Raising Butterflies For Fun And Profit

2020 - Volume #44, Issue #5, Page #09

[ Sample Stories From This Issue | List of All Stories In This Issue | Print this story | Read this issue]

Looking for “livestock” you can raise in a spare room or shed to make a little extra money?
Raising butterflies can be a viable business, says Linda Rogers, co-author of manuals and free books about the business of raising and selling butterflies.
“Raising butterflies is a little business that the whole family can take part in - starting up at a very low cost,” she says.
With renowned butterfly expert Nigel Venters, his wife Grace, and IT manager Paul Chesterfield, Rogers is business manager and co-author of Butterfly Boutique, a one-stop shop for butterfly information. She and her husband ran “Swallowtail Farms”, shipping out over 125 dozen live butterflies weekly for 5 years before she decided to concentrate on helping others get into the business.
There has always been more demand than supply for butterflies to be released at events like weddings, funerals, open houses and other social gatherings. While those activities have curtailed recently due to the coronavirus, other customers have emerged - many involved with education.
“They make great school projects, or for homeschoolers,” Rogers says. Butterfly growers put together educational kits for families at home as well as senior gardening and other groups. For fundraisers, people buy butterflies to release for a cause.
She suggests starting with Painted Lady butterflies that can be raised in a month.
“They are easy to raise,” Rogers says. “They can eat plant material or a powdered diet sold by several companies. You can raise them on a farm in Nebraska or an apartment in New York.”
Rogers offers free booklets to help people get started, including a recent one: All About Professional Butterfly Farming.
For more complete information that covers raising, marketing, and all the aspects of the business, the Butterfly Boutique sells The Professional Butterfly Farming Manual ($95) coauthored by Rogers and Nigel Venters.
“With a simple, one-page website, one person working on sales and contacts and the daily chores of taking care of the butterflies doesn’t amount to over 4 or 5 hours at the very most, for a large volume of ‘livestock,’” she says.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Linda Rogers, Butterfly Boutique, 100 W. Frontier St., Unit 879, Payson, Ariz. 85547 (ph 903 874-6560; www.butterflyboutique.net; lr.butterflyboutique@gmail.com).

Click here to download page story appeared in.

Click here to read entire issue

Raising Butterflies For Fun And Profit SNOWBLOWERS Looking for “livestock” you can raise in a spare room or shed to make a little extra money? Raising butterflies can be a viable business says Linda Rogers co-author of manuals and free books about the business of raising and selling butterflies “Raising butterflies is a little business that the whole family can take part in - starting up at a very low cost ” she says With renowned butterfly expert Nigel Venters his wife Grace and IT manager Paul Chesterfield Rogers is business manager and co-author of Butterfly Boutique a one-stop shop for butterfly information She and her husband ran “Swallowtail Farms” shipping out over 125 dozen live butterflies weekly for 5 years before she decided to concentrate on helping others get into the business There has always been more demand than supply for butterflies to be released at events like weddings funerals open houses and other social gatherings While those activities have curtailed recently due to the coronavirus other customers have emerged - many involved with education “They make great school projects or for homeschoolers ” Rogers says Butterfly growers put together educational kits for families at home as well as senior gardening and other groups For fundraisers people buy butterflies to release for a cause She suggests starting with Painted Lady butterflies that can be raised in a month “They are easy to raise ” Rogers says “They can eat plant material or a powdered diet sold by several companies You can raise them on a farm in Nebraska or an apartment in New York ” Rogers offers free booklets to help people get started including a recent one: All About Professional Butterfly Farming For more complete information that covers raising marketing and all the aspects of the business the Butterfly Boutique sells The Professional Butterfly Farming Manual $95 coauthored by Rogers and Nigel Venters “With a simple one-page website one person working on sales and contacts and the daily chores of taking care of the butterflies doesn’t amount to over 4 or 5 hours at the very most for a large volume of ‘livestock ’” she says Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Linda Rogers Butterfly Boutique 100 W Frontier St Unit 879 Payson Ariz 85547 ph 903 874-6560; www butterflyboutique net; lr butterflyboutique@gmail com

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.

SUBSCRIBE OR RENEW NOW