Flame_Marketing_Logo_Trans_Dark_SmallFlame_Marketing_Logo_Trans_Dark_Smallflame-mobile-logoFlame_Marketing_Logo_Trans_Dark_Small
  • Home
  • Our Marketing Solutions
    • Firestarter Marketing Strategy
    • Firecracker Social Media Strategy
    • Create YOUR Bespoke Marketing Solution
  • Shop
  • About Us
  • Blog
  • Contact Us
  • FAQ
Farm Diversification
5 Farm Diversification ideas for the modern fruit farm
June 21, 2021
farm stays
Farm Stays | How to make your farm B&B appeal to the staycation market
June 23, 2021

Tips on setting up an award-winning farm diversification

June 22, 2021
Categories
  • News
Tags

Tips on setting up an award-winning farm diversification

Here is a great example of how a farm diversification can be developed into a great part of a farm business.

Emma Boyles and her team have earned greater recognition for their quality fine wool business since winning Farmers Weekly Diversification Farmer of the Year 2019.

We find out how they set about starting the business, what they would do differently and their tips for other farmers wanting to diversify their income stream.

Farm facts: The Little Grey Sheep: The Grey Sheep Co, Hook, Hampshire

125ha farm (28ha woodland and 16ha pasture)

600-head flock of Gotland, Shetland and Merino sheep

12ha of wheat and 18ha of legume-rich fallow, contract farmed

50% growth in wool sales in 2017-18

Higher Tier Countryside Stewardship

Why did you decide to launch a diversified business in wool production?

We bought Well Manor Farm in 2004, a 125ha holding with 89ha of Grade 3 arable land, farmed on a wheat-oilseed rape rotation, with the occasional bean crop thrown in.

As new entrants, we maintained the status quo and continued with the incumbent contractors, while we maintained the farming risk.

The returns from the arable after the profit share with the contractor were small and offered no means to invest in the farm, or farm in a more sustainable way.

What were the main hurdles in setting up your new business?

Deciding on entering the fine wool market caused a number of challenges. Firstly, there was no established knitting yarn fine wool progeny for sale. The Gotland breed we had selected was a rare breed in the UK and there was limited supply of quality youngstock.

So, we had to start the process of building our own breeding lines and cross-breed our own unique fine wool sheep, now called Stein Fine Wool (which is trademarked).

What are the pros and cons of producing sheep for their wool?

Our flocks are farmed for fibre production primarily, with meat a byproduct. To maximise the return from the fibre, it is important to see it as a primary product and manage the flock accordingly.

With our rare breed flock not only do we see a premium on the fleece but gain high returns on the skins once tanned.

What attributes do you need to run a successful diversified farm business?

I think that many attributes of farming transfer well into starting a diversification; hard work, long hours and a real belief in the product are essential.

Farm Diversification

We wanted to diversify within agriculture to enhance our farm and educate others about the origins of their yarn.

What would you do differently if you could start out again?

Sometimes I wish we had been able to heavily invest in the product and flock in the early days.

However, through organic growth we have learned without any major disasters. Our customers have also seen the growth and stayed with us.

What impact has the coronavirus pandemic had on the business?

The pandemic has hit our business through the cancellation of festivals which we attend to promote our yarn.

This was to be the first year exhibiting in the USA in March and then Sweden in April.

Yarn is a tactile product and many customers want to actually feel the product before they buy for the first time. We find those customers will then continue to order after the festival.

How do you plan to grow your business in the coming years?

We aim to continue our growth of the business through social media and travelling to international wool festivals. Brexit is a big concern for us as we do not know yet how that will impact on us transiting through Europe and attending festivals there.

What are your top tips for other farmers thinking about starting a diversified business?

It is really important to believe in your product and be passionate about it. There will be many setbacks and little return in the early days, so having the drive to achieve is important.

It is very important to have a story behind your product, especially if that is your farming story, as increasingly consumers buy into the ethos of the product and want to engage with those producers who are more sustainable.

Don’t be afraid just to start. Utilise social media – social being the important word.

What difference has winning the Diversification award made to your business and your team?

Winning the diversification award has brought us a lot of visibility and credibility across the UK, through the BBC programme, from potential customers and our peers.

Here at Flame Marketing with offer help and guidance when setting up farm diversification. Including a FREE initial marketing consultation to set up a plan of attack for the direction you want to target for your business.

Share
0

Related posts

Farm Diversification
January 21, 2023

Farm Diversification: How lockdown gardening hobby turned into veg business


Read more
Farm Diversification
January 15, 2023

Farm Diversification: Top tips for diversifying your farm business


Read more
farm business
January 11, 2023

Farm Business: How beef farmers are coping with the loss of BPS


Read more

Get in touch

Book a call with us today
Phone & Email
01803 814 147
info@flamemarketingltd.org

Location

Office Address
Clennon,
Denbury Cross,
Ipplepen,
Newton Abbot,
TQ12 5TP.

Privacy Policy

Newsletter Signup

Instagram


How much would you need to sell to invest £600 pe
How much would you need to sell to invest £600 per month in your business? 

Is it 20 veg boxes? 2 glamping holidays? 100 bars of soap? 
How many new clients would we need to bring you?

With packages starting from as little as £200 and most under £675 per month, why not? 

#glamping #agrimarketing #backbritishfarming #farmdiversification #ukfarming #agribusiness #britishfarming #farmmarketing #farmbusiness #socialmediamarketing #contentmarketing #agriculturemarketing #devon #rurallife #rbst #agristudent #buylocal #supportfarmers #buybritish #shopsmall #dairy #organicfarming #agribranding #youngfarmers #farmbusinessinnovationshow #farmlife #thisfarminglife #ruralpowerhouse #CountryLandandBusinessAssociation

Agri marketing for Rare Breed Meat producers

Is
Agri marketing for Rare Breed Meat producers 

Is there still commercial value in rare and native breeds?
Over the past 10 to 20 years UK farming has almost turned completely to commercial breeds and away from our traditional Native breeds. 

Read on at our blog - Link in bio 

#agrimarketing #backbritishfarming #farmdiversification #ukfarming  #farmmarketing #farmbusiness #agriculturemarketing #buybritish #organicfarming #agribranding #farmbusinessinnovationshow #farmlife #ruralpowerhouse #CountryLandandBusinessAssociation
https://www.flamemarketingltd.org/agri-marketing-for-rare-breed-meat-producers/


Every farmer and producer is unique, and so are th
Every farmer and producer is unique, and so are their products and businesses. So why would they all have the same marketing package?

We try to do things differently. We take the time to meet with clients, understand their specific goals and needs, and then advise them on the most suitable marketing strategy for their farm business.

 #glamping #agrimarketing #backbritishfarming #farmdiversification #ukfarming #agribusiness #britishfarming #farmmarketing #farmbusiness #socialmediamarketing #contentmarketing #agriculturemarketing #devon #rurallife #rbst #agristudent #buylocal #supportfarmers #buybritish #shopsmall #dairy #organicfarming #agribranding #youngfarmers #farmbusinessinnovationshow #farmlife #thisfarminglife #ruralpowerhouse #CountryLandandBusinessAssociation

Farm marketing: Using Instagram to market your mea
Farm marketing: Using Instagram to market your meat box business

Meat box businesses are a great farm diversification option, particularly as they can be as big or as small scale as you need them to be. But to get the most from these direct sales, you need to have a clear farm marketing strategy that is suited to your scale and specific needs.

Read more at the link in bio 

#agrimarketing #backbritishfarming #farmdiversification #ukfarming  #farmmarketing #farmbusiness #agriculturemarketing #buybritish #organicfarming #agribranding #farmbusinessinnovationshow #farmlife #ruralpowerhouse #CountryLandandBusinessAssociation #lamb #hogget #beef #organicfarming #pork #rarebreed #highwelfaremeat

Have you heard about our mini package?
Perfect fo

Have you heard about our mini package? 
Perfect for small and start-up diversification projects! 

So what does Flame's Membership Package include? 

1. Video editing service - maximum 5 videos per month 
2. Access to social media scheduling & analytics software - with training
3. 90 min coaching session - monthly marketing strategy coaching
4. Mini monthly marketing strategy including: 

🔥 3 x Blog Titles and Prompts per month 
🔥 2x Video prompts per month
🔥 10x social media post prompts per month 

All for just £195 p/month 

Contact us for more info

5 blog ideas for your lamb meat box business

🐑
5 blog ideas for your lamb meat box business

🐑 What is the difference between lamb, hogget and mutton?
🐑 What does it mean to be RSPCA Approved?
🐑 How to check if your lamb is from the UK?
🐑 How can sheep farming benefit rewilding?
🐑 Why we chose to produce [insert breed], a native/rare breed

 #agrimarketing #backbritishfarming #farmdiversification #ukfarming  #farmmarketing #farmbusiness #agriculturemarketing #buybritish #organicfarming #agribranding #farmbusinessinnovationshow #farmlife #ruralpowerhouse #CountryLandandBusinessAssociation #lamb #hogget #beef #organicfarming #pork #rarebreed #highwelfaremeat


Tom knew he had to diversify his family farm, but
Tom knew he had to diversify his family farm, but he had to come up with a solid plan to convince his family. 

Going to agricultural college had opened his eyes to the range of diversification options and the need for effective marketing when selling directly to the public. 

But where to start? How to decide which diversification project to try? How to find his ideal customer? 

Sound like you? Check out our marketing packages

 #glamping #agrimarketing #backbritishfarming #farmdiversification #ukfarming #agribusiness #britishfarming #farmmarketing #farmbusiness #socialmediamarketing #contentmarketing #agriculturemarketing #devon #rurallife #rbst #agristudent #buylocal #supportfarmers #buybritish #shopsmall #dairy #organicfarming #agribranding #youngfarmers #farmbusinessinnovationshow #farmlife #thisfarminglife #ruralpowerhouse #CountryLandandBusinessAssociation

5 blog ideas for your lamb meat box business

🐑
5 blog ideas for your lamb meat box business

🐑 5 top tips for cooking the perfect lamb roast
🐑 What are lamb sweetbreads, and how do you cook them?
🐑 Farmer’s favourite lamb and kidney pie
🐑 Lamb koftas with tzatziki and Greek salad
🐑 5 things to know about our lamb meat boxes

 #lamb #hogget #organicfarming #rarebreed #highwelfaremeat #agrimarketing #backbritishfarming #farmdiversification #ukfarming  #farmmarketing #farmbusiness #agriculturemarketing #buybritish #organicfarming #agribranding #farmbusinessinnovationshow #farmlife #ruralpowerhouse #CountryLandandBusinessAssociation


Load More…


© 2020 Flame Marketing. All Rights Reserved.
0

£0.00

✕

Login

Lost your password?

Create an account?

  • →
  • Phone
  • Email