Is he mad?

Rent a farm and buy a robot for it?

Now I've heard everything...:whistle:

If your chap needs an exciting adventure, tell him to do a part time business studies degree somewhere in London. He wouldn't regret it (y)
 

simmy_bull

Member
Location
North Yorkshire
Recently spoke to a mate of mine from University, he is currently working in an office job earning around 60k per year in his late twenties and is talking about packing it all in and renting a dairy farm local to him in the South West! The farm is 200 acres and he says he has enough savings to buy 100 cows.

He has a regular steady income with holidays etc. and maybe earn more in the future? He is adamant he wants to get back into the countryside working. His parents keep sucklers but it isn't a viable unit for him too.

Is he mad?
Rent the farm pay a manager 30k keep 30k himself and play farmers on a week end?
 
Rent the farm pay a manager 30k keep 30k himself and play farmers on a week end?

What kind of tenant farming is this? I must not know the right kind or something but I don't know any tenant farmers who can afford to pay a farm manager 30K so they can dip in and out of the business on a whim?

Most tenant farmers seem to be working like trojans and use a lot of very cheap family labour, are we talking about tenant farmers in the South West of Colombia or something?
 

multi power

Member
Location
pembrokeshire
Also of not a small matter is his pension provision.

If he is earning 60K now he will presumably be getting a very generous pension provision. By the time he retires his fund potentially could be very nice thank you, maybe he could even retire at 55 or something.

A tenanted farmer will have all his capital in the cows and whatever machinery he has, without the get out of jail card of increase land values for the next 30 years.

Personally I think the guy is nuts. Work 5 days a week and then join the TA or something or do hookers and coke to feel better about life.

If I had been earning that kind of money at that age you would not see me for dust I'd be too busy driving stupid cars, going on mental holidays, sailing and chasing as much high end tail as my Gucci boxers could handle.
If this guy is good his pension will be his farm (which he will no doubt have bought) no need to work 100 hours a week either
 

Spartacus

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Lancaster
At 35 I have never worked anywhere but here at the farm, I wish to god I had at a younger age as now I am at 35 I have an unsettling feeling that I know nothing else, not even working on another farm. If I could go back 10-15 years the one thing I would tell a younger me is to try something else for a few years, you can always come back to farming if it is what you love.

In short, no not mad at all to want to try farming. Can still go and do his other job if farming doesnt work out. Just to have the knowledge that you can do whatever you want in your life must be a real head start for him.
 

simmy_bull

Member
Location
North Yorkshire
What kind of tenant farming is this? I must not know the right kind or something but I don't know any tenant farmers who can afford to pay a farm manager 30K so they can dip in and out of the business on a whim?

Most tenant farmers seem to be working like trojans and use a lot of very cheap family labour, are we talking about tenant farmers in the South West of Colombia or something?
I meant to keep his job and his wage too and pay the manager out of his own wage packet.

Probably a stupid idea but if I earned 60k it would be as good as a lottery win for me :ROFLMAO:
 

farmboy

Member
Location
Dorset
I'd say go halfway house.

Find a herdsman position,milk someone else's cows,live in the house provided and earn £30k if you are very good at it with no risk.
A good herdsman/herdsmanager in the south could earn more than that. Then use his savings to buy a house to let out. Although I can't really comment as would go for my own farm if one came up local!!
 

glasshouse

Member
Location
lothians
Recently spoke to a mate of mine from University, he is currently working in an office job earning around 60k per year in his late twenties and is talking about packing it all in and renting a dairy farm local to him in the South West! The farm is 200 acres and he says he has enough savings to buy 100 cows.

He has a regular steady income with holidays etc. and maybe earn more in the future? He is adamant he wants to get back into the countryside working. His parents keep sucklers but it isn't a viable unit for him too.

Is he mad?
yes, he should get a mortgage and buy 100 acres
 

Ukjay

Member
Location
Wales!
I think your friend will more than likely have to go off his own feelings here, as I doubt anyone will openly tell him how much they make.
Yes, farming is or can be stressful, but additionally - I will say that farming can also be lucrative for the ones in the know too.

Office life is also extremely stressful, so stresses are there regardless of industry - and therefore should not be a hurdle / barrier to ones aspirations.
If the rent, feed, insurance etc seems logical to make a profit, then the final question will be what is the minimum he can accept as a wage.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 79 42.0%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 66 35.1%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 16.0%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 7 3.7%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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  • 1
As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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