Years ago, after I had built my house, the ex and I decided to start a garden. I had helped mom and dad when I was younger, and ex had been putting out a garden at her home for several years before we married. She had a old front tine tiller. It looked a hundred years old. Rusty, and dented up, it worked, but it beat you to death. Hard to start, hard to run, after a year of fighting with it, I decided I had enough. I needed a new tiller. After talking to a couple of people, I was told it would be worth it to purchase a rear tine tiller. I had never used a rear tine, but I had been told a rear tine tiller would be a major upgrade, and worth the money.
I would be shocked at the difference.
I worked with a guy who one day asked if I knew of anyone who might be interested in purchasing a used troy-built rear tine tiller. Sure I replied, me. He fed me a story about how it had originally belonged to his dad, and had been given to him. He was recently divorced and was hurting for cash. Troy-built makes a top of the line tiller. I figured I could get a deal, so I told him I would come over and look at it.
I drove to his house, and looked the tiller over. It was in his basement, which immediately made me think it was a little hot, but the price was right, so I purchased it anyway.
The stories I had been told about rear tine tillers were correct. I could guide this tiller with one finger. I no longer had to go 15 rounds whenever I started it up.
What it did to the ground was amazing. It impressed me, and I still get excited every time I use it.
Then it occurred to me. Why not put a ad in the paper and advertise tilling up gardens. Every year I had seen ads in the paper for this. Ex was against the idea of course, but I went ahead and put an ad in anyway. I had horses then, so for a additional fee, I advertised that I could bring a truck load of horse manure (with lime included) to spread over a garden, along with the tilling if so desired.
Obviously this is a seasonal job. I received a few calls, went out and tilled up some gardens, and made a little money. After 2 years of this I moved on, and have never advertised tilling gardens since.
With horses, I had a steady supply of manure. Every year I would spread it over my garden, and till it in. I also put it in flower beds, and around different trees in the yard. Wherever I thought a little fertilizer might be needed, I spread horse manure. Friends of the family, and in-laws would drive over every spring, and load their trucks up with it. I was happy to give it away, always joking that you couldn't take just one truck load, because there was a two truck load minimum.
I came across a web site recently where a lady sells manure in small bags that look like large tea bags. She advertises seeping the bags in a gallon of water as fertilizer for your plants. Pictures on the website show crazy blooms and plant growth. These manure bags are advertised as being cheaper than commercial fertilizers, and better for your plants too. A big selling point is how natural her manure is.
The article I read said she had cattle and horses, so she started this tea bag business as a way to get rid of some of her manure. You have your choice, a horse manure tea bag, or a cow manure tea bag. She didn't plan for it to take off, but it did. Her manure business is going to do hundreds of thousands of dollars this year.
I checked on Ebay, and there are several sellers offering dried tea bag manure. amazing.
I was surprised when I read the article about manure tea bags, but I guess I shouldn't have been.
The lady found a niche,
there wasn't a lot of competition.
She filled a need, and her business took off.
Gardening and fertilizer are big business. She found a unique way to package and sell fertilizer.
I'm just mad I didn't think of it 15 years ago.....
Can you supply a service? like tilling gardens? All I had to do was put a ad in the paper, and I was in business. Is there anything you could add-on to your service? Fertililzer? Mowing the lawn?
Think outside the box like the manure tea bag lady......
