ADAM HENSON
THE COUNTRY’S FAVOURITE FARMER GIVES US HIS MONTHLY GUIDE TO AGRICULTURE IN BRITAIN
The ways modern farmers have to diversify to survive.
Diversification – the big word that’s an even bigger deal in farming today. Agriculture has always been an unpredictable business that relies on the right weather, global commodity prices, consumer demand and more. So diversifying into other projects and business opportunities can be an innovative and profitable way to bring in a reliable income.
Farmers are natural entrepreneurs and previous generations considered it sensible to have ‘fingers in lots of pies’, whether that involved renting out a spare room, turning fields into camping sites or selling sacks of manure at the roadside. But today, when earning a living solely from the land can be unreliable, the idea of branching out is even more widespread and formal. The National Farmers Union claims that 61% of UK farms have some form of diversification, and the latest Government figures suggest that, on average, these ventures boost individual farm incomes by £11,000 a year. For some farming families, that can make the difference between staying in business and being forced to give up their entire way of life. Modern diversification really began in the 1970s with the trend for farmhouse bed and breakfasts. The fashion for farm shops soon followed, and it wasn’t long before a range of imaginative enterprises sprang up, from ice-cream parlours and yoghurt production to clay pigeon shoots and paintballing.
I know the difference diversifying can make, because in 1971 that’s exactly what my Dad did when he opened the gates of our farm in the Cotswolds to create the world’s first farm park. Of course, he wanted to share his passion for British rare breeds with as many people as possible, but on a practical level he also had to find a way for his collection of animals to pay their way. He was obviously something of a visionary because, 46 years later, I’m very proud to say that the attraction is still going strong.