Tony and Mary

Home Farm, Beeston, Cheshire

Like most families the youngsters know all about computers through school and after much pressure Tony and Mary had allowed the household computer to be used for internet surfing and emails in the evening. So that they did not have to worry about the cost they subscribed to their service providers flat rate “free access” tariff in the evening and weekends.

The farm tourism adviser had called to advise them about marketing and had pointed out the good business that many operators were getting over the internet. He had noted that the farm’s Bed and Breakfast business was listed on the tourist boards website but no what is called a hyperlinks from there could be made to a farm website. The decision was therefore made to have their own farm website. Whilst Tony had a cousin who could create internet pages they were advised to have their site created by a specialist site designer who was experienced in the tourism industry. This would ensure that the correct phraseology and links to other appropriate internet sites were made.

Mary worried about whether their computer would be good enough to do the job as it was a few years old. However she was reassured that as the information is not held on their computer but on an Internet Service Providers computer this would not be a problem. A small annual fee has to be paid for this service although some ISP’s do provide a limited amount of web space for free for small users. They were also concerned about how to register their farms name and thereby create an address or URL for themselves. The answer is that whoever designs the site for you will do that (a small fee has to be paid for the registration).

There is often much head scratching as to what name to chose for your website but remember that at the end of the day it needs to be a name that is short and memorable. There is misconception that people will find you simply by putting your name in what is called an internet Search Engine (such as www.ask.com, www.excite.co.uk, www.lycos.com, www.google.com)  and find you. In fact most hits will come through redirection (or hyperlinks) from sites such as the tourist board’s or Stay on a Farm site (www.FarmStayUK.co.uk) . Another source of hits will be through people seeing your URL on leaflets, letterheads and business cards.

A simple website comprising a couple of pictures and text will not be expensive but things are evolving all the time. Other possibilities that you might consider adding are:

• Adding links to other sites to add content to your site at minimum cost, in particular local authority tourism sites, Meteorological Office websites for weather forecasts, local attractions and webcam sites. These latter sites have a picture added of a good local view automatically added several times a day. A map showing your location can be offered to viewers by putting in a link to a site such as www.multimap.com, www.streetmap.co.uk or www.yellowpages.co.uk

• Use a digital camera to add a picture gallery or your farm or views taken throughout the year
• Some people are commissioning “all round” 360 degree pictures so that the viewer can look at the panorama from your farm. Look at www.bbc.co.uk/cumbria
• Many people are finding that a “Contact” button on your site is a good idea – this puts a blank email on the viewers screen so that they can send you an email. This assumes that you are keyed up to check your emails at least once a day.
• Add a “Registration” button to your site offering to send people details of “last minute” offers and a newsletter a couple of times a year. It is surprising how this keeps visitors in touch with your farm.
• Some people, especially Bed and Breakfast establishments in popular areas, are finding it time consuming to reply to the many email enquiries they receive. The solution is to add a calendar to your site that you update as you fill rooms. Remember too to put a note on the bottom of the calendar offering a hyperlink to other local accommodation providers if you cannot offer required dates.
• Some sites have Sound buttons that download and play suitable noises such as splashing rivers, cows mooing, lambs bleating, bird sounds, church bells ringing etc
• You will have heard much recently about Broadband and how it will allow internet pages to be downloaded to the viewers computer very quickly. One result of this is that it is now possible to send video clips over the internet much as Sound files are sent now. The fact that you do not have a broadband connection does not mattes as the video is stored on your ISP’s computer. The consequence of this is that we should all be taking good quality video films of our farms and area so that material can be added to websites to be viewed by the many towns people who have broadband access now.

There are lots of grants available for computer applications and internet marketing so keep in touch with your farm tourism adviser. Look also at www.ukonlineforbusiness.co.uk/tourism in particular.

Sean and Barbara

Cragg End Farm, Kentmere (Name and address changed to protect the innocent)

Sean and Barbara are taking over the family farm from Sean’s parents who have farmed the upland sheep farm site 1975. One of the annual cash crops they enjoyed was the visitors coming to their camp site each summer. They have a planning consent for 30 pitches which they do not imagine would be granted today because as well as being in a National Park they are located in what the planning authority have designated as a quiet area.

The site has only a rudimentary toilet block comprising a male and female washroom with three toilets in each and a similar number of wash basins and showers. The showers are operated using a coin in slot meter. The only other facilities are a couple of water taps in the fields and dustbins for rubbish. Use of the campsite has been declining as the old style campers have aged and only the occasional Duke of Edinburghs Award camp has kept it going.

Sean and Barbara want to breath new life in to the camping site as they see the income from it being a real supplement to their farm income. They have been abroad on camping holidays on the costa cheapo but were surprised at the good quality facilities offered. Their improvements were set out in a plan devised by their farm tourism adviser and was funded through one of the development grants available. None of the improvements needed planning permission so that made life simpler.

They redesigned the toilet block so that four self contained washing units were created – they appreciated that family groups today demanded privacy when washing and caring for their children. The insulation of the blocks was improved and heating and lighting was added as a means of extending use of the site in winter. A verandah was added to the entrance to the block as campers had expressed a wish to have a covered area for sitting out when the weather was damp and also to allow them to pack up their tents when it is raining. A nearby byre was cleaned out so that campers had a secure store in which to lock valuable equipment such as bicycles. Adjoining the store was an old milk cooling parlour and this was fitted out with a washing machine and drier so that visitors could do their laundry and not worry about scurrying to the nearest laundrette – 15 miles away. Extra water points and fire extinguishers were placed around the site along with wheely bins. Some areas of the site were made in to BBQ area with a cooking area and an open sided shelter – just to keep the sun off you understand.

Like most farmers wives Barbara could cook a good meal so she started adding to the site income by cooking breakfasts for £4 per meal (nothing like a good hearty meal to start the day). She did not bother with an evening meal as the local pub catered well for that. She also started to sell some packaged food, crisps, chocolate bars, fruit, nuts and drinks. For £3 she would prepare a packed lunch with a hot flask. All food had to be ordered and paid for the night before so that she could keep track of demand. In fact in summer her mother-in-law tended to take over that aspect of the business.

A new facility they are offering is camping in country cabins. These are small simple garden sheds placed in hidden corners of the site and can be used for people who are going off sleeping under canvas, the elderly, parents with young children etc. They are also being used by the larger groups who want a store or better facilities for their leaders,  who have seen enough canvas to last them a lifetime. The country cabins are also more weather hardened so they do help to extend the sites season.

As well as improving the site facilities they have improved their marketing by ensuring they appear in the special guide produced by the local tourist board, printed a new leaflet, had an internet site created and placed advertisements in a few magazines read by walkers and cyclists. They have also sent the new leaflet to recent visitors and had new signs placed by the farm entrance so that passing visitors can see what is on offer. Having created better facilities they are able to more effectively target groups and encourage them to stay in the quieter shoulder months.

Sean and Barbara have also taken to taking their holidays as campers in other parts of Europe and North America just to keep up to date with what other operators are offering.

George  and Ruby

Bog House Farm, Silloth

George is approaching retirement after many years toiling against the wetness of his farmland. One day someone suggested he applied for Countryside Stewardship so that he could be paid a grant to develop bits of his farm that are of nature conservation interest. Through the scheme he developed a small pond on a particularly wet area where the ground slopes away from his farm buildings - they being built on the drier land.

When the next winter came he and his wife Ruby began to notice that a wide variety of birds were wintering on the pond and George started to encourage this by putting out feed and breaking the ice when it was frosty. Ruby then decided that it would be a good idea if they could put a caravan close by the pond so that they could spend their evenings watching the wildlife. That was the start of things as family and relatives started asking could they spend the odd night there and then bird watching friends, "twitchers" they are called, wanted to use it.

Being an entrepreneur George asked the planning officer along for his view as to whether permission would be granted for a dozen static caravans. With his encouragement a site was set up with each pitch having a water supply, electricity and sewerage and gravel site roads. The pitches are let to people who site their own caravan for a fee of £800 pa. The peace and tranquility of the area is preserved as with only twelve caravans on long term let there is little movement of people about the site.

George and Ruby now enjoy the pond even more knowing they have a regular £10,000 coming in each year from their clients who are more like friends.

Jenny and Tom,
Cragg Farm, Clitheroe, Lancashire
(names and address have been changed to protect the innocent!!)

A GOOD IDEA – Bed and Breakfast

Jenny is married to Tom and they run a 200 acre dairy unit in rural Lancashire. Both their children have now left home having attended university and found jobs in the south of England. Jenny was keen to do something to increase the family income and was aware that she had two empty bedrooms available. She therefore opted to do B&B and as the household rise early to see to the milking and getting up to cater for B&B guests was not seen as a problem. Needless to say as a farmers wife Jenny was used to catering.

Getting in to B&B is generally seen as fairly easy as all you need is a clean house, a gregareous husband and a sign at the bottom of the farm lane. Wanting to do the job correctly she visited the local tourist information centre to see who else was doing it in the locality and to get copies of brochures. Whilst there she found details of the local authority INSPECTION SCHEME, which allows your B&B to be promoted by the councils TIC network, and also the regional tourist boards GRADING SCHEME which enables your business to appear in the regional tourist board guides and the Farm Stay UK guide. She noticed that many businesses had their own Internet site linked to printed guides.

Tom was worried about having to pay business rates and be inspected by the local councils tourism and environmental health officer. The council’s tourism officer was able to reassure them on their inspection that business rates and fire regulations only apply if you have more than six bed spaces for visitors. Also the Environmental Health Officer (EHO) only visits if the inspection reveals advice is needed, you can poison your family but not guests.

The next few weeks were frantic what with ordering signs, inspection visits, getting stationery printed and decorating those bits that needed smartening up. Jenny attended a Welcome Host courses arranged by the tourist board and was able to improve Toms welcome to the farm script ready for the first guests. His telephone manner on the cordless telephone he carries around the farm buildings was improved just in case Jenny cannot answer the telephone before him. She also highlighted future courses that she felt would be helpful such as Food Hygiene, Computer courses and how to deal with guests who have some disabilities and overseas visitors.

Already she has had telephone calls from potential visitors and the inevitable newspapers selling advertising. Generally one-off advertising is best left until later and any placed rigorously checked for effectiveness by asking all enquiries where they saw your advertisement. They live off the beaten track so hoping for passing trade is unlikely to be useful. They also have plans to develop special facilities such as fishing in the river and marking out a walk for visitors across their land.

Eric,
Mire Farm, Kirkbride, Cumbria.
(Names and address changed to protect the innocent!!)

When Eric took over the family farm from his father his solicitor advised him to put the six static caravans around the farm on a more formal agreement. His father had obtained planning permission for the vans, which are scattered around a small wood adjoining the farmstead some twenty-five years ago. He had let the pitches by placing advertisements in a number of north-west regional newspapers and had no trouble letting them. Unfortunately they were let on the basis of a gentleman’s agreement, a handshake with £300 each Christmas (and often a box of chocolates or flowers for his wife).

The solicitor explained that such pitches are much sought after and worth about £800pa. There was an added benefit with a lease in that the terms often set out that the caravan has to be replaced on a regular basis (every 5 years or so) and that the new van has to be bought through the landowners supplier. This generally generates a commission of something like 15%. Eric therefore decided to issue leases when he took over the farm giving the existing tenants a minimum of 3 years at a slightly increased rent. In return some upgrading of the site was put in place to smarten it up, a fire point was added and a washing machine was provided in a laundry room.

Eric and his wife wanted to try a touring caravan site so applied to the Camping and Caravan Club to become one of their Certified Sites, as planning permission is not required. These are limited to five caravans per site and are only open to members. The site requirements are fairly basic and embrace good access, a dry bin store, water point and emptying point for chemical toilets. You are provided with a sign indicating the sites location and the Club promotes your site in their handbook.

The long term plan was that if the site proved popular with touring caravans they would applying to their local authority for permission to have a larger touring caravan site and camp site. They have a small barn that is not much use for modern farming in the field and they feel this would convert in to a toilet block, small office and shop. Their son Tim has in mind that if the business takes off a small flat on the top first floor would be needed for him so that he can supervise the site and as he put it “be on top of the job”.

They also want to look at the possibility of more static caravans on the farm, as they are proving popular. The farm has various small woods and a disused quarry that might prove acceptable sites to the planning authority. They have read too of people offering accommodation in small timber cabins, which blend in to the landscape better than a caravan and are often made locally so increase local employment. These range in price from £4,000 to £15,000 and so are not as expensive, or swish, as caravans. They are aware that as the number of pitches increases there will be the opportunity to sell local produce through the shop, own some static caravans for weekly letting, sell food through a small tearoom and even think about having a small pool.