If you own a farm but are looking to veer off from the traditional route of growing crops and keeping animals, there are plenty of new directions you could go in. These could run alongside your regular efforts or could become a new business within themselves. Best of all, they’re fun to do! Here are some ideas.
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Breed dogs
With plenty of space for puppies to run around as they grow, your farm could be the perfect space to breed dogs. If you have an old barn or outbuilding you don’t get much use of, kit it out with heating equipment, floors that can easily be cleaned and some spacious pens and you have a profitable and enjoyable addition to your farming business! Of course, you’ll need to go into things the right way- this means doing plenty of research, seeking out a mentor to teach you what you need to know and registering with the relevant authorities. From there, you can set about choosing the right dogs and go from there. As with any business, you do have to spend money to make money here so be sure you’re aware of the costs. Vet bills, medicine, food for your breeding dogs and equipment will all need to be taken into consideration. However, if you’re breeding dogs that are highly in demand, each pup can fetch a significant sum.
Keep bees
Keeping bees is another side income that you could bring in as a farmer. Again with plenty of space you have room for the hives, and jars of honey sell extremely well at farmers markets, local fetes and fairs. Find a course nearby to learn the fundamentals, once you’re all set up keeping bees is an enjoyable hobby, as well as a chance to earn extra money.
Open your own farm shop
Speaking of fetes, fairs and markets, if you want to sell your goods without having to leave your farm then creating a farm shop is the way to go! You could sell jars of honey, jams, jellies and chutneys made from your own crops. If you keep animals you could make and sell your own burgers, sausages and meat, or sell eggs. You can even use ‘waste’ products like big skin to make bags of pork scratchings. Create a cafe area where people can sit and relax, as well as a shop where they can buy your produce. If you open a children’s play area and perhaps a petting area to your farm then you’ll attract even more customers.
Create a campsite
If you have vast areas of land but don’t want to spend a fortune on farmer machinery and go down the agriculture route- why not use the space for a campsite? If it’s a bigger area you could allow RVs and camper vans offering hookups to electricity and wifi. If it’s a smaller site, it could be tents only. If your land is close to a tourist area or in a particularly beautiful area, it’s an easy way to make money without very much work needed.
- This post has been written by an outside source – See my disclosure policy
