The not-so-simple life
To those dreaming of escaping the daily grind, running a croft or small-holding is probably their idea of the simple life.
But, let’s face it, working the land is far from simple: it involves long hours come rain or shine. The outside world never really goes away: government red tape, the demands of the bank manager and the vagaries of the British weather are just some of the issues we have to contend with – just like everybody else.
And, while many people take the abundant supply of food for granted, as small-holders we see at firsthand how freely the ravening hoards of greenfly, caterpillars, foxes, crows, pigeons, rabbits and badgers help themselves to our lovingly grown produce or how disease can wreak havoc amongst livestock. Small-holders need to be extremely resourceful – the proverbial jack of all trades – administering medication to animals, servicing a tractor, shearing and dipping sheep, digging drainage ditches or putting in fence posts, to mention just a few of the things we get up to.
But we wouldn’t have it any other way. Running a small-holding will never make you rich – in cash terms at least – but for most people it’s a lifestyle choice and we find our riches in other ways. The outdoor life helps keep us fit and counteracts some of the stresses and strains of the modern world.
Raising our own livestock and growing our own vegetables means we know exactly what goes into the food we eat. Our food is fresher – you’ll never find a just-picked bean or a genuinely new-laid egg on a supermarket shelf; we can raise rare breeds of cattle, sheep and pigs for extra flavour, and the same goes for our veg; and it’s local, and so cuts down food miles, which has got to be good for the environment.
Many of us also have the privilege of living in some of the most picturesque parts of the United Kingdom – the Highlands of Scotland, Wales or where I’m based in the East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, immediately across the valley from professional good-lifer Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. We’re extremely fortunate to live where we do, surrounded by wildlife and beautiful countryside; however, without the benefit of our own TV series to help pay the bills , I suspect that we’d all be grateful for a little extra cash!
So here are five ideas for ways in which crofters and small-holders can boost their income….
Find your niche market – small-holders, by definition, can’t expand to compete with the big boys on price and exploit economies of scale. So the trick is to produce something that’s in demand for its scarcity or novelty value, and preferably a premium product. For some, this means producing artisan cheeses or supplying local restaurants with rare-breed beef and pork.
Over in the next valley to us, one small farm has switched from milking cows to sheep. Why? Because there is a huge demand for sheep milk to produce organic yoghurt. The milk can be frozen successfully and collected periodically rather than everyday like cow’s milk, which makes the logistics easier as well.
Keep up with current trends – there’s a huge interest in all things to do with the countryside these days, as we become more aware of where our food comes from. One of the great success stories of recent years has been the massive expansion in people keeping their own poultry. Yet, there is still a market for very fresh free-range eggs. We sell our colourful traditional-breed eggs to the largest farm shop in the area. Because they’re so fresh and genuinely free-range, they command a premium: we receive a very good price in an area that has no shortage of egg-producers, while the shop is able to sell all the eggs we can bring them with a sensible margin on top.
Of course, if you’re right out in the wild you may not have a farm shop near you. But you can still make a return if you think outside the box. We’re finding that the current massive demand for rare-breed hens from urban good-lifers and backyard poultry-keepers has generated a healthy market for the more attractive or unusual birds and those laying coloured eggs. You can sell poultry online, at auction, through specialist magazines or to friends: you’ll find that, if you sell the right breeds at the optimum time of year, it’ll probably be worthwhile. You can also sell hatching eggs.
Think laterally – you almost certainly have valuable expertise available. Can you offer courses on aspects of running a small-holding, host artists on painting courses or wildlife tours? Do you have another skill you can combine with your small-holding duties like plumbing, electrics or web design? Could you provide a safe pair of hands to look after other people’s livestock if they want to go away on holiday?
Explore entirely new markets. Fans of BBC’s Countryfile will have seen how farmer Adam Henson supplies animals for film work. Friends of ours have even had their house used as a film set.
More realistically, perhaps, is the currently (no pun intended!) excellent opportunity for small-holders not only to save money on their energy bills but also to make a return from selling green electricity back to the grid. One of the things I will be doing for sure before long is exploring solar energy and wind power systems.
Get together with the community – here in our hidden-away area of east Devon, there is a thriving market in selling traditional-breed lamb, beef and pork to friends and neighbours with a freezer. There are also some more innovative schemes about, with local producers currently discussing how to club together to supply holiday cottages and nearby villages from a central point – a community farm shop, if you like. When the scheme is in place, visitors to the area and locals alike should be able to benefit from the freshest and tastiest of produce, and without having to buy in bulk.
Add value – these days, it’s important to think in terms of ‘adding value’ and doing something different: don’t sell veg (unless its high-cost and exotic), sell chutney; don’t sell fruit, sell jam, curd, juice or cordials; don’t sell meat, sell ‘salami’, pâté, cured meats, pies or curries. Offer whatever there is a demand for locally and not widely available.
Finally, it is possible to think beyond cash. We hear a lot about bartering these days: it’s an excellent age-old system, not least because the ‘income’ is largely informal and kept within the local community. Thus, we receive a discount on our daughter’s weekly piano lesson in exchange for a box of eggs, while the gift of a home-cooked gourmet curry, dessert or jam to neighbours has been reciprocated with fresh pork and access to apples for making juice; we’ve exchanged free grazing for lamb chops, a glut of red currants for a few bottles of wine made from the fruit, or even copy-writing services for sausages, chicken-feed or small-holding products!
Words and photographs by Nick de Cent. For more information about Nick click here
