People working together can provide solutions for farmers and farm families looking at expansion, changing enterprise, or stepping back.

The key words are:

1) People working together; arrangements must work for all parties.

2) Land use; use of the land is more important than ownership or control.

Options that can be considered include long leases, partnerships, share-farming or farm-to-farm arrangements like contract production or contract-rearing.

The steps to develop an arrangement can be summarised as follows:

1. Define in broad terms your own goals; where do you want to be in five years’ time and what do you want from your farm/farming? This is important whether you are considering expansion or stepping back or anything in between.

2. Identify a suitable collaborator; this person should have a similar vision for the land/farm/business, and should be someone you can communicate and work with. They must have respect for property, other people, display integrity and have a realistic business plan.

3. Meet to explore options and opportunities:

  • Agree a rough plan as to what you jointly want to achieve.
  • Start the process by exploring the detail.
  • 4. Seek independent professional advice:

  • Arrangement facilitation (eg The Land Mobility Service).
  • Farm planning (eg Teagasc adviser).
  • Accountancy, taxation, and legal (eg accountant/solicitor).
  • 5. Formulate an agreement:

  • Decide upon agreement type/form.
  • Define what each party is bringing to the arrangement.
  • Outline duration including a year-by-year plan, together with budgets.
  • Define responsibilities and how investment (if any) is to be catered for.
  • Define payment terms, be that rent, costs and revenue split, or profit share.
  • Specify review mechanisms and review triggers.
  • 6. Draft a formal agreement.

    7. Arrange a final meeting; include all participants together with relevant family members and professional advisers.

    8. Sign the agreement.

    9. Register or file copies of the agreement with relevant parties (Revenue, Dept of Agriculture, agreement facilitator, accountant, solicitor).

    10. Implement the agreement.

    Land mobility opportunities

    A key element of the Land Mobility Service is matching people to opportunities. This is a brokerage service to find the ideal farmer match for you. Call 01-4199555 to speak with our specialist team and provide your details and preferred option. Confidentiality is assured. Qualified leads will be passed to you for further consideration.

    Farms for Lease

  • Grassland Farm near Carrickmacross Model 55 Hectare grassland farm with good infrastructure all in one block on the Cavan, Meath, Monaghan border. Farm presently in beef and sheep, owner wishes to step back and is interested in a long term lease or contract rearing. Farm would suit a beef or sheep operator or a dairy operator looking for a support / heifer rearing farm. | REFERENCE UT02
  • FARM FOR LEASE in north Co. Meath in the Louth/Cavan border area. 56 Hectare grassland beef and sheep farm in one block. Excellent land with good facilities. Owner wishing to step back from full time farming. | REFERENCE WN04
  • FARM LEASE AVAILABLE on 120 acres (48.5 Ha) of quality pasture land with entitlements at Ballynacloona, Ballyneale, Carrick-on-Suir, Co. Tipperary. Farm has four available sheds measuring 96’ x 75’ with concrete floors and adjoining large concrete apron. | REFERENCE OK09
  • LIVESTOCK OPPORTUNITY KILKENNY Good Size traditional mid Kilkenny mixed farm with sucklers, cattle, sheep & tillage. Land Owner looking for an enthusiastic young trained farmer with skills and experience in livestock and grassland management to explore a collaborative farming arrangement. |REFERENCE TN09
  • Dairy Opportunity

  • PROGRESSIVE GALWAY BASED dairy farmer seeking new partnership arrangement. Aiming to take on new block of quality land for dairy operation and currently has 300 Jersey cross heifers that can be brought to new partnership. | REFERENCE OR05
  • HERDSPERSON/ASSISTANT MANAGER required for 250 head spring calving dairy farm in Co. Meath. Excellent husbandry skills required and ability to work on own initiative aswell as part of a team. The position offers a competitive salary and the possibility of further promotion. | REFERENCE WN03
  • DAIRY FARMER WITH proven track record in large dairy farm management and ownership, seeks long term collaboration, with one or more tillage farmers. Ideally a minimum of 600 acres. Can form risk management programmes for crop purchasing, to smooth volatility for all parties. Seeks to set up a dairy, has own equity for the proposal, but would also consider a partnership, lease or joint venture. Anywhere in the country considered. REFERENCE AR01.
  • KILKENNY GRASS BASED farmer with 80 acre holding and good facilities to winter young dairy stock looking to partner with an established dairy farmer who would either like to expand his business or is near retirement but would like to see farm enterprise continue to develop into the future. Excellent experience within the dairy sector. | REFERENCE TN07
  • WORKING DAIRY FARM on Meath/Cavan Border. Lovely dairy farm comprising 120 acres presently carrying 90 cows, good land and good facilities. Modern 14 unit milking parlour together with good yards and infrastructure. Farm is ready to go for the right person, the owner is looking to step back from farming.| REFERENCE NE05
  • EXCELLENT DAIRY OPPORTUNITY in Co. Kildare near Castledermot. Very good land, 190 acres all in one block with opportunities of extra ground adjoining, farmyard in centre, farm presently in grass and cereals. Well spaced out farmyard with plenty of room including slatted sheds, loose sheds, storage sheds, deep well and good access. Owner would like to explore an arrangement with a dairy farmer or group of dairy farmers to either develop a dairy farm or set up the farm for rearing heifers.|REFERENCE OH04
  • LOOKING TO RENT

  • LAND WANTED TO grow silage on within 20 mile radius of Portarlington. 20 to 50 acres sought and land should be suitable for silage making. |REFERENCE PA05
  • AMBITIOUS YOUNG FARMER looking to lease block of land (50-200 acres) in east Clare area so as to facilitate expansion of existing suckler herd and to grow beef enterprise. Good references available. All parcels of land considered. | REFERENCE NM04
  • SKILLED YOUNG FARMERS LOOKING FOR AN OPPORTUNITY
  • YOUNG TRAINED AMBITIOUS farmer looking to lease a farm or enter a share farming agreement with a view to developing a profitable dairy business for all parties. | REFERENCE NE03