Latest News
November 2022 – Be proactive in growing BNG market
The market for biodiversity net gain (BNG) is rapidly emerging, heralding a potentially lucrative opportunity for farmers and landowners. Estimates of the total annual BNG requirement vary widely. Some reports are suggesting 7,000 ‘units’, while others put it at 7,000ha, an area that has the potential of generating between 20,000 and 40,000 ‘units’. We’re already […]
August 2022 – Farming needs “the brightest and the best”
One of the joys of my 25 years as a consultant has been seeing new people come into the profession and progress their careers. There is, quite rightly, much talk in the farming industry about how we should do more collectively to promote careers in agriculture. It’s important that we clearly communicate the advantages of […]
March 2022 – Land prices set to widen between best and rest
Years ago, you knew the land market would get busy as soon as you saw daffodils and lambs, but nowadays it’s a more year-round affair. There’s also far more land bought and sold off-market than in previous times, especially when it come to viticulture ground – but the arrival of spring still represents a busy […]
August 2021 – 7 Factors to consider if acquiring land
If you are looking to buy or rent ground, your search will have the best chance of success if you are aware of all the influences on the land market, not solely the agronomic aspects determining land’s desirability. Understanding the mindset of the farmers and landowners who you might be dealing with enables you to […]
May 2022 – Solving the sibling conundrum
“Fair doesn’t necessarily mean equal” is a phrase I find myself frequently using when discussing succession. With the value of a farm usually intrinsically tied up in the assets required to run the business, any attempt to release capital by selling assets (in practise, often land) can sometimes undermine the business. So a determination to […]
April 2022 – War reminds us of land use priorities
The clue was always in the name. The Environment Act, which recently became law and sets out the post-Brexit policy framework for farming, was always going to be more about the environment that it was about agriculture. Watching the terrible scenes unfold in Ukraine over recent weeks has remined us all of how lucky we […]
February 2022 – Countryside Stewardship can be “Win Win”
There is now more reason than ever to consider entering a Countryside Stewardship (CS) scheme, with the long-awaited revision of rates recently announced. While Environment Secretary George Eustice’s suggestion that the new payments represent a 30% rise seems a tad optimistic, the figures for many options have increased – and in some cases substantially. […]
Christmas 2021 – Leasing Set to Grow
Well, what a superb event the Vineyard & Winery Show was – well attended, well organised and with a buoyant, buzzy atmosphere. It was heartening to see visitors so excited about the future and, while the topics under discussion were varied, one subject came up repeatedly – how the practise of leasing land is likely […]
November 2021 – Rising Star
Meet one of CLM’s farm and environment consultants – Georgina Wallis……
November 2021 – Decision Vision
Decision Vision An expression I’ve often used in my consultancy career is “If in doubt, do nowt”. Faced with uncertainty, sometimes the right answer is to do nothing. But for many farmers, at the moment, it is not the best approach. Yes, thee are many unknows at present. Clients don’t know what the government’s policy […]
August 2021 – “Diddly Squat” Flexibility in Some Support Schemes
I’ve been enjoying watching Clarkson’s Farm. In fact, I haven’t spoken to anyone – even those not involved in agriculture – who hasn’t. Yes, he sometimes acts the fool, but the show convincingly conveys how tough agriculture is and highlights the challenges farmers face – whether that’s technical, mechanical, meteorological or bureaucratic. One scene that particularly struck […]
May 2021 – Information is Power
Instinct and experience are crucial in farming, but you need accurate information, too. In practice, many farmers lack this, making it almost impossible to make informed decisions, and right now they need to be making these more than ever before. A lot of businesses are at a crossroads, with the phasing out of BPS, the […]
April 2021 – Ask the question
The difference between a good and a bad arable farmer is 24 hours. I was once told that early in my consultancy career and it’s a comment that’s stuck with me for the 25 years since. The farmer who gets up at 5am to go spraying because conditions are perfect and is determined not to […]
Christmas 2020 – It’s good to talk
Readers over a certain age might remember a BT ad featuring the catchphrase: “It’s good to talk”. It was encouraging us, in a pre-mobile era, to pick up the telephone, but the adage remains apt – and no more so than when it comes to succession planning. This is a tough topic to address, but […]
December 2020 – Great Expectations
In the end the finale was something of a disappointment. Fifteen years after my appointment as Executor for the administration of what has felt like a modern-day version of Jarndyce & Jarndyce (the long-running legal dispute in Dickens’ Bleak House), we sat in splendid isolation on a Zoom conference. We listened to learned gentlemen debate […]