The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Community => Introduce yourself => Topic started by: farm club on February 16, 2017, 01:11:26 pm
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Hi does anybody have any information on how to get a Farm tenancy. I am from an agricultural background and I am looking for any amount of acerage anywhere in the north of the UK into Scotland. Any advice or contact numbers would be appreciated. Thanks Mike.
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Look on Rightmove for land to rent.
Advertise in agricultural papers, websites.
Get an agriculturally related job and build up some credibility and contacts.
Don't expect to get a farm tenancy immediately. There is a long queue of people looking for the same thing, who will have real qualifications and experience. No one is going to rent you a farm just because you want one! Have you any livestock, machinery, equipment? If not do you have the capital available to buy all that's necessary?
Your best chance is to rent some land and start small, then if it works out you can gradually expand to something viable.
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Hi landroveroy. Thanks for your reply. I have a diploma in agricultural business and have worked on farms for over 15 years. I own and breed sheep and own my own equipment for haytimeing and regularly help out smallholders with haytimeing. I also have capital to set up a farm from my properties i rent out. I am aware there is a long waiting list to tennet a farm but I am in a financial and knowledgeable position to do so. I currently rent land but would like to own land and or tennet land and a farm to provide my children with a lifestyle and work ethic that is unfortunately being forgotten and lost to builders etc. Once again thanks for your advice and I will let you know how I get on.
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Apologies if I sounded condescending Mike. I was under the impression from your previous posts that you just had a few sheep.
You'll know then that unless you're in the right place at the right time, or have the right contacts, or access to enough money, that it's very difficult to get straight into a farm.
I started off (with a degree in agriculture) by buying 3 and1/2 acres in our village. (Right place at right time.) I gradually put up buildings as we could afford it. I was then lucky enough to get seasonal grazing on 30 acres of Environment Agency river bank. We grazed that in summer and housed the animals in winter. Then I was able to buy some more land, and now farm @ 60 acres. That's taken 30 years and at no time has there been a farm available to rent anywhere in my area.
I believe it's much the same all over the country. So that's why I suggested building up credibility and contacts as otherwise, as you know, it's a very long term strategy.
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'Sounds like it could be a long business, farm club. I wish you well and look forward to hearing about your progress.
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There is something else you could try..... Powys farms. As a matter of fact they have an 114 acre dairy unit for sale with a 12 year tenancy currently. If you want any more details I could pass them on? :)
Kind regards
WBF
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Still lots of tenancies in Cumbria and Northumberland, but it's tough to get one unless you can really invest. And they don't give long duration ones any more, so that makes it even more expensive. However, if you have money, that talks louder than local knowledge / connections and experience, so you may well be able to find something. If funds are tight, however, I'd say your best bet is to make friends with / work for an unmarried traditional farmer in his fifties or sixties with no succession for the farm!