Andrew Brailsford from Chesterfield has taken over the new starter farm created by the Duchy of Cornwall in Plumtree, Nottingham. The 33-year old farmer moved into Sycamore Farm on March 25th with his wife, Mandy, and their two-year old son, Albert, after beating off competition from many applicants.
More than 50 people attended an open day on Thursday 5th December 2013, which gave prospective tenants the opportunity to look around the property and meet representatives from The Duchy of Cornwall, including local Land Steward, David Curtis.
Speaking shortly after the event, Mr Curtis described the starter farm as "a rare opportunity for a new entrant to obtain a tenancy of a small modern farmstead as so few come on to the open market". He added: "The agricultural industry needs to cater for the new entrants. Supporting the next generation of farmers is one of the most important things we can do.”
Mandy, Albert and Andrew Brailsford
Sycamore Farm in the village of Plumtree consists of approximately 39.65 hectares (98 acres) of land, including a modern four-bedroomed farmhouse and a range of modern outbuildings. This new starter unit was carved out of an existing plot which enabled the Duchy to give additional arable land to the neighbouring tenant too.
Mr Brailsford runs an agricultural contracting business and Mandy has a career in the medical profession. They are both passionate about farming and looking forward to becoming involved in Plumtree community life.
Exceptionally, last year the Duchy reported a fall in the income generated for The Duke of Cornwall. That £1.83million reduction, a fall of 8.2%, has been reversed this year, and the surplus generated this year is £23.0million, an improvement on the last “normal” year (2019/20). This includes a record spend on property repairs...
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