Super/Mega Farms

Brisel

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Midlands
A mega farm would be anything of over 50,000 acres cereals or 5000 cows, 5000 acres veg, we currently dont have any in the UK but as ive said before if subs go and land gets a bit cheaper thats the way it will definately go

What adjective would you use for Dyson's Beeswax and its 25,000 acres?
 

DrWazzock

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire
Good luck to them. And well done for turning what was a happy way of life for many into drudgery for the few.

It's maybe more economically efficient if you keep one eye closed and just look at the immediate bottom line, but what about the social costs, the degrading of quality of life, the closing off of opportunity to share the countryside with others.

It's a poor do I reckon.
 

Condi

Member
Good luck to them. And well done for turning what was a happy way of life for many into drudgery for the few.

It's maybe more economically efficient if you keep one eye closed and just look at the immediate bottom line, but what about the social costs, the degrading of quality of life, the closing off of opportunity to share the countryside with others.

It's a poor do I reckon.

What social costs, and what degraded quality of life??

You could easily argue that a larger, well managed unit, with farm manager and staff offers a much better work life balance for the workers than a family farm working silly hours for no return. Assuming that a larger farm is 'drudgery' while small farms are a 'happy way of life' is false.
 

DrWazzock

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire
What social costs, and what degraded quality of life??

You could easily argue that a larger, well managed unit, with farm manager and staff offers a much better work life balance for the workers than a family farm working silly hours for no return. Assuming that a larger farm is 'drudgery' while small farms are a 'happy way of life' is false.

It depends what you like I suppose. But for me I prefer the lot of a small mixed farmer with a variety of work than spending every day in a pig unit or driving a sprayer round the clock.

I've never worked silly hours for long, whereas as my neighbouring workers on the surrounding estates can be seen out at every opportunity spraying at all hours etc. Often its student labour hired for harvest then they are down the road. I am sure it helps the bottom line but it does nothing for rural communities.

I don't mind big farming companies but wouldn't want to work for one. Let them get in with it. Doesn't bother me.
 

glasshouse

Member
Location
lothians
What social costs, and what degraded quality of life??

You could easily argue that a larger, well managed unit, with farm manager and staff offers a much better work life balance for the workers than a family farm working silly hours for no return. Assuming that a larger farm is 'drudgery' while small farms are a 'happy way of life' is false.
I dont have to travel far to find a dozen empty farmhouses and cottages, gradually all decaying.
Gardens where children once played and helped grow vegetables, where they fed a pet lamb are empty and overgrown.
The school bus that used to stop just travels straight past.
 

Brisel

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Midlands
I don't know your area Glasshouse. Around here there are silly rents or buying prices for any available houses. Houses that used to contain farm workers but now they are full of commuters for London or closer towns & cities.

I don't see how you keep the farms full of labour without chucking lots of taxpayer's money at them - that would only delay the inevitable and not be popular with the electorate. It is one thing to want to hold onto the past but we have to accept change.
 

glasshouse

Member
Location
lothians
T
I don't know your area Glasshouse. Around here there are silly rents or buying prices for any available houses. Houses that used to contain farm workers but now they are full of commuters for London or closer towns & cities.

I don't see how you keep the farms full of labour without chucking lots of taxpayer's money at them - that would only delay the inevitable and not be popular with the electorate. It is one thing to want to hold onto the past but we have to accept change.
Those farm ARE getting loads of taxpayers cash, but that is the very incentive to get rid of as many workers and tenants as possible.
Well run family farms producing a variety of crops and livestock are way more productive than contract prairie farming and provide lots more jobs.
 

Kiwi Pete

Member
Livestock Farmer
I dont have to travel far to find a dozen empty farmhouses and cottages, gradually all decaying.
Gardens where children once played and helped grow vegetables, where they fed a pet lamb are empty and overgrown.
The school bus that used to stop just travels straight past.
I think I have stated in the past on another thread:
the primary school I went to
1975 roll around 235
1985 roll 105
1995 roll 85
2005 roll 85
2015 roll 118
also worth noting is two nearby schools closing in the mid 90s due to declining school rolls/amalgamation
 
Location
Kent
I dont have to travel far to find a dozen empty farmhouses and cottages, gradually all decaying.
Gardens where children once played and helped grow vegetables, where they fed a pet lamb are empty and overgrown.
The school bus that used to stop just travels straight past.

I can remember the small hamlet I live in having 9 houses all having someone living in them that worked in agriculture. There is now 13 houses and I'm the only one farming, and yes the extra houses have all come from old farm buildings of one type or another that have been converted (2 old cow sheds, 1old stable and a old Kent barn)
 

glasshouse

Member
Location
lothians
I think I have stated in the past on another thread:
the primary school I went to
1975 roll around 235
1985 roll 105
1995 roll 85
2005 roll 85
2015 roll 118
also worth noting is two nearby schools closing in the mid 90s due to declining school rolls/amalgamation
This is a different problem, this is rich landowners getting rid of as many people as possible so they can pocket maximum subsidies..
Its not driven by real economics.
A whole raft of tenant farmers and shepherds are currently facing eviction further south so the owner can access forestry subsidies to supply timber to the ludicrous subsidised woodchip grain dryers currently being built.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 80 42.3%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 66 34.9%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 15.9%
  • 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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