
Added Value Grant – A New Opportunity
As we have often discussed, the funding of farm diversification projects appears to be a significant obstacle for many farm businesses. Many diversification projects require large amounts of capital expenditure. The current market volatility and soaring input costs place UK farmers in a position where they face larger than ever, looming...

Class R Permitted Development
Many farms have outdated, redundant or underutilised buildings, originally constructed for the purpose of serving the agricultural enterprise. Technological advancements and changing circumstance often creates the scenario where a particular building is no longer fit for agricultural use.Sound familiar? Could these buildings be put to a...

Class Q Permitted Development
Do you have outdated, underutilised and decaying farm buildings? Have you ever thought about the opportunity to convert them into residential dwellings? If so, Class Q permitted development rights may be of interest to you.Rural house prices remain high and the bullish demand seen recently seems set to remain constant. The rural housing...

Woodland Creation and Agroforestry
The pressure to meet the UK net zero target is rising. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) latest report stated that limiting global warming to around 1.5°C will require global greenhouse gas emissions to peak before 2025 at the very latest, and must be reduced by 43% by 2030; methane emissions must also be...

Top 2022 Consumer Trends
Like any business across any sector, it is important that farm diversification is targeted towards the consumer. Consumer trends continue to change, with a significant shift in focus being brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, the climate change crisis and advances in digitalisation. To remain relevant and sustain sales, businesses...

Grant Funding for Farm Diversification
We often find the funding of farm diversification projects to be a significant obstacle for many farm businesses. This is especially true if the nature of the enterprise itself requires a large amount of upfront capital to get it off the ground. Projects involving the conversion or construction of buildings would be a good example of...

Establishing Credibility
Whether or not you have established your diversified enterprise, marketing and sales are vital to its success. Consumers are more and more concerned with who they are buying from and why. As part of this and perhaps more importantly, how can you establish credibility for your brand and enterprise? Read on for an insight into how best to...

Selling Added Value Products – Advantages and Challenges
Farm diversification is often thought of as the creation of enterprises which do not involve farming. Since UK famers are largely passionate about farming, many may be reluctant or disinterested in non agricultural business ventures. However, there may be opportunities to enable additional or increased income streams through or...

Utilising Your Network of Resources
Setting out to create a farm diversification can be daunting. Regardless of what the venture is, there are many questions that you may not know the answers to. For many this is enough to stop the project in its tracks, for others it may mean delays, unnecessary errors and expenditure.Luckily, you don’t need to hold all the answers...

Bridge to Opportunity
Many farms and estates struggle with access when considering the development of diversification enterprises. It’s easy to write off a prospective venture due to poor access or similar. However, often with some strategic blue-sky thinking, the true potential of your site can be...