[langdon]

we would ( well i would ) love to rent an acre or two for fattening lambs,
what i would like to know is how much would a farmer be looking for land this size on
a yearly basis?
langdon 

[Anke]

You are more likely to find an acre or two from someone who has a horse field, around here most agricultural fields are at least 5 - 6 acres, and then often badly fenced. Lambs fit through quite small gaps (and get their horns/heads stuck in the process). Not sure about rent in terms of money, but a horse owner might consider one of your lambs quite a good price.

[Declan]

Rates around here in NI run at about £100 per acre per annum. Not bad when you think that ground is still making £10-12k per acre at sale around the down/armagh area.

Declan

[Brucklay]

We rented a 3 acre field in Perthshire for £500 per year - but the fencing was so bad it wouldn't have been good enough for sheep. Good luck with your search.

[Daisys Mum]

I am paying £360 for 6 acres for 6 months. Fencing was good though so was grass until my horses and 6 ewes got on to it, now looks terrible not sure if I will get it again next year. Farmer was muttering this morning about harrowing rolling seeding and harrowing again, and how he is going to be short of grass this year so it does not look to hopefull.

[Rosemary]

See if ou can come to some arrangment with local horse owners. Sheep are great for horse pasture, tidying up and reducing the worm burden as well as using excess grass, without making a mess of the ground (unlike the horses!). Horse owners should be glad to have you there for free! But a lamb might be a good offering. As previous, fencing might be a problem though.

[woollyval]

Over the years we have rented, had for free and even been paid to graze fields around our area and village.
Put up a card in the local post office saying something along the lines of 'wanted a small well fenced field to borrow/rent by responsible smallholder to keep some well behaved sheep. Daily attendance and care of sheep guarenteed. Will help keep grass in check and save you from mowing! Willing to pay ?? per month' and see what happens! You may be surprised how many people with very large gardens and small paddocks will contact you! At one point we had nearly 40 acres at our disposal belonging to 12 landowners as well as our own land!!!
Good luck!

[langdon]

thats a fab idea mmm
wil chat to my wife, tell how it goes

[plumseverywhere]

we lent our 3 acre field to a local sheep owner to fatten his lambs on - totally free. the way we saw it was he was helping us keep our grass down (so we could reach our orchard which is at the far end of the land) and in return he grazed for free.
shame you aren't near by, we've been looking for some woolly lawnmowers for months!

[herdsman]

The local church may let you graze the grave yard it is quite common practice and save mowing round all those fiddly stones. Only drawback is poo on the paths.

[Cobra]

I realise this is large scale but a friend rent 600 acres at £1200 a year. Theres little money in renting and its hard to come bye.

if you want it for grazing its always worth talking to local farmers and asking for grazing so much per head per acre etc, can help when grass is in short supply, definitely cheaper than feed.

I have been very fortunate and managed to have an agreement on an acre with buildings, we still have to weidel out the rent, let you know when it happens; soon i hope .

Its very secure and includes buildings so real find. Good luck on your search.

[woollyval]

Cobra.....you are in Somerset....Do you want some grazing.....if near me there may be some going free......

[Cobra]

Hi,

I'm near to Highbridge & Bridgwater out on the levels. I'm ok for now as I'm not up and running till mid July. Thanks for the offer, its really appreciated, think you may be a bit of a distance regards me being able to check on them regular etc.

Oh bye the way I have just book marked your blog and site, looking forward to a good read later. As I said before Ive been away from farming for quite a while and slightly out of tune to new methods  I'm a bit old school, if I keep animals they either get eaten or produce stuff that can be eaten, Ehhmmm yummy  So looking forward to it, told the farmer I was in no hurry, gives me plenty of time to get up to speed and get ready, truth is now, I'm itching to wander round and start sorting. 

I would however love to come over and pick your brains, maybe sign up for a lambing session next year. tell yeah what Mark why not just invite your self, cheeky sod arnt I. Ive read a lot of your stuff on here and like the way you see smallholding and animal husbandry.

[Freddiesfarm]

I'm just up the road from Val (Wooly shepherd) you are welcome to come and help me at lambing time if you want some experience - We will be lambing about 100 ewes in January and the same number again in March - we team up with Val and the Beech Hayes guys to provide sheep for the lambing courses.  Last year we managed to get several new arrivals on each day of the course. 

I rent most of my land (about 50 acres in the summer and 200 in the winter) and I pay between £0 - £70 - "bit of lamb for the freezer" - quality grass and good fencing are everything!

[woollyval]

Ditto what Freddie says you ought to come and do a tour! Freddie has lovely sheep and works dogs, I have conservation grazing sheep and process wool and Beech Hays is .....well....just an amazing place and home of the Blackdown banger!!!! I have a few less sheep these days as I process tonnes and tonnes of wool(12 tonnes in 2009).....but have been offered some smashing newly fenced winter keep for free so will probably have a few more than i ought to soon I am hoping to do a make the most of your sheep type course dealing with everything but the baa.....and may find a use for that  To cover landscape, conservation grazing, use of sheep in permaculture systems, wool, meat and skins.....putting it together at the moment ready for possibly autumn or next spring....
We are open for visits to the wool processing unit by arrangement so give us a shout!
Freddie I have not forgotten ur wool and will be up to collect it when the steering on the big van is sorted!