The Devon County Farms Estate have recently advertised not one, not two, but six farms to let from 25th March 2026 on initial 7 year Farm Business Tenancies.
Claire Sampson, Senior Rural Chartered Surveyor, spent many years working on the Devon County Farms Estate and can provide an insight into making a successful application and securing that first step on the farming ladder.
Firstly, it is important to know your landlord and their aims and objectives in seeking a new tenant. The Devon County Farms Estate exists to provide a start in the industry, the tenancy duration is limited and therefore applicants must be aware that this is not a farm for life but a stepping stone.
Secondly, the application process is competitive, the farm tenancy will be awarded to the applicant who demonstrates that their business plan is the best suited to that individual farm and that they will make the most of the opportunity.
Applicants need to consider the attributes of the farm carefully in terms of the available buildings, the carrying capacity of the land and any investment that might be needed to enable the successful set up of a fledgling enterprise.
Candidates will need to prepare a business plan supported by cash flow and budget projections for at least 2 years. Income earnt off the farm can be considered but be prepared to be questioned on the viability of the farming enterprises if they don’t appear to be growing sufficiently to enable the farm business to progress onward to bigger and better things.
The viewing days are to be held week commencing Monday 20th October. There will only be one opportunity to view each farm and therefore if you do think the opportunity could suit you be prepared and do your research in advance, think about the types of enterprises you would plan to operate and how you will fund taking on the farm. There are often significant costs involved in taking over items the previous tenant has invested in as well as fencing, pastures and sometimes fodder to consider.
Part of the application process includes tendering a rent for the farm, the Farms Estate Committee then consider all the rent offers received and set the rent where they feel is affordable and comparable with other farms already let on the Estate.
Lastly, the deadline for submitting your application is absolute, make sure you leave plenty of time to post or deliver it, email applications are not accepted. It takes a considerable amount of time and effort to put a comprehensive application together and won’t be considered if it is received after the deadline.
For assistance in putting your application together please contact Claire on 01364 646171 or claire.sampson@luscombemaye.com
