The challenge of being a tenant farmer in modern Britain

Beyond the Hedge: The People and Stories that Shape the British Countryside

Around half of Britain’s farmers rent some or all of the land they work, but in Britain's changing agricultural landscape, where significant profits can be made through rewilding, tree planting and renting out rural properties to city-dwellers, it is becoming harder and harder for aspiring farmers to find any ground. They were once a cornerstone of rural society but tenant farmers are becoming a rare breed.

Patrick Galbraith meets two tenant farmers in Hampshire at different ends of their careers. First he speaks to Charlie Flindt, a recently retired tenant on the Hinton Ampner Estate, which is owned by the National Trust. Charlie tells him about the changes he’s seen over the past few decades and he also tells Patrick about where he thinks it’s all going - his outlook is bleak.

Next Patrick meets Flavian Obiero, one of a new generation of farmers who are making a go of it. Originally from Kenya, Flavian now farms 61 acres in Hampshire, where he raises pigs and goats, as well as running a butchery business and making charcuterie. Flavian tells Patrick about how farming in Britains compares to farming in Kenya. Small-scale holdings, he reckons, can work; farmers just need to think outside the box.

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