Farming Start-Up

FarmingJourney

New Member
Hi,

From reading a vast amount of information online it seems that trying to venture into farming at a young age seems to be near impossible. Many people have put across negatives views about it. My question is, for someone that has a small holding (5-10 acres of land) what would be the best way to get into farming? Is there a particular area, ie poultry, that would be a good place to start?

Thanks,
 

Wink

Member
Location
Hampshire
Hi,

From reading a vast amount of information online it seems that trying to venture into farming at a young age seems to be near impossible. Many people have put across negatives views about it. My question is, for someone that has a small holding (5-10 acres of land) what would be the best way to get into farming? Is there a particular area, ie poultry, that would be a good place to start?

Thanks,
To have a small holding as a base I reckon your in a great position. Just somewhere to store kit, feed, stock etc. You can do a lot with what you have already and build from there. A house on site, even better.
 

FarmingJourney

New Member
To have a small holding as a base I reckon your in a great position. Just somewhere to store kit, feed, stock etc. You can do a lot with what you have already and build from there. A house on site, even better.
okay, thank you! So just gradually add things over time and learn from the experience as we go?
 

spin cycle

Member
Location
north norfolk
i went on a visit to see a sheep farmer who had 2000 ewes...he owned just 17 ac.....so 5-10ac could be a decent base for livestock enterprise on grass lets....or veg to sell locally....or poultry

good luck anyhow:)
 

FarmingJourney

New Member
i went on a visit to see a sheep farmer who had 2000 ewes...he owned just 17 ac.....so 5-10ac could be a decent base for livestock enterprise on grass lets....or veg to sell locally....or poultry

good luck anyhow:)

Yeah that's what I was thinking, we could certainly add some veg and poultry to sell locally as well :)
 

FarmingJourney

New Member
If youre surrounded by cropping why not look at beimg a gypsy shepherd and suggesting to using your sheep as a breakcrop?

Youre smallholding is a perfect place to store all the kit you need as well as animals that need attention.
Im not sure what that term means but do you mean like leasing out the sheep to help maintain their land?
So you could grow the herd without having to buy more land?
 

Rossymons

Member
Location
Cornwall
Im not sure what that term means but do you mean like leasing out the sheep to help maintain their land?
So you could grow the herd without having to buy more land?

If they included things like grass, turnips, whate er else a sheep might eat into their rotations as a break crop.

They get some organic matter back in their soil, you get extra acres to eat.

I worry I might have made it seem simplistic but I know its been done before so no reason it cant be done again.
 

FarmingJourney

New Member
If they included things like grass, turnips, whate er else a sheep might eat into their rotations as a break crop.

They get some organic matter back in their soil, you get extra acres to eat.

I worry I might have made it seem simplistic but I know its been done before so no reason it cant be done again.

Okay that makes sense, thank you! It's something we can look into, there are a few farmers around here I could speak with
 

snarling bee

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Bedfordshire
Certain parts of the country grazing can be had for almost nothing. If you are in one of those areas then go for it. Don't underestimate the time and expense of travelling though.
 

unlacedgecko

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Fife
@unlacedgecko might be able to offer some advice?

Thanks for the tag.

OP you are ideally placed to run a sheep enterprise integrated into arable cropping.

You will need;

A mobile handling system
Large amount of electric fencing (Rappa is my preference due to speed)
A good dog (or two)

A quad to put up and take down the fencing will also help a lot.

The ability to buy all the above without finance will help enormously in the uncertain times ahead.

The key will be your interpersonal skills and your ability to forge solid relationshisr with your landowners.

To get sheep on the ground without buying them, look at contract grazing other people's stock. But your relationship with landowners will be the absolute key.

(Contract grazed sheep can be substituted for dairy heifers as TB shouldn't be an issue).
 

FarmingJourney

New Member
Thanks for the tag.

OP you are ideally placed to run a sheep enterprise integrated into arable cropping.

You will need;

A mobile handling system
Large amount of electric fencing (Rappa is my preference due to speed)
A good dog (or two)

A quad to put up and take down the fencing will also help a lot.

The ability to buy all the above without finance will help enormously in the uncertain times ahead.

The key will be your interpersonal skills and your ability to forge solid relationshisr with your landowners.

To get sheep on the ground without buying them, look at contract grazing other people's stock. But your relationship with landowners will be the absolute key.

(Contract grazed sheep can be substituted for dairy heifers as TB shouldn't be an issue).

That's great thank you! I assume you mean sheepdogs to help with the work of rounding up the sheep?

And then through that start building up our own flock of sheep?
 

unlacedgecko

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Fife
That's great thank you! I assume you mean sheepdogs to help with the work of rounding up the sheep?

And then through that start building up our own flock of sheep?

Yes. Unless they are bucket trained, do not attempt to do anything with sheep without a dog.

I'd be in no hurry to build up a flock of sheep until some political clarity is apparent.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

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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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