Young Farmer opportunity

[dgb]

Good Afternoon all,

I am looking for some more land to farm in the new year and wondered if anyone had any advice. To give you a little background, I am a farmers son, however my father is still the farmer on our family farm. As I am sure you can appreciate the opportunity to farm my fathers farm won't be an option for a few years yet! I set out a couple of years ago to offer contracting options whilst my father figured out retirement, building on this I hoped to start renting land in my own right and this is my issue, to rent land through an agency I need 3 years of accounts, a known track record and references etc. Which is difficult to produce when I can't rent land to build accounts and gain a track record! So I have been hunting around local landlords to ask for their assistance and coming up empty, we mostly have large scale farmers with me or people with large gardens and horses! It seems a shame to walk away from farming especially since there is a family farm to farm at some point and well I young and enthusiastic and would really like to put some plans into action.

I am not really sure what I am asking for, I suppose some advice and if anyone knows of some land going I would happily have a look at it. I am based down in Kent, but have clients in Sussex and Surrey so I am not apposed to a bit of travel.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Kind regards

David

 

[ThatsSomeSheep]

Good Afternoon all,

I am looking for some more land to farm in the new year and wondered if anyone had any advice. To give you a little background, I am a farmers son, however my father is still the farmer on our family farm. As I am sure you can appreciate the opportunity to farm my fathers farm won't be an option for a few years yet! I set out a couple of years ago to offer contracting options whilst my father figured out retirement, building on this I hoped to start renting land in my own right and this is my issue, to rent land through an agency I need 3 years of accounts, a known track record and references etc. Which is difficult to produce when I can't rent land to build accounts and gain a track record! So I have been hunting around local landlords to ask for their assistance and coming up empty, we mostly have large scale farmers with me or people with large gardens and horses! It seems a shame to walk away from farming especially since there is a family farm to farm at some point and well I young and enthusiastic and would really like to put some plans into action.

I am not really sure what I am asking for, I suppose some advice and if anyone knows of some land going I would happily have a look at it. I am based down in Kent, but have clients in Sussex and Surrey so I am not apposed to a bit of travel.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Kind regards

David

Hi. I was in a very similar situation a few years back.

When I eventually took on land in my own name it was like the floodgates opened and I was very soon offered a lot more.

I think once I showed my ability, landowners became more open.

My business is livestock, but I hop the same principle will apply- once you get a start it will become easier.

Good luck

TSS

 

[dgb]

Like you say, it is just getting started that's the key

 

[kfpben]

Should be lots of big houses with a few acres to graze sheep/cattle round you I would think? Also lots of arable farmers who can't be fudged with dealing with the 30acres of rough pasture they can't plough up.

I saw some scheme about 're-stocking the Weald' that may be worth pursuing?