[hennypenny]

....what would you do to be more profitable?

For the space, the most profitable thing we do is honey production.....

eggs is nnot profitable when you do it small scale, and we dont have enough room for sheep really.

We do have a polytunnel...its about 20ft X 14 ft wide.... 

[ellisr]

Herbs is apparently a good thing to get into

[doganjo]

That's a good idea.  My late husband was very interested in herbs and was very knowledgable about them with green fingers too - we tried to persuade him to open a herb garden and nursery - he decided to go climbing instead.

[hennypenny]

Unfortunately there are 2 herb nurseries quite close by (so yes, they are probablyquite profitable)

[ellisr]

Go into town and see if you can sell to deli's and fruit and veg shops and see if it would be viable, ask what they would take

[CameronS]

breed rare or unusual poultry, meat birds, milking goat(s)??

Ready made (planted) hanging baskets/pots. 

Do bee keeping courses?
devote a small area for a campsite?

[WinslowPorker]

I read somewhere that you can have 5 caravan pitches without the need to apply for planning permission, perhaps you should have a look on the caravan club website.

[jacob and Georgina]

this is quite correct that is why you will find loadz of campsites with only 5 pitches on, however 5 pitches will take up quite a large amount of your acre!!!!! I would think also think about rare breed poultry as both hatching eggs and POL birds can generate a resonable amount! Perhaps a couple of pigs to fatten up aswel! one for your freezer and sell the other to cover the costs???

[hennypenny]

We already do the poultry breeding thing and its pretty steady.  Our Light Sussex (I really need to find out how to post pictures) are lovely and we get people from over 50 miles away buying them.
We planted about 15 fruit trees a coupleof years back and they are starting to fruit, so this could be a good thing.  Pigs is a no-no - we worked out the cost to keep a couple of piggies for meat and its not cost effective - we do keepa couple of lambs every year and this works for us.  This year we will sell one and keep one.
The bees are profitable and Im looking to expand our hives....

Courses has been good - I already teach for CornwallAdult Ed and am running chicken keeping courses with them from Sept.  I teach lambing for the Wool Boardbut I really onlyget 1 or 2 cracks at this a year.

[starcana]

when and where are you doing your next bee-keeping course in (west?) cornwall? I have two hives now - in one I've put a very large swarm that I went to get locally (and have just put a super on and they're very happy!) and the other a very small swarm. That one's only filling three frames in the brood box so far, but I'll nurse them through winter. . . . But despite loads of reading and having been out with a local bee keeper to his 5 hives, I still feel an absolute idiot when I look at my frames weekly as I don't really feel I know that well what I'm looking at!

[fizzgigg]

rabbits dont take up much space if u can find a local outlet for them someting like newzealand whites are good good luck any way pal

[bazzais]

For a caravan club, you'll have to supply caravan pitches (and van) only and with the services they require in the caravan club - tents come under a different bracket.  You'll also have to have non agri land status on your one acre for you to be able to apply to the caravan club for that land to be registered. Agri land can only be used for agriculture - tents, caravans, yurts etc are not agricultural activities so you will need to know the status of the land first, you will need a change of use if the land is agri (though on one acre its probably not agri land).
Whats the status of your land?

I would love to do ready made and planted hanging baskets/pots.  I think it could work on one acre too, its just the getting orders bit thats the hard bit, growing and putting effort into growing them is the (so called) easy part.  Many shops, outlets, hotels, garages, pubs buy in their plants and decorations.  Get into that chain and you may be able to make a living in potting and growing flowers and other plants. That could be fun.

I think I could plant flowers all day, that sounds a nice job to get into. - the hard bit is making people aware of your worth and quality  and them getting them to buy from you because they understand that fact.

Ta

Baz

[hennypenny]

Interesting comments and suggestions.

Re beekeeping.....we are in Wadebridge, North Cornwall, and the next beekeeping taught session will be the last one for the season.........Im taking off the last of honey and getting them ready for bed.  Sounds like you could do with a half day handling/identification and 'what to do next' session.  Dont know how you are fixed for a midweek day, but was planning for next Wednesday, the 11th....10am till 1pm.  The cost would be £25.  Let me know if you are interested.......

Having to consider other suggestions....