STORIES WE LOVE

A Welsh pig farm shared with the helper who already knew the herd

Every now and then I find a story that shows exactly what we're about at Cultivate Farms: real people finding a way to keep a farm working and bring someone new onto it. I share them here because seeing it done by others makes it real. Here's one I love.

From FarmingUK, 7 February 2024: "Young entrant helps pig farmers solve succession dilemma", by the FarmingUK Team. Read the full story at farminguk.com.

Why I love it

A couple in Carmarthenshire spent six years building a herd of heritage Mangalitza pigs. Their children didn't want to take it on, and at their stage of life they didn't feel they were the ones to grow it. They were about to search the whole country for a new entrant when they realised she was already there: a first generation farmer who helped feed the herd once a fortnight, and fixed a broken trough without being asked.

What I love is how clear they made the deal. Signed in April 2023 through a Welsh programme that pairs farmers stepping back with new entrants, it has her working 30 unpaid hours a month on top of 40 paid hours. The unpaid hours earn her a share of the herd, reaching 49 per cent within five years, and then they'd think about handing her the lot. They meet formally every two months.

Why it matters for towns like ours

When the kids aren't coming home, a lot of farmers think the only option is to wind down. This shows a farm can carry on by letting someone with energy and no land earn their way in, with an agreement everyone understands.

One step you could take

If you're thinking about share farming, write down the four things this couple settled: who works which hours, what share gets earned, by when, and how often you'll meet. Read what goes in a share farming agreement in our Ageing on Farm guide.

I share these stories because each one shows it can be done, by ordinary farming families, in places like yours. If you know a story like this, or you're living one, I'd love to hear it.