Has anybody ever got rich through farming?

glasshouse

Member
Location
lothians
I don't believe anybody has got rich purely through the business of productive farming.

There is always some other source of income or they make their money from the rise in land values.

Tell me I'm wrong!
If you were farming in 1939, the chances are you made a lot of money by 1953 when rationing ended. That continued right up to about 1979 when mrs t got in and put interest rates up .
 

Exfarmer

Member
Location
Bury St Edmunds
There are many farmers who have made millions from either livestock or Araable crops, especially the veg industry, in the last few years. The ones I know have tended to steer clear of buying land , preffering to rent every last acre they can to expand their enterprises on borrowed money.
As one I knew long ago was famously quoted, " it's not me who should worry about my overdraft, it's my bank manager".
I am aware also of probably an equal number who have faled in the same way.
A little part is luck, a part is hard work, but most is having a vision, trust in oneself and I believe a partner who believes in you.
 

yellowbelly

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
N.Lincs
Yes, a long time ago. The wool trade was the foundation of the British economy
A big +1 to that ^^^

Apologies for putting this up again (it was on the Wool thread over in Livestock and Forage some time ago), but it never ceases to amaze me and just highlights how important agriculture has been to our economy in history.

This is a page from @Mrs Y B's family wool book for 1797..
Wool Book 1797.jpg

It takes a bit of deciphering, but the bottom line is that the wool from 419 sheep was sold for £110/7s/3d.
If you type that amount into a Googled money converter on the internet it tells you that it equates to somewhere between £127,000 and £177,000 in today's money.
How times have changed:inpain:
 
Okay then, he's got a knighthood, runs a farm which made £8M profit last year, and had over £30M cash in the bank at the end of 2016. But yes, the land is hilly and not worth as much as @Bossfarmer on a £/acre basis
Theres no doubt hes probably in the top 5 most sucessful scottish farmers i dont see why he doesnt buy arable though the hill land could become worthless if subs go
 

Kiwi Pete

Member
Livestock Farmer
A big +1 to that ^^^

Apologies for putting this up again (it was on the Wool thread over in Livestock and Forage some time ago), but it never ceases to amaze me and just highlights how important agriculture has been to our economy in history.

This is a page from @Mrs Y B's family wool book for 1797..
View attachment 531962
It takes a bit of deciphering, but the bottom line is that the wool from 419 sheep was sold for £110/7s/3d.
If you type that amount into a Googled money converter on the internet it tells you that it equates to somewhere between £127,000 and £177,000 in today's money.
How times have changed:inpain:
300 quid per fleece would be a bit of a game-changer :wideyed::wideyed:
imagine what shearers would charge!!
:inpain::cry::cry:
 

Pasty

Member
Location
Devon
My home town, Totnes was built on the wool trade. It does still have a value. You just have to have the right wool and know how to market it.
 

Pasty

Member
Location
Devon
Sold nearly all my wool from my 10 ewes this year at break even within 72 hours online but that was getting a local guy out for for which he charged me a fair sum to clip them. So I recon if I have 50 next year, I'll be well into profit as most of his work was in setting up. The demand has changed my previous view that we should go for shedding sheep exclusively I must say.
 

Pluto Matt

Member
If they are clever, they aren't "rich" - but their Family Trust is.

If you want to look at someone's accounts, go into the Companies House website and do a search. I did it on "poultry" - it seems there are quite a few poultry farms making millions each year.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 79 43.2%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 63 34.4%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 16.4%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 75-100%

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

    Votes: 5 2.7%

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

  • 1,286
  • 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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