tenant farms and other options for newbie farmers?

BELOWAVERAGE said:

Won't need any more luck than you will, mostly nelsons,speckles, a few pedigree texel 2 year olds they came out the culls can't find anything wrong with them YET, cost £37 apiece, bunch of mules and texel cross mules they were extremely thin and it was a job to judge whether it was under feeding or bad sheep, but they have mended £24.50 apiece, you just have to keep your eyes open. Draft cheviots probably are that price, but if you go and look you will find some at half that price. I used to run 700 ewes on rented keep, did 100 miles a day going round them, on top of a full time herdsman's job, total equipment Peugeot 106 van, 20 sheep hurdles and a dog.(you can get 12 sheep hurdles in the back of a Peugeot 106) I thought it was cost to stock a farm, if they need any more money they can get a job. Thirteen years ago I lost everything, my brake to get back on my feet was when some one let me live in a derelict house for 15 months(previous occupant moved out in 1963) no electric, no water, no windows just a mattress on the floor, but I lived almost for nothing, if they want it bad enough they'll sleep under the hedge. I don't think you have REALLY ever WANTED anything.

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neilo said:

Even I think you'd struggle to spend £300k just stocking a one man/woman band farm, although I've seen a few trying very hard.

Still struggling to get to a £20.50 average from those sheep you've mentioned, btw.

Although you don't know me, but have made some big assumptions, you are correct in thinking that no, I haven't ever wanted something THAT badly. Hats off to you though.

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Jackson4 said:

NOW what you dragging me into neilo Does someone need a reality check (or bored to death)
Yer certainly going to need some meds if you go buying someone elses culls, and a labourer to keep them going. I always think people who suggest alot of these make nowt spend nowt schemes have very little overheads or expenditure... on a pension etc Alot will go to market twice a week trying to buy something cr*p and think they have a bargain... they'd be better working than sat in the mart and go buy something better.

If youve spent £20 on a cull you likelyhood is yer going to spend £12 to get it sent away. I spent £140/150? on mine... sold some at 4/5 in the spring after lambing and got £100ea sold some a month back and got 80 some? cant remember.. so £10/12 a year for fit(ish) sheep. Good luck if you do what suggested but it might put you off sheep for life.

£33000 to get 1600 ewes i'd say isnt doable... but then i'm always disagreeing with belowaverage so i might not of even read the question right I'd also recommend you try and breed your own replacements... its cheaper, your know whats good or bad to breed from and will make the right decisions as you'll be tipping them up/loosing money if you dont... and it makes it soooo much easier to cull poor performers if you have plenty of gimmer lambs to come in and you dont have to get your cheque book out. Obviously if your buying other culls, with their bad genetics you cant do this.

my advice is to befriend a lonely old farmer... theres plenty about, and hope he leaves you his farm in his will. Second marry a farmer, this as JD says is a lifetime of stress but atleast you'll get to work on a farm. 3rd get a good job, 40/60 grand a year and tender higher rents than is really economic, but which allows you to get in and build up a flock, probably of (you guessed it) easycare sheep... with wool or without, but ones which have been bred for needing less assistance so you can spend more time looking over them than working on them.

I made money away from farming, i then came home and wee'd it all away on the farm, improving this here and there, i really cant remember... but after so long you realise that you need to make commitments, reproduce, buy a house etc and the reality of wasting your money on farming becomes quite serious.... so good luck anyway. If i split up with the misses i'll give you a call... Women here are now allowed to sit on inside of landrover

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BELOWAVERAGE said:

I've got to come up your way next summer(family do) mines milk one sugar, if you save all your below£20 culls I'l bring the trailer and pick them up, mind I'l want a bit of luck.

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gone up the hill said:

You should talk to Exmoor Dave for a few reasons ( basically he is a young single chap who farms most of Exmoor ) and likes to spend most of his time deep sea fishing... so hence you could run the farm as you wish as he will be far too busy fishing most of the year

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missjones said:

Hey all!
so I'm working my way to learning the skills and knowledge needed to run a farm business, it will obviously take years but I'm looking for advice on how to start..
what are the options of getting my own place/land with accommodation

obviously I don't have 300k in my bank, so that's out of the equation, but if there are specifics it would be good to know how so I can work with the right people or gain the right skills to have an advantage of a tenancy agreement..
does anyone know of any other schemes.. maybe for young farmers (I heard of something but don't remember the name now)

I'm serious about getting where I want to be


Thanks all

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BELOWAVERAGE said:

Won't need any more luck than you will, mostly nelsons,speckles, a few pedigree texel 2 year olds they came out the culls can't find anything wrong with them YET, cost £37 apiece, bunch of mules and texel cross mules they were extremely thin and it was a job to judge whether it was under feeding or bad sheep, but they have mended £24.50 apiece, you just have to keep your eyes open. Draft cheviots probably are that price, but if you go and look you will find some at half that price. I used to run 700 ewes on rented keep, did 100 miles a day going round them, on top of a full time herdsman's job, total equipment Peugeot 106 van, 20 sheep hurdles and a dog.(you can get 12 sheep hurdles in the back of a Peugeot 106) I thought it was cost to stock a farm, if they need any more money they can get a job. Thirteen years ago I lost everything, my brake to get back on my feet was when some one let me live in a derelict house for 15 months(previous occupant moved out in 1963) no electric, no water, no windows just a mattress on the floor, but I lived almost for nothing, if they want it bad enough they'll sleep under the hedge. I don't think you have REALLY ever WANTED anything.

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BELOWAVERAGE said:

I would just like to add to this, we got our first farm tenancy whilst still living in that house, we had no money in the bank but were building the stock up. when we were short listed we were up against a farm manager (who was not short of money) and a stockman/tractor driver who had a house to sell to stock the farm and buy milk quota etc. But we were the only one's with stock, and I also think we had more of an obsession with wanting to farm which shone through. I did up grade to a bed at some point, we moved out 6 weeks before our son was born, and moved into our farm when he was 4 weeks old. You don't need a pot of gold, but you do need solid determination and to think outside the box. AND NEVER NEVER NEVER GIVE UP.

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Steakeater said:

No offence but I think it is quite selfish to ask a pregnant wife to sleep in an old battered cottage with no water, windows or services and sleep on a mattress weeks before giving birth to simply allow you to get farming!

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Monocock said:

By the sounds of it, he had little choice. And his wife sounds like a trooper. Give him a break.

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Steakeater said:

No offence but I think it is quite selfish to ask a pregnant wife to sleep in an old battered cottage with no water, windows or services and sleep on a mattress weeks before giving birth to simply allow you to get farming!

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Monocock said:

By the sounds of it, he had little choice. And his wife sounds like a trooper. Give him a break.

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borderterribles said:

We've known @BELOWAVERAGE and Mrs Belowaverage since they took their original farm on the same estate as us, and take it from me they are both 110% committed to what they do! To describe Mrs Belowaverage as a trooper doesn't even come close to doing her justice! Belowaverage is a very lucky man, and he knows it!!

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gone up the hill said:

You should talk to Exmoor Dave for a few reasons ( basically he is a young single chap who farms most of Exmoor ) and likes to spend most of his time deep sea fishing... so hence you could run the farm as you wish as he will be far too busy fishing most of the year

Click to expand...