HRH Prince William joins new Duchy tenant on farm

Twenty-five-year-old Harry Davies has celebrated his first day as the new tenant of Monkhall Farm in Herefordshire with a visit from his landlord, HRH the Duke of Cornwall.

Mr Davies was selected from a large number of applicants to take over the tenancy of the 364ha mainly Grade 2 arable holding – the first of the Duchy’s new 25-year regenerative farm business tenancy (rFBT) agreements to take effect.

See also: How greener, longer-term FBTs are gaining momentum

Minimum soil disturbance is very much part of the regenerative approach, and one of the first tasks undertaken by the new tenant was to direct drill some stubbles – a job he completed on Thursday (1 October) with HRH Prince William in the cab beside him.

The tenancy at Monkhall Farm became vacant following the retirement of the previous tenant after 20 years on the farm.

Executive director for rural at the Duchy of Cornwall, Matthew Morris, said Mr Davies was the standard candidate from a shortlist of six given his “massive enthusiasm” for regenerative farming.

“We were particularly impressed with how he works with his team,” said Mr Morris. “He may be young, but his people skills were impressive, as were his high standards of health and safety.

“He has already shown a commitment to the industry and it’s his ideas and vision that we want to unlock here at Monkhall.”

Livestock background

Mr Davies’s background is mainly in dairy and beef production, experience he has built up working as a partner in his family’s mixed holding near Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire.

While Monkhall is entirely arable, and has been farmed conventionally for many years, the move to regenerative techniques will see the introduction of livestock onto the holding.

The aspiration is to eventually finish beef on about one-third of the farm in rotation with multi-species herbal leys.

As well as bringing his own knowledge of regenerative farming, Mr Davies will also be getting advice from the Duchy’s own Farming and Nature team, as well as Regenified – a certification body that helps farmers benchmark, monitor and verify their progress.

The Duchy has been working closely with Regenified – founded by US regen “guru” Gabe Brown – for several years as it strives to ensure all its equipped farms are following regenerative principles by 2035.

Break clauses

The new rFBT does include break clauses for both parties, though Mr Morris said the only circumstance in which he could envision the Duchy triggering that would be if regenerative farming was not being delivered.

Mr Davies said the fact the tenancy was for 25 years meant he could invest in regenerative practices with confidence.

“The dry summer has been a reminder of the pressures farmers are under, so support to adapt and plan for the long term makes a real difference,” he said.

He will also be making use of government schemes to help support the transition – he was successful in applying for an SFI26 agreement last week – while the Duchy offers further investment and training support through its Farming and Nature programme and tree planting initiatives.