Hi all I'm new to the forum and want to know the best way to go about renting land I'm wanting to grow my own food and raise a few animals, ideally I'd rent from a farmer who's not using all of the land? But how do I go about finding a farmer in the first place? I'm in Stoke-on-Trent if anyone happens to know anyone.
Best way to rent land
- Thread starter dswilko
- Start date
- Location
- Lorette Manitoba
Welcome. Sorry to say but few farmers are looking to rent out land too. The good lifers I wouldn’t but you may get lucky and find someone if you’re willing to pay enough. In the long run you’ll be money ahead just buying said goods with less work and stress. Rearing animals isn’t as easy as most think . If you could get hold of an allotment to grow some veggies that would be a great start and you’d get a feel for the good life.
betweenthelines
Member
- Location
- southwest
Is farming the only industry subject to starry eyed dreamers like the OP?
Or is there an Accountant's web based forum out there where some innocent soul has asked;
"I'd really like to spend my spare time doing my own tax returns and planning the best way to pass on my assets without them being liable to Inheritance tax. At the moment I don't know the difference between Schedule D and PAYE! How would I start? Is there some way of meeting a Chartered Accountant who might take me under his wing?"
Or is there an Accountant's web based forum out there where some innocent soul has asked;
"I'd really like to spend my spare time doing my own tax returns and planning the best way to pass on my assets without them being liable to Inheritance tax. At the moment I don't know the difference between Schedule D and PAYE! How would I start? Is there some way of meeting a Chartered Accountant who might take me under his wing?"
yellow belly
Member
- Location
- south west lincolnshire
Plenty of people have tried running pubs some not very good at it
plenty try acting many have to have part time jobs to live
plenty try football or cricket most never get paid
plenty try acting many have to have part time jobs to live
plenty try football or cricket most never get paid
I know a farming couple who rent out a field for people to grow their own vegetables and fruit. I think it started out with a few people, but has dwindled down to not very many now, but they are still going. This is quite far out in the country, I would say about 10 miles at least from the nearest city or town.
So there was interest in doing this from people who had to drive out to the field. I don't know how it started, maybe over a pint in the pub? Or a request or idea in the Parish Magazine.
So I agree with the idea of looking for an allotment first.
The field which is about 2 acres next to our drive is actually marked on the maps as an allotment field, but it is farmed by our neighbour presumably because no one wants to rent it for growing veg. We also rent two small fields from the church which no one else wants and the Agent keeps a very beady eye on what we do with them (currently pasture). I often travel through a nearby village and there is a sign on the side of the road advertising allotments by one field and has been for as long as I can remember, but the field is farmed as a whole. This is because a former landowner left these fields to the parish, or the church to to a local Trust for ever, either to raise rent or to give an opportunity to someone to become farmers. There are lots of these little Trusts in villages but you would probably have to be local and involved in village life to be aware of them.
So, start with a local allotment, and then maybe contact local Parish Clerks, churches or put a request in a Parish magazine. It will mean some digging both literally and metaphorically!
So there was interest in doing this from people who had to drive out to the field. I don't know how it started, maybe over a pint in the pub? Or a request or idea in the Parish Magazine.
So I agree with the idea of looking for an allotment first.
The field which is about 2 acres next to our drive is actually marked on the maps as an allotment field, but it is farmed by our neighbour presumably because no one wants to rent it for growing veg. We also rent two small fields from the church which no one else wants and the Agent keeps a very beady eye on what we do with them (currently pasture). I often travel through a nearby village and there is a sign on the side of the road advertising allotments by one field and has been for as long as I can remember, but the field is farmed as a whole. This is because a former landowner left these fields to the parish, or the church to to a local Trust for ever, either to raise rent or to give an opportunity to someone to become farmers. There are lots of these little Trusts in villages but you would probably have to be local and involved in village life to be aware of them.
So, start with a local allotment, and then maybe contact local Parish Clerks, churches or put a request in a Parish magazine. It will mean some digging both literally and metaphorically!
Devil's advocate
Member
- Location
- Posh side of Barnsley
My parents rented out space to grow veg in the 70's but only to a neighbouring hamlet of 5 houses.
It was a half acre paddock, Dad put the muck on, base fertiliser, ploughed it, rotovated & ridged it. The neighbours could rent a row & we grew veg on the rest.. One neighbour did very well with raspberries & we ended up selling them in the farm shop.
It was a half acre paddock, Dad put the muck on, base fertiliser, ploughed it, rotovated & ridged it. The neighbours could rent a row & we grew veg on the rest.. One neighbour did very well with raspberries & we ended up selling them in the farm shop.
Exfarmer
Member
- Location
- Bury St Edmunds
your best chance would be to find a farmer with an awkward corner he would rent out. However unfortunately environmental schemes mean that such spaces are useful even then
Will Blackburn
Member
- Location
- Cheshire
You need someone with land who isn’t a farmer.
farmerm
Member
- Location
- Shropshire
Most allotments have a rather long waiting list....
- Location
- Scottish Highlands
Farmers always use all their land. It may not look like it, but if not being used for productive food output then they will be part of an environmental scheme and producing environmental benefit for the wider public/ community.
How much land do you seriously think you can use and what sort of money would you be prepared to pay for it? You will need to pay more than the landowner can get from schemes, plus make it worth the owners time, bearing in mind lifestyle renters are more likely to leave an eyesore, introduce animal welfare issues and likely remove the value of the rented land from the zero inheritance tax band for the owner.
In towns, yes. But I expect there are plenty in villages, see my two examples above.
Also, you might find someone who has bought a house with land which is too much for an ordinary garden but not enough to rent to a farmer, and then it becomes a bit of a nuisance.
Exfarmer
Member
- Location
- Bury St Edmunds
I cannot personally say I have any experience, but a friend who lives in Bury told me he went to apply for on. He was told it was a long waiting list. So was surprised 3 months later to get letter offering a choice of two. Apparently turnover is extremely high. Sadly so many people think they will just throw a few seeds about and hey presto, no more trips to Tesco for veg. After a few weeks battling pigeons, slugs and greenfly most are never seen again
Try Vale Park, about time it was put to constructive use.
Edit: More seriously, pop over to Fordhall Farm, do some volunteering, get a feel for what's involved.
https://www.fordhallfarm.com/
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