Herbs nowadays are very much in demand, particularly with the popularity of specialty foods and cooking, and homeopathic medicines. Many people are into aromatherapy, which uses herbal oils and fragrances. Culinary herb varieties, such as basil, chives, parsley, oregano, thyme, mint, rosemary, French tarragon and many others, are growing in use. One particular herb, the medicinal herb ginseng once grown in Asia, is now grown in some parts of the United States and Europe. The growing interest in alternative medicine and healing both in America and the rest of the world ensures that this is a market set to expand.

Small-time herb farming can be an ideal business for those who love farming, as herbs can be grown in almost all seasons, in greenhouses, sun rooms and/or outdoors in relatively small spaces. Dried herbs can also be sold to crafters and florists for wreaths, floral arrangements, etc. Your first step is to decide what area of the business you want to develop (e.g. plants, herb products, aromatherapy, etc.). You can sell your herbs wholesale to local grocery stores and specialty food markets, sell directly to customers on and off the Internet at retail prices, herbalists and aroma therapists, caterers and restaurants specializing in gourmet cooking, mail order, and several other channels.

Herbs are tremendously popular these days--from the smallest shop to the largest discount warehouse, you’ll find medicinal herbs, culinary herbs, and herbal teas, baths, candles and aromatherapy essences. If you love the romance and mystique of herbs and you like gardening, then an herb farm might be just the business for you. You’ll plant and raise your herbs, then sell them to wholesale or retail customers. You can also sell container plants or herbal products like soaps or vinegars. Some herb farmers operate pick-your-own fields where customers can gather their own plants. The advantages to this business are that it’s just you and Mother Nature--this is real back-to-basics stuff, good for the body and the soul--and you can start from home, part time if you like. You can start out small, growing your herbs in a large backyard or renting inexpensive land, but keep in mind that your profits will also be small unless you’ve got two-digit acreage. You’ll need a solid working knowledge of growing and nurturing herbs. If you’ll be working several acres or more, you’ll need to know farming techniques as well--commercial growing is different from coaxing along a few plants in a backyard border.

You can sell potted plants to garden centers, florists and nurseries. And you can put your herbs directly in the public’s hands by selling at farmers’ markets and flea markets. Your best bet for selling to other businesses large or small is to develop a niche--a specialty that’s fresh and new in your area--so that instead of competing, you’ve got an untapped market. If you want to go the wholesale route, contact distributors (which you can locate through herb and specialty foods organizations). To sell directly to SOHOs, take samples of your herbs to them and ask for their business. For farmers’ and flea markets, contact the market organizer to find out about fees, then make space reservations--display space at some flea markets and swap meets can be very competitive, so don’t wait until the last minute to make arrangements. If you plan on a pick-it-yourself operation, advertise in local papers and put advertising/directional signs on roads leading to your farm. (Make sure to get permission from land owners and local zoning authorities.)

Resources: 
Herb Growing and Marketing Network (http://www.herbnet.com)