Landmatch England is a not-for-profit service that connects people seeking land for agroecological food and farming with landowners looking to make better use of their land.
In partnership with LESS and FoodFutures, the service has begun a one-year pilot in the North West, with delivery beginning in October 2025. A fully operational land matching offer is now in place, supported by ongoing in-kind input from LESS and FoodFutures.
This work responds to a growing challenge within the farming sector. An ageing farming population, rising land prices and declining profitability are contributing to a growing succession crisis, while opportunities such as long-term tenancies continue to diminish. For new entrants, accessing land has become increasingly difficult.
In North Lancashire, a growing number of FarmStarters have been trained but have not always been able to subsequently access land for their own market gardens, and the Northern Food and Farming strategy (coordinated by LESS) highlights ‘secure, long-term access to land for agroecological producers’ as a key priority for farming transitions in the North of England.
Landmatch England addresses this by taking a relationship-based approach, helping to lower barriers to entry and create supported, lower-risk pathways into farming.
LESS and FoodFutures are hosting this NW LandMatch pilot as part of the wider strategy to grow more food in the North of England, and to support training of new entrants.
You can read more about the pilot here.
Photo Credit – Alberto Balazs. The new growers at Old Holly Farm.