If you want to farm but weren’t born onto a farm, the first step is usually the hardest: finding land. Tenant farms to let are rarely advertised widely. As a result, most new entrants start small, with a few fields to graze, and build from there. Here’s how that path usually works in Kent, Sussex and Surrey, and how to make each step count.
Where do tenant farms to let come from?
Some farms and blocks of land are let through open tender, often from private estates, institutions or county council estates. However, a large share of land is let privately, without ever being marketed. Landowners often prefer to let to someone they have met, or someone recommended by their agent.
Therefore, being known matters as much as watching the listings. Tell local land agents what you farm, how much land you are looking for and where. Agricultural shows such as the Heathfield and South of England shows are good places to have those conversations. In addition, keep an eye on our farms and land for rent page.
Smaller parcels are often where opportunities appear first. Some land has been unmanaged for years, and an established farmer may not want the work of bringing it back into use. For someone looking to grow a flock from 60 ewes to 70, though, that field can make a real difference.
Grazing licence or farm business tenancy?
The first agreement you sign will usually be one of two types. The difference matters more than many people realise.
A grazing licence lets you graze the land, and little more. The landowner keeps control of the land and remains responsible for its management, such as spraying, topping or fertilising. Licences suit short-term or seasonal arrangements.
A farm business tenancy gives you exclusive occupation. You take on the management of the land, the crops and usually some repairs, and in effect you farm it as your own. Farm business tenancies can run for any length of term. Longer terms give you more security to invest.
The type of agreement also affects which environmental schemes you can apply for, and it can affect the landowner’s tax position. Because of this, the paperwork needs to match what actually happens on the ground.
Always get it in writing
Many grazing arrangements still run on a handshake. That works until something goes wrong. A written agreement protects both sides, and it should cover:
- whether it is a licence or a tenancy
- the length of term, the rent and how it will be reviewed
- exactly which land and buildings are included
- who is responsible for repairs, fences, hedges, trees and the condition of the land
- insurance, and who can apply for environmental schemes
Repairs and land condition cause the most disputes, so it is worth agreeing them in detail at the start.
Building a farming base
Once you are established, owning even a small block of land can change your position. It gives you a base, an asset to borrow against and a foothold for expansion.
Location matters more than size. A small block with buildings is only useful if it sits near the land you already farm, or near land you could take on later.
Funding is often the next hurdle. Most high street banks have agricultural managers, and specialist lenders such as the Agricultural Mortgage Corporation lend over long terms. Any lender will want to see a business that can clearly make the repayments. For that reason, many new entrants keep a second income alongside farming in the early years, such as contracting work, which also makes good use of their machinery.
How it can work in practice
We helped a farmer near Horsham who ran a large grazing enterprise. He bought a five-acre field, and within five years we made a successful case for a new dwelling to support an outdoor pig enterprise on that small acreage.
Estates sometimes go further and design lettings with new entrants in mind. On the Brickhouse Estate in East Sussex, the trustees offered nearly 500 acres in up to three lots, each with buildings and housing, on 10-year farm business tenancies. They did this specifically to encourage young farmers.
The opportunities are there
Starting out is still hard. However, the route is well trodden: a licence or small tenancy first, a written agreement every time, and a base of your own once the business can support it. Most of all, it pays to be known by the people who decide who gets the land.
Looking for land to farm?
Much of the land we let never reaches the open market, so it pays to know who manages it. Whether you’re after a few fields to graze or your first farm business tenancy, our rural team can talk you through what’s available across Kent, Sussex and Surrey.