Sustainable Farming Through Contract Farming, FBTs, Joint Ventures and Hybrid Agreements

At Windmill Farming, we operate across the full range of modern farming structures — including Contract Farming Agreements (CFAs), Farm Business Tenancies (FBTs), stubble-to-stubble agreements, true joint ventures, and bespoke hybrid models.

Each structure brings different levels of control, risk and reward. What matters is not the label, but whether the agreement supports commercially resilient, environmentally responsible farming over the long term.

In a period of volatile markets, rising input costs and uncertainty around future support mechanisms, the right structure can make the difference between short-term survival and long-term success.

Matching the Farming Structure to the Land and the Landowner

No single agreement suits every farm. Soil type, location, infrastructure, cropping potential and the landowner’s objectives all influence whether a contract farming agreement, FBT, joint venture, or stubble-to-stubble arrangement is the most appropriate solution.

• Contract Farming Agreements allow landowners to retain involvement while sharing risk and reward
• Farm Business Tenancies often provide the security needed to justify long-term soil and infrastructure investment
• Stubble-to-stubble agreements offer flexibility and simplicity, particularly where short-term arrangements are required
• True joint ventures align landowner and farmer interests closely, with shared decision-making and long-term commitment
• Hybrid structures combine elements of the above to reflect the realities of modern farming

The aim is always to ensure the chosen structure encourages good agronomy, cost control and sustainable land management.

What Happens If You Don’t Adjust Pressure

‍Running at a single ‘default’ pressure for every job is one of the most common mistakes:-

• Too high, and the tyres create a smaller contact patch, concentrating the load and causing rutting or subsoil compaction.
• Too low, and you risk excessive flexing, heat build-up, and premature tyre failure, not to mention poor road handling.

It’s a balancing act, field work needs low pressures to spread the load, while road travel demands higher pressures for stability and safety.‍

Farming With a Long-Term Mindset — Whatever the Agreement

Regardless of whether land is farmed under an FBT, CFA, stubble-to-stubble agreement or joint venture, our approach remains consistent.

We farm with the same care and attention we apply to owned land, focusing on:

• Protecting soil structure and organic matter
• Avoiding unnecessary cultivation and bare ground
• Building resilient rotations that spread risk
• Making decisions based on long-term productivity rather than short-term gain

This approach safeguards both the farming business and the underlying value of the land.

Precision Farming Across CFAs, FBTs and Joint Ventures

Precision agriculture underpins efficient delivery across all agreement types. Investment in technology allows us to manage variable soils more accurately while keeping costs under control.

Our systems include:

• Variable rate seed and fertiliser, informed by soil analysis, yield mapping and satellite imagery
• RTK guidance and controlled traffic farming to minimise compaction
• Reduced tillage and direct drilling to protect soil health and reduce fuel use

These tools support consistent performance across fields, benefitting both landowners and farming partners in profit-sharing and fixed-rent arrangements alike.

Rotation Planning, Soil Health and Livestock Integration

Strong rotation planning is fundamental to sustainable farming, particularly within longer-term FBTs, joint ventures and hybrid CFAs.

Longer rotations help:

• Manage weed and disease pressure
• Improve nutrient cycling and soil biology
• Reduce reliance on chemical inputs

Where appropriate, livestock are integrated through controlled grazing of cover crops or standing crops, improving soil structure and resilience while delivering practical agronomic benefits.

Environmental Management That Works Within Farming Agreements

Environmental delivery is increasingly central to land management decisions, whether under a contract farming agreement, tenancy or joint venture.

We integrate measures such as:

• Wildflower margins and beetle banks
• Managed hedgerows and buffer strips
• Low-input grassland and targeted habitat creation

These approaches deliver environmental benefit without undermining productive farming and can support future participation in public or private environmental schemes.

Fair, Transparent Risk and Reward

Each agreement structure requires a clear and fair approach to risk and return:

• FBTs require realistic rents that reflect sustainable output
• CFAs and joint ventures rely on transparent cost control and profit-sharing
• Stubble-to-stubble agreements benefit from clarity and simplicity

Low-cost systems, shared machinery and efficient labour deployment underpin all arrangements, ensuring resilience through market volatility.

Partnership Is the Constant

From short-term stubble-to-stubble arrangements to long-term joint ventures, the most successful farming agreements are built on trust, transparency and aligned objectives.

Our role is to work with landowners to:

• Identify the most appropriate structure
• Operate it professionally and transparently
• Improve the land over time
  

Whatever the agreement, the goal remains the same: productive, resilient farming that stands the test of time.

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