Many farmers are worried about keeping their business afloat. Farming is a vital job to sustain the community, but first and foremost, you need to sustain your family. So if you’re seeking out ways to make your farm more profitable this year, read on.
Manage your costs
If you want to stay profitable, you’ll need to manage your costs effectively. Why pay high rent on land without a high yield? If you’re going to increase your profit margin, you’ve got to be serious about where you can draw the line. For example, you might be spending far too much on livestock feed, just because you’re sticking to a familiar supplier. You might be able to find alfalfa hay for sale at a fraction of the price by shopping around. Just use a reputable source, so you know you’re not compromising on quality. Other ways you could minimize your payments are to share equipment with neighbouring farmers, if possible, or to sell on any old equipment that you no longer use. Sometimes investing in newer equipment is worthwhile if it will increase your farm’s efficiency.
Get better at book-keeping
To keep your costs low and your profit high, you need to know what you’re spending on at the moment. Develop a system that allows you to track your income and expenditure. It’s best to keep this system regularly updated so that it provides a clear picture. Having an accountant or a financial advisor is probably a good idea. There are also plenty of resources online to help you with book-keeping and business management. Knowing where you stand is the first step to profitability! Next, you can start trimming down the unnecessarily high costs you may have identified.
Maximize yields
While you might save elsewhere, investing in cutting edge technology can benefit your farm. Modern farming technology can help you to achieve the perfect seed placement, which can increase your yield significantly. But it’s not just about investing financially. It’s also worth investing time and energy into making your farm profitable. Speak to experts who can help you choose the ideal seeds for your soil type and when to plant them. As the science develops, it’s also essential to stay up to date on things like the latest fertilizers and developments in animal husbandry.
Diversify your income
Many modern farmers are diversifying their income to ensure that fluctuations in the market don’t hit them so hard. Some successful ventures include energy farming, for example installing solar panels or wind turbines on land that is no longer profitable. If your farm is in a good location and has a certain charm, you could rent it out as a wedding venue.
If you have land going spare and a little money to invest, you could also consider setting up ‘glamping’, or glamorous camping, rentals. These could be yurts, traditional wagons, or even tree-houses. It can cost a significant amount to set up, but depending on your location (and marketing strategies) it could offer a decent return. Other options are vineyards, forestry, and selling homemade crafts.
