For siblings Anna and Sam Hallos, the future succession of their tenanted upland beef and sheep farm in West Yorkshire, has been an ‘open and honest' conversation around the farmhouse kitchen table for many years now.
Their ambition is to one day take on the shared responsibility of running Beeston Hall Farm. Having been deeply involved in the family business from a young age, Sam and Anna, now 27 and 24, respectively, have started making decisions which will shape the farm's future.
Tenant farming
Their parents, Stephen and Rachel – who is the current NFU vice-president – continue to offer support and guidance.
"We have always talked – all four of us – about what the future holds for us," Anna said. Now, as they navigate the journey of succession, the weight of those decisions has grown. "It has become less of Mum and Dad saying this is what we are doing," she said, adding it was now more of a ‘four-way' conversation, with the hope that one day in the future, responsibility will solely be handed over to her and her brother.
Succession
Anna has already taken the lead on crucial decisions, such as which cattle and sheep to retain for future breeding and which sires should be paired with which animals.
For Sam, who now spearheads the contracting side of the farm business, recent decisions have revolved around choosing equipment to boost productivity. For example, the investment in a new orbital wrapper, which reduces wrapping time to streamline operations and enhance efficiency.
Parents
While both Anna and Sam are relishing the opportunity to support the farm business in making key decisions, they share a strong admiration for what their parents have done since taking on the farm tenancy, and the changes they have made to ensure their children can now be employed by the farm and earn a wage.
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Sam said: "What Mum and Dad have accomplished – from where the farm started to now being able to employ their own children – is a remarkable achievement." "If they have achieved that, then what can Anna and I achieve together?" Anna said: "Looking at what we have ahead of us, we would not be here without the foundation Mum and Dad have laid. "We are extremely grateful for what they have done to secure our future."
Family farm
Both Sam and Anna said sharing a sense of humour was key to running a family farm business, and when probed about their sibling dynamics, Anna said it worked ‘very well'.
She said: "We have been very lucky; Sam is obsessed with tractors and I am obsessed with cows and sheep. "We could sit here and say it is all sunshine and roses and we all get along, but at the end of the day we all have our moments. The key is coming out of those moments and being the bigger person."
Communication
Sam emphasised the importance of communication in resolving issues on the farm and believes taking time to think things through prevents any ‘irrational' decisions. He said: "There are four people involved, so when one of us proposes an idea, it takes time for the other three to mull it over." Being open to compromise, learning and moving on from things which might not go to plan is also important when working as a family unit.
Both siblings also recognise the additional financial pressures of being tenant farmers but said keeping a positive relationship with their landlord, Yorkshire Water, was crucial.
Finances
Anna said: "It is important to keep the landlord in the loop of what we are doing and keeping them confident in the fact that Sam and I do want this and want to continue to invest in the farm. "This is our home and we have always known it as our home and we want to it to remain that way." Sam echoed this sentiment and said the farm represents his family's livelihood. Both he and Anna plan to stay at the farm indefinitely if given the opportunity. He said: "That is why we need to work with the landlord, like Mum and Dad have always done, and we will continue to do so."
Tenant-landlord relationship
Anna said that maintaining communication with the landlord does not necessarily require extensive discussions but instead was more about ensuring they are recognised and established in their presence. "It is about saying, ‘we are here', planting a seed, and showing that we are invested and interested."
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When it comes to the future direction of the farm, Anna said the focus is on being more productive. She said: "It is not the case of getting bigger and bigger, it is using what we have to be productive, but showing the quality is still there." Sam agreed it was not all about numbers or scaling the business.
Balancing act
He said: "It is about making the farm both productive and manageable. As far as the contracting is concerned, it is fantastic and we keep getting busier, but again that all has to be balanced. "There is also a huge farm here that we need to manage correctly. It is all a balancing act and not one outweighing the other. Everything needs to work together." Part of that balancing act is having knowledge of the financial side of the business.
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Anna believes a crucial part of their successful succession is to be fully aware of the financial figures. She understands sharing this information might be ‘scary for some parents' at first. She said: "But it has been so important for Sam and I to know the numbers so we know what is actually go on and where we are at."
Sam said: "We need to know how much things cost, how we are doing and know how to deal with the business at certain times of the year. "There is a lot to get your head round, all sorts of different income streams, all sorts of different outgoings. Learning all of that is a huge part because, at the end of the day, it is all about running a successful business."
Advice
When asked about advice to other families navigating succession planning, Anna said parents and children involved in the process must be open and honest. She said: "If you are going to run the family business together, you must know the finances of the farm. Being equal is also key, with Sam and I paid exactly the same wage for the work we do on the farm." Anna said that being equal is also key, with both her and her brother paid exactly the same wage for the work they do on the farm.
