‘We make more money from weddings now than farming’

Farmers have faced a difficult year, with the longest wet winter since records began followed by the driest spring on record.

Meanwhile, the Labour government’s decision to start levying inheritance taxes on farms has sparked protests across the country and further outrage has followed with ministers’ sudden closure of the popular grants for sustainable farming practices.

Three quarters of farmers now rely on non-farming enterprises to supplement their food production. From falconry and helicopter rides to spas and solar farms, farmers say these additional services now form a crucial part of the business.

I spoke to some about what they are doing to keep their family businesses afloat.

‘Atrocious income’

Mike Churches, a sixth-generation farmer near Glastonbury, Somerset, said the “atrocious” income from farming had prompted him to diversify.

He now makes substantially more money from weddings and events than from raising sheep and cattle.

He said: “It’s about 30% from farming now, 70% from weddings, falconry, helicopter rides, glamping, you name it.”

Tom Collins, Wiltshire chairman of the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), said these extra enterprises were essential.

“It’s no longer just a bolt-on, it’s a crucial part of the business,” he said.

Many farms have started offering weddings, but few can boast their own on-site church.

A few miles down the road from Glastonbury, the small village of Godney had a church, built next to Godney Farm.

As the population of the village fell, it was deconsecrated, so Mr Churches and his wife Jenny decided to buy the building.

“Yes, plenty of people tell us we have the right name,” chuckled Mr Churches.

They spent a lot of money restoring the old building, and applied for a licence to hold civil ceremonies.

Meanwhile, like many farmers, they watched their income from the farm’s sheep, cattle and haymaking steadily fall.

Mr Churches told me his return on investment from farming is “about 2 or 3%, which is nonsensical for the hours that you’re doing”.

He said he could get 10 times as much from weddings, “so it is a far more lucrative business to be in”.

Last year, 34 couples tied the knot at Godney Farm, including Paul and Michelle Chorley, from Street in Somerset.

Mr Chorley explained the appeal: “We’re quite outdoorsy people, so we wanted something that would give us that country feel.

“When we turned up and you see the view out the front, that is exactly what we’d imagined.”

Mrs Chorley added: “It was really relaxed, the children were running about, the dogs were running about, the sheep and the cows were around, it was just what we wanted.”