New tenants take on organic farm on Paget Estate
18/03/2024
The historic Paget Estate has announced new tenants for Hungary Lane Farm, which will become the sixth organic farm on the 2,500-acre estate located on the Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire border.
Loughborough based specialist land development and property consultancy Mather Jamie promoted the farm, interviewed applicants and arranged the farm business tenancy agreement on behalf of the landowner, Joanna Herbert-Stepney.
The new tenants are Amy and Lance Charity, who have taken on a twenty-five-year tenancy for the farm. Both come from a family of farmers and previously leased a council farm holding.
Hungary Lane Farm is a 275 acre formally biodynamic, arable and livestock farm, including a four-bedroom farmhouse and modern and traditional farm buildings that will be used to create a diverse range of organic farming and craft activities.
Amy and Lance have a flock of 200 pedigree polled Dorset sheep, a breed which has the unique ability to lamb out of season in September. A proportion of lamb will be sold to Waitrose as part of the Dorset scheme and will provide a year-round supply of 100% British lamb.
Commenting on their plans for the farm, Amy Charity said, “This is an exciting leap for us to move with our young family. As well as the continuing as an organic arable farm, the new farm shop will stock our own organic produce from our farm and market garden, including eggs, lamb and eventually pork. We also have a food prep kitchen ‘Hungary Lane Bakes’ which will launch soon offering brownies, bakes and cookie slices.”
Lance Charity added, “ We aren't here to grow to astronomical levels, we are here to supply and support our local community, the villages, towns and cities around us. Our focus is on producing good quality locally grown food that is 100% traceable. We are very grateful to have this excellent opportunity to become part of the Paget Estate. The landowner, Joanna Herbert-Stepney is hugely supportive of organic farming principles and has been extremely welcoming, taking a keen interest in our story and farming practices.”
Lance and Amy are committed to the principles of regenerative agriculture, looking after soils and increasing biodiversity. At Hungary Lane Farm they plan to continue bi-cropping, which means growing a spring crop legume, alongside wheat and will supply local mills with both heritage and more commercial wheats.
Alongside the farm, Lance and Amy also run a highly successful embroidery business called ‘Needle in a Haystack’ which already has a full order book offering personalised workwear to local business, schools and clubs.
As Managing Agents for the Paget Estate, Mather Jamie has previously re-let Home Farm and Cedars Farm as organic ventures within the last five years. Commenting, Sam Woodhouse, Rural Surveyor said; “As experienced, pro-active organic farmers, this is a great opportunity for Lance and Amy to develop a successful organic farming business, whilst conserving the natural habitat and landscape. After visiting them at their previous small holding and seeing their hard work and passion for their farming business, we had no doubt that they would be the ideal tenants for Hungary Lane Farm.”
Looking to the future there are plans to have farm opens days for visiting schools and community groups as well as improving public footpaths so more people can enjoy the countryside which will hopefully also increase foot fall to the farms many enterprises.