Travelling around I’m always surprised to hear how many people read these farming diaries, from those wanting to know what’s happening in the land market to proactive businesses looking for new opportunities and grant funding.

The last few weeks have seen a flurry of action on Mid-Tier stewardship applications, with this being the first year that medium priority water areas have been allowed to enter for water capital items.

Whilst the July month end deadline has now passed there is still the opportunity to apply for the £20,000 standalone capital grant.

We’re also submitting the final claims for those who had successfully applied for the farm equipment grants with the deadline to claim being midnight 31st October.

I’ve also applied for a number of adding value grants (the deadline was 21st July) centred on introducing new processing capabilities and encouraging collaboration and environmental sustainability.

On the property front we’ve seen very strong interest in land and rural property sales, with a much wider range of purchasers compared to say 2 or 3 years ago, with an influx of non-agricultural purchasers and much more talk of carbon sequestration.

The traditional lifestyle purchaser is no longer put off by a larger acreage and is prepared to purchase these larger holdings knowing the land can be let out or entered into a Government subsidy scheme.

We’ve something for all coming up, with a circa. 170 acre farm preparing to auction in September which would make either a useful farm holding or the steading has the potential with modernisation and refurbishment to be a desirable lifestyle dwelling in a sought after area.

In the last couple of days we’ve taken instructions on a desirable block of meadow land near Levens, a productive paddock with equestrian potential near Borwick and a block of amenity woodland close to Windermere.

Whist sales can be an emotional time for both seller and buyer it is rewarding seeing everything come to fruition whether we are involved in the sale, advising on the purchase or completing a Secured Lending valuation.

Mark Barrow BScHons PGDipSurv MRICS FAAV Partner

Armitstead Barnett