Non-Traditional Ways to Make Money from Your Farm

Farming can be financially tough, and today many farmers are looking at less traditional alternatives to utilise their asset in a way that is financially and environmentally sustainable - by being somewhat inventive and innovative in terms of how they’re using their land.  As an example, as the rustic themed wedding trend seems just as popular as ever, many farmers are now promoting the opportunity to host rustic weddings on a real working farm - which can be an incredibly lucrative opportunity given the multitude of ancillary opportunities such as farm to table catering.

Of course, getting your farm in shape for hosting events such as weddings is a vitally important first step - as you don’t want a herd of sheep getting hurt due to loitering around the car park or having horses dash through the reception. 

In this sense, the first and foremost priority should be containing and protecting large animals using equine safe lumber to ensure the protection of your most precious assets and the safety/comfort of your new customers.  Of equal priority is ensuring the property is safe from hazards, as an example, you don’t want someone to knock themselves unconscious due to standing on a rake… albeit, captured on camera it could do wonders for your social media activities!

Here are three quirky suggestions on how to make money from your farm.

WEDDINGS

As mentioned above, the trend in rustic themed weddings are huge; weddings are big business and if you can get yourself known to a few of the prominent wedding organisers within your area, you’ll be surprised by how quickly you’ll fill up.  In terms of the environmental considerations, a lot of rustic themed weddings are low key affairs with simple tasty food in a buffet format where people are more than happy to sit on bales of hay, with recyclable paper plates.  In terms of entertainment, the majority of people opting for these weddings prefer gentile music over a DJ blasting out music, though a good old fashioned barn dance is a great option too.

THEME PARKS

This might sound like an almighty venture, but when you consider how profitable themed events such as Halloween Scare Attractions (e.g. Tulleys Farm and Farmageddon) are over in England… it’s worth considering.  If you prefer something a little less involved than building an entire scare maze you could facilitate drive in movies and firework festivals at relatively low hassle.

BUSINESS SPACE

If you’re looking for something a little more sustainable, in that it just ticks by without needing much ongoing effort, as admittedly hosting events such as weddings and firework celebrations are quite time consuming… a great option is to convert some of your space into office accommodation.  All you’ll need, in addition to permission to create such space, is a fast and reliable internet connection.  The top tip here is not to think about what an office “should” look like, but to embrace what the space already looks like - as entrepreneurs are always on the lookout for interesting quirky spaces, so don’t try to normalise it by turning it into a boring office; keep the quirky features and you’ll be amazed by how much interest you’ll receive!