Over the last couple of decades the amount of money which farms have been able to make has gone down a lot. Much of this is because of the cost of farming rather than the amount of money which they are able to bring in. There is a number of government funds which farms can use to supplement themselves, but there are many which have been forced to try additional approaches to increasing their income. Those like Hunstman Farms have lead the way in trying to ramp up revenue on the farm, and here are just some of the ways in which these farms are trying to boost their income.
Cafe/Restaurant
One of the most common ways in which farms are looking to increase revenue is by opening a cafe or a restaurant on their site. This is a great way to provide some hearty fare to their customers and it also gives them a chance to showcase the produce which has come from the land. Farm breakfast and lunches are really popular right now and people love to hit the farm and try some of the locally produced food.
Farm Shop
In line with what we have said about showing off what the farm can do, the farm shop is another great example of how farms can bring in more revenue. Once again this can be filled up with much of the meat and the produce that is produced on the farm. If the farm has a cafe or a restaurant then having a shop makes perfect sense. This way customers can try the meat and produce and if they like it, they can then go to the shop and pick up the things that they enjoyed most.
Kids Playground and Adventure Centers
Many farms have a lot of land which isn’t used for sowing crops, and these offer the perfect place for farms to add adventure playgrounds and areas where kids can come and have some fun. If this is also set up with a picnic area then it provides a great place for the family to come and spend the day. Farms can charge for access entry as well as being able to charge for individual activities such as trail walks and zip-lining. There is no doubt that this can be a real money spinner for farms and encourage more customers to come for the day, where they may also spend money at the farm shop.
These are tough times for farming yet with some level of small investment they can transform the farm itself and bring in more customers who are ready to spend their money. The key for farms is to take action before things get too bad, and this means that they will be able to put themselves in a position to make money when things take a turn for the worst. Be creative and seek out the best ways to drive more revenue to the farm.
