Farming Forum Knowledge

[Harrison85]

Good evening all,

I was hoping I could ask a few questions to you members and could really do with some help and knowledge from you guys.

Where to start.......we have a small family farm which has gone down to a bungalow 2 out buildings.

One is a old concrete style barn open ended which we used to store cattle and pigs back in the day. It has faring units either side.

We also have a small barn with sliding doors which we keep our cars in and some bits and bobs

The largest barn currently houses a neighbours machinery and the smaller barn could fit around 10 cars in. Just to give you all an idea of size.

The largest is approx 2.5 times the size of the smaller one.

Currently my wife and I live in the village and my grandmother lives up there on her own.

We have around 3acres of land left behind the barns which all have electricity and running water.

We both work full time and we really want to keep the farm in the family for all our kids to grow up playing there as we did.

What I am asking is how if possible could I make enough money to maintain the up keep of the buildings and insurance etc??

The buildings and house were built in the late 50s.

We are not looking to earn a wage from it but more to just manage what is there for the next generation to enjoy.

I have approached Brown and Co who have advised me they can possibly help with some different ideas of generating income.

I am really hoping someone here could point in the right direction.

Our ideas so far are

Stables and paddocks for housing local horses ( all though there is somewhere like this 2 miles away)

Free range chickens

A small holding supplying meat to local butchers etc... All though I have asked around and they have all told me they have there own suppliers.

Possible caravan storage...unsure of planning permissions for this one.

I really do appreciate any help

Thank you

 

[KNconsulting]

Just on the livestock side of things - 3 acres would be too small for some ventures including horses and cattle. You could keep about 10 sheep but would have limited options in terms of rotation and management.

Don't really know much about either but I would have thought that from a food production perspective you could look at poultry or horticulture. Problem with poultry though is you would need someone daily if not twice daily so I would look at horticulture.

How about creating allotments to rent out? This might also help find a use for the barns for storage or somewhere for people to sit and have a cup of tea.......

Someone is bound to suggest it so I would also add a general location to your profile

 

[Harrison85]

I was thinking about researching the free range chicken market and eggs. I know I would need to seek expert advice for that I think.

Allotments is a good one I would have to ask about the village for feedback, I have a feeling a lot of neighbours grow there own around here. All have good size gardens.

Not sure how to add my location. Do i have to do that on the laptop? [emoji53]

Thank you for your reply really appreciate it

 

[KNconsulting]

You could integrate the poultry with the horticulture and @Pasty is the person with the answers

Not sure about adding location if you are using a phone and no panic but it makes a big difference for people to give advice if they have a rough location.

 

[Harrison85]

Sounds ideal. Look froward to hearing from @patsy

We are in Norfolk not farm from the American air bases.

Do you know if you have to have planning permission for chicken sheds?

 

[IH 684]

You could probably make one wage when fully established from growing veg. Veg boxes are a good route which cuts out the middleman and ensures you keep all the profit

 

[Harrison85]

That would be me then. The wife can kill a cactus bless her.

I shall do some research on that. Thank you for that

 

[spin cycle]

concrete block sheds?....could be converted?.....trouble is sounds like you're in breckland council and from what've heard there b@rstewards

 

[Harrison85]

Conversion Would be amazing and have battered that question about the family a few times. Yeah we come under them. ☹[emoji20]

Yeah both concrete built one with concrete flooring the other concreted either side with sand in the middle.

 

[Kevtherev]

Solar panels?

 

[Harrison85]

In the process of looking into covering the 3 buildings in solar panels. Need to have an expert out to survey. If anyone has experience and could recommend a company in the Norfolk area would be great?

 

[Pasty]

You won't need planning for a mobile chicken shed. I don't know anything much about growing veg although would like to and plan to get into it this year. 3 acres would I think comfortably hold a couple hundred hens, maybe more. Depends on the drainage and how easy it would be to move the house around. Perhaps run some sheep as mowers and move the hens in electric nets around the place will stop anywhere getting too messed up and return a lot of fert to the grass. At the end of the day there isn't a fortune to be made on small scale egg production. I run 65 hens or so just for the honesty box and I think NP was £2165 last year. I would need to check that though, maybe it was less. The flip side is that it's very easy to run once set up, very little work and every little bit helps. I make more on the rare breed side which is my main business at the moment (well, not at the moment as they don't lay in winter but keep eating), the eating eggs are sideline really and I hope in future, a good way to market other products.

In your shoes I would look at 5-10 ewes to mow and produce the odd lamb for you or to sell to friends. I would run them around the place, maybe paddocked up a bit to keep it tidy. Follow them with hens as electric nets need moving fairly regularly and hens like short grass. Leaving a net in one place and the grass will soon grab a hold of it, short it out and make it a pig to move. This will give you a premium egg to sell if you can establish a market. Then I would plant some top fruit trees which the chickens will like and also keep free of bugs. Plus grow some veg, maybe also to sell from an honesty box.

The sheds can maybe be put to use as little industrial units? A guy I know get's £35 a week for a double garage size with basic electric. Doesn't sound much but he's got well over 10, maybe 20 with other bigger barns for boat storage etc. He says it's very little hassle and aside from the odd non payer or abandoned junk / vehicles etc., he's netting nearly a grand a week for doing not too much and he's got a waiting list.

Things to consider with hens.

1. How are you going to keep them laying through the winter? Are you going to use lights in the house? Are you going to go fully commercial and replace birds within 18 months of hatch? You will need to stagger new birds coming in to keep the eggs flowing. If you keep the same old flock for 3 years you will find that eggs stop in October or so and only start again after the shortest day. Result is unhappy customers who will start shopping elsewhere.
2. How is the land in winter? 100 hens will turn half an acre of wet land into the Somme in no time at all. If it goes too far, it will need work / seed to repair it. How about a couple large polytunnels for veg / fruit in spring and summer and then put the hens in there in Winter as Salatin does:

This is my plan for next winter. Much as like my birds to be out, I think they are better off in something like this from Dec to end of Feb, especially on my heavy clay soils. Alternative would be a woodland area.

Don't overstock the land with hens. They will destroy it if you do.

3. How will you deal with spikes in demand and shortages of laying? It's really very hard to get a consistent supply of eggs over a 12 month period on a 'hobby' scale.

Good luck with it though. Sounds exciting. If nothing else you can provide yourself with some outdoor work and some very healthy food. With thought and planning, I'm sure you can make a few quid as well.

Last thought. Geese for Xmas? I'm sure there are 100 other things you could do.

 

[multi power]

In the process of looking into covering the 3 buildings in solar panels. Need to have an expert out to survey. If anyone has experience and could recommend a company in the Norfolk area would be great?

@Exfarmer is the man to know about panels

 

[Chasingmytail]

The idea of allotments is a good one as planners like this type of investment - the RDP would like this and there would be grant money put aside to 80% fund projects like this. Many of the ideas are ok but on geese/turkey production you may just break even and unless you are experienced in such I wouldnt venture down that route and as you both working full time this would become a stress and drain. 3 acres isnt large enough for horses and again do not enter this horrible world unless you are made of steel! I am struggling with this and my only positive thought on this is to convert to self sufficiency. Solar panels for elec & hot water, compost toilet, borehole for water (if poss), poly tunnel and large veg patch. a couple of sheep, 3 bee hives, Ducks to keep slugs down and a handful of chickens for eggs. lavender beds, Use the sheds as potting. Grow flowers/mushrooms? Is there a possibility to extend the bungalow? You could then keep overall costs rock bottom and reap some rewards with selling or swapping veg for meat etc. The site is not big enough to consider renting out land for caravans etc and owners now expect some kind of security. Plus rental has to be in numbers to make any money cos lets face it - it comes with hassle best avoided.

 

[frustratedfarmer]

Brain food:

http://www.green-hedge.com/EnergyBarn.html

Secure storage for caravans

Shipping containers let out (inside or out)

Commercial use - small offices, workshops / general storage

All of the above can be worked out with a bit of research. I think right move now show commercial stuff for let locally.

Planning has never been so kind to farmers, make a list of al the things you can do then sit down and work out pros and cons, costs and risk

Good luck, it's really rewarding when it comes off

 

[Harrison85]

Thank you all for taking the time to reply really do appreciate it. Spent the day researching and researching and we're going to sit down with the family and go through pros and cons for everyone to see what would be involved.

Waiting on the council to Come back to us about possibility of a holiday lodge as well.

Will keep a blog of what we have been up to and hopefully can pass on so pros and cons to others

 

[currantvt]

If you are near US bases how about growing high bush blueberries for PYO ? In my experience Americans will go along distance for them and will pay good money, you could also have a petting zoo - goats ,donkeys, sheep etc - in the buildings, the money with that is made by selling the food for the children to feed to the animals , coin in the slot for a handfull of nuts sort of thing.

 

[frustratedfarmer]

Air bases love shipping containers for long term personal possession storage - if you can keep it under the radar - so no rates, you can see a full return in 2 yrs then £120 or so pcm per container there after.

Check they don't fill it with tyres / asbestos and scarper though!

 

[Exfarmer]

@Exfarmer is the man to know about panels

Just come across this. I think the panels are finshed on this scale
If the OP would like any more info please PM me as i am just down the road.

 

[woodworm]

I would suggest that you concentrate on the American bases and earning an income from them. Its a captive market and there would surely be multiple services they would want to use. I think the containers idea is good. Have a word with some of the Americans in the local towns and villages (the main two especially) and ask them what they miss from home or what services they need. It will cost you a couple of hours of your time but nothing else.
Maybe you could post a questionnaire through their doors with a link to an online form which they can fill in? Just make it quick and simple to fill in.