Letting the family down, is the big one.

Greythundercloudys · Feb 28, 2020

Read a good piece in the guardian, about mental health, and the pressures of keeping going, along with weather, prices and brexit, but l think the big one has to be the feeling of letting the family down, keeping going just so your not the one after maybe 100 years on the same farm, lv said before that l had that pressure of keeping things as it is for my parents and not saying one morning that's it, looking back maybe that would have been better for me but not them how could you sell the farm, move house after a life times effert. I all ways think l did the right thing in the end despite all the farming troubles and it made my parents happy.

czechmate · Feb 28, 2020

My mum was happy I sold our bit. Caused nothing but strife.

Treg · Feb 28, 2020

I've told my kids the farm is a asset & they can do what they like with it ....once I've passed it on to them.
Strangely I have no pressure from my parents to carry on farming & I've been lucky that they have always been open to change, but the kids, no way do they want to see the cows going.

David. · Feb 28, 2020

It has been easy to justify keeping going with the last 20 yrs of capital appreciation.
Next 5 yrs, who knows.

spin cycle · Feb 28, 2020

Greythundercloudys said:
Read a good piece in the guardian, about mental health, and the pressures of keeping going, along with weather, prices and brexit, but l think the big one has to be the feeling of letting the family down, keeping going just so your not the one after maybe 100 years on the same farm, lv said before that l had that pressure of keeping things as it is for my parents and not saying one morning that's it, looking back maybe that would have been better for me but not them how could you sell the farm, move house after a life times effert. I all ways think l did the right thing in the end despite all the farming troubles and it made my parents happy.

+1

Greythundercloudys · Feb 28, 2020

Keeping the piece was my thing never wanting to rock the boat is sometimes the best thing to do, just work away, always having just enough as do. That is it, now my parents are away, so l did my bit, if my family don't want to keep going, then it's up to them but that's one thing l don't have that guilt of wrecking mum and dad's wee farm. And that's maybe worth more than a bigger bank balance, we'll to me anyway.

Hilly · Feb 28, 2020

Wouldn’t worry about it , do what you want/need to do.

GeorgeK · Feb 28, 2020

Greythundercloudys said:
Keeping the piece was my thing never wanting to rock the boat is sometimes the best thing to do, just work away, always having just enough as do. That is it, now my parents are away, so l did my bit, if my family don't want to keep going, then it's up to them but that's one thing l don't have that guilt of wrecking mum and dad's wee farm. And that's maybe worth more than a bigger bank balance, we'll to me anyway.

I often wonder if I own the land or if it owns me! How many people have come away leaving the land more productive but sacrificed their own hips/lungs/backs in the process? All well and good for a greater cause, but I don't feel we're getting any thanks for it now

Hilly · Feb 28, 2020

GeorgeK said:
I often wonder if I own the land or if it owns me! How many people have come away leaving the land more productive but sacrificed their own hips/lungs/backs in the process? All well and good for a greater cause, but I don't feel we're getting any thanks for it now

None , I feel a lot of the time it’s all been a waste of time.

czechmate · Feb 28, 2020

It’s just f**king ground. Been there for billions of years before us without our help and will be there for billions when humans are long gone

Mr Mackay · Feb 28, 2020

All the rest of your friends probably wonder why you havent retired and cant understand why such a big assett hasnt been translated into holidays abroad and a villa !!

And some of your family too , - just keep going till its all gone !!

unlacedgecko · Feb 28, 2020

Fuk that. You only get one life, live it for you no one else.

Woolless · Feb 28, 2020

unlacedgecko said:
Fuk that. You only get one life, live it for you no one else.

Fair enough but that changes when you have kids. That said, no child would want to see their parents broken physically or mentally by the pressure to keep a business or asset going. Maybe some older parents not worried enough about their children doing the same?

DrWazzock · Feb 28, 2020

It is a double edged sword. Dad and uncle had a hard life here, worked hard to build something. They didn't try to sway us either way as regards carrying it on or selling up. We are in our 50's now and aren't bothered what the next generation want to do with it. It's their life, their choice. It's what you make of it. Farming isn't an easy life but it has its advantages, though on smaller acreages its getting more and more difficult to balance the books. Times change and things move on. How we deal with that is up to us in the here and now. You can't keep doing what suited grandad in 1947. After all grandad didn't do what his father did. He changed big style, and there is nothing wrong with that. Its progress .... of a sorts.

unlacedgecko · Feb 28, 2020

Woolless said:
Fair enough but that changes when you have kids. That said, no child would want to see their parents broken physically or mentally by the pressure to keep a business or asset going. Maybe some older parents not worried enough about their children doing the same?

My boy is now 6. The desire to build something for him is a huge motivation for me.

Before I'm done I'll leave him several thousand hectares of free hold land. But it's a gift not a curse. He's free to sell it the next day if that's what he desires.

Hilly · Feb 28, 2020

unlacedgecko said:
My boy is now 6. The desire to build something for him is a huge motivation for me.

Before I'm done I'll leave him several thousand hectares of free hold land. But it's a gift not a curse. He's free to sell it the next day if that's what he desires.

I bloody well hope you do as well, but if some of the t wats on here have their way with ih tax relief you won’t.

DrWazzock · Feb 28, 2020

I remember when my two uncles retired and needed paying out, Dad was in despair and couldn't see a way forward. We all chipped in and helped which gave us a common purpose and focus. We lost our way a bit when we finally paid it off and things stagnated. We sat back and lost motivation as we had hit a kind of ceiling, and a fairly low one at that.

What you really need is a challenge in life. Maintaining stuff and doing the same old same old can get boring.

DrWazzock · Feb 28, 2020

High land prices haven't helped those wishing to start out in farming. They have sucked up vast amounts of cash that would have been better spent building up stock and infrastructure. They haven't helped those of us who wanted to carry on family firms either. It might come as a surprise but it is rare for farmers sons to inherit anything free of ties. Usually there are plenty of relatives to pay out, and with prices today that is just about impossible.
God knows what the future holds. Things seem to be in a right old turmoil in many ways.
As the Chinese say," its a curse to live in interesting times."

Woolless · Feb 28, 2020

unlacedgecko said:
My boy is now 6. The desire to build something for him is a huge motivation for me.

Before I'm done I'll leave him several thousand hectares of free hold land. But it's a gift not a curse. He's free to sell it the next day if that's what he desires.

An admirable ambition. Just don't kill yourself or make him a stranger to you while doing it.

unlacedgecko · Feb 28, 2020

DrWazzock said:
High land prices haven't helped those wishing to start out in farming. They have sucked up vast amounts of cash that would have been better spent building up stock and infrastructure. They haven't helped those of us who wanted to carry on family firms either. It might come as a surprise but it is rare for farmers sons to inherit anything free of ties. Usually there are plenty of relatives to pay out, and with prices today that is just about impossible.
God knows what the future holds. Things seem to be in a right old turmoil in many ways.
As the Chinese say," its a curse to live in interesting times."

Land ownership and farming are 2 completely separate issues.

Letting the family down, is the big one.

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100% I’ve had enough of farming!

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