Diversification

Do you have a patch of land you are currently eyeing-up, with the idea of setting up a glamping site, but don’t know how to begin? Here, we look at the initial stage of setting up a glamping business and the factors to consider, featuring useful advice and tips from the book “How To Set Up a Successful Glamping Business and Get Fully Booked”.

Farmers looking to find an alternative revenue stream from their land are being urged to consider setting up an eco-friendly holiday-let business by log cabin construction company, Timberspecs.

The demand for UK camping holidays has never been higher. With the promise of simpler holidays, surrounded by nature and all the benefits it brings to wellbeing, tens of thousands of families have ensured campsites up and down the country are booked for months in advance.

Pumpkins might still be seen as a quintessentially American crop, but the last 30 years have seen their slow, steady rise in the UK arable sector. This rise has led to a now booming industry providing diverse income for farms across the UK.

Ninety-five per cent of dog owners are looking to take their pet on holiday, research from leading rural insurer NFU Mutual has revealed, providing farms with hospitality diversifications a potential market boost.

Producing off-grid electricity from the wind can be an ideal power source in rural locations, to contribute to your power requirements or offset consumption from the grid. FuturEnergy explains how to get started.

Farmers considering planting the carbon negative crop Miscanthus can now benefit from a finance package to cover virtually all upfront costs for crop establishment, as well as new direct, long-term offtake agreements with end-users, with 10–15-year index-linked annual returns.

If you’re a farmer who produces more energy than you use, you’ll have the opportunity to sell your excess power back to the grid as a source of revenue. A Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) could help you achieve best value by agreeing to sell to a third party, often at a fixed price and for a set period.

Nick Harper FAAV MRICS, managing director of Hawkspur – specialists in option and promotion agreements for landowners – offers his advice.

As diversification becomes increasingly important to rural businesses, James Whilding, managing director of Acorus Rural Property Services Ltd, offers advice on potential barriers and how to get started.

If you are looking to start a new diversification project, Brew-School owner Chris Horne says farmers have a built-in advantage when it comes to brewing and distilling businesses.

Whether you want to make the most of your existing solar tech, or you’re looking to diversify into renewables to improve your green credentials but not sure where to start, you’re not alone.