| Want to start a business in the country? Want to | | | | They may stand on their own and be full time, such |
| revive rural communities? Seeking to start a rural | | | | as the man who grows rare peppers for his |
| business as your first home business, a second | | | | farm-produced sauces on less than three acres and |
| stream of income, or an enhancement to a current | | | | from that alone earns what he calls a "white collar |
| rural business? Both men and women rural | | | | income." |
| entrepreneurs are living the country dream again. | | | | They may be part time and seasonal such as the |
| 2009 is a remarkable year for those starting a rural | | | | summer u-cut flower garden or the fall rare squash |
| home business or small rural enterprise. | | | | patch. |
| Some of these include full time businesses for rural | | | | They may be part time and year-round, such as the |
| communities that capitalize on the rural and | | | | herb grower who makes custom massage oils for |
| nature-themed atmosphere, such as the rural | | | | local massage therapists. |
| B&B, a country folk school, a quilt-making shop, | | | | They may enhance other rural home businesses and |
| a writers' retreat, or a healing center. | | | | make those even better, such as the micro eco-farm |
| Some folks want to operate them more like | | | | that grows the products needed for a country |
| additional streams of income that allow country living | | | | B&B, allowing visitors to experience a real farm |
| and rural traditions to become more part of their | | | | and fresh-picked eco-friendly foods. Or, a full-time |
| livelihood. For example, tele-commuting is allowing | | | | weaver may raise a few angora goats to make prize |
| high-tech business employees to operate from rural | | | | throws she sells locally and from her own |
| settings. But if a spouse or even the whole family | | | | once-a-year barn sale. Her customers know the |
| wants an additional income that blends country living | | | | names of the goats each blanket was made from |
| with small business, they'll create additional multiple | | | | and word-of-mouth promotion spreads like wildfire. |
| streams of rural income that include more traditional | | | | 2. Agritourism, means hosting community and tourists |
| rural enterprises like small farming. | | | | on the farm or country home as a source of |
| Yet others want to enhance the income of a current | | | | revenue. For example, you may want your rural |
| agricultural operation to add variety and higher | | | | enterprise to mainly be a small farm that grows rare |
| revenue, such as the wife of a corn grower who | | | | herbs, or blueberries, or rare-breed dairy cows for |
| sold fresh produce from her garden, and eventually | | | | artisan cheese, or rare-wool sheep for handspinners, |
| outsold the corn operation. | | | | or laying hens for local restaurants, or you may want |
| No matter which reason for which a new small rural | | | | to make candles scented from your own flowers to |
| enterprise is chosen, here are two very good ones | | | | sell in town and online from your on-farm workshop. |
| to consider. | | | | For these or most other small farm enterprises, |
| 1. The Micro Eco-Farm. These tiny farms can enhance | | | | consider adding agritourism as a supplemental income. |
| other rural enterprises or stand on their own. They | | | | Give tours to garden clubs, scout groups or |
| produce substantial amounts of eco-friendly products | | | | elementary students for $5 or more a head. You can |
| for local niche markets such as selling fresh fruits and | | | | earn $500 a day with two tours like this. |
| farm-made preserves to local inns. | | | | |