retail to high end restaurant chefs and personal chefs.

The New Agritourism: Hosting Community and Tourists on Your Farm

Details how to successfully host people on your farm in a manner that builds revenue along with your farm's popularity. How and where to find and attract paying community and/or tourists, how to find and approach chefs, what to remember when holding a larger festival event, examples of many successful agritourism farms, much more.

Herbal Vinegar: Hundreds of recipes and ideas

Herb Mixtures and Spicy Blends: Including ethnic flavors, mulling mixtures, spreads and dressings

The Herbal Home Spa:
Masks, wraps, rubs, lotions, oils and scrubs

Shaker Medicinal Herbs
200 years of Shaker history and more than 300 plants grown and marketed by the Shakers

The Herbal Tea Garden

Country Tea Parties
Themes include a January Twelfth Night Party, June Bridal Shower and September Hikers' Tea

Homemade Root Beer, Soda & Pop

Melons for the Passionate Grower

SUPPLIES FOR SUSTAINABLE HERB BUSINESS:

Mountain Rose Herbs
Empty tea bags and other herbal tea containers, wholesale fair trade bulk exotic teas for blending with your own farm-grown herbs, much more. Click “Products.”