National Trust Cymru seeking tenant for a special farm in Eryri (Snowdonia)

Set in the heart of Eryri (Snowdonia), Llyndy Isaf, a 248-hectare (613 acre) hill farm, has been in the care of National Trust Cymru since the charity bought the farm in 2012 after a successful public appeal.

Until 2020, it was run in partnership with the Wales Federation of Young Farmers Clubs (YFC) with five scholars managing the farm. Since then it has been managed in conjunction with the Trust’s neighbouring farm, Hafod y Llan, now, the conservation charity is ready to let the holding, including a farmhouse and a range of modern and traditional buildings, to a new tenant with farming, nature, and access to the countryside at the heart of their business plan.

Trystan Edwards, General Manager for Eryri, National Trust Cymru said;
“It’s a privilege to have a farm in Wales selected for this programme. Llyndy is an incredible landscape, from the shores of Llyn Dinas to the heather clad ridge of Mynydd Llyndy, it holds a special place for nature, people and history.

“Farming has played a defining role here for generations, and over the last 12 years, scholars and farmers have managed it as a sustainable working hill farm. It boasts a range of rich habitats including heath, wet pasture, grassland and woodland, with its heathland being one of our best examples of species-rich heath in Wales and the woodlands forming a part of the Meirionnydd oak woods and bat Special Area of Conservation.”

The Trust is looking for a tenant with a passion for sustainable farming to continue the legacy.

Trystan continued: “Our ideal tenant would be someone who can see how to run a successful, viable and profitable business but in doing so deliver for the environment by combining sensitive land management and conservation principles with agriculture.

“The successful tenant will take a nature-friendly farming approach to grazing the land, producing good quality food as well as good wildlife habitats. They will increase biodiversity across the farm by extending wood pasture through natural processes, maintain current key habitats, enhancing the heath mosaic, and control invasive species.

“This is an exciting opportunity, especially as this will be the first farm business tenancy we’ve offered since acquiring the farm, so we’re looking for someone who is truly willing to work in partnership with us and support our vision for the future of Llyndy Isaf.”

The programme will follow prospective tenants as they demonstrate their approaches to agriculture, learn new skills and complete a series of hands-on tasks and experiences at Llyndy Isaf. At the end of the process, one person or partnership will be chosen as the successful tenant.

Trystan added: “Farming in Wales is going through a period of significant change, and we want to give the public a window into farming as well as engaging with the land managers of tomorrow about how food, the land it’s grown on and the ways it can be produced with nature in mind supports our wider rural economy at the same time as increasing our resilience to the impacts of climate change.

“It also provides an excellent opportunity for us to showcase Wales’ unique culture and how integral farming is for rural communities in Wales.”

Prospective tenants will need to go through an application process, visit the farm, present a business plan and demonstrate they are equipped to take on the tenancy in the same way as any Farm Business Tenancy opportunity with the National Trust. In addition to this, all shortlisted applicants will be required to take part in a three-week special selection process filmed this autumn for a TV programme.

George Dunn, Chief Executive Tenant Farmer Association (TFA) said;

"Llyndy Isaf represents a fantastic opportunity for a progressive farmer or a new entrant. With all the land in a ring fence and with opportunities for diversified income, this would be ideal for an entrepreneurial tenant farmer who wants to combine delivering a successful business with nature conservation at its heart. However, given the size of the unit and the capital that will be required, the National Trust will have to look at relaxing the break clause provisions to ensure that the incoming tenant has sufficient security for the long term to fund necessary investment in the holding. I was also really pleased to see the National Trust moving towards the suggestion made by the TFA that it should set the level of rent for these lettings in its particulars rather than leaving it as an open question. Giving a guide as to the minimum level of rent is a huge step in the right direction".

For all information and to apply please visit: www.farmapplication.co.uk
Applications close at midnight on Sunday, 21 April 2024.