Small orchard selling at markets and a farm stand

Farmers' market shoppers, people who stop at roadside stands, local grocers, restaurants and neighbours who want local fruit.

Fruit sold by the pound, bag or box, mostly in a harvest season of a few months. Storing fruit properly can extend sales into winter. Some growers add jams or pressed juice, which has its own rules.

• Basic tree care and pruning
• Patience with long growing cycles
• Selling and chatting with customers
• Planning around the seasons

• The startup cost range assumes you lease land or already own it. Buying an existing orchard or farmland is a much larger expense that is not included, so get local land prices and financing advice first
• Zoning and agricultural land rules differ by province and municipality, check what you can do and sell on your land
• Spraying: check whether your province requires pesticide training or certification
• Food safety rules for selling fresh produce, including any rules for selling across provincial borders
• Frost, hail, pests and disease can wipe out a season's crop, so consider crop insurance options
• Commercial general liability insurance, and WCB/WSIB rules if you hire helpers (these vary by province)
• Fruit income arrives in a short window, so plan your cash flow for the rest of the year

Estimates suggest startup costs are typically around $15,000 to $70,000, assuming you lease land or already own it, depending on trees and equipment. Buying an existing orchard or farmland is a much larger expense and isn't included. Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $500 to $2,500.

Check zoning and agricultural land rules in your province and municipality, and whether your province requires pesticide training or certification for spraying. Also check food safety rules for selling fresh produce, including any rules for selling across provincial borders.

Newly planted trees take several years to crop well, so many people lease an existing small orchard to start earning sooner. Estimates suggest at least about 10 hours a week. Fruit income arrives in a short window, so plan cash flow for the rest of the year.