Top 10 Business Ideas to Boost Your Smallholding’s Profits Today
- rosebvassistant
- Apr 24
- 12 min read
Updated: Apr 25
In this economic climate everyone is tightening their belts, but whilst we are all looking after the pennies to save pounds, it is sometimes easy to forget the other side of the equation.
Whilst saving money is fantastic, another great way to ensure financial security is to increase your income.
Now we know that increasing income is much easier said than done, but what if we said that there are several easy and affordable ways to boost the income of your smallholding today? In our list below we have illustrated 10 fantastic side hustles for you to use to increase your smallholdings profits today.
With no time like the present let’s get straight into it:
1. Burn Baby Burn: Selling Firewood, Logs and Wood Chippings
I think there is nothing more romantic than sitting on your sofa, feeling nice and cozy in front of a wood fire. And as it turns out, so does the rest of the UK!
Due to a rise in demand of people wanting to sit in front of a log fire, so too has the price of firewood been steadily increasing over the recent years. So maybe it is time to turn that ‘deadwood’ into a profit.
Potentially on your smallholding you have a lot of fallen trees, or you are interested in felling trees to sell. In either circumstance, you could be making a nice bit of extra money on the side if you decide to sell this wood to the general public.
But firewood is not your only option!
Making mulch or biomass fuel for landscaping and farming by turning this wood into woodchips or making larger wood chunks suitable for BBQing is also a great option.
Assuming you have the raw product (the wood) which if felled required a chainsaw, felling wedges, safety equipment and of course proper planning, what’s next?
Well, you have 3 processes to choose from: 1. Cut the wood to firewood using either an axe of log splitting machine 2. Use a wood chipping machine to make woodchips or chunks 3. Keep the wood as it is to sell as logs (please note this is only possible if the wood is in very good condition.)
So maybe you chose to split the logs to make firewood, but you are worried about putting your back out by chopping so much with an axe.
Luckily here at Siromer we have the solution for you. With our log splitter you can split logs up to 2 foot long and 3 feet in diameter!
For more information check our website here.
Or if woodchipping sounds more like your bag why not check out our heavy-duty woodchipper here.
As you can see there are so many options for just 1 raw product. The world is your oyster…or should we say forest.
Please note, there are strict rules for selling firewood in the UK found here. Please make sure your plans comply to the regulations before commencing sales.
2. An Egg-cellent Idea: Raw Farm Products
Now whilst raw farm product might be an obvious suggestion, we cannot fail to mention it as an option. It is likely that raw farm products such as meat and eggs will take up the majority of a farmer’s time and effort, but that consequently they will also likely be your biggest income stream.
Which animal you choose will of course depend on your personal circumstances. For example, whilst a chicken only requires 4 square foot of space in a pen, cows will require at least 2 acres of grazing land, so it is essential to assess your current situation before jumping in. If you have plenty of land and a bit of money set aside for a more expensive start-up cost, sheep, pigs, cows and other cattle might be a great option for you. Or alternatively, if you are looking for something that uses a little less space and money rearing chickens to sell eggs might be a good option for you*.
It is also necessary to do your sums to see what cattle will be the most profitable when compared against running costs and workload.
For comparison, a single hen can lay 250-300 eggs annually, and it is worth bearing in mind that eggs are considerably easier to sell to the general public than meat. Meanwhile pigs are amongst some of the most efficient for feed into meat conversions. Please do not forgot that many cattle will provide a 2-4-1 in terms of revenue provided with meat, milk and wool/hide.
To boost profits, it is also well worth considering creating ‘speciality’ products to sell for a markup, such as pasture-raised eggs, organic, free-range, and soy free products.
Now with these animals on your land there are some things to consider: 1) how to clean the enclosures and 2) how to transport large amount of feed, waste and potentially product. We are pleased to say that once again Siromer are here at the rescue! (Now don’t say we don’t do anything for you!)
For transportation front loaders, transport boxes and trailers are incredibly useful, especially if you have quite a large bit of land that you are working with.
To have a look at our front loaders click here
And trailers
And if you are specifically looking at a bit of help to clean any paddocks why not check out our paddock cleaner here.
*For a very in-depth look at egg profits and running costs this is a great blog.
3. Hi, Hello, Hay: Selling Hay
And here with are with another oldie but a goodie- hay!
If you happen to have been growing wheat and are left with the remaining bits of the wheat plant, or you are just interested in compiling hay from dried grass we have the answer for you. Hay is a very easy product to make and can be produced entirely by waste products. It is a real win-win!
At Siromer we not only provide the essential hay baler but we are also making your life 10X easier by also selling a hay rake which is ideal for rowing up before bailing fully, and it will also spread freshly mown grass to help it dry quicker!
To see our hay baler in our action check out our video here:
Your profits here will depend on the type of hay you are selling, the pricing of your competition, and the demand in the market. To learn more about how to price your hay based check out this helpful blog here.
So don’t hit the hay just yet- start researching!
4. A Tree-mendous Start: The Tree nursery
Whilst we have covered selling wood above, have you ever thought about selling trees?
According to Fit Small Business “Seedlings run from 11p to £1.20 per tree, a sapling of two years can sell for £15 to £75, and a fully-grown tree can get you £750 or more—making for a large profit, if you have the time to wait.” (Quote changed to reflect GBP)
Of course, your profit margin will depend on the type of trees you can grow, how much land you have and how much time you can wait for growth. But out of all of the options on this list a tree nursery is definitely one of the lowest effort options as it literally is a case of sitting back and waiting.
A tree nursery is also a very environmentally friendly option so this choice is great if you would like to help the earth and your wallet at the same time!
5. Soil-Mates: Potatoes, Veggies and Fruit
Once again, whilst growing your own vegetables and fruit might seem an obvious choice, do not rule it out!
Vegetables and fruit can be great to sell at farmers markets and are also very easy to grow, regardless of your acreage. And whilst it will be difficult to beat supermarkets in price you can focus on USP’s such as special varieties of crops, organic options, and USPS like moon gardening etc.
In depth information about planning your crops, legal regulations and marketing can be found here.
Another great feature of growing your own fruits and veggies to sell is the option of creating Value-Added Products. A Value-Added Product is any product where you can, as the name suggests, add value to the raw product.
Take for example standard run of the mill cranberries. You could sell the cranberries as they are for £3 a punnet. In this case your profits are pretty out of your control and will depend on market price. Or to increase your profit margin you could make the cranberries into artisanal jam with herbs and spices that taste delicious with pork. Now you can charge £5 for a relatively small container. In this case the cost of the additional labour and ingredients are relatively small, but by processing the raw product into something special and unique you are more able to dictate the prices vs. having to follow market price.
Simply put, value-added products are a great way to squeeze a bit of extra profit out of something simple without too much effort!
And whilst you could do everything crop related by hand, here at Siromer, we are a bit proponent in working smart not hard!
If you are looking for help with sewing your crops, why not check out our ploughs here.
Or maybe you fancy a day off from getting your hands dirty and would like to automate your muck spreading. If so, have a look at our muck-spreader here.
And lastly, maybe potatoes are your game, but you’re tired of the backbreaking digging. If so, put your feet up and have a look at our potato digger here.
6. No Prob-llama: Wool and Alpaca Fiber
Alpacas are not just cute; they are also a great business investment!
Wool and fiber animals, such as sheep, llamas, alpacas, angora goats, yaks etc. provide really fantastic value for money as not only do they provide the wool or fiber, but they also provide milk that works for consumption and tallow for use in beauty products.
And if you’ve been paying attention I am sure you can already see the potential for value-added products!
Let’s take alpaca fiber as an example. Whilst raw alpaca fiber can sell for £1.5-4.5 per ounce, alpaca yarn can range in price from £7.5 per skein all the way up to £135 for a large cone. Now that is already a large difference!
Now if you are adept at knitting, you are in for a winner! If you have a quick look on Etsy you will see a single pair of undyed alpaca socks selling for an average of around £18. So, whilst a pair of socks will usually take 0.5-1 skein per pair that means already you have doubled the amount you can see the same product for.
And this is not getting into an analysis of soaps, beauty products, milks, cheese and more made from milk *and tallow of sheep, goats, llamas, alpacas etc.
And not only that, alpacas and llamas are particularly popular right now to use in outdoor experiences to sell such as alpaca hikes, but more on that in section 8…
Alpacas in particular are very handy animals as they are also generally very low maintenance compared to other livestock in terms of the land, shelter and feed needed.
So it’s time to get down to the bah-bah shop and get shearing!
*alpacas and llamas will not be very good for milk production.
7. Mi Casa Es Su Casa: Renting Your Land
Whilst the saying “success isn’t owned, it’s leased. And rent is due every day” is true, it is also true that putting your land to work in unconventional ways like renting out the grounds is a great money maker!
Whilst we often think of having to do something with our land to make money, would it surprise you to say you can actually make some of the most money doing some of the least physical work simply by renting your space.
For renting you have 2 options:
1. If you have space, and a fair bit of money for construction, you could build something substantial like a small cabin, cottage, convert a shipping container or even set up glamping pods to rent out on hosting sites like Airbnb.
As you can see with our examples below the demand for farm based Airbnb's is large and therefor is an easy way to earn a bit of cash on the side!
2. Or if you want to try out the idea but not invest large amount of capital why not keep your site as a MVP (minimal viable product) and rent your smallholding up as a camping site? Sites such as Hipcamp allow you to literally just rent land for others to bring their tents and/or campers to use for the night. You do not need to provide any facilities, it is as simple as providing a patch of grass in hopefully a beautiful area.
With these 2 options, it truly is as simple as creating your accommodation, setting up a profile, and doing check-ins when guests arrive. Now that’s a grand sight easier than working out in the fields!
And if you really fancy making a bit of money, and you have a particularly pretty smallholding, hosting weddings on your land is always an option! Whilst weddings are high effort and high stress, the reward is also pretty nice!
For more information about wedding specific hosting please read here.
8. A Quali-tree Location: Agritourism
If you like the idea of using your land for something a little bit out of the box but would like something more hands on than an Airbnb why not consider agritourism?
I am sure there was a reason you first started with your smallholding. Maybe city life was grinding you down? Maybe you wanted to work with your hands? Or maybe you just simply wanted to spend more time in nature?
Well, those who like partake in agritourism feel the same.
Argitourists are people who are looking for a natural experience that feels different from their day to day, and that could mean anything from feeding the animals, working in the garden, or even picking fruit!
Even if it feels boring and mundane to you it could feel like a therapeutic respite to someone else.
Some great ideas for events to hold are alpaca trails, a petting zoo if you have animals, u-pick events where the tourists come to pick their own produce, classes in anything you have skills in which could range from growing herbs, making cheese or even flower arranging, and lastly school trips to teach the children about nature.
Airbnb even has a ‘farm stay’ category where guests not only stay on the smallholding but help around the farm as part of the experience. Shopify reported “According to a 2022 Airbnb report, more than 7,000 farm stays were booked in the US in 2021, a 40% increase from 2019. The typical farm stay host in the US earned $10,300 in 2021, according to the report.”
In the case of agritourism the only limit is your imagination.
Agritourism is also a particularly great option if you have an outgoing personality, like meeting new people and sharing your knowledge and/or lifestyle.
And of course, to make sure your land is tiptop for all types of guests why not invest in various equipment to help take a load off your mind.
Siromer’s backhoes, mowers, hedge trimmers and more can all be found here.
9. Brown Gold: Manure
The phrase ‘one man’s trash is another man’s treasure’ can no greater be applied to the case of manure.
Whilst literally excrement, manure can serve many different functions with a fantastic environmental impact.
Not only can you sell the unprocessed manure to local farms, but you can also turn the manure into fertilizer or compost. By selling on manure, or any byproduct, you are literally giving back to the community by allowing the excellent nutrition found in manure to once again return back to the plants to help them grow. Now that’s what I call recycling!
Once again it is worth mentioning a front loader would be incredibly helpful for a project such as this.
10. Honey I’m Home
And lastly, if you want to add a bit of sweetness into your life why not consider bees?
With minimal land requirements and a relatively cheap start-up cost beekeeping could be a great opportunity for you.
With a minimum outlay of about £500 which includes 2 hives, supers, frames, a foundation, a beesuit, a smoker, hive tool and gloves this cost is pretty minimal (bees not included). The Apiarist online here estimates that 4 hives would create a profit of around £400 a year in honey. Each hive only takes up around 2.5 square feet of space so depending on your space, time and initial investment profits could be large.
It is also worth noting, bees will not only produce 50-100 pound of honey per hive anually, but they will also produce beeswax, propolis and royal jelly making great options for beeswax candles, body lotions and medical products.
And finally, with all those bees buzzing around the yield on any nearby crops should soar.
You could say an apiary is an un-bee-lievable option.
And of course, we could not mention all of the ideas and equipment above without mentioning the tractors to implement it all!
Here at Siromer we have a tractor to fit everyone. From our smallest tractor, The Tornado, which is a compact tractor at 1105-1905mm with 26.5HP, weighing 625kg, a 500kg lift capacity, 1-ton towing capacity, all the way up to our largest tractor, The 804 TI, which is a TI tractor at 4136-1760mm, 2850kg, 80HP with a 2000kg lift capacity and a 4 ton towing capacity. No matter the size of your smallholding, we have the tractor for you!
To see our full list of tractors have a look here.
And there we have it! 10 easy and affordable ideas you can implement within days to increase the profit of your smallholding.
If you have your eye on any of the products listed please do not hesitate to give us a ring on 01253 799029 or pop us over an email at tractors@siromer.co.uk to chat with one of our expert advisers today.
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