There is no doubt that farms were struggling prior to the pandemic and since it took hold things have been getting worse. There are however many examples like Hunstman Farms, who have taken steps to find ways at increasing the revenue which their farms are making. Now is very much the time for farmers to look at taking action beyond planting crops, that will help them to become money making machines.
There are a number of options which could be considered here, and these are some of the best ways at increasing the amount of money that the farm is bringing in.
Government Support
The easiest way of bringing in additional funds is to ensure that the farm is getting all of the support that the government have made available. Governments will offer funding and bursaries to a variety of farms for many different reasons. If your farm is not getting the supplements which it requires, it will do well to find out if there is more money available. This is often a paper filling exercise which will result in some extra funding coming the way of the farm.
Opening a Farm Shop
Farm shops are incredibly popular and they meet the consumer need to buy more local products and to support local businesses. Not only is this positive from a community point of view, it is also a great way for people to support the environment. Farms can meet this demand with their own farm shop which sells a variety of locally produced items. Much of this can in fact come directly from the farm, and other items can be purchased and sold from nearby farms and smaller, artisanal businesses.
Opening a Farm Cafe
Something else which a great number of farms are looking to do is open up cafes and restaurants on site. This again gives them a chance to sell the produce which is coming from the farm, including meat and fruits and vegetables. This is a great way to market the goods, and to make money at the same time. The ideal scenario is that customers love what they are trying, and then they go ahead and buy it from the farm shop on their way out.
Adventure Parks
If the farm has some space which isn’t being used then this can be turned into an adventure playground which kids and families will love. We are seeing more and more farms looking to turn their space into these kind of playgrounds and that helps to drive more customers through the gates of the farm. Ticket prices can be charged and this can also help to make the farm more money, on land which was previously not being used for anything in particular.
These are just some of the ways in which farms around the country are finding to make more money and bring more awareness to the farm. There is little doubt that farms have to be taking on some of these options to keep the cash coming in.
