Everything You Need To Start Your Own Sustainable Agriculture Business

Julie Starr • March 3, 2021



If you want to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle and own your own business at the same time, you should consider starting a sustainable farm. It’s a very flexible business option that you can use as your main source of income or a way of supporting yourself while working part-time. As long as you set your farm up in the right way, you can make sure that it has a limited impact on the environment and you may even be able to make it completely self-sufficient. Here’s everything you need to get started. 

Decide What To Farm  

Before you do anything else, you need to think about what you are going to farm. If you are aiming to create a sustainable farm, it’s best to steer clear of livestock like cows because they are not very environmentally friendly. Instead, you should think about growing sustainable vegetables , like peas or broccoli, for example. 

Finding Some Land  

Once you have decided what you want to farm, you need to find a plot of land. If you already have a decent amount of land on your current property, you may be able to start the farm at home. Otherwise, you will have to look for local land for sale. When you find somewhere suitable, always have a survey carried out and check the state of the soil. The last thing you want is to buy a piece of land and then find out that the soil isn’t suitable for growing your chosen crops. 

Investing In Equipment  

Farming requires a lot of equipment, so you’ll need to invest a bit of money. Firstly, you’ll need simple things like vehicles, and you should use custom built work trucks to make field work a breeze and improve efficiency. You will also need vehicles for harvesting crops too. You can reduce the environmental impact of this by purchasing second-hand vehicles. As well as vehicles, you should invest in irrigation systems to water your crops. Automatic watering systems and drip irrigation systems are both effective ways to conserve water and make your farm more sustainable. 

If you are struggling with the startup costs, you should look into the available funding. There are programs by organizations like the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) to help people set up and run sustainable agricultural businesses. 

Creating A Brand 

Now that you have a farm and all of the equipment you need, you can start growing some crops and thinking about selling them. With this in mind, you need to create a brand for your new agricultural business. If you want to be successful, you should build sustainability into your brand and highlight the fact that your farm is very low-impact. Consumer attitudes towards food are changing and many people are looking for less impactful diet options. This often covers things like packaging but people are also more likely to be interested in where their food comes from and how it’s produced. 

Implementing Sustainable Farming Practices 

Research and employ sustainable farming practices that employ a holistic view. Take into consideration water, soil, biodiversity, and waste management.

Follow these steps and you can start your very own sustainable agriculture business.

5 Everyday Items That Can Quietly Boost Your Brand

By Julie Starr • July 17, 2025
The best branding doesn’t always come from big campaigns or expensive graphics. Sometimes it’s the smaller stuff that leaves the biggest impression. Things people actually use, touch, or carry with them. That’s where your brand can quietly make its mark without needing to shout about it. If you’re only focusing on social media and business cards, you’re leaving a lot on the table. Here are five overlooked ways to get your name out there that feel natural, useful, and more personal. Thank-you slips If you’re already sending out orders, there’s no reason not to include a short thank-you slip. You can easily get these made through any decent online print shop , and they’re usually pretty cheap to run off in small batches. Just a simple note that says thanks, maybe with a reminder to follow you online or a cheeky discount code for next time. It’s quick, thoughtful, and makes the whole order feel more finished. Customers notice that kind of detail, especially when everything else they buy online comes with zero personality. You don’t need a complicated design either. Just something clean with your logo, a message that sounds like you, and maybe a social handle. The point is to give them a reason to come back or remember your name without it feeling forced. Branded zip pouches If you sell physical products, offer services, or run events, small zip pouches are surprisingly effective. Think of the kind you’d use for stationery, receipts, or travel bits. You can get your brand printed on the side and hand them out with purchases or include them in welcome packs. People keep them because they’re actually useful. They get tossed in handbags, school bags, or glove boxes and your logo just keeps turning up. Cleaning cloths for glasses or screens This one works brilliantly if you’re in tech, health, beauty, or anything involving screens or eyewear. A simple microfibre cloth with your branding on it can go a long way. Everyone needs one. Whether they use it for glasses, a phone screen, or their laptop, it’s something they hang onto. It’s not the kind of thing people throw away, and that means your name sticks around too. Receipt envelopes You might already use little envelopes to hand over receipts or business cards. Branding those envelopes is a small change that makes a big difference. Instead of someone getting a scruffy bit of paper in a plain sleeve, they’re handed something that feels a bit more finished. You can even add a message inside. Doesn’t need to be anything dramatic. A simple “thanks for visiting” or “see you next time” is enough to add a personal touch. Wet wipes or mini hand gels If your business is in hospitality, food, or anything hands-on, branded wet wipes or pocket-sized hand gels are surprisingly popular. People actually use them, especially at festivals, food stalls, pop-ups, or kids’ events. They end up in handbags or cars and stick around longer than you think. They don’t scream “marketing” either. They’re practical, and when done right, they make your business feel thoughtful. That’s what good branding does, it shows you’ve thought ahead.

How Student-Led ‘Energy Audits’ Are Cutting School Costs (and Lighting the Way Forward)

By Julie Starr • July 14, 2025
What happens when students stop waiting for adults to fix things and start conducting their own energy audits? Money gets saved. The lights get switched off. Data gets analyzed. And a quiet revolution in sustainability begins—inside schools that once overlooked their own inefficiencies. Across the globe, student-led energy audits are proving that change doesn't always need to come from a policy shift or a major capital budget. Sometimes, it begins with a clipboard, a spreadsheet, and a group of curious minds asking: Why are the hallway lights on at noon when sunlight floods the building? The Energy Detectives These audits aren’t science fair projects. They’re rigorous investigations, often done in collaboration with facilities staff, local environmental nonprofits, or even engineering mentors. Students go from classroom to classroom measuring electricity usage, checking for phantom loads , and identifying where heat is escaping in winter or air conditioning is leaking in summer. One high school in Ontario saved over $12,000 a year after its Grade 11 physics students ran an energy audit and suggested simple changes—LED upgrades, motion sensors in bathrooms, and smarter heating schedules. They didn’t just propose ideas. They pitched them with spreadsheets, thermal images, and payback timelines. It worked. Learning That Pays Off—Literally Unlike textbook learning, these audits blend real-world math, environmental science, economics, and persuasive communication. Students aren’t just learning about sustainability. They’re doing it. And the savings add up. From dimming overlit hallways to reprogramming HVAC systems that run all weekend for empty buildings, students are surfacing blind spots that administrators often overlook. In some districts, their findings are influencing energy policy. Elsewhere, the audits have inspired school boards to hire sustainability coordinators—often alumni of the student programs themselves. There’s something poetic about a school funding new books or laptops from money saved by students who found out the vending machines didn’t need to be plugged in 24/7. Why This Matters More Than Ever With education budgets tightening and utility costs rising, every dollar saved is a dollar that can go back into classrooms. And here’s where it gets interesting from a family finance perspective, too. If you’re a parent setting aside money for post-secondary savings, every bit of school efficiency helps. Fewer energy costs might mean more programming, better STEM facilities, or even bursaries. That raises a broader point: when families save for their children’s future, they often look into RESPs (Registered Education Savings Plans). And many wonder—is a RESP deduction available on my taxes? While contributions themselves aren’t deductible, the gains grow tax-free, and students often pay little to no tax when they withdraw the funds during school. A Movement Worth Replicating These audits aren’t just an exercise in environmentalism. They’re leadership labs. Students learn how to spot inefficiencies, speak up in board meetings, and make a business case for change. They don’t just flip switches—they shift mindsets. And they carry these habits into adulthood. The result? A generation growing up not only with climate anxiety, but also with tools to tackle it.