Sheep and a Farm Enhancement Lease
Dave Heraty is a sheep farmer from Co. Mayo. Along with his home farm Dave rents a block of 35 acres in Kilquire Co. Mayo, running a flock of 120 New Zealand Romney ewes. Farming always played an integral role in Dave’s life; he took over the family farm full time 10 years ago at the age of 21 after the tragic passing of his father. Dave approached Service facilitator Mícheál Larkin for help in finding an opportunity that would best complement his home farm. Mícheál helped Dave engage with a landowner in a long-term lease agreement, which ensures Dave is protected and has security of tenure to protect and allow payback on any investment that he makes on the farm. As there was such a high level of investment, the rate paid for rental is reflective of this and also changes from an agreed lower band to slightly higher band as the term progresses. Within the lease both Dave and the landowner agreed on measures to improve the farm, land and infrastructure while maintaining and growing biodiversity initiatives, with the landowner paying particular focus on improving and maintaining biodiversity.
Dave has divided thefarm into paddocks with each paddock having drinkers, along with this he’s reseeded incorporating clover into the swards while increasing both P&K levels on the land. Dave has also maintained old stone walls and fenced off all turloughs on the farm. Dave plans to continue to improve the land he’s rented and to work closely with the landowner to ensure the land and infrastructure are maintained.
It’s the security of tenure, farm plan and good communication with the landowner that enables this arrangement to work well for all parties, especially in terms of high levels of investment.
Dave aims to also look at expanding his enterprise and work closely with Land Mobility if any such opportunities should arise.
