What do you think the best form of diversification is?

[Old Tip]

Thanks @willfarmbiz, hopefully we we will be there

 

[Glass half full]

i am always on the lookout for new diversification opportunities, however i always seem to see loads more possibilities on other peoples farms than i do on my own! i always come back from farm visits very jealous! lol!

 

[willfarmbiz]

i am always on the lookout for new diversification opportunities, however i always seem to see loads more possibilities on other peoples farms than i do on my own! i always come back from farm visits very jealous! lol!

If you're looking for inspiration have a read through our recent show guide - there were quite a few interesting editorials, and also details of all of our speakers and exhibitors at the event. Might give you a couple of new ideas!
http://www.thefarmingshow.co.uk/showguide/

 

[Ben M]

If you're looking for inspiration have a read through our recent show guide - there were quite a few interesting editorials, and also details of all of our speakers and exhibitors at the event. Might give you a couple of new ideas!
http://www.thefarmingshow.co.uk/showguide/

No show guide comes up through that link?

 

[willfarmbiz]

No show guide comes up through that link?

Hi Ben, when you go onto the page wait about 20 seconds as the document takes a moment to load - and probably varies depending on your internet speed. If you still can't view it then send me a Private Message on here with your emailand I'll send you a pdf copy.
Will

 

[Road Planing Supplies Ltd]

Operating an illegal rubbish dump seems to be profitable until you get caught

we best be bloody quiet about these loads then!

 

[currantvt]

New to this forum , I thought I might have something to offer on the subject of diversification as I have been trying to find that pot of gold since the early 80s.It all started for me when the local air rifle club wanted space for their range so we rented our granary to them for ,I think, 200UK per annum. This worked well and we enjoyed having them around so we decided so stop fattening stores and convert a fair chunk of the buildings to industrial units , there was help from the government to do this, CoSIRa was the quango of choice and they convinced the local planners it was a good idea and provide some cash. This has worked pretty well and we have had some companies move on to greater things, also some pretty spectacular failures. It is not a way to make a fortune but it does mean you can keep on farming around the buildings without the complaints you would have if they were turned into housing, it also keeps your options open. I am now farming in the New England , pyo and also processing our fruit into jams and juices - this works well but is only as good as the marketing effort put into it,there is an awful lot of choice out there and other producers latch on to any good idea pretty quickly so you have to try and make your product unique and difficult to copy - we use the fact that we only use the fruit that we grow and it is all processed on the farm '50yds from the field to the jar' type of spiel. I think the success or failure of diversification depends so much on the commitment you and your family put in to it, everybody has to be pulling in the same direction - it's no good doing wedding/ marquee events on the farm and there are piles of empty silage bags everywhere . One of the major problems in the UK is the power of the big supermarkets, as a small producer you are never going to win against them -it is always the problem dealing with publicly quoted companies that they are answerable to their shareholders first , I am in Vermont where most towns have a locally owned co op, these were mostly set up in the 70s when the hippy invasion was in full swing . They have evolved and grown on the back of the 'Buy Local' credo where consumers are concerned about how and where their food is produced, these stores are great for start ups and actively encourage them with facilities for demos and promos , you have an educated and usually wealthier customer base , these co ops have kept their respect both for the customer and their suppliers -when did anyone say that about supermarket ? Going back to the original question I remember a farmer in Wales doing great business with a pet cemetery , not anything I would do but if it pays the bills

 

[Welsh Farmer]

I remember a farmer in Wales doing great business with a pet cemetery , not anything I would do but if it pays the bills

That'll be this one http://www.petsinpeace.co.uk/

 

[willfarmbiz]

The possibilities seem pretty much unlimited - it's always interesting to hear about some of the more unusual diversification ideas that have been successful.

 

[Heather_p]

Well we ended up doing retirement liveries, don't get the amount of people about everyday like you do with ordinary liveries , it proved so popular it took over and far more profitable than cattle. Also now a wedding venue that my Daughter runs www.thehousemeadow.co.uk We just didn't own enough ground to carry on doing what my Dad had done after he died without renting, which became too expensive. So diversifying is the only thing that has enabled us to stay here, 4 generations still living here

 

[willfarmbiz]

Hi Heather, your venue looks great and you're certainly getting plenty of bookings! I like the idea of retirement liveries too - interesting to know how profitable they can be

 

[Glass half full]

Hello Heather! Welcome to the forum!

 

[Heather_p]

Hi Heather, your venue looks great and you're certainly getting plenty of bookings! I like the idea of retirement liveries too - interesting to know how profitable they can be

Well we re only allowed 12 a year, 8 between May-Sept, had huge problems with neighbours took 8 months but we won in the end, up til this we just worked on 28 day rule but that counts for everyday the marquee/tipi was up so could only do about 7. Plus now we have license and can use our barn

 

[gta123]

Car boot sales, camping and caravans, glamping, liveries, schemes, green energy, holiday cottages or a change of livestock such as rare breeds.

 

[Chasingmytail]

Much easier for those in good locations ie close to beach or cultural towns, good road links and in LA who care and spend money on the community and produce great tourist traps. We have done and tried to do a few including livery - no point and ruins your grounds with the most two faced people I have ever met it wasn't profitable for the amount of land v sheep tack, Direct sell meat - only good if in foodie area and have the family and keen staff to help, Looked at converting barns into holiday let - too much investment return would be too slow and our LA dont maintain the roads or hedges its a mess, Green energy is your lucky to have 3 phase - investment heavy - looking at a 7 - 10yr payback. Did rare breed cattle - terrible to finish and no premium to be found too hard to flog. In a good location and with a barn a DIY wedding venue would be excellent with camping facilities. Let them get on with it, less hassle and a good margin. Cooking burgers and sausages from yr own stock seem to be great if you have the energy, willing to travel and have the lust for it. What shocks me is that people dont understand profit margins, many cant cost properly. You have to know your market and understand what people will pay (in our area as little as possible).

 

[Glass half full]

when farmers are looking at diversification they tend to be inward looking, focusing on what there farm has. quite often the biggest asset a farmer has is themselves, maybe a lot of farmers who feel there is no potential should diversify there own skills and work off farm, or look to develop a business based away from the farm utilising there asset base to borrow and fund the new enterprise. there is money out there outside of agriculture! farmers are not always great at thinking outside the box.

 

[Chasingmytail]

when farmers are looking at diversification they tend to be inward looking, focusing on what there farm has. quite often the biggest asset a farmer has is themselves, maybe a lot of farmers who feel there is no potential should diversify there own skills and work off farm, or look to develop a business based away from the farm utilising there asset base to borrow and fund the new enterprise. there is money out there outside of agriculture! farmers are not always great at thinking outside the box.

The reason why we have always run a groundworks contracting company, we shift mass earth, we build to dpc, tree works, run as a firewood supplier and a small egg business. Once we've done that all day we farm and are knackered. OH wants to stay on farm all day but realises that for the machinery and all the high spec equipment this business has been a lifeline for us. Not exactly fair that we cant farm 24/7. Constantly juggling, stressing and dealing with people who want to rip us off.

 

[MrBlueberry]

If you produce many different things on the farm or produce or grow something unusual then the public may pay to come and see it, plus spend a night or two at B&B rates (assuming you've got an extra room or two)...things that come to my mind are milking goats and making cheese form goat milk, a forest garden, farms that do multiple things like bees, milking, soft fruit and fruit trees, ducks, chickens, fishing, apples and cidermaking, herb growing for medicines, foraging hedgerow foods and teaching how to cook foraged foods, etc., etc., but if you've got 500 acres of wheat I can't say anyone would be that interested in watching a combine harvester go up and down the field for three days...unless of course farmer could sing the combine harvester song at the same time as combining...ooh but hey ho that might be tricky 'cause that involves doing two things at once dunnit.

 

[Pasty]

Anyone do school visits? My missus is a teacher and a colleague got hacked off and went and started a forest school type residential place and is doing well. Just looking through the stewardship options you can set up to do farm visits and they pay you £290 per visit as long as you don't charge the school. Obviously some investment needed but seems a good idea as the school are getting it free so no expectations. Could also offer residentials with forest school, picking up eggs, skills etc.

 

[MrBlueberry]

@Pasty
I looked into the Natural England stewardship option as a Dartmoor farmer some eight years ago as we are slowly intent on creating the largest forest garden in the UK. Firstly I had to pay something like £400 to for a ludicrous website / schedule for both teacher and another for the kids. Secondly Natural England did not assist of inform on the insurance issue. There have been massively expensive cases brought about by mistakes made on children visits ( not necessarily farms but one has to remember a farm can be a dangerous place). Thirdly there had to be a minimum of four visits in the year and obviously none of the schools plumb for winter visits so they are bunched up in the summer which is the busiest time for the farmer. Also the school and more importantly the farmer has to write up reports for Natural England to accept after the visit. The school could, for example complain about the farmer. If they are not happy with the farmer's or school teacher's report they will deduct money. I have had around £6000 deducted from HLS, OELS, UELS and SFP schemes over the last two years and they are complaining at the moment ( and this is perfectly true) as the NE officer and RPA inspector cannot find 5 of my trees. They have not visited of asked me where they are...so presumably are using Arial photography. As I have over 20000 trees they must be having lay a laugh. The money Natural England were willing to pay me for school trips ( I recall eight years ago being about £400 for four visits) would not even cover the costs of the insurance. However the idea of school visits is excellent - the problem being the Rural Payments Agency ( who pay the money and do the inspecting) and Natural England ( who initiate these schemes) - are both management top heavy agencies and need urgently to be reviewed as they performance is poor value for money. One of the biggest criticisms I have of both these agencies is their negativity i.e. programmed to look for problems to deduct money rather than reward for the benefits. In 9 years I have had not one compliment - being totally organic, and ethical I can only conclude something is seriously wrong ; the RPA officers no nothing about farming but simply walk around your farm with a hand held devise - it's akin to inviting an enemy into your house. I have opted out of BPS and will soon be rid of the NE schemes.

Sorry for the long answer to school visits but it helps to know the background to these social and environmental schemes that are not all they are cracked up to be. Most farmers have joined up to these schemes because their incomes are so low they simply cannot survive without the extra money. If you asked them privately what they think of NE and the RPA it would probably be unprintable.