Autumn In Gascogny

Farms in France

Why choose French farm life?

France supplies 23% of the agricultural produce in the European Union. Sunny weather, lifestyle and land prices ranging from €3,000 per ha (1 ha= 2.471 acres) makes French farm properties extremely appealing to Irish farmers, or even for those looking to set up their own personal farming project in the sun.

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“There is a very big choice on farm properties at the moment in France, which is interesting especially to Irish farmers who want a change and wish to invest” explains Tess Sheeran, from Sheeran’s French Properties, with bases in Laois, Ireland and the South of France. “The prices per hectare in France go from €3,000 to €7,000, depending on the area, whereas in Ireland it is around €59,000 per ha at the moment.”

Renegade Sarl. (run by Bill Evans) and Provence Invest (run by Laois native Tess Sheeran) have teamed up to specialise in locating and rehabilitating stone farmhouses and ambient village dwellings. They had a stand at the Ploughing Championships in Tullamore last year, where they received a large amount of queries from Irish farmers wishing to buy a French farm and move their activities to a sunny climate.

“Currently, Irish farmers are buying farms in places like Argentina and Bulgaria, but buying in France can be a much better option. We advise buyers on all the necessary steps for the relocation and for those who do not wish to move to France immediately we find tenants for our clients on a short-term basis. We have a great selection of working farm properties available at the moment,” Tess states.

“Irish farmers looking to set up their farms in France have a great advantage with the French legislation: they know the industry, they have experience managing their farms back in Ireland and their establishment in the area is seen as highly positive by the French,” she explains.

According to Tess, the first step for a farmer wishing to re-locate to France is establishing his/her project and analyse the numerous farm offers. “At the moment there are 800 farms on offer across France, we visit them and check their conditions and value. After that, we work directly with the government bodies assisting rural development to advice potential buyers,” she adds.

Their portfolio of farmhouses includes amazing properties from all over the country: castles, manor houses, small and big farmhouses; with land adapted to different types of farming activities depending on the area. “We have visited a number of truly amazing farming properties in the past two weeks, including an amazing farmhouse dating back to the XIII century with an immaculate interior of about 400 square meters and 180 hectares of cereal land.” says Sheeran.

When moving, it is important to know which area is the right one for the type of farming activity selected, as Bill Evans explains. “The area around Toulouse and south of Bordeaux is ideal for cereal and bovine. Overall the weather is better in the south so this area would be perfect for those looking for a 100% change of climate. The region between Bordeaux and the Pyrenees has also very good land.” Wetter Limoges would be the ideal destination for cattle breeding activities, while Chartres and Rheims (east of Paris) would be cereal country.

Those looking for a change less dramatic could establish in Brittany, where the climate is ideal for vegetable growing, or Normandy, with perfect location for horse breeding. “Any other place not far from a motorway would be perfect for horse breeding to enjoy easy access to the race areas, located mainly in the North part of the country, although horse breeding is quite open,” he adds.

But there are also options for those farmers looking to establish themselves in a completely different type of farming activity to that one they want to leave in Ireland. “Provence and Dordogne, east of Bordeaux, and the Mediterranean in general are very good areas for setting up small wineries,” explains Evans. But the wine-making possibilities are spread widely across the whole country. From the Mediterranean coast all the way up to Champagne, home of the famous sparkling wine, via the Rhone region and Burgundy, the opportunities of farming in the sun are open to Irish farmers.

“Most people want to keep doing what they do in Ireland but re-locate for a better climate and lifestyle. We can make it possible and on top of that it always works out to be a marvellous investment opportunity.” Tess says.