The Farmers Mart Feb-Mar 2019 - Issue 61 | Page 19

FARM NEWS 19
• FEB/MAR 2019
TOP FARM LAND CONVERSIONS IN BRITAIN
A trip to the farm is a great family day out —
home to some of our favourite animals too.
Whether it’s pigs, cows, or sheep, farm land
is usually a place for agricultural processes.
However, the UK’s farms have started to house
other projects, such as cafes, restaurants,
shops, campsites, and adventure. But the ideas
aren’t stopping there as certain farms look for
a unique selling point to bring in customers.
BELIEVE it or not, Britain is
home to 20 million hectares of
farmland which accounts for 64%
of the entire country. While we
still produce over five and a half
million tonnes of potatoes and
two million hectares of wheat
is harvested in eastern England
each year, weird and wonderful
projects continue to ‘crop’ up.
Here, farm insurance providers,
Lycetts, take a look at some of the
most extravagant and outlandish
conversions seen on farm land in
the United Kingdom.
An insight to tank driving
Have you heard of tank div-
ing before? A farm in Dumfries,
south-west Scotland has set up a
tank driving experience. Scottish
farmer Ian Evans had a lifelong
fascination with the military
machinery and decided to turn
his dreams into a reality when
he launched Galloway Tanks and
offered members of the public a
unique tank-driving day.
After milk prices decreased
around 1998, Evans decided to
purchase a tank. His Penklin
Farm near Newton Stewart now
boasts a magnificent cavalry of
20 tanks, including a Chieftain and
four 432s. The day-long experi-
ence can cost as little as £50 and
includes driving the machinery
up rolling hills on his 14ha plot of
farmland. There are also separate
tracks for each vehicle.
The introduction of
a curling rink
Farmers want to make good
use of their space. Ernest Fenton
moved to Kent in England from
Scotland and converted his cow-
shed into a curling rink when he
started missing the sport. Now, the
facility just outside of Tunbridge
Wells is recognised as England’s
only dedicated curling rink.
Fenton started to import
equipment from North America
after gaining useful advice from a
Canadian curling expert. Fenton’s
Rink claims to be ideal for staff
outings, team-building events, and
Christmas parties.
Transforming into a
festival hot spot
People like to escape when they
go to a festival and this is one of
the core reasons why farmers
are opening up their fields for
business — think Glastonbury.
With the likes of Barn on the Farm
in Gloucester and the previously
popular Wickerman Festival in
Dumfries & Galloway, the music
scene is taking advantage of the
open space offered by farmland.
Lounge on the Farm in Kent is
another and has been running for
12 years. Although it may disrupt
the usual farming activities for a
short while, the money that can
be brought in from renting out
the space for a weekend can go a
long way to covering costs for the
entire year.
The rise of glamping
holidays
Have you considered renting
out your farmland to destined
holidaymakers? Farms such as Gl-
anmor Isaf Farm in Bangor, North
Wales, are doing just that, opening
up their space to the public so
they can experience a taste of the
Welsh countryside.
With stunning views of both
Snowdonia and the Carneddau
Mountains, there’s no reason why
you wouldn’t want to make a trip
to this location. If you choose to
attend in early summer there’s
even the chance to feed the pet
lambs, while Welsh Black cattle,
pigs, mountain sheep, and chick-
ens are always in the vicinity. For
those wanting more of the hands-
on experience, why don’t you rent
your own private chicken coop?
Opening up for
sporting events
Many believe this to be one
of the toughest sporting events
in your calendar. In Peterlee,
Thornley Hall Farm has found
itself added to the cross-country
circuit in the North Eastern Harri-
er league..
If you’ve heard of the Spartan
Race, did you know that this
is held on Rapley Farm? The
series, which tests competitors’
physically abilities to the fullest
by pitting them against an array
of challenging obstacles, sees
athletes travel the country to col-
lect their medals after each run.
Obstacles often include a barbed
wire crawl, atlas carry, fire jump,
and rope climb.
While farmers continue to work
with their animals, they’re also
looking at new ways to explore
their land. What idea would you
like to see next appear on a farm
near you? Just make sure to have
agricultural insurances.
Sources
https://www.fwi.co.uk/business/5-
unusual-farm-diversifications-to-
inspire-you
http://www.fentonsrink.co.uk/
http://www.countryfile.com/news/
farming-diversification
https://www.cambridge-news.
co.uk/business/7-things-farming-
uk-surprise-13547743
http://www.spartanrace.uk/en/race/
race-types/obstacle-details