There is an answer to this. Plan B for me was to buy just five acres (It could have been less) and do what folk are getting permission to do and look at the One Planet Developement.
In a nutshell, it is what folk like your hobbity selves might just want.
You might have heard of the Lammas project. If not, look it up! Well they litraly started it off. And the concept is simple, and as I type, more and more plans are are being accepted.
You will need a plan. A proper business plan. In it it will show earnings after, and in the run up to, five years of running your business. In the mean time you can build a home (or hole ) and live there on site, building the business up and making it work.
Its arse around face to the F2F method. But the ideas are not there to build a farm with a barn and huge farmhouse, it is to be a self-sustaining farmer that has a viable business. Go to their web pages and look at the sucsesfull aplications (and failures) to get an idea.
I have been to the Lammas site a few times and the chaps there have inspired us no end..We are going again soon to thank them for all their help and support.