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Author Topic: Thinking of Open a Farm shop...IDEAS NEEDED PLEASE!!!!!  (Read 21740 times)

JarmFarm

  • Joined Nov 2010
Thinking of Open a Farm shop...IDEAS NEEDED PLEASE!!!!!
« on: January 05, 2011, 04:22:58 pm »
J.A.R.M Farm is thinking of open a farm shop, we need ideas and what things you expect in a farm shop, meat, veg ect.....????

Hope you can help.

J.A.R.M Farm

robert waddell

  • Guest
Re: Thinking of Open a Farm shop...IDEAS NEEDED PLEASE!!!!!
« Reply #1 on: January 05, 2011, 05:00:37 pm »
as with any new venture visit the opposition your location ie main road or back of beyond how far from population you are you will need planning permission insurance parking facility's possibly a visitor attraction ie pigs/sheep/goats/horses purpose built facilities or well modified farm buildings hygiene certificates and a shed load of money o and the council will want rates  and lots of good luck

OhLaLa

  • Joined Sep 2010
Re: Thinking of Open a Farm shop...IDEAS NEEDED PLEASE!!!!!
« Reply #2 on: January 05, 2011, 05:39:07 pm »
What I find odd when visiting farm shops (I expect to find produce grown on Uk farms - the more local the better), are Mangos, Dates and the like.

Whatever you do try to keep your produce fresh. The local farm shop to me had so much withering rotting veg that after a couple of visits I never went back.

 :farmer:

bsadevon

  • Joined Dec 2010
  • Plymouth Hooe
    • http://www.pro-skipper.com/
Re: Thinking of Open a Farm shop...IDEAS NEEDED PLEASE!!!!!
« Reply #3 on: January 05, 2011, 06:41:12 pm »
Good luck with your new venture - where are you gonna be located - are you near major highways - think signposting - marketing!

Who are your potential  customers gonna be - want are their need - how can you fulfill them - what make you different etc

Happy to help if i can...

Cheers Tim

HappyHippy

  • Guest
Re: Thinking of Open a Farm shop...IDEAS NEEDED PLEASE!!!!!
« Reply #4 on: January 05, 2011, 06:46:11 pm »
I think a few handmade gift/craft type things would be a welcome addition (plus they don't go off  ;)) Seeds and gardening stuff maybe ?
You could advertise my slate signs and I could send some samples to display  ;D ;D ;D (I'm kinda half joking  ;) but you can let me know if you'd be interested)
Or maybe there's someone close to you that's a part time crafter needing an outlet ? Cards, candles, soaps (thinking Plumseverywhere with her goats milk soap) all sorts of pretty and usefull things - couldn't hurt ?
HTH
Karen

sheardale

  • Joined Apr 2009
  • Dollar, Clacks, Scotland
Re: Thinking of Open a Farm shop...IDEAS NEEDED PLEASE!!!!!
« Reply #5 on: January 05, 2011, 08:10:02 pm »
Good Luck with the venture.

scattybiker1972

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • wirral
Re: Thinking of Open a Farm shop...IDEAS NEEDED PLEASE!!!!!
« Reply #6 on: January 05, 2011, 08:14:28 pm »
several really good farm shops by me,ones organic ones not  they sell meat eggs cheeses local grown food ect.theres also attractions and a food fair once a year also welly walks and a farm kitchen with a well known chef who cooks the farm fresh produce there.

pm me for links if you want

egglady

  • Joined Jun 2009
Re: Thinking of Open a Farm shop...IDEAS NEEDED PLEASE!!!!!
« Reply #7 on: January 05, 2011, 08:27:51 pm »
agree with all of the above and considering doing the same myself.....whereabouts are you located?

Hermit

  • Joined Feb 2010
Re: Thinking of Open a Farm shop...IDEAS NEEDED PLEASE!!!!!
« Reply #8 on: January 05, 2011, 08:45:13 pm »
We dont have farm shops up here as most folk do their own meat and veg but my family visit one regularly cause they sell different meats as specialities such as Ostritch . A farm shop we visited when we lived in England sold many kinds of homemade sausages and pies.Never been to one that sold crafts but times have changed since I last went to one.Whatever you sell it must be fresh with a real butcher cutting meat as requested and good quality veg and sacks of tatties.  A small garden centre on the side will attract the ladies , xmas trees at xmas, seasonal planters etc. Good luck.

northfifeduckling

  • Joined Jan 2009
  • Fife
    • North Fife Blog
Re: Thinking of Open a Farm shop...IDEAS NEEDED PLEASE!!!!!
« Reply #9 on: January 05, 2011, 09:18:49 pm »
what I really hate is if they sell fancy stuff and gifts, all made abroad ...like £ 10 for 300ml olive oil with garlic  ::) next to soap bars from China - - sure you get my drift. Pick a style and stick to it, be unique, be local. support your local food producers and artisans like selling local artists photos or paintings on the walls! Have a coffee shop with really good coffee and great value home made cakes! I'm sure you have a treasure chest in your area! These work great here because they made a name through being unique -
http://www.pillars.co.uk/Shop.htm
http://www.dayoutwiththekids.co.uk/family-fun/Muddy_Boots/3089
http://www.cairniefruitfarm.co.uk/
 :&>

ellied

  • Joined Sep 2010
  • Fife
    • Facebook
Re: Thinking of Open a Farm shop...IDEAS NEEDED PLEASE!!!!!
« Reply #10 on: January 06, 2011, 10:09:53 am »
Look at where you are and also what else is available so you're not in direct competition and offer something specific and unique above the normal range of fruit and veg expected.  Agree with NFD that a focus on local produce is better than trying to mimic supermarket range of imported varieties, and for me a coffee shop is a must as a draw.  I frequent several local farm shops regularly rather than just one, as they all have strengths and weaknesses and I also don't like to get bored so you aren't competing in prices, but in being a new variation on the very popular theme. 

I have had plans to do exactly this kind of project for several years, but not with the current property, so it's been a factor of places I've viewed in the past to come up with what each one could do and every property is different in what you can develop there so know your property, know your area and your market and start with a couple of things you can manage, leaving scope to expand and develop rather than try and do it all in one go and end up with second rate overstretched resources.

Local crafts is always a winner and doesn't involve you in direct work other than the till sales you are already manning so it makes sense.  It also gives you an audience of friends/family of all the crafts folk for your coffees and folk to tell their friends to come and look.

The quality of your coffee and home baking is probably what will make or break you so don't skimp there, along with the attitude of any part time staff you employ and the comfort/attractiveness of the cafe area, carparking convenience for wet weather, disabled facilities a must obviously, but go the extra mile and folk will repay with loyalty - so also change some of the menu occasionally but keep a strong base of regular items that are top sellers as some folk like the same thing time and again and others like to try something different.
Barleyfields Smallholding & Kirkcarrion Highland Ponies
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Hilarysmum

  • Joined Oct 2007
Re: Thinking of Open a Farm shop...IDEAS NEEDED PLEASE!!!!!
« Reply #11 on: January 06, 2011, 10:59:52 am »
When we lived in UK we shopped at a not very local farm shop, where the produce was good and varied.  I was always disappointed that the eggs were not genuine free range. 

Oddly we found the farm shop because it was attached to the horse feed merchants. 

Rosemary

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Barry, Angus, Scotland
    • The Accidental Smallholder
Re: Thinking of Open a Farm shop...IDEAS NEEDED PLEASE!!!!!
« Reply #12 on: January 06, 2011, 12:45:25 pm »
Toilets - decent toilets.  ;D Seriously, nothing puts folk off more than horrid toilets, specially if you have a food outlet.

princesspiggy

  • Guest
Re: Thinking of Open a Farm shop...IDEAS NEEDED PLEASE!!!!!
« Reply #13 on: January 06, 2011, 11:42:33 pm »
i would love to do that - looked into it, 3 good local ones nearby and its seems like alot of work that takes me away from the animals so decided against it for this decade!
doesnt have to be posh, a local one to us has a shed next the main road (his property is alongside) and u help yourself to fruit veg and pay at honesty box, however he now has cctv so not everyone was honest. i found the road too busy to stop safely so dont really use it incase kids run into road. most veg is homegrown but some was supermarket-like so i thought that was odd. if im buying apples from farmshop, i really want wonky tasty ones, not tesco lookalikes! did have good honey tho!!
our other farm shop is really nice and posh, sell homegrown meat etc award winning etc but its actually quite expensive.
u need to find your slot in the market that suits you and your customers.

kevkev57

  • Joined Sep 2008
Re: Thinking of Open a Farm shop...IDEAS NEEDED PLEASE!!!!!
« Reply #14 on: January 07, 2011, 10:50:48 am »
I think the crucial thing about selling now is to try to sell items that are both made in the UK and are quality.  I mention this as I have heard more than once recently that in times of depression and general economic woes people send less but are prepared to buy a quality item every now and again. ¨Perhaps as it will last longer or as a kind of cheer me up treat.  This is true here in the Ardennes and has been for a long time.

Also if I had a shop I would not stock anything Chinese and I would advertise the fact. There is a growing backlash to all this crap that is being sold.

I would also have a ' secondhand corner ' stuff completely unrelated to farm food but related to food preparation and cooking.. Decent secondhand items such as cookbooks , manual kitchen implements, again quality used stuff.

Hope that helps
Kevin

 

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