What to do with a field?

[ladylola]

Ok a question for all you inventive and smart lads and lassies on here, assuming this is the right forum.
A friend of mine has a cottage in Wales and a field in front is coming up for sale soon and he is interested in buying it. His principal interest is to ensure that no development takes place on the field to spoil the views across the valley although I don't think that's a huge possibility anyway.
Now he can't afford really to just buy the land on what is a bit of a whim and just leave it, ideally it would need to make some sort of return for the investment, but just what to do with it?
At the momemt the field is 2-3 acres sloping a bit boggy at the lower end and is used for grazing sheep.All well and good and leasing it out for grazing does seem the simplist option but my friend is looking for other ideas non of which we have come up with float his boat.
As a complication he's a vegetarian and an animal lover so doesn't want anything that ultimatly involves the death of animals which I would say pretty much excludes any sort of animal farming.
So thinking caps on please

 

[TheVictorian]

Small eco campsite?

 

[sooey]

If he's young enough and enregetic enough he could spend shed loads of time and money turning it into a garden type area.
If he does it well enough eventually he would attract visitors who he could charge an entrance fee and sell refreshments too.

 

[joe-90]

If it's got permission to build on - he'll never afford it.

 

[peaps2]

put some rescue farm animals on it.

 

[sooey]

Good idea, lamb chops on tap.

 

[Chri5]

Hay crop is about £300 per acre.

Woodlands? There are tax concessions for woodland investment.

Ethical, organic crop. Chilis?

Grape vines and wine production, extract juice and send on for wine production.

Pick and buy soft fruits.

Eco , sell the carbon offset.

 

[mysteryman]

Farm anything and get a subsidy.

 

[petit_pablo]

Aside from renting the land for grazing, hay production can yield a few quid. However, assuming your friend doesnt have the machinery to cut and bale then factor in the cost of having that done.

 

[vv2806]

I would make an orchard and would grow fruits that are suitable for the climate but for some reason are soooo expensive, for example cherries, perhaps apricots, sorts of apple and pears with a good taste but not so good appearance (you can't buy them in the supermarket). Mulberry trees, the fruits are delicious. Some other berry shrubs. Almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, etc.

 

[longdogs]

Go cart track

 

[Whitespirit66]

If he's young enough and enregetic enough he could spend shed loads of time and money turning it into a garden type area.

Unbelievably, turning farm land into a cultivated garden can fall foul of planning. You will probably need permission.

There was a case on the TV a while back, where a couple had bought a small field next to their house and extended their garden into the field. Council jobsworths made them reinstate it as a field.

 

[captaincaveman1]

Touring caravan site ?

 

[libby lou lou]

Loads of sheep and a field in wales and you can't make money

 

[captaincaveman1]

Loads of sheep and a field in wales and you can't make money

welsh brohel ?