Tenancy Applications – Does Your Application Make the Grade?

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Andy Dodd (Chippenham)

Having spent several weeks reviewing tenancy applications for a client, the breadth and depth of ideas from those wanting to take on the farm tenancy is outstanding.  The proposals have included a huge variety of beef and sheep enterprises, arable options, growing forages on contract, selling produce locally to shops, pubs, box schemes and the list goes on.

The challenge is how to judge one against the other in a fair way when you’ve got 30 applicants, so below are my top tips when completing an application:

Top Tips

  1. Understand your budgets and make sure everything is included, e.g., – if you’re going to sell forage, include contractors cost for making it not just the income
  2. Be realistic with costs – you’re not going to run a farm and house on £50 of electric per month and likewise, you are unlikely to sell 50 beef animals through a box scheme each year
  3. If you’re going to sell locally, do your research – what is the competition?  If you’re basing your budgets on selling your meat boxes to the local pub and 3 others are already doing it, you maybe you need to think again!
  4. Think about environmental schemes and how they could work on the farm – costed plans are always important, so do your research
  5. Engaging with locals is often important to landowners, inviting the WI for a walk around once a year doesn’t show much thought has gone into it
  6. Show that you are passionate about farming, what excites you about the tenancy opportunity?  Do you have photos of your current business/work?
  7. Be concise, a 50 page essay is likely to lose its impact and key messages.
  8. What is different about your plan compared to everyone else – if there are 30 applicants, you need to stand out
  9. What is the landlord looking for?  What is important to them?  Try to factor this in
  10. Be realistic with the rent – it’s often not the deciding factor on who is awarded the tenancy, affordability is!
  11. Securing grant funding to re-fence the whole farm in the first 3 months is unlikely so consider what ingoing costs are realistic and do you have the funds?  If not, will the bank or others support you to get going?
  12. Have a contingency plan – selling store cattle in a high bTB area may need a plan b, what is it?
  13. What are your long term plans?  If it’s a fixed period tenancy, what’s your exit plan?
  14. If you are not successful, ask for feedback, understand what you need to change for your next application
  15. Don’t give up!

If you’re thinking about applying for a farm tenancy and for an informal chat, contact Andy at andydodd@fcgagric.com or speak to your local FCG office.

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