Working hard to produce goods from your smallholding is not, by itself, going to sell anything. The marketplace is where you sell your products whether they are goods such as cider or vegetables or a service such as holiday accommodation.

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Every smallholding and its goods and services is different, and different products and services lend themselves to different kinds of marketing. For example holiday lets, farm shops, evening classes, and leisure attractions such as riding all involve the customers actually visiting and using your premises. Other products such as food and drink are portable, and customers can buy them at retail outlets far from their place of origin or online.

You will probably make a significant proportion of your sales at farmers’ markets or food fairs where you get to keep the entire profit net of stall rent. The smaller country produce markets generally held in church halls and run by volunteers are unlikely to sell enough to make the ordeal worth it:

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Farmers’ markets and food or craft fairs are the way to go. They are more vibrant and dynamic. The clientele is more affluent and more sophisticated and has come to shop. Farmers’ markets also routinely sell alcohol, which most others don’t. (Remember, though, that if you want to sell your cider or mead or fruit liqueur at a market you need to check well in advance whether it has a liquor licence. If not, you have 10 working days to apply for a Temporary Events Notice).

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