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A GSC Grays Service

Farm Business

Our dedicated Farm Business Consultancy Team combines in-depth local knowledge with nationally renowned technical and business management expertise.

GSC-Service-Farming-Intro

Here for Farmers & Landowners

Working with you today to secure your tomorrow

In a rapidly changing industry, farmers and landowners are looking for opportunities to strengthen their performance and secure a viable future for their business. GSC Grays consultants have a genuine understanding of the challenges facing the industry, and are equipped with the skills to help farm businesses move forward and thrive in a ‘post-Brexit’ Britain.

We will take the time to get to know your business and your aspirations for the future, so that our advice is always grounded in a thorough understanding of your farm. Whatever your objective, whether you want to invest in new infrastructure, launch a diversification project or manage a succession, we can help you to achieve it.

We provide advice on Farm Business reviews, agronomy, farm management, contract and share farming agreements, BPS, environmental schemes, grants, diversification, business restructuring, as well as farm sales, acquisitions and lettings.

Farm Management

Effective & comprehensive farm management service

GSC Grays provide an effective and comprehensive farm management service. One of our experienced consultants will manage the day-to-day running of the farm, liaising with employees or contractors, monitoring performance and providing other specialist services such as agronomy, marketing advice or budget preparation as required.

As the landowner, you are able to choose your level of involvement in the business and retain control over the long-term objectives and direction for the business. We can keep you informed through regular meetings or updates tailored to your requirements.

The business remains in-hand, while benefitting from the knowledge of our Farming team to ensure the business runs efficiently, profitably and is comparable to the best performing businesses across the industry.

Meet our specialists
Farm Business Advice
GSC-Service-Farming-HealthCheck

Strategic Business Reviews & Planning

An impartial “health check” for your business

Agriculture is in a period of substantial change. Widely fluctuating markets, increasing regulation and rapidly changing and complex subsidy schemes, mean that farms have to be proactively managed to maximise returns.

In these fluid times regular Farm Business Reviews provide an impartial and objective “health check” of the business.  Working closely with you, we will undertake an in-depth assessment of the business, including reviewing the technical, physical and financial performance. Our aim is to offer bespoke practical solutions to the issues identified in the review, tailored to the requirements of your business and your objectives for the future.

If you are considering a pivotal new investment or change to your business, then we can offer an impartial appraisal to ensure that your planned direction of travel is the right one to take and assist you in developing a clear and robust ‘road-map’ for the future of your business.

Farm Business Advice Service

FREE advice for your farm business

We have been appointed by DEFRA as a provider to the Future Farming Resilience Fund (FFRF) Scale Up Project which offers all farmers and land managers who receive Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) payments, access to FREE business advice during the early years of the Agricultural Transition. Our Farm Business Advice Service (FBAS) provides specialist and bespoke advice to help farm businesses build a resilient and successful future.

Following registration to the service, you will receive a FREE on-farm business review to assess your goals in the next 5-10 years, be that improving productivity, expansion, maximising environmental stewardship opportunities and income through the public and private sector, improving financial returns, diversifying, restructuring the business, retiring and/or succession planning to give a few examples. Support will be given to develop a strategy and action plan to achieve your objectives and overcome any barriers you face.

For those needing further support there is a mixture of one-to-one and group support that the service can offer.

 

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Agronomy

Agronomy

Commercially independent, cost effective, advice

Our agronomists will help you to maximise the profitability of your arable enterprise through commercially independent, cost effective, advice. We provide a full crop-walking service, as well as more strategic advice on all aspects of arable crop production including crop rotation management, precision farming, cultivations, machinery purchases and marketing strategies.

As members of AICC (Association of Independent Crop Consultants) our consultants benefit from the latest industry research to complement their extensive practical experience.

GSC Grays farm managers have also established a Buying Group to co-ordinate the purchase of seed, fertiliser and sprays. This allows our clients to benefit from economies of scale resulting in significant financial savings of up to 25%, along with improved cashflow management.   Our advice combined with the benefits from the Buying Group enables many of our clients to achieve significant increases in profitability and our aim is to establish our clients in the top 10% of comparable businesses.

Contract & Share Farming

Professionally managed agreements tailored to your requirements

GSC Grays offer a range of contract farming, share farming and joint venture agreements that can be tailored to your individual circumstances. These agreements provide an effective way to share land, machinery or expertise for the benefit of both parties, allowing some landowners to reduce their day-to-day involvement in farming, while enabling other businesses to expand the area they farm. They can also be a tax efficient and effective alternative to a Farm Business Tenancy.

It is important to ensure that the agreements in place are carefully drafted and well understood by both parties from the start. Our in-depth knowledge of the wider issues relating to land ownership, such as taxation, Basic Payment Scheme (BPS), Countryside Stewardship, sporting and other interests enables us to advise landowners as to the most appropriate options for their circumstances. We work with both parties to create an annual budget and farming policy, which is then rigorously monitored through monthly, quarterly or annual reporting as required, and professionally managed.

Drilling
Lucinda Riddell

Grant Schemes and Diversification

Supporting business growth

As the UK moves away from EU models of funding and rural development, new domestic grants schemes will be launched to support UK farming and rural businesses. Grant funding can provide critical support for businesses seeking to expand, diversify or improve productivity, but questions of eligibility, funding levels or timescales can be complex. GSC Grays are committed to staying abreast of emerging policies and schemes so that we can offer you the most up to date advice on grant funding to support your business and help you to prepare a successful application.

Farms are increasingly becoming small rural business centres, diversifying into new enterprises to generate additional income streams outside of the core business. We can help you to consider how you could use your existing assets to provide additional diversified income, and guide you through the process of launching your new venture, from seeking planning permission to applying for finance to support your investment.

Basic Payment Scheme

Pro-active advice for BPS & cross compliance

GSC Grays’ management of your Basic Payment Scheme does not end with completing and submitting the Annual Claim Form.

Our aim is to cut through the complicated rules and regulations to offer bespoke, pro-active advice to ensure clients comply with the rules of the scheme with minimal impact on the management of their business.

Whether it is producing a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone Report, or undertaking a Cross Compliance Audit, we can help businesses to grow and develop without being held back by regulations. We can also help scrutinise inspection reports to ensure that the process is carried out correctly by the relevant authority.

As the Basic Payment Scheme is phased out, we will support you in preparing your business to remain profitable as the payments decline and provide you with the latest information and guidance on new schemes that could help your business to thrive

Robert Sullivan
GSC-Service-Farming-Relationship

Landlord & Tenant Advice

Supporting a good relationship between landlord & tenant

Our agents understand the importance of a good relationship between landlord and tenant. We have a detailed understanding of landlord and tenant law in the agricultural, commercial and residential sectors, enabling us to advise effectively on your rights and obligations. The expert, timely advice we provide could pre-empt and avoid disputes, and help you to navigate complex circumstances.

The professional services we offer include preparing written tenancy agreements, conducting rent reviews, succession, managing consents for assignments, improvements and other ancillary matters, lease renewals or extensions and end-of-tenancy claims.

Woodland Creation & Management

Maximising returns from new or existing woodland

Farm woodland can deliver many benefits, sheltering stock, preventing erosion, producing timber, reducing flood risk, sequestering carbon, and providing habitat and food for farm wildlife. Woodland creation grants and support for ongoing woodland management can also make planting woodland an attractive proposition on lower yielding or challenging farmland. If you are interested in planting woodland on your farm, we can provide an initial appraisal of the suitability of the site, the grants that may be available to you and a projected annual income from public or private funding sources.

The active management of existing woodland can increase the benefits it delivers and may be beneficial for tax reasons. Our consultants are experienced in preparing woodland management plans targeted at your objectives. Whether you are interested in enhancing a woodland’s biodiversity value, improving its ability to sequester carbon or optimising its timber production, we can advise on how best to maximise returns from newly planted or existing sites.

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Related Services

Your GSC Grays Service Team

Core Sectors

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CORE SECTORS

GSC Grays are experts in rural land and property. You can find all the information you need about the sectors that we specialise in, from estate agency to environmental management. We are here to help you to achieve your goals for your rural property, business, farm or estate, today and for generations to come.

DON’T TAKE OUR WORD FOR IT. POSITIVE OUTCOMES TO SHOWCASE OUR CAPABILITIES.

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Adventure Valley – securing support for diversification

Featured Case Study

Adventure Valley – securing support for diversification

Many farming businesses are turning to diversification to provide additional income, we secured grant funding to help one client develop and expand their leisure business in surprising new ways.

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