What do you do on your farm?

Grass And Grain

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Yorks
I think that because farmers work is seasonal (other than intensive livestock), there are times of tear when we are not so busy, so we can then do the paperwork, fixing things etc.

Problem is we don't know exaxtly when our seasonal work will be. Spring drilling will probably be in Feb, march, april or may, but we don't know exactly when. Therefore it isn't asy to say I'll get my drilling done in march and then promise to go drive a truck for someone in april. We might get a days drilling, then it rains sp no drilling for another week, then another couple of days drilling.

Therefore, on those wet days we can drop onto all those other little jobs that need doing.

I think this could be where using contractors for arable work on a small farm could give advantages, as the land owner could get a full time income elsewhere, and commit to the full time job. But then we wouldn't really be a farmer.

As the OP says, we do a whole myriad of different tasks, and probably become quite good problem solvers.
 

Jerry

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Devon
I was only thinking the other day - what exactly IS farming? What jobs can you say constitute actual farming? I guess cultivating a field, or planting a crop or harvesting it, or tending cattle, or making fodder for cattle would all qualify, but what about all the myriad other jobs we all have to do? Is hedgecutting farming? Or fixing a shed roof? Or doing paperwork? Or fixing fences? Or servicing/mending machinery? Fixing a water trough? Repairing a track? Digging out ditches? There are lots of jobs that if you did nothing but them you wouldn't be a farmer, so how come doing them occasionally counts as farming?

I always define farming as a series of often seemingly unconnected (largely practical) problems that all have to be solved in order for food to be produced.

Jack of all trades, and master of many as well!
 

yellowbelly

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
N.Lincs
when I was worked in a engineering design office you had your nose to grindstone all the time and it got quite tiresome and tedious. I have sympathy for folk who do real jobs. I did one for about 15 years then I returned to farming, half of which is messing about, but I like it on the whole.
That's the beauty of farming - it saves you having to get a real job (y)
:p:p
 

Beowulf

Member
Location
Scotland
The whole point of taking on the DIY....roofing / plumbing / maintenance, is tradesmen charge £50 / hour plus. Farming earns less than £10 / hour at 1970's prices.
Why would you get tradesmen in at £50 / hour, to give you more time to earn £10 / hour ?:scratchhead:

If we had to get "tradesmen" in we would have been bust years ago. Best thing dad taught me as a farmer was how to weld.

I completely accept it's a fiscal decision, but that doesn't make it any more closely related to farming.

If the butcher paints his own shop front because he can't afford a tradesman it doesn't make him any more of a butcher, or indeed a better butcher, or even a busier butcher.

It is a poor reflection on the state of either his business acumen, the industry he operates in, or most likely both. Painting still has bugger all to do with butchery at the end of the day.
 

Nearly

Member
Location
North of York
If I didn't spend 75% of my time not directly farming then I'd HAVE to go out and get a job and the only thing I know is farming and bodging.
My mate wanted me to hire him and his fancy drill and sprayer, to do my 100 acres of corn work and I work for him all summer to pay for it. Sod that, I can do my own work in about a fortnight, with my basic kit, through the year and have time in the summer to enjoy the summer.
 

Derrick Hughes

Member
Location
Ceredigion
I completely accept it's a fiscal decision, but that doesn't make it any more closely related to farming.

If the butcher paints his own shop front because he can't afford a tradesman it doesn't make him any more of a butcher, or indeed a better butcher, or even a busier butcher.

It is a poor reflection on the state of either his business acumen, the industry he operates in, or most likely both. Painting still has bugger all to do with butchery at the end of the day.
The butcher would close his shop and leave if he couldn't afford a painter . Many have
 

DrWazzock

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire
I completely accept it's a fiscal decision, but that doesn't make it any more closely related to farming.

If the butcher paints his own shop front because he can't afford a tradesman it doesn't make him any more of a butcher, or indeed a better butcher, or even a busier butcher.

It is a poor reflection on the state of either his business acumen, the industry he operates in, or most likely both. Painting still has bugger all to do with butchery at the end of the day.

We had a butcher in to do some home killed lambs. We said he did a good job of the lambs and he said yes, but he probably couldn't set up a plough as well as we could, and I thought you probably could actually as you are a careful operator. Does demarcation of trades really matter or is it more important just to be a proficient open minded multi skilled operator in whatever we encounter? I like a bit of variety. I consider it an achievement to be able to tackle and master new tasks. I don't pigeon hole myself as a "farmer" . I think that would be a bit unnecessary. We watched the butcher and now we can do our own lambs. We live and we learn and it's satisfying.
 
I completely accept it's a fiscal decision, but that doesn't make it any more closely related to farming.

If the butcher paints his own shop front because he can't afford a tradesman it doesn't make him any more of a butcher, or indeed a better butcher, or even a busier butcher.

It is a poor reflection on the state of either his business acumen, the industry he operates in, or most likely both. Painting still has bugger all to do with butchery at the end of the day.
It might make him more money though and it might make him a busier butcher. (If he was good at painting his shopfront)
 

Goffer

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Yorkshire
Saturdays are usually feed stock -40 mins , go get Saturday s Yorkshire post quick cuppa while reading paper always then try to do hr or two paperwork then finish for half day yet today started with premature calf born - not well , pen cow and calf , realise water off in pen mend pipe as damaged months ago mucking out and forgot I'd just turned off supply, then fodder other stock , check calf again suddenly 11.45 , spent rest of day chasing ones tail to get done all them jobs that otherwise get forgotten for another week to which by the time I remember will be either seized, corroded or just filthy . so can start fresh job Monday morning as half (1) staff off next week get home 5 pm to wife saying what happened to going out "I thought this was you quiet time off year " oh roll on Monday morning !!!!!
 

Steevo

Member
Location
Gloucestershire
If farmers had to wait for a plumber to turn up to do every water fitting, or a spark to do all electrics, etc. etc. the livestock would probably have played merry hell or become seriously hurt/dead. Some jobs you need to be able to do yourself - whereas the butcher doesn't mind if his shop is painted on Monday morning, next week, or six months time.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

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  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 4 2.3%

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

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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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