Many farms around the country are looking for ways in which they can boost their revenue stream given what has been a very tough year indeed. Even prior to the pandemic farms were having to look at ways of boosting profits, and looking beyond farming so to speak was the best way to do it. Some, like Huntsman Farms invested in activity centers and large play parks for kids and families, others would open up land for event space and many have looked into ways that they can open up their very own farm shop. This is in fact one of the best ways that farms can make money, assuming that the set-up is right and that the products which they are going to sell are good enough.
If you have considered this before, here are some of the things you need to think about before opening up a farm shop.
The Logistics
The first place to start is the logistics, before you even start thinking about the products which you are going to sell or how you will source them. You need to make sure that the farm shop has legal access from the road, that you own all of that access and that the distance from the road to the farm shop is not too far. You want customers to nip in from the roadside rather than have a maze to get through in order to find your store.
On Site and Off Site Products
Another consideration which you will have to make here is how much of the products that you sell will be yours, and how much will be brought in from other sources. The reason why it is important to understand this is so that you can cost the entire operation out easier. Another key factor here is that there are very often local laws and rules which you have to understand when it comes selling produce from other vendors. Some localities require you to source that kind of stuff from within a certain distance, whereas others will allow you to sell from just about anywhere that you wish to purchase it from.
Shop or Cafe
Some people like to keep things minimal and just set up a shop which sells products and products only. Others however do like to invest some more time and money into this endeavor and will open up a cafe and a restaurant feature of the shop. This means that you can sell meat and produce from directly on the farm, which could also inspire people to then buy it afterwards. There is no doubt that this is a great way of running the shop, but it does cost a lot of extra money and will require a huge amount of time and effort, which many farm owners just don’t have.
These are the three most important things to consider when it comes to setting up your very own farm shop.