DERBYSHIRE DIVERSIFICATION PROVES A SUCCESS FOR COUPLE

What began as simply selling eggs from a table on a weekend morning has turned into a hugely successful diversification venture for one Derbyshire farm.

Betty’s Farm in Willington has morphed into a top visitor attraction complete with farm shop, making it a go-to for families hoping to enjoy the outdoors. 

From their humble beginnings selling eggs on a trestle table each Saturday morning, husband and wife team Emma and Simon Ruff have seen rapid expansion to their farm shop venture. They began selling whatever they had to hand at the time, whether it was chicken feed or potatoes, and soon friends were asking to join them in selling their own homemade products. Today, more than 70% of the produce sold within the store is locally sourced.

The farm is home to more than 24,000 hens, laying 22,000 eggs every day, which families can collect, and then decorate a box in which to take them home.

On top of the farm shop, there is also a cafe for families to relax and sample dishes made from the local produce on sale. 

One of the main features of the farm is the petting area, where kids can fuss a number of small animals; guinea pigs, rabbits and ferrets, to name a few. In addition to this, seasonal sessions are run where schoolchildren can learn about how the farm is run, and help to feed animals, goats included.