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Texas Agriculture Archive

March 1, 2002

Novel Niches
Money-making ideas for small acreages

By Lana Robinson
Field Editor

Looking for a novel niche that can make you money on 10 acres or less? Extension horticulturist Marty Baker of Overton shared ideas for some interesting and lucrative cash crops at the recent Blacklands Income Growth (B.I.G.) Conference in Waco.

Something's fishy

Fish may not fit your idea of livestock, but listen up.

"A fellow who had gone out of the hog business called and asked me if he could raise fish and plants in his old farrowing houses. I told him I didn't know why not. Today, he's raising several thousand tilapia, aquarium fish and two types of snails," Baker told the group attending his horticulture session. "Tilapia rank second worldwide in freshwater fish production, and they're becoming the number one fish for eating in this country. When they are fed a commercial ration, tilapia convert every 1 1/2 pounds of feed into a pound of flesh, a feed-conversion ratio better than beef cows, better than chickens and better than any other commercially raised fish. And they sell for $6 a pound and up in the grocery store. It's a way to make money in a small space with a low investment."

Because they can supplement their diet with pond algae and plankton, tilapia help keep a pond clean while feeding themselves.

"Power companies are buying them to use in their reservoirs. They don't get overstocked because they will die when the temperatures drop below 35 or 40 degrees. I grow my fingerlings in greenhouses," Baker noted. He gears some of his other money-making endeavors to aid in the fish production. "I raise cannas so I can raise seedless watermelon plants so I can raise snails so I can raise fish. I also grow iris in my rain gutters."

Baker said aquarium plants are also a potential market for those willing to give it a try.

"Arrowleaf is an aquarium plant that's easy to grow. Petsmart gets $8 for one. Barteri is another one. Eight high schools in East Texas are growing it. Three stems are $2.74. It grows like a weed," Baker said.

Always think creatively, Baker told his audience, explaining that he had paid $3 to $4 each for some white catfish that were being culled from a commercial catfish program, which he sells for $20 each to people who enjoy having a white catfish in their pond.

Vegetable opportunities

"If the market is lacking for plants, tie something in with your plants. For example, it's easy to make money with pumpkins in the fall. Plant one or two acres and then invite the elementary kids to come out. That's a ready-made market," he said.

Baker suggested planting onion seed in August (Aug. 8) and watering with t-tapes.

"You're guaranteed a green onion before Thanksgiving that's a 50 cent size. There's more money on this than a bulb onion in May," he said. "You can cover them with a row cover. And you can also dig them and put them in a cooler, produce your own transplants that way."

The Extension horticulturist said tomatoes are a potential money-maker. He recommended Carnival and Celebrity as varieties for salsa.

"Grape tomatoes are something you might want to think about. They grow them in Columbia. They're smaller than a cherry tomato. People like them because they're small enough to toss in their salads and not have to cut them up," he said.

Those interested in a pick-your-own orchard or growing fruit to peddle might consider the Mexican plum or the Ruskin Red peach, with bacterial canker resistance, in the Blacklands region. Baker recommended the Warren pear and Keeper, because of their resistance to fire blight. He said some Asian pears will grow in the region. In trials, Tsu Li, Ya Li and Hosui are the only ones that didn't get fire blight, he added.

"Only plant grapes that are resistant to Pierce's disease. Muscadines are good, but you'll need a heavy structure for them. Seedless Fry and Sugargate, which is 30 percent sugar, are good ones. Also, Black Spanish. Blanc du Bois is the best wine grape," he said.

Pecan varieties that do well in the Blacklands include Ozona and Osage, which don't get scab as a yard tree, and Melrose. Houma is another tree Baker mentioned that does not require spraying for scab. Although Mohawk and Chocktaw are good yard trees, they must be sprayed for scab, he said.

"We can't grow Paw Paws here, but two new fruits are possibilities. One is the Maypop, which is a cross between a passion flower from the South and passion fruit from the tropics. They sell for a $1.50 to $2 apiece, and they will grow in Waco. You can sell the flower, fruit and leaves. Also, the Oleaceae, which is a member of the olive family, is growing in popularity. It has 17 times more lycopene than a tomato. It helps prevent cancer," Baker said.

Don't forget tree farming

Finally, Baker said a small landowner can make the most money tree farming. Some gather acorns, grow them in cups and sell them to nurseries. Others grow them larger in containers or in root bags.

"Tree farming is exploding in East Texas. We have more than 800 acres of tree farms. Van Zandt County used to be a big hay county. Now tree farming has surpassed hay production. Two women in Palestine are making a living growing trees," he reported.

Baker said some tree farmers are making right at $42,000 acre.