HERE is the weekly farming column written by Helena White.

After a very busy summer of farm, land, and property sales, and some very successful public auctions, autumn is now well underway.

We are pleased to have seen prices for all types of land continue to remain strong across the year.

Here in the Kendal office, amenity and paddock land still commands the highest prices per acre, with one sale achieving in-excess of £19,000 per acre, and even some of the poorer quality agricultural pastures have reached prices of £7,500 per acre.

It has obviously been an unsettled few weeks in government and this turbulence has had a pronounced impact on both mortgages and borrowing, in turn causing higher levels of caution in the property market. However, with market demand still outstripping supply, it is difficult to predict the direction the market is heading as we near the end of the year.

With such an uncertain market, it is interesting to see what alternative land uses are being explored by landowners at present. I have seen a recent surge in interest from renewables developers, looking for sites for Solar and Battery Storage development in and around Cumbria over the last few months, which can present a lucrative return in the right locations.

On a personal note, we’ve found 2022 to be a slightly quieter year for our holiday cottages near Brampton. There have still been plenty of bookings, but as the popularity of staycations diminished and more people looked to holiday abroad again, the rush we experienced during Covid has definitely reduced.

One event, which truly demonstrates the dedication and commitment of our livestock farmers both here in Cumbria and across the UK, is Borderway Agri Expo. Organised by our sister company Harrison & Hetherington, this was a brilliant showcase for the industry once again, and it was great to see so many clients attend on the day.