Renting a farm

[Strangelybrown]

Morning,

Now I'm not thinking of renting a farm anytime soon so this is just a general question. How do tenant farmers actually find farms to rent? Aside from council farms, it seems that very few come up to rent. So are there really just very farms out there to rent, or are they just not well advertised?

Thanks

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Don't know where you are but struggle to find one here , they either get sold or bigger farms take on the land

 

[toquark]

Tenancies are rarer than hens teeth here. This despite the area still being home to predominantly smallish livestock units on a number of large estates. If they do come up they are either taken back in hand by the estate or sold off to the sitting tenant. In 10 years, I can think of two tenancies being advertised, both from the forestry commission on a 10 year FBT, both were small, difficult farms and with zero prospect of a renewal of tenancy after the 10 years, one didn’t even have a house.

We had initial private discussions with an estate with a view to taking on a 220ac tenanted unit a few years back. Bloody glad we didn’t in the end, I can’t see how it was viable with the rent expectations of the agent. We were both very keen though and had to give ourselves a very stern talking to before we walked away.

 

[Exfarmer]

Most agents will have a list of prospective tenants as long as your arm, am afraid.Most will be established farmers looking to expand. They will be prepared to pay very good/ excessive rents to justify their own kit.
Virtually all these tenancies will be for 5 - 10 years . Which must make for difficulties planning long term farming.
At the other end of the scale are small plots which are generally grabbed by the horsey set for astronomic sums
Sadly I have little good news. However I would advise going along to any local agricultural agent and speaking to them about what you are looking for, there are still the odd landlord looking for a traditional style tenant,or perhaps a tenant interested in something relatively off beat

 

[Roger Perry]

I have a place that's coming available, sale or rent 1425 acres, 750 irrigated, 3 houses, growing cotton, alfalfa, onions ..................trouble is the commute is a bit lengthy, Southern New Mexico.

 

[le bon paysan]

I have a place that's coming available, sale or rent 1425 acres, 750 irrigated, 3 houses, growing cotton, alfalfa, onions ..................trouble is the commute is a bit lengthy, Southern New Mexico.

A sight more chance of making a living in the US than the UK.

 

[David.]

I have a place that's coming available, sale or rent 1425 acres, 750 irrigated, 3 houses, growing cotton, alfalfa, onions ..................trouble is the commute is a bit lengthy, Southern New Mexico.

Would it be a viable self contained unit, is the irrigation secure, etc?

 

[Yale]

A sight more chance of making a living in the US than the UK.

.......or the EU.

 

[Roger Perry]

A sight more chance of making a living in the US than the UK.

Indeed.

 

[Roger Perry]

Would it be a viable self contained unit, is the irrigation secure, etc?

It has great water availability, present tenant has inherited a farm so leaving'

 

[le bon paysan]

.......or the EU.

Better living farming here than the uk, better lifestyle as well

 

[David.]

It has great water availability, present tenant has inherited a farm so leaving'

What would a typical asking price be for similar properties, buy or rent?

 

[neilo]

Better living farming here than the uk, better lifestyle as well

….but it’s full of bloody foreigners

 

[Humble Village Farmer]

No starter farms, no tenancies, no incomers or opportunities. All sadly indicative of the future of the industry.

 

[le bon paysan]

….but it’s full of bloody foreigners

And you went to Wales.

 

[Jonp]

Word of mouth. Lived on a farm in a caravan for a few years, in 2014 bought 15 ewes and 4 three day old heifers and rented a 10ac field for the sheep and a couple of stables somewhere else for the cows until they were big enough to go with the sheep.
Farmer where I lived kept his ears open and asked around. After about 18 months I got to rent the farm I'm on now. 70ac...built a shed, moved caravan down. Good landlord can stay as long as I'm alive. No mains anything, no subs but now have 150 sheep and 15 cows all from the original 19 animals. Still got the original 10ac field. Living the dream! (Dream of not being skint most of the time).
Word of mouth...farmers know farmers...you have to have a couple of farmers who you are friends with and know you are are serious about having a go...they'll help you. Am 61.

 

[Formatted]

Most tenancies publically available will be advertised in Farmers Weekly and Guardian, the TFA keep a list but its not exhaustive plus UK land and farms occasionally have them. Dairy tenancies/contract farms are mostly handled by the big consulting firms like Anderson Centre. Most tenancies are a bit "who you know", rather than what, so building up a network of contacts is valuable.

To put it into perspective though a Duchy of Cornwall farm up for rent this year had 276 expressions of interest, 140 people on the viewing day, and over 100 applications....

 

[Agrivator]

It had been very difficult to rent a farm for at least the last 70 years.

There is too much competition from established farmers, and the capital needed to go into a farm big enough to support a family is horrendous - at least £200,000, and most banks will only lend a proportion. And even then, the tenant needs to be able to survive the first few years, and to survive a sudden hike in interest rates, and to try to buy a house in addition.

And the major difficulty is that a soon as the tenant has settled in, the lease is up, and finding another farm might be even harder. I reckon a realistic lease should last at least 25 years.

Don't even think about going into farming if you are not genetically programmed to do so.

 

[Roger Perry]

What would a typical asking price be for similar properties, buy or rent?

Land is priced somewhat more modest compared to some other locations, 4-6k ac for irrigated cropland..........depending on location.
Rents in $200 plus range...........again depending on facilities

 

[Agrivator]

And you also need a wife who doesn't stay awake all night worrying about the overdraft....................