November 2017 – What wildlife would you like on your farm?

When thinking about the farm business we often think about what market opportunities there are, what grant and subsidy opportunities there are, how we can control cost and how we can realise the value of the natural assets we have.

The reality of all this monetisation and budgeting is that a pretty common starting place, and indeed an important one, when talking with new clients is to ask them what their aims and objectives for their land are. Is it to generate income, to be a tax efficient investment, to improve the condition for the next generation, to live a certain lifestyle and have a certain quality of life, or to enjoy their land?  The quiet enjoyment of one’s own land and property is talked about more than you might think, but it rarely finds its way into a report, a grant application, a planning application and let alone a budget! It is however an important, perhaps the most important, consideration when thinking about how to use your land. Obviously there are jobs that you would rather not be doing but I’m not sure I have met a farmer yet who carries on farming through gritted teeth, hating every minute of it.