In a follow-up installment to last Thursday’s blog post about the support farmers can find for off-farming enterprises, this week we here at The Small Business Fairy are following up with two shining examples of how off-farming income in the farming business can not only help spread the word on your farm, but increase your farming longevity.
Well known English chef, TV personality and farmer, Jimmy Doherty is a prime example of the different routes a farmer can take when it comes to off-farm enterprise. Owning a farm located in Suffolk, Jimmy has chosen to travel down the off-farming route of dealing with less-than-ordinary livestock. Specializing in working with a varied amount of endangered pig breeds (Essex, middle Whites, Gloucester Old Spot, etc), Jimmy also works with rare breeds of sheep and cattle. He’s not only a farming entrepreneur, but also doing his bit to help endangered species!
Not only does Jimmy’s farming business deal with livestock, but he also dabbles in the entertainment factor of off-farming enterprise which is becoming widely popular. At his estate in Suffolk you can find mapped nature trails, a scrumptious restaurant, tour their garden, visit the farm shop and petting farm, as well as attend a number of farm events such as their sausage and beer festivals. And not to forget their rather ingenious feature – their own on-farm butchers shop! Talk about fresh. Anyone else hungry?…..
It doesn’t stop there. Thanks to Jimmy’s success, he’s been lucky enough to have a number of TV shows under his belt as well as three cook books – an ultimate off-farming enterprise achievement that we all hope and aim for!
Another fabulous example of ways to generate more income for a farm is the historic Chatsworth House located in Derbyshire. This sixteenth century estate branched into the off-farm enterprising trend and has used every alternative income to their advantage. Wait until you hear what they have to offer – a farm pantry selling their own and locally produced foods, 150 hectares of gardens, a cafe serving afternoon tea, an interiors and accessories shop – all country and farm related, a garden shop selling beautiful plants and flowers, a tour available throughout the original historic house, a small cottage B&B, and last but not least, a farmyard and playground where kids can venture in and get to meet farm animals on their level. Talk about making the most with what you’ve got!
At the very least we hope this inspires you to look around your own farm – no matter what scale – and see if you can incorporate the off-farming trend. Do you dare to take your farming business to the next level? What are you passionate about in your personal life that connects to your farm – is there space for a start-up? We hope you find inspiration to take that first step. Or – have you already ventured into your own off-farming business? If so – we would love to hear from you! Get in contact my commenting below or visiting our Facebook or Twitter page. Don’t be shy!
