A couple with a wealth of experience have been appointed as the new tenants of Stantyway Farm, Otterton. Sam and Nell Walker will manage Stantyway, a 264-acre arable organic farm on the Jurassic coast. It had been farmed by the same family for two generations until the previous tenant’s retirement three years ago when it became part of the Estates’ in-hand operations.

Sam is a part-time agricultural lecturer at Duchy College and is experienced in many different areas of farming. He and Sam and Nell are currently tenants of North Ground Farm, a 113-acre starter farm at Milton Abbot, near Tavistock. His focus at North Ground has been rearing youngstock onto fat cattle, adapting the former dairy farm into a fit-for-purpose beef unit.

Sam has also established a herbal grass ley trial field in collaboration with Reading University, has hosted many visits from students and the public at North Ground and began an Open Farm Sunday event. He has also been an enthusiastic supporter of Devon County Council’s Farmwise events, helping to demonstrate agriculture to Devon’s school children.

He said: “We’re incredibly grateful for this opportunity. Clinton Devon Estates are highly regarded landlords and Stantyway Farm will give us the chance to expand our business in new and exciting ways.

“We’d like to thank Clinton Devon Estates for putting their faith in us, as well as the Devon County Farms Estates for giving us the chance to prove ourselves at North Ground.”

Leigh Rix, Clinton Devon Estates’ head of property and land, said: “We were overwhelmed by the number of talented and ambitious applicants to take on Stantyway Farm. Sam and Nell were chosen because they impressed us with the work they have already done at North Ground Farm and with their vision for what they hope to achieve at Stantyway."

The Devon County Farms Estate is now seeking new tenants for North Ground.