Diversification

It’s three years since the Parker family launched their 24-hour vending machine and it is, now more than ever, proving to be a vital lifeline for the local community. Chrissie Long reports.

’For many years, we have known that in order for the farm to survive, we had to diversify’ says Laura Lewis

Jessica Armitage, 25, from Oakham, Rutland, is a herdswoman at Keythorpe Organic Farms and is the owner and founder of PrOganic, a milk processing business.

The Mack family farm in the heart of the Norfolk broads is home to an arable unit, thriving rapeseed oil business, farm shop, timeshare swimming pool and more recently a beef enterprise. Clemmie Gleeson reports.

Scottish Government’s handling of support for rural businesses has been branded ’shambolic’ by Shadow Rural Affairs Cabinet Secretary Rachael Hamilton.

People and businesses across the countryside are working flat out to keep the nation fed, to protect jobs, and support their communities says Rob Hindle, Director of Rural Solutions. 

Well, this is a funny one. We live in very strange times and now we are nearing the end of lambing time there is time to reflect.

Diversifying income streams to negate falling direct payments will be an attractive option to many farm businesses, but small-scale projects can sometimes be just as lucrative, without carrying as much risk.

My husband, Rob and I were raised on our family farms’ so we always knew farming would feature heavily in our futures.Some 6 years ago we built our own home on my parents farm in Inglewhite, here my Dad, Mum, brother and Rob work tirelessly on our 600-acre farm milking a dairy herd of 450 Holsteins.

Suffolk-based Dingley Dell pork brand was founded out of frustration with the industry’s lack of control and customer loyalty. Clemmie Gleeson meets the company’s Mark Hayward.