Three tenant farmers 鈥� John Millington, Marc Jones and Guy Shelby 鈥� told the conference about the development of their farm businesses, and the challenges and opportunities they faced.
All three emphasised the importance of working with their landlord to achieve both their ambitions and stressed the need to maintain an ongoing dialogue to ensure a good and long-lasting working relationship.
Building trust
John Millington
John Millington, who farms with his partner in mid Staffordshire, explained how a good working relationship with his landlord involved showing they were responsible and professional tenants, and had led to opportunities to expand his business over the years.
He said that as a tenant, you can only build a better business if you have the trust of the landlord, and you can only build trust through setting clear expectations and then delivering on your word.
鈥淲e tried to do things that would enhance our reputation鈥nd we also listened really hard to what the landlord was telling us,鈥� he said.
A meeting between the landlord and the estate鈥檚 tenant farmers had provided a chance to discuss the goals and ambitions of both sides and changed their working relationship.
鈥淎t that meeting the landlord gave what could be called a 鈥榮tate of the union鈥� address 鈥� where the estate was, what their goals were, what their ambition was 鈥� so I took this as more than an open opportunity to do exactly the same from our point of view.
鈥淗e鈥檇 put his ambition on the line and so it was a great opportunity for us to talk to him about what we鈥檇 want to do and what we鈥檇 already achieved. We gave him a lot of our figures and it really changed the relationship between us as tenants and him as a landlord.
鈥淲e鈥檇 shown willingness to not just share information but to share ambition and share where we wanted to go. Again, it鈥檚 all about building trust and building a reputation.鈥�
Communication is key
Marc Jones
Marc Jones, who farms a 700-acre holding on the Powis Estate near Welshpool with his family, told the conference how working with his landlord, and working to improve the farm, helped provide opportunities for the business to expand.
鈥淲e have a habit of taking on very run-down farms and there鈥檚 a lot of investment required with those landlords. But they鈥檝e always allowed us to take on new farms knowing that we鈥檙e going to improve them, so we have got reduced rents,鈥� he said.
鈥淧robably the most important thing is trying to work with the landlord and have that good relationship and good communication. We鈥檝e got a huge amount of staff around our farm at most times of the year 鈥� we鈥檝e got game keepers, estate staff coming to fix up houses, buildings and fences, and forestry staff as well.
鈥淲hat we were finding was previous tenants on the ground we鈥檝e taken on were refusing to let any of those staff on to the farm at all. There was a real breakdown in communication.
鈥淪o, from our point of view, we鈥檙e very open and try and be as friendly as possible to everyone working with the estate.
鈥淏eing proactive with the landlord is very important as well. Our landlord is very keen on regenerative agriculture, so we鈥檙e pushing down that line at the moment. He鈥檚 been out with us probably twice a year just seeing what we鈥檙e doing, looking at the improvements on the new ground, and it鈥檚 very important to have that regular communication with him.
鈥淥n top of that, we鈥檙e always trying to improve the ground. If we鈥檙e improving the ground the business in the long run will do financially better.鈥�
鈥榃e were always having discussions鈥�
Guy Shelby
Guy Shelby, who farms in partnership with this father, mother and brother on a 1,400-acre mixed farm on The Crown Estate in East Yorkshire, said regular discussions had helped secure a long-term tenancy for him and his brother.
鈥淢y dad always instilled in us to work with The Crown. You鈥檝e got to remember it鈥檚 still their farm but if you鈥檙e willing to work with them they鈥檒l generally work with you.
鈥淭he main problem we had was there was no succession on the AHA so, for a long time, it did hang over my dad鈥檚 head, and me and my brother, that we couldn鈥檛 really succeed the farm in the normal sense.
鈥淏ut we were always having discussions. I think with us having a very good relationship with The Crown 鈥� we鈥檙e always willing to work with them and if you embrace what they鈥檙e trying to do and go with them I think you see the rewards.鈥�
Guy said the long-term tenancy came about after The Crown came to them about putting a solar park on some of the farm鈥檚 land. Their good ongoing relationship meant the two sides could discuss the plans and what they meant.
鈥淭hey came down and went round the farm and actually discussed the solar park, and the fact that they want to work with us as the tenants, and if the park gets planning and goes ahead there鈥檒l be the biodiversity net gain ground.
鈥淚t will be a massive opportunity for us as young farmers, with the livestock side of the business, to manage the land and manage the solar park. So, actually talking and keeping that dialogue going now with the solar park, the flip side is we were offered a long-term tenancy.鈥�