The partners in this innovative project include Powys County Council (providing the land), Social Farms and Gardens, Shared Assets, Landworkers’ Alliance, Cultivate, Nature Friendly Farming Network, Lantra, Black Mountains College, Ecological Land Cooperative, Eco Dyfi and Gwlad Consortium.
The Sarn Farms: a description
Each farm will have about 12 acres, with homes and workplace facilities grouped together on common ground.
We commissioned a report to describe the site: flat, water sources on site, good climatic conditions for horticulture, soil varies from silty to clayey, much potential for biodiversity enhancement.
The layout
Each farm will have a small, modern, well-insulated home, connected to water, electricity and drainage.
According to planning regulations, these must remain "removeable" for the first 5 years. After that time, and provided the business is viable, permission for a permanent home can be sought. The home can be kept as it is, extended, or replaced by another approved dwelling.
Shared work facilities.
These will include washing and packing sheds, along with shared road access and vehicle hardstanding.
For rental, then 90+ year lease
For the first 5 years, during which the business model is proved, the farms will be rented. After that, we hope to be able to offer the tenants the option of a 90+ year lease, to provide long-term security to build their businesses and livelihoods. We're currently negotiating with Powys County Council on this. (Image by jcomp on Freepik)
The Sarn Farms in pictures
We're building a supportive environment in Powys for farms to thrive.
We've worked with the Council for two years to develop new planning guidance on "Rural Enterprise Dwellings". This new guidance aims to help small-scale veg farmers who need a home on the land they are working.
Read the planning guidance
We are working with partners to build new routes to market for food grown in Powys:
> "food loops" connecting local farms so they can have more points of sale
> public procurement by the Council for schools
> a new trade link with Birmingham.
We are working to develop training and work experience placements for students at Black Mountains College.
College website
We're building a peer network of small-scale farmers across Powys, Bannau Brycheiniog National Park and Monmouthshire.
BannauAcres.co.uk
We'e engaging with the local community around Sarn, to build a local welcome and create demand for the food grown on the farms.
Photo, Andrea Piacquadio
We're engaging with Welsh Government to lobby for better support for small farms and for horticulture, working with the Wales Horticulture Alliance Group.
Horticulture Alliance GroupRecruitment for Sarn Farms
The application deadline for the Sarn Farms has passed, but if you would like to be informed of new opportunities, please email us through the contact page. We are seeking experienced growers who can establish their new enterprises quickly and soon be thriving.
Applicants must have:
- At least 2 years’ experience working on a fruit and vegetable farm selling its produce e.g as either a lead or assistant grower or apprentice, ideally involving planning and management of the operation.
- Access to sufficient start-up funds for their proposed new enterprise.
- A sound understanding of ecological growing
- The motivation to be part of a movement to feed the community and the flexibility to try new approaches.
- Willingness to collaborate with other farmers in shared spaces.
- Sensitivity to concerns of neighbours and an intention to integrate into the local community.
- Awareness of potential markets, how you might reach them and what support you would need to achieve this.
- Willingness/ability to contribute to the hands-on building of farm infrastructure.
Our vision
We want to create more small farms across Powys. We’re working with partners to develop a “farmland trust” that can acquire land into community ownership and build farms on it, like the farms at Sarn.
This will bring many benefits:
- > Opportunities for a new generation of farmers to build a livelihood in Powys.
- > New markets for Powys farms – local communities, towns and cities and through public procurement.
- > Farmer owned supply chains with fewer middle-men, so farmers keep more of the profit.
- > Food security – more diverse sources of the food we depend on, including more local sources.
- > New jobs, new skills and new investment.
- > More connections within the community as farmers and residents trade with each other.
- > Building a new supply of healthy, nutritious, lower-carbon food for local consumption.
- > Agroecological farming methods that protect biodiversity and our rivers.
