As farm equipment has become more automated, small farms have had a difficult time competing with large farms on crops like corn and wheat. However, some crops must be harvested in ways that are physically challenging to do at large scale. These crops (some edible, some not) tend to be much more expensive on a per pound basis, and they can be lucrative revenue sources for small farming businesses. In this article, I go over 18 of the most lucrative cash crops for small farms to grow.
1. Gold of Kinabalu Orchid ($5,000/stem)
This rare species of orchid is native only to the rainforest slopes of Mt. Kinabalu of northern Borneo at elevations of 500-1200 meters above sea level. The plant is endangered and can take up to 15 years to mature before flowering, but once maturity is reached, it will flower every year. Each stem typically produces 3-4 flowers but can sometimes produce up to 6. The plant is known by many different names:
- Paphiopedilum rothschildianum (scientific name)
- Rothschild’s slipper orchid
- Gold of Kinabalu
- King of Paphs
- Sumazau Orchid
Your biggest challenge with growing these exotic flowers will be legally obtaining seeds or plants to get started. There is an entire orchid smuggling community that tries to steal the endangered plants from Kinabalu national park.
Your second biggest challenge will be verifying that any seeds or plants you do legally obtain are actually for paphiopedilum rothschildianum rather than some hybrid look-alike.
2. White Truffles ($3,200/pound)
In 2021, a 2 pound white truffle sold at auction for $118,000. That was much more expensive than your typical white truffle on a per pound basis, but even small white truffles can sell for over $4,000 per pound.
Truffles are technically the fruit of mycorrhizal fungi, usually in the Tuber genus. There are over 140 species, but relatively few have a real market value. The most economically important species are
- Tuber melanosporum (aka Black perigord truffle)
- Tuber brumale (aka Black winter truffle or muscat truffle)
- Tuber aestivum (comes in two varieties):
- Tuber aestivum var. aestivum (aka Summer truffle)
- Tuber aestivum var. uncinatum (aka Burgundy truffle)
- Tuber indicum (aka Chinese black truffle)
- Leucangium carthusianum (aka Oregon black truffle)
- Tuber magnatum (aka White winter truffle)
- Tuber oregonense (aka Oregon white truffle)
The species that sell for the highest prices are those native to Europe (e.g. T. magnatum) while species native to Asia (e.g. T. indicum) and America (e.g. T. oregonense) are still expensive but much less so. T. magnatum (the white winter truffle) is the species which generally sells for the highest prices.
The reason white truffles are so expensive is that they are time-consuming and difficult to grow. They take around 7 years to develop, only grow in particular climates, and only grow on the roots of certain species of mature trees. However, if you have either patience or the scientific curiosity to devise a faster and more reliable way to grow them, you could have a very profitable truffle farming business.
December 2022 Sample Prices:
| Unit Size & Cost | Equivalent Price per Pound | Product Description | Market |
| $60 / 1 oz | $960 | Fresh Oregon white truffles (Tuber oregonese) | truffledogcompany.com |
| $149 / 4 oz | $596 | Oregon white truffles | oregontruffletraders.com |
| $250 / 1 oz | $4,000 | Fresh Italian white truffles | almagourmet.com |
| $290 / 1 oz | $4,640 | Fresh Italian small white truffles | trufflin-nyc.com |
| $3,200 / 1 pound | $3,200 | Fresh Italian small white truffles | trufflin-nyc.com |
| $2,993 / 8 oz | $5,985 | Fresh Italian Alba white winter truffles | gourmetfoodstore.com |
Truffle Farming Resources:
- Oregon native truffles: A primer for commercial production on small forestlands in the Pacific Northwest
- NATGA (North American Truffle Growers’ Association): Truffle species
3. Magic mushrooms ($2,400/pound)
Magic mushrooms are psychoactive mushrooms that contain the chemical psilocybin. Currently, these mushrooms are illegal in the U.S., but Oregon recently passed a law that legalizes them for licensed medical use. If magic mushrooms follow a similar path to cannabis with regards to legalization, it’s possible that magic mushroom farming could become a very lucrative new business opportunity soon.
There are actually more than 180 species of psilocybin mushrooms, but some of the most important are:
- Psilocybe cubensis (of which there are several different strains)
- Psilocybe semilanceata (Liberty Caps)
- Psilocybe azurescens
- Psilocybe tampanensis (Magic Truffles, Philosopher’s Stone)
- Psilocybe zapotecorum
- Psilocybe cyanescens (Wavy Caps)
- Psilocybe caerulescens (Landslide Mushrooms, Derrumbes)
- Psilocybe mexicana (Teonanacatl, Pajaritos)
- Psilocybe caerulipes (Blue Foot Mushroom)
- Psilocybe stuntzii (Blue Ringer Mushroom, Stuntz’s Blue Legs)
Psilocybe cubensis is perhaps the most widely grown and consumed type of magic mushroom due to its ease of cultivation. However, Psilocybe semilanceata (Liberty caps) are the most widespread naturally growing psilocybin mushroom in the world.
4. Saffron ($2,268/pound)
Saffron is the most expensive spice in the world. The spice is actually the stigmas of Autumn Crocus flowers (Crocus sativus to be specific). Each flower only has three red stigmas (also called threads), so you need about 170,000 flowers to make one pound of saffron. Threads retail for around $5 per gram ($2,268 per pound), and powder (made from ground threads) sells for around $1 per gram.
Saffron production is concentrated in Iran which means economic sanctions create more scarcity in the U.S. than would naturally be the case.
December 2022 Sample Prices:
| Unit Size & Cost | Equivalent Price per Pound | Product Description | Market |
| $19 / 1 gram | $8,618 | Spanish superior grade saffron (threads) | myspicesage.com |
| $51 / 5 grams | $4,627 | Spanish superior grade saffron (threads) | myspicesage.com |
| $88 / 10 grams | $3,992 | Spanish superior grade saffron (threads) | myspicesage.com |
| $179 / 28 grams | $2,898 | Spanish superior grade saffron (threads) | myspicesage.com |
Saffron Farming Resources:
5. Black Truffles ($1,005 per pound)
Black truffles aren’t as pricy as their white counterparts, but they are still expensive. Black “winter” truffles are more valuable than “summer” truffles, fetching prices around $1k per pound.
December 2022 Sample Prices:
| Unit Size & Cost | Equivalent Price per Pound | Product Description | Market |
| $1,005 / 1 pound | $1,005 | Fresh Italian black burgundy truffles | gourmetfoodstore.com |
| $407 / 1 pound | $407 | Fresh Italian black summer truffles | gourmetfoodstore.com |
Truffle Farming Resources:
6. Marijuana ($658/pound)
Marijuana has a complex legal status with federal and state laws disagreeing in many parts of the U.S. However, there is a general trend towards legalization, and the legal marijuana business is likely to continue growing in the future.
Marijuana plants are grown for their flower buds which are ground and then smoked out of a pipe or bong. Average market prices for legal marijuana as provided by Colorado’s Department of Revenue are summarized in the table below.
Average Q4 2022 Colorado Prices:
| Price per Pound | Product Description | Source |
| $658 | Retail marijuana bud | https://tax.colorado.gov/average-market-rate |
| $249 | Retail trim | https://tax.colorado.gov/average-market-rate |
| $126 | Wet whole plant | https://tax.colorado.gov/average-market-rate |
7. Red-Veined Sorrel Seeds ($219/pound)
The red veined sorrel plant (Rumex sanguineus) seeds are expensive because the plant itself has become a popular crop for profitable microgreen farmers. You can grow the plant for the seeds and as a bonus you can sell the edible plant leaves as well.
December 2022 Sample Prices:
| Unit Size & Cost | Equivalent Price per Pound | Product Description | Market |
| $219 / 1 pound | $219 | Sorrel – Red Veined – Microgreens Seeds (Approx 240k seeds) | trueleafmarket.com |
| $864 / 5 pounds | $173 | Sorrel – Red Veined – Microgreens Seeds (Approx 1.2M seeds) | trueleafmarket.com |
| $301 / 1 pound | $301 | Sorrel, Red Veined Organic Microgreen Seeds (Approx 800k seeds) | johnnyseeds.com |
8. Vanilla Beans ($200/pound)
Vanilla beans are used to produce vanilla flavoring extracts that are used in baking. Vanilla beans actually grow on a type of vining orchid known as Vanilla planifolia. The plant requires 2-3 years to mature before it can produce vanilla beans, and then the beans will take another 6-9 months to grow and mature after the plant has matured. The plants must also be hand pollinated which is labor intensive. Invent a vanilla-pollinating robot, maybe?
December 2022 Sample Prices:
| Unit Size & Cost | Product Description | Market |
| $200 / 1 pound | Papua New Guinea Vanilla Beans – grade A whole pods | vanillabeankings.com |
| $200 / 1 pound | Ugandan Vanilla Beans – grade A whole pods | vanillabeankings.com |
| $225 / 1 pound | Sri Lankan Vanilla Beans – grade A whole pods | vanillabeankings.com |
| $500 / 1 pound | Madagascar Vanilla Beans | meridiancacao.com |
| $15 / 3 beans | Madagascar Vanilla Beans | meridiancacao.com |
| $186 / 1 pound | Vanilla Bean Madagascar – Bourbon grade A 16 oz | beanilla.com |
9. Fennel Pollen ($195/pound)
You’ve heard of (and probably eaten) fennel seeds, but have you heard of fennel pollen?
Sometimes called “the spice of angels”, fennel pollen is just the pollen of the fennel plant. Fennel is a member of the carrot family. Each plant has a hearty bulb with long green stalks with light, feathery leaves called fennel fronds that produce tiny yellow blossoms. Fennel pollen is harvested from those blossoms.
December 2022 Sample Prices:
| Unit Size & Cost | Equivalent Price per Pound | Product Description | Market |
| $68 / 4 oz | $272 | Fennel Pollen | myspicesage.com |
| $195 / 1 pound | $195 | Fennel Pollen | myspicesage.com |
| $22 / 1 oz | $352 | Fennel Pollen | “Pollen Ranch” brand on amazon.com |
10. Wasabi ($130/pound)
The “wasabi” in American restaurants is not usually real wasabi but rather dried & powdered horseradish mixed with food coloring and water. Real wasabi is somewhat difficult to grow at commercial scale and has traditionally only been grown in quantity in Japan. However, there are now two companies (Pacific Coast Wasabi and Frog Eyes Wasabi) that successfully grow wasabi in green houses in North America.
Real wasabi is a semi-aquatic plant. The plant’s rhizome (a type of root) is grated to produce the usual-looking green wasabi paste.
It takes 12-48 months to grow a wasabi plant to maturity, although it may be able to grow more efficiently using hydroponics.
There are 17 different wasabi cultivars, but only 2 are commonly grown commercially: Daruma (which produces a single rhizome) and Midori (which produces multiple offsets).
December 2022 Sample Prices:
| Unit Size & Cost | Equivalent Price per Pound | Product Description | Market |
| $190 / 1 pound | $190 | Large real wasabi rhizomes | realwasabi.com |
| $135 / 1 pound | $135 | Wasabi root (rhizome) for food | thewasabistore.com |
| $130 / 1 pound | $130 | Wasabi rhizomes | hmbwasabi.com |
| $181 / 1 pound | $181 | Fresh wasabi | pacificwildpick.com |
Wasabi Farming Resources:
11. Ghost orchids ($75/plant)
The ghost orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii) is a species of orchid that has no leaves. The plant is native to Florida and Cuba and requires different growing conditions than most orchids. It requires high humidity with less airflow and is also quite sensitive to water quality. When removed from their native environment (which is very humid and marshy), their survival rate is very low.
In the wild, the plants typically take 16 years or more to bloom, if they ever do at all. However, Dr. Michael Kane at UF has had some success in getting the flowers bloom in 3 years.
Legally obtaining a ghost orchid can be challenging. It is illegal to harvest a ghost orchid plant that you find in the wild. Many of seedlings sold online are not pure dendrophylax lindenii but rather some sort of hybrid. These hybrids can be expensive although not necessary as expensive as a pure ghost orchid.
December 2022 Sample Prices:
| Unit Size & Cost | Product Description | Market |
| $60 / plant | Dendrophylax (sallei X lindenii hybrid) — mounted young plant | illexotics.com |
Ghost orchid information:
12. Kaffir Lime Leaves ($73/pound)
Citrus hystrix (aka Kaffir lime, Makrut lime, or Thai lime) is a citrus fruiting plant native to tropical Southeast Asia. Both its fruit and leaves are used in Southeast Asian cuisine, but its leaves are more valuable on a per weight basis. The leaves are also used to make perfumes since the crushed leaves emit an intense citrus fragrance.
Growing a Kaffir Lime tree from a seedling to maturity can take up to 10 years, but a tree grown from a cutting can bear fruit as soon as 3 years after planting. Florida has the perfect climate for growing these trees.
December 2022 Sample Prices:
| Unit Size & Cost | Equivalent Price per Pound | Product Description | Market |
| $77 / 1 pound | $77 | Kaffir Lime Leaf Powder | myspicesage.com |
| $1,449 / 50 pounds | $29 | Kaffir Lime Leaf Powder | myspicesage.com |
| $730 / 10 pounds | $73 | Kaffir Lime Leaves (dried) | myspicesage.com |
| $2,900 / 50 pounds | $58 | Kaffir Lime Leaves (dried) | myspicesage.com |
| $73 / 1 pound | $73 | Kaffir Lime Leaf Powder | olivenation.com |
| $155 / 1 pound | $155 | Makrut Lime Leaves | marxfoods.com |
Kaffir Lime Farming Resources:
13. Mahlab Seeds ($57/pound)
Mahlab seeds are found in the pit of the St. Lucie Cherry which is native to the Mediterranean region.
December 2022 Sample Prices:
| Unit Size & Cost | Equivalent Price per Pound | Product Description | Market |
| $9 / 1 oz | $144 | Mahlab whole seeds | myspicesage.com |
| $19 / 4 oz | $76 | Mahlab whole seeds | myspicesage.com |
| $57 / 1 pound | $57 | Mahlab whole seeds | myspicesage.com |
| $410 / 10 pounds | $41 | Mahlab whole seeds | myspicesage.com |
| $1,750 / 50 pounds | $35 | Mahlab whole seeds | myspicesage.com |
14. Ginseng ($45/pound)
Ginseng comes in two main types: Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng) and American ginseng. The roots of these plants are dried and then ground into powder for consumption as a food additive or supplement. Prices vary a lot depending on the type of ginseng, whether the ginseng was wild or cultivated, whether the source of the ginseng can be trusted (e.g. was the powder cut with fillers?), and where the ginseng was produced.
December 2022 Sample Prices:
| Unit Size & Cost | Equivalent Price per Pound | Product Description | Market |
| $178 / 2.5 pounds | $71 | Wisconsin Ginseng Powder – Bulk | wisconsingrownginseng.com |
| $65 / 1 pound | $65 | 3-Year Field-Run (Bulk) Wisconsin American Ginseng Roots | wisconsingrownginseng.com |
| $600 / 10 pounds | $60 | 3-Year Field-Run (Bulk) Wisconsin American Ginseng Roots | wisconsingrownginseng.com |
| $231 / 1 pound | $231 | Panax Ginseng Root Whole, Red | mountainroseherbs.com |
| $48 / 1.1 pound | $44 | Panax Ginseng Powder | nutricargo.com |
| $204 / 1 pound | $204 | American Ginseng Root Powder Organic | starwest-botanicals.com |
| $54 / 1 kg | $25 | Panax Ginseng Root Powder | boxnutra.com |
| $45 / 4 oz | $180 | American Ginseng Powder | oregonswildharvest.com |
| $42 / 1.1 pounds | $38 | Ginseng Root Extract Powder | From BulkSupplements on amazon.com |
15. Long Pepper ($44/pound)
Long pepper (Piper longum) is a flowering vine that is cultivated for its fruit which is dried and used as a spice. It has a similar taste to its more common cousins black and white pepper.
December 2022 Sample Prices:
| Unit Size & Cost | Equivalent Price per Pound | Product Description | Market |
| $36.50 / 1 pound | $36.50 | Long pepper (Piper longum) | mountainroseherbs.com |
| $87 / 1 pound | $87 | Long pepper | olivenation.com |
| $59 / 1 pound | $59 | Long pepper | spicespecialist.com |
| $221 / 5 pounds | $44 | Long pepper | spicespecialist.com |
16. Grains of Paradise ($39/pound)
Grains of Paradise are growing in popularity (a claim backed up by both Google Trends and a statement on the spice market website myspicesage.com). This spice is used as a bougie black pepper substitute and has notes of citrus.
The plant takes about 12 days to start growing from seed and will be ready for its first harvest about 10 months after that. It will then continue to be productive for about 10 years. You may be able to speed this up somewhat using controlled growing environments.
December 2022 Sample Prices:
| Unit Size & Cost | Equivalent Price per Pound | Product Description | Market |
| $7.50 / 1 oz | $120 | Grains of Paradise | myspicesage.com |
| $15 / 4 oz | $60 | Grains of Paradise | myspicesage.com |
| $39 / 1 pound | $39 | Grains of Paradise | myspicesage.com |
| $1,249 / 50 pounds | $25 | Grains of Paradise | myspicesage.com |
17. Green Cardamom ($29/pound)
Elettaria cardamomum (aka green cardamom or true cardamom) is an herbaceous perennial plant in the ginger family. The plant’s seeds are used as a spice.
December 2022 Sample Prices:
| Unit Size & Cost | Equivalent Price per Pound | Product Description | Market |
| $83 / 3 pounds | $28 | Rani Green Cardamom Pods | ranibrand.com |
| $30 / 1 pound | $30 | Green Cardamom Pods | slofoodgroup.com |
| $24 / 8 oz | $48 | Cardamom Pods | nuts.com |
| $65 / 1 pound | $65 | Cardamom Pods Whole, Green (Elettaria cardamomum) | magick.com |
| $44 / 1 pound | $44 | Frontier Co-op Organic Green Cardamom Seeds, Whole – Bulk Bag | Frontier Store on amazon.com |
| $29 / 1 pound | $29 | Organic Cardamom Pods, green, ripe | essentialorganicingredients.com |
18. Bok Choy Microgreens ($25/pound)
Microgreens are the seedlings of vegetables and herbs that are harvested when they are only 1-12 inches tall and have typically only been growing for 1 to 28 days. They are nutrient-dense superfoods and have been steadily growing in popularity for the past several years.
Bok Choy microgreens are the seedlings of the Bok Choy plant. They are some of the most expensive microgreens on the market.
One of the great things about farming microgreens is that not only are the greens themselves pricier per pound than most normal crops, but each crop might take only 2 weeks which means a greenhouse or hydroponics farmer could turn out 26 harvests a year. Compare that with something like truffles which sell for a much higher price but may take 7 years to give you a single harvest.
December 2022 Sample Prices:
| Unit Size & Cost | Equivalent Price per Pound | Product Description | Market |
| $30 / 1 pound | $30 | Delivery of 1 pound fresh | zeraleaf.co |
| $146 / 1 pound | $146 | Micro Bok Choy | marxfoods.com |