When you own farmland, you can make extra income without spending days bent on the farm digging or caring for animals. A quic k way to make money is by sharing your farm experiences and charging people who want to learn more about them a fee and taking them through a day in the life of a farmer. Many people are always looking for a place where they can experience working on a farm holiday, and would not mind paying for it.

How it Works

Farmers who want to make additional income, open up their farms for individuals or groups of people, who want to learn about farming at a fee. Sometimes, the farmers offer to let in people who can volunteer at the farm for free, and the farmer keeps the money which would have been used to pay workers to do the job which the volunteers are doing.

How Long it Takes

The duration always depends on the agreement the farmer has with the people coming for the experience. It can range between a few days to weeks.

What Participants are Expected to Do

There are several things which the participants who want to have a real farm experience are expected to do. Some of them include:

  • Cleaning around the farm and ensuring general tidiness in the area, so that nobody is exposed to health hazards.
  • Helping with activities such as milking cows, feeding and grooming animals and spreading fertiliser on plants, among others.
  • Learning the basics of bookkeeping, depending on whether the farmer makes sales or not.

What Farmers Do with Participants

  • Give them hands-on experiences, by teaching them how to operate machinery, learn the basics of running a farm and appreciate the work which goes into it.
  • Teach them how to sustain a farm by engaging in income-generating activities, such as renting out rooms to tourists or selling by-products to make extra money.
  • Give motivational talks and mentorships that will encourage participants who are visiting the farm not to give up, despite the many discussions online and offline, that tell people that farming is a dying trade.
  • Answer questions they may have towards owning farmland and the activities that go on at the farm daily.

How to Make Your Farm Attractive for a Working Holiday

  • Market it: People will only come to your farm if they know what you do. Since most farms are in far-flung areas, away from major towns, it is likely that there are people who are entirely unaware of their existence. That is why you should use social media platforms, and other channels, to showcase your land and what you have.
  • Have a variety of items: For your farmland to attract more people, you should spice up the type of items you have, Do not restrict yourself into one field, unless what you are doing targets a niche market and you stand out.
  • Make your farm conducive: For people to visit your farm, it should be clean and conducive by adhering to the health and safety rules. Nobody likes to come to a place that looks unkempt and pay, either in money or in kind, to stay. They will move on to another location.
  • Be confident: Confidence is critical when it comes to offering your farm as a holiday destination, especially if you are the one who will be taking the guests around.