Growing exotic spices in your own backyard has never been easier. There’s enough understanding of climates, optimal growing conditions, and required nutrients for almost every plant under the sun. However, when thinking about producing enough to break a profit, things can get complicated. It goes further than finding a place to grow it, requiring planning to get your brand out there and get people buying it from you and your small-scale farm.
What is Saffron?
When you see saffron in the grocery store, it looks like tiny red fibers. These filaments come from blossoms on trees and shrubs in tropical places. Traditionally, it acted as a dye, known for its colorful yellow tinge. Buddhists not only used it to dye clothing but also in healing practices for its powerful properties. Nowadays, saffron is known as a gastronomic superstar, adding color and unique flavor to dishes.
4 Steps Growing Saffron for Profit
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Grow
When brainstorming ways to plant spices for profit, you’ll first need to do your homework. For instance, the crocus plant grows in drier temperatures and can withstand the hot summers. The trees and shrubs that shelter the exotic spice need little rain and do better when soils have more sand mixed within. The optimal time for picking the red fibers from their blossoms is October, so you’ll need to plant from late January to February. Taking all of these things into consideration, you’ll need to map out a place to plant your shrubs and trees and give them all of the nutrients and care they need to grow.
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Harvest
Growing the spice is the easy part. The hardest part about working with this filamentous spice is harvesting and picking. Due to its delicate nature that’s prone to breaking, growers must pick by hand. You cannot use machines and must think about hours and hours of carefully picking fibers from each blossom. After collection, the fibers must dry, which can take a while until it’s ready for use. It can take up to 150 flowers or more to yield one single gram of filamentous spice to sale. So, if you’re trying to make a profit, get ready to jump in and get your hands dirty.
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Manage your Costs
One reason why growers prefer exotic dry-climate spices is low-cost for care. Growers can leave them alone most of the year, only dealing with harvest time. So, when looking at your budget, spend more on labor for harvest and save your money while investing.
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Market your Product
Selling in North America is pretty simple and comes with little to no competition. Most exotic spices sold on the market come from places like Spain and Iran. So, to market, think of ways to hone in on the homegrown product, giving buyers a solid reason to purchase your product. Plus, the fact that it’s not coming from overseas means your price is more competitive on the market than those from other countries.