by Leah and Elina Furman Published December 1, 1997 Read more Small Business Brainstorms	With the ban on butter and the war on salt, the time is ripe for growing your own herb garden. Consumers and restaurants are in hot pursuit of this savory commodity, so there's no time like the present to harvest the herbal cash crop. The organic craze will also feed into your corporate account. People are willing to pay top dollar just to go au natural. Chefs have also gone wild over the great taste of herbs, and since the food service industry is experiencing a period of unprecedented growth — in 1996 Americans actually spent more money on dining out than on groceries — that means more clients for your business. But the yumminess factor isn't all that herbs have going for them. There's also the holistic healing movement to take into account. A large percentage of the population is turning its back on conventional medicine and following the advice of Deepak Chopra all the way to the General Nutrition Center. All this hooplah about getting back to nature bodes well for all you up and coming herb farmers. And best of all, you don't even have to cart your fanny all the way to Green Acres country to make your herbal dreams a reality — you can grow your business right from your very home. So, if putzing around in soiled overalls is your idea of seventh heaven, an herb farm will make every day a Sunday. Raking in the Dough Be prepared, because unless you strike oil in the process, working the land isn't necessarily going to make you a wealthy landowner. Depending on the size of your crop, you stand to make anywhere from $30,000 - $150,000 per year in this business.
If putzing around in soiled overalls is your idea of seventh heaven, an herb farm will make every day a Sunday.	Start-Up Costs: The herb farmer's ante can run the gamut from a paltry $3,000 to a staggering $300,000. But since it's highly unlikely that your plan includes hundreds of acres in Heartland, USA, expect to invest an average of $40,000. Many herb farmers are indeed able to start up on the cheap by buying a small greenhouse — and expanding only after there's a solid client list in the works. Help is on the Way: You may have the greenest thumb this side of the Continental Divide, but when it comes to farming for profit, you're still a beginner. Here's how you can make others' experience work for you. Associations American Botanical Council: (512) 331-8868; P.O. Box 201660, Austin, Texas International Herb Growers & Marketers Association (AHGMA): (708) 949-HERB; 1202 Allanson Road, Mundelein, Illinois Trade Magazines Botanical and Herb Reviews: (501) 253-7309; P.O. Box 106, Eureka Springs, Arizona HerbGram. American Botanical Council: (512) 331-8868; P.O. Box 201660, Austin, Texas Natural Foods Merchandiser. New Hope Publications, 1301 Spruce Street, Boulder, Colorado Surf Into the Know HerbNet Sponsored by the Herb Growing and Marketing Network, this is Internet authority on herbs. Read All About It The Potential of Herbs as a Cash Crop by Richard Alan Miller; Ten Speed Press, 1992. Market Research: You can live the high life growing herb, but only if you come prepared. After all, this isn't the Dark Ages; while crossing your fingers and vibing to the beat of a rain dance isn't going to make you an overnight sensation, plowing through those books and digging for the right figures certainly will. Deciding which takers to target is no jaunt through the countryside. The botanical market is a diverse lot which includes the following: restaurants supermarkets health food stores medical industry holistic healing shaman manufacturers of herbally enhanced products wholesalers brokers Your job is to decipher what it is these buyers need, and as the song sayes, give them what they want.
WEB RESOURCE: U.S. Small Business Administration Online A terrific resource with information about the Small Business Act, tips on starting and financing your business, local resources, and much more.	Getting the Word Out: Now as for getting these buyers to come to you, keep dreaming! No way is that mountain ever coming to Mohammed! All upstart herb farmers must learn how to sell themselves. While cold calling will certainly become one of your many talents, you won't always have to go the door to door route — farmer's markets, for example, are a great place to meet restaurateurs and other industry professionals face to face. If you're going to give a winning pitch, one that will convince the buyer that your product will be there in due time and in good shape, you must bring plenty of product samples, and make sure that your presentation is: smooth and confident well-researched and accurate more economically viable than the competition's Equip Yourself: Greenhouse or a plot of land Seeds, fertilizer, soil, gardening tools and supplies Computer system Transportation for pick up and delivery of product and supplies Business cards and stationary Learn to Earn: Work on a farm for a few months and you'll see that a weed wacker only gets you so far. Since agriculture is a highly technical industry, what you don't know can hurt your business prospects. The general concensus on small-scale farming is that the would-be entrepreneur study agriculture and horticulture before going at it alone. Leah and Elina Furman are freelance writers living in Chicago, and are the authors of The Everything After College Book, to be released by Adams Media in the fall of '97. Leah and Elina invite readers to visit their homepage at members.tripod.com/~ElinaF. © 1997 Leah Furman and Elina Furman. All rights reserved.