The ideas are rarely the problem. Most landowners can name a corner of the yard, a redundant building or an awkward field that could earn more. What is harder to judge is which idea is worth the investment, and how long it will take to get the money back.
Diversification is now part of the conversation on most of the farms we work with. With the phasing out of direct payments and ongoing pressure on margins, many farm businesses are looking at what else their land and buildings could be doing.
To help with that first conversation, we have set out eight common diversification options side by side. For each one we have looked at the likely investment, the return it could generate and the payback period you might expect.