A UK farmer who set up a new dairy farm on the island of Sark, off the south-west of England in the English Channel close to the coast of France, has decided to close the farm and not renew the tenancy following substantial financial loss.
Back in 2021 Jason Salisbury and his wife Katherine took on a five-year lease to set up a new dairy farm on the island, following a worldwide search for a new tenant.
With two additional years spent planning the project, that lease agreement finishes at the end of April, but the Salisburys have decided not to renew it and return to their own 40-cow dairy farm in Suffolk, currently being run by their son James.
This brings Sark’s own milk production, and the manufacture of other dairy produce, to a grinding halt and the cows have already been sold and moved off the island.
However, all is not what it seemed on Sark island as fresh milk was still being imported from the neighbouring Guernsey island all the time the Salisburys were producing their own milk.
This meant Jason was throwing away around 50L per day as he was battling with the imported supply which the islanders had to pay more for, compared to the Sark milk.
Dairy farm
Jason and Katherine, although having thoroughly enjoyed their Sark adventure, have decided to cut their losses and move back home.
Jason said: “We have been milking on the island for four years and spent the previous two planning the farm, that’s six years in total.
“Our tenancy was for five years so we have decided to move on as we are at the point where continuing milking on the island does not make financial sense.
“The island community have been fantastic and Sark is really an idyllic place to live and work but the figures are not stacking up.
“We have lost around £60,000 in our time here in terms of buying equipment for the farm, the cows, and other costs. Plus, the trust that runs the dairy is doubling our rent in April 2026, so we see no point in continuing,” he said.
Sark island
With a population of just 562, Sark Island is one of the Channel Islands measuring only 3.5 miles long and 1.5 miles wide, relying on tourism and agriculture to support its economy.
It has no cars, no paved roads, no street lighting and almost no pollution but does attract over 50,000 visitors each year fed by a number of eateries that need milk.
Back in 2021, a trust had been set up on Sark to project manage the building of the new dairy with an investment total needed of around £400,000.
The Sark Community Dairy Trust was chaired by the island’s Seigneur Christopher Beaumont, who also donated 40ac of land on which to build the dairy and manage the cows.
Sark milk was sold to the islanders via a vending machine, as well as other dairy produce such as butter and the farm’s award-winning cheese.
Although there was an international search for a dairy farm when Jason took on the challenge, he is quite disappointed as he feels the trust has not been so proactive this time and no suitable tenant has been found.
Jason said: “We are quite disappointed with the trust in terms of seeking a new tenant. They have not been very proactive this time and only found one candidate who could not commit to the move.
“We gave the trust seven months’ notice that we were moving on, even though the terms were four months’ notice. That should have given them plenty of time, but nothing really has been done.
“I have sold nine cows back to Guernsey and we are planning to take 17 other cows and followers back to our herd in Suffolk, to try and recoup some losses,” he said.
Dairy farmers on Guernsey receive around 32p/L for their milk, but the costs of production can be over 70p/L.
That shortfall is boosted by a headage payment Guernsey pays its farmers, therefore the more cows they have, the more money they receive.
