Small market garden selling direct

Farmers market shoppers, local cafes and restaurants, and households who sign up for a weekly produce box.

You sell by the bunch, kilo or box. Margins are better when you sell direct, and regular box subscribers and café orders give steadier income than market stalls alone.

• Growing vegetables and planning crops by season
• Basic irrigation, soil and pest management
• Selling and dealing with regular customers

• Zoning and council rules for farming on your land, and whether you need approval to sell produce from it
• Water access and any water licence or rights needed in your state, plus the risk of drought
• Food safety expectations for selling fresh produce, check with your state food authority and the markets you plan to attend
• Rules on chemical and spray use in your state, and keeping records of what you apply
• Public liability insurance, and market stall requirements
• Weather and crop failure risk, and a lot of physical work, so plan your workload

Startup costs are typically around $8,000 to $40,000, depending on whether you lease or own the land, plus irrigation, tools and stall setup. These are estimates only.

Monthly revenue is typically around $2,000 to $10,000, depending on crop mix, season and how you sell, such as markets, cafes or weekly boxes. Weather and crop failure can affect income, and you should expect about 20 hours a week at minimum.

Check zoning and council rules for farming and selling from your land, any water licence or rights needed in your state, food safety expectations, and rules on chemical and spray use. Also check public liability insurance and market stall requirements.