Posted on Friday 23rd May 2025
Rachel and Richard Moss
A Staffordshire tenant farmer couple have marked five years’ business success by increasing their holding as they continue to grow production.
Richard and Rachel Moss recently took on additional acres of land on a letting arrangement taking them up to 180 acres and increased their dairy herd to 180 cows.
They’re also using the latest industry innovation for more efficient operations, installing a robotic scraper to clean the cow housing and automated cleaning processes for the cows after milking.
Since taking on their first county council tenancy in 2019, the couple moved to their current holding north of Stafford after just two-and-a-half years.
Despite being unsuccessful in their first application, Richard and Rachel persevered and were granted their initial 85-acre tenancy. While both had agricultural backgrounds – Rachel from a farming family and Richard getting his first job on a farm at 14 – county farms enabled them to get a foothold in the industry.
As dairy farmers, progression to a larger holding has led to management of a larger herd and upgrading equipment for more efficient production and reducing energy consumption.
Staffordshire County Council’s farms estate includes 63 equipped let farms with other land and rural property covering around 6,500 acres. Farm holdings are available to starters and those progressing, the majority are dairy units, the remainder rearing beef and sheep and a small area in arable production.
Tenants are encouraged to farm as sustainably as possible and work to enhance the environment and biodiversity, alongside developing successful and innovative rural businesses.
Richard said:
When this progression farm came up for let, we didn’t want to turn the opportunity down. It’s a much bigger dairy unit and a longer tenancy which has allowed us to increase cow numbers and given us more security.
We completed a parlour upgrade and also benefited from the county council’s small grants scheme to improve holdings. We used this to install heat recovery to again save energy.
The farm is equipped with solar panels, and we’ve reseeded sixty per cent of the farm, maintained hedgerows, water courses and improved fencing.”
Rachel and Richard’s daughter Freya was just three months old when they moved to their first holding and their son Charlie was born in 2021.
Rachel said:
Freya and Charlie have always been involved with us outside. “They love getting stuck in and helping where they can. It was challenging starting a new business with two little ones but seeing them so happy growing up on the farm makes all the hard work worthwhile.
We have a lot of support from family when we need it but day to day there is only the two of us and although we love being busy and doing what we do we want to make the farm run as efficiently as possible to give ourselves more of a work-life balance. To those thinking of going into farming I’d say go for it – it can be tough but if you’re hard working and committed you can make a success of it.”
Rachel added that like most dairy farmers, the biggest industry challenges had been the pandemic, increased energy prices, a TB outbreak and falling milk prices.
Richard said:
Staffordshire has been a great place to start in farming and county farms has given us huge opportunities. We are really grateful to the county council as without the county farms team we wouldn’t be where we are today. We hope to continue working with them to keep improving the holding and growing our business.”
Staffordshire County Council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for economy and skills Martin Murray said:
Our county farms tenants are hardworking and committed entrepreneurs in a challenging business environment.
Rachel and Richard are a real success story and show what can be achieved – we’re pleased the estate and county farms team has been there to support them wherever they can.
Our tenancies are always in demand. We do have a stringent selection process which ensures the estate remains commercially viable and provides a good return for the county council.
As a largely rural county it is a priority for us to support agricultural enterprise and we’re pleased to be able to do this through our thriving farms estate."
Staffordshire County Council has been providing rented farms since 1908, with a focus on stock rearing and dairy provision. The operation was extended after The Land Settlement Act of 1919, which aimed to provide ex-servicemen with opportunities on the land.