Tom Collins has been raising sheep on his farm near Glastonbury for decades, witnessing the agricultural landscape shift significantly over the years. As farmers experience greater financial constraints, more are seeking out diversification as a way to halt the flow of falling incomes. A survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that 71% of farmers currently rely on supplemental streams of income. This is a notable jump from 61% in 2015.
Collins is chairman of the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) in Wiltshire. He argues that trend is badly needed. “Without diversification we’d really be struggling. I don’t know a single farm business that isn’t diversified,” he stated. Mike Churches relates to that feeling. He operates a faith-based, economically sustainable agriculture-integrated incubator between farming and a church he purchased to support the economic sustainability. Churches has, for instance, discovered that his farm now makes ten times more revenue from weddings than from farming.
The pressures facing farmers are multifaceted. We know that this year has been agonizingly difficult. This summer they followed up with the longest wet winter on record and a ridiculously dry spring. Over a quarter of farmers had negative income from their farming enterprise, highlighting the economic stress facing the industry.
Against this backdrop of pressures, Godney Farm made headlines in Somerset as a successful case study in agricultural diversification and a profitable farming alternative. The farm, which is still home to cattle and other livestock, hosts dozens of weddings a year, cashing in on the beautiful countryside setting. Michelle Stead outside her beauty salon, Perfection – on an old Wiltshire farm once famous for mud. The beauty and appeal of this special place and the surrounding community cannot be overstated. “You can’t help but fall in love with the location,” she said.
Stead’s business is a prime example of the increasing movement among farms to diversify with non-agricultural services. She notes the appeal of the rural setting, stating, “There’s no parking issues, no traffic jams, no pollution, it’s beautiful.” This pastoral setting draws in couples looking for a tranquil, picturesque place to get married, adding another revenue stream to her farm.
Collins found that 26% of farms today receive the majority of their income from these connected endeavors. These for-profit enterprises range from wedding facilities to falconry to scenic helicopter rides and glamping. For him, only 30% of his farm’s revenue comes from just growing things. The other 70% is from a mix of temporary and permanent attractions. “It’s no longer just a bolt-on; it’s a crucial part of the business,” he explains.
Farmers are learning to adjust to these new realities Day. They go all in on projects that yield environmental and economic returns. Enhancing opportunities for Black churches His motivation for churches to diversify was driven by what he called “atrocious” farming income. He lamented the slim profit margins: “The finances aren’t good; the margins are wafer thin. It’s a whole lotta sawing and very little sawdust as my grandfather always said.
Paul Chorley, who got married at Godney Farm last month, said the gorgeous surroundings of the farm attracted him to the venue. “We’re quite outdoorsy people, so we wanted something that would give us that country feel,” he said. He added that upon arriving at the site, the breathtaking view confirmed their choice: “When we turned up and you see the view out the front, that is exactly what we’d imagined.”
The smart, successful modern businesspeople farmers have to be today know that the landscape of farming is changing fast. Longtime practices should evolve to succeed in the current tough economic environment. As diversification becomes a necessity, farmers such as Collins and Churches are transforming their practices in order to adapt to changing climates and thrive.