Is share-farming an option?

  • Looking to step back but not yet ready to fully retire?
  • Looking to expand and take on extra ground but put off by unrealistic market rents?
  • Such sentiments are very real and make perfect sense. Share-farming can offer a real alternative for people who are happy to work with others who have a real interest in farming.

    For farmers and landowners who wish to step back, some key advantages of share-farming include:

  • The farmer/landowner stays involved, allowing a real input into the farm business.
  • The farmer/landowner remains an active farmer, claiming their own EU payments/BPS.
  • The farmer/landowner can gradually step back, allowing equity release in a tax-efficient manner.
  • For farmers looking to grow their farming business, share-farming offers:

  • More sustainable and secure expansion.
  • Land costs linked to farm performance and product prices.
  • Expansion with lower financial spend on infrastructure and stock.
  • Reduced risk from price volatility.
  • An opportunity to develop an arrangement with a land owner where everyone wins.
  • How does share-farming work?

    Share-farming has many names including share-cropping, share-milking and dairy partnerships. In all cases, the key component is an agreed and mutually beneficial farm plan.

    The farm plan forms the basis of the agreement with split or return determined by how much each party is bringing to the business. Operating margins and their contribution determines each party’s return.

    The Land Mobility Service (info@landmobility.ie 086-254 1425) has facilitated quite a number of share-farming arrangements to date and in practice they work quite well.

    Some of the key likes for share-farming include:

  • Both parties are active farmers and separate entities.
  • A new entrant or young farmer needs significantly less finance to get into a share-farming arrangement than would be the case with a lease.
  • Delivers performance and efficiency.
  • Landowner involved in the development of the farm.
  • 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

  • 95 ACRE DAIRY farm with new shed and milking parlour (60 cubicles, calving pens, 16 unit parlour), plus an overflow shed. The owner is retiring and interested in a long lease. The owner is retaining an out farm which would be available for support. Limerick, Croom. | REFERENCE NV08
  • 70 ACRE FORMER dairy farm owner retiring. Would make an ideal beef farm, support block, or heifer farm. Galway, Headford. | REFERENCE OR08
  • Farms for Lease

  • Wanted grassland farmer with land to graze beef cattle on a headage based system. Willing to make upfront payment if required. | REFERENCE tx39
  • Dairy Opportunity

  • CORK FARM FOR Lease, Mitchelstown. 120 acre dairy farm all in one block presently carrying 90 cows. Infrastructure includes 90 cubicles, calving area, calf shed, 250k gallons of slurry storage, 12 unit Dairy Master Parlour, 6,500 litre bulk tank, water system. The owner is open to the farm being used as either a milking farm or heifer farm. The owner is looking to identify a suitable collaborator with a view to establishing a long term lease. | REFERENCE TX37.
  • DAIRY FARM FOR Lease, Tipperary- Borrisleigh/Thurles Area. 90 acre dairy farm with an additional 16 acres support ground if required. 10 unit DairyMaster milking parlour with feeders, 10,000 litre Bulk Tank, 120 cubicles, Calf house, 120 cubicles, surplus slurry storage. Grassland of excellent quality and good fertility laid out in paddocks. The owner wishes to retire and is looking to lease the farm long term either as a milking platform or else as a heifer support farm. | REFERENCE OK15.
  • 230 ACRE FARM in two blocks 140 and 90 all of which is milking platform. Good grass farm. New 20 unit milking parlour with adjacent slatted collecting yard and new 80 cubicle shed. Older sheds include a 60 cubicle house with slats, a spacious calf shed, and slatted house. Plans are in place to add a dedicated calving area and some additional cubicles onto the new sheds. The Farm has historically milked 100 to 120 cows but can easily be geared up for 200 plus cows. Living Accommodation available on the farm. Owner is stepping back and looking at someone taking on and progressing the dairy farm. Roscommon/Westmeath, Athlone. | REFERENCE Mi10
  • 200 COW DAIRY farm operating on 220 acres of which 160 acres are owned and the remainder on long lease. The dairy platform is 180 acres. The owner is working and living off farm, the owner’s father only wants to look after calves/heifers from now on. The owner wishes to link up with a skilled young dairy farmer to develop a share milking or dairy partnership arrangement. Kerry, Faranfore. | REFERENCE CA03
  • WORKING DAIRY FARM 140 acres in one block with good infrastructure including 16 unit parlour and 140 cubicles. Farm presently milking 120 high EBI cows. Accommodation available on the farm. The Owners are looking at a 3 to 5 year share milking or partnership scenario, an excellent opportunity for someone to get established in dairying. Cork, Fermoy. | REFERENCE TX35
  • 226 ACRE FARM in one block with a central roadway and slatted shed plus lie back for 100 cattle. The farm is in a mix of grass and tillage. The owner wants to link in with someone to develop a dairy farm, the owner is prepared to be involved but is also open to a long lease arrangement. Tipperary, Nenagh/Toomevara area. | REFERENCE OK15
  • 270 ACRE DAIRY farm of which 240 acres is around the parlour with good roadway, water and paddock infrastructure. Modern 20 unit milking parlour with ACR. 250 cubicles, calving area and calf sheds. The farm has carried 250 cows producing over 1.5 million litres of milk. The owners are retiring and looking at a long term lease, there will be no cows available with the farm. Limerick/North Cork, Liscarroll. | REFERENCE NV07
  • 110 ACRE FORMER dairy farm including 12 unit milking parlour with feeders and 90 cubicles. Cows last milked on the farm in 2017. Owner retiring but is retaining an out farm which could be used as support. Limerick, Kilmallock/Knocklong area. | REFERENCE NV06
  • 250 ACRE DRYSTOCK farm in two blocks 150 and 100 with livestock housing on both. Land owner is looking at a switch to dairying under a collaborative arrangement be that a long lease, dairy partnership or share farming. East Cork, Conna. | REFERENCE TX34
  • CONTRACT HEIFER REARING

  • CONTRAT REARER AVAILABLE to Rear 100 Heifer calves from weaning stage to point of calving. Good grassland farm, in paddocks and reseeded on a yearly basis. Heifers to be weighed on a monthly basis. Previous experience in rearing heifer calves. Midland’s area. | REFERENCE IL03
  • CONTRACT HEIFER REARING service available in Co. Kilkenny. Can take up to one hundred 0-1 year olds and one hundred 1-2 year olds. Calves must be weaned. 1-2 year olds returned by end of November. Good husbandry skills and good grassland management skills. | REFERENCE TN14