Hampshire County Council welcomes bumper crop of new tenants to its farm estate

The newest farm tenancies include Tynfield Farm in Titchfield and Lower Brownwich Farm in Chilling, Fareham.

Others are Hazeley Farm in Mattingley near Hook; Annart Farm in Lockerley near Romsey; and Copse Farm in Kings Worthy, Winchester.

Councillor Russell Oppenheimer, Hampshire County Council’s Executive Member for Countryside and Regulatory Services, said: ‘Farming plays a vitally important role in our economy, and is also crucial for our landscape and environment here in Hampshire.

‘Our farmers continue to experience a tough operating environment with price increases and unpredictable weather patterns posing challenges.

‘The County Council is proud to offer an affordable start for those seeking to farm in their own right.

‘I am delighted that over the last six months, we’ve welcomed a further five new tenants, as former occupants have retired or moved onto new enterprises.

‘In total, over the last 18 months, we’ve been able to offer a record number of 10 farm tenancies to a talented crop of farmers.

‘Collectively, it is fantastic to see that all our tenants are delivering impressive results through their enterprise and hard work, including great quality produce, and positive environmental contributions such as improved soil health and thriving wildlife habitats.’In previous years, the average number of farm tenancies on offer has been around one annually.

Tynefield Farm is a livestock farm managed by Flavian, while Lower Brownwich is an arable farm managed by James.

The County Council recently published its annual newsletter on its County Farm estate, which comprises more than 30 farms across some 4,600 acres of land. They are one of the larger providers of council farm tenancies in the country.