[hughesy]

Just building a shop on it isn't really making a living from the land is it. We have 8.5 acres and breed pigs in order to sell the pork direct through our local markets. to give an idea our business has looked something like this. Year 1, quite a substantial loss. Year 2 a small loss close to breaking even. Year 3 a moderate profit, Year 4 should give a reasonable wage. We live in a coastal/rural area where there isn't a lot of money about and trade is quite seasonal dependant on tourism. If we lived in or near an affluent area I would say we would have been into decent money a lot quicker.

[pgkevet]

Just building a shop on it isn't really making a living from the land is it. We have 8.5 acres and breed pigs in order to sell the pork direct through our local markets........

I'd have to guess at the math for that. But to keep enough pigs for a  half decent salary over and above costs and repayments almost certainly means buying in feed with only 8.5 acres - which isn't much different to buying in weaners or plants to grow on and sell. Or indeed buying in diesel and toilet paper

There'd be nowt wrong with the ambition to make big bucks with a garden centre-like enterprise and you can grow or grow on stock to keep everyone happy.

I'm past the age of wanting to work that hard but I'd love to have the investment cash to grow british breadfruit, specialist mango and sapodilla - so they actual ripen on the tree. And tissue culture propagation of arboreal orchids...... But that's daydreaming and a lottery win.

[hughesy]

Just building a shop on it isn't really making a living from the land is it. We have 8.5 acres and breed pigs in order to sell the pork direct through our local markets........

I'd have to guess at the math for that. But to keep enough pigs for a  half decent salary over and above costs and repayments almost certainly means buying in feed with only 8.5 acres - which isn't much different to buying in weaners or plants to grow on and sell. Or indeed buying in diesel and toilet paper

So we're not allowed to buy in feed now. That moves the goalposts a bit. Of course we buy in feed it's our biggest expense by far. Not many farms can be self sufficient in feed and bedding no matter how big they are. Everyone has to buy goods or services to keep their business running.

[cloddopper]

unfortunately think I already know the answer but I live on a 6.5 acre smallholding which we have just been raising sheep, pigs & chickens for our freezer and a large veg plot.

BUT I would love to be able to make a small income from the land if at all possible and I wondered if anyone on here was managing to do this?

I have considered raising table ducks or geese (although geese in large quantity would be too noisy).

Would love to hear any of your success stories.

Thanks x

Have you got sloping ground and a natural stream going through the upper part ??
  A couple of friends made sensible money growing things like water cress & other edible water plants using the streams flow & herbs that like wet feet  by growing the herbs in peat blocks with diverted stream water keeping them wet footed .

[benkt]

I just about make money on our six acre farm. Our main bit is the community farm aspect, where we have around twenty families paying between £35 and £65 a month for veg, eggs, meat etc. from the farm and they also help out twice a month. That pays all the bills, then my wage then mainly comes from the extras that I can fit in on top.
I don't want to do anything one thing intensively - its the variety that makes it fun! So the plan is to build up lots of little earners that bring in maybe £1000 a year or so in profit each and aim to stagger them through the year,

We do 'hatching in schools' in spring which we are starting to be fully booked with regulars now, so the marketing is much less work. I also do a small egg round that I've struggled to expand without going too intensive on the chickens. I then move on to selling half pigs through summer and autumn. In the winter we have Christmas geese and turkeys to bring in some cash when nothing else does! I'm also working hard this year on building up educational talks/visits as this is a nice way to bring in a little bit of cash throughout the year.

One thing I have noticed - if you are selling to other businesses, then specialising makes sense, if you sell direct to consumers then diversity can be much easier in some respects. Once you have gone through the hard work of getting a customer, you want to sell them as much as possible! If I can get a new customer for a half-a-pig, then I can almost guarantee that they will come back later in the year for a goose at Christmas and then maybe join an egg round the following year or pick up a bit of our spare goat meat etc. .

Finally, I've found out over time what I enjoy doing - the community and educational bits - and so have been expanding those. It seems easier to make the business work if you're passionate about it - so what bits of what you currently have do you enjoy most?

[Scotsdumpy]

You could maybe research an american idea called SPIN farming the concept is growing things in small areas eg your front garden then selling direct to the public at your front gate. Some of the ideas are a bit wacky hut the idea is to utilise what space you have to produce what people want. A few ideas show that with a few acres you can produce quality food to sell to niche markets. One of the ideas is micro greens which are sold to local restaurants at high prices. Obviously you would have to research your market. I doubt if this would work in my area - ne aberdeenshire... but the principal should if you can find a niche.Anyway, spin farming has a facebook page so maybe check them out.
Hope this helps