All the people on this thread who farm land a long way away have mentioned a myriad of reasons to do it and how it can be done apart from the important bit which is money, risk, reward, return on capital.
400 acres, 40 miles away.
- Thread starter Lexion1000
- Start date
I think I would probably do the same
Could probably find some ego maniac contractor close to it that would s2s it lower than my costs
Trouble is you have to find another every 5 yrs or so when they go bust or get bought a calculator for Christmas !
I will do it for you clive with daddy’s Quadtrac. You’re only 90 miles away and i May get some more land next door in 4 years time!
Sorry 127 miles but that’s only 37 more I’ve got a fast track aswell so it’s all good
- Location
- Berkshire
Crack on and give it a try, but remember everytime you drive there in a tractor that could be earning £35/hr you are taking that off the bottom line, every trip to check crops is 2hr of your time taken from the bottom line.
If it's good ground with good facilities I'm sure you will make a profit, it just won't be as good a profit as if it was local to you, I would like a higher ratio of the profit to compensate for the travelling
Personally I would rather not travel 40 miles, I've worked on a collection of farms over a 20 mile spread and that was enough!!
lloyd
Member
- Location
- Herefordshire
It’s only a two day round trip!Don't forget to take the wagon plough with you
Daniel
Member
- Location
- Mildenhall, Suffolk
I farm in partnership with my parents, and have never worn or owned a Schoffel. I have no ambitions to own a quadtrac, I wouldn't mind a go on one for a few hours at someone else's expense though!
What we are doing is turning over a lot of cash producing eggs, and this year it looks like being breakeven at best, probably loss making. I wouldn't want to travel 40 miles to lose money, you will quickly lose heart at that range as it will be out of sight, out of mind.
What we are doing is turning over a lot of cash producing eggs, and this year it looks like being breakeven at best, probably loss making. I wouldn't want to travel 40 miles to lose money, you will quickly lose heart at that range as it will be out of sight, out of mind.
Apparently I’m a know it all for being young and realising that expansion at any costs is a road to nowhere!
- Location
- Berkshire
I think people generally are more enthusiastic about travelling when commodity prices are where they are today, back to 2016 prices and it's a less attractive proposition to spend considerable amount of time travelling to break even or even lose money...
4course
Member
- Location
- north yorks
shame this thread has degenerated into a bit of a slanging match we all could have possibly learnt something whichever view you have
Daniel
Member
- Location
- Mildenhall, Suffolk
You are a know it all, 27 is no age, I myself at 36 barely know i'm born in farming terms. That said I was chatting to an assistant farm manager the other day from a large breckland estate who's merely 21, so maybe I'm over the hill?
I don't know how to put this without sounding rude....
Do you really need another 400 acres, if you've already got 3000 ?
A 400 acre place would be a nice starter place for someone. Hell, 400 acres would see a lot of us right for life.
Then there's the subject of road transport. The general public will soon tire of all this agricultural motoring, whether it's 30k, 40k, or 65kph.
Just saying.....
Do you really need another 400 acres, if you've already got 3000 ?
A 400 acre place would be a nice starter place for someone. Hell, 400 acres would see a lot of us right for life.
Then there's the subject of road transport. The general public will soon tire of all this agricultural motoring, whether it's 30k, 40k, or 65kph.
Just saying.....
Well in terms of this thread at least I am basing it on experience and figures.
lloyd
Member
- Location
- Herefordshire
The thing is everyones situation is different.
'Dont gamble what you can't afford to lose'
or in contract farming terms 'a bit of your own is worth a lot of somebody else's'
'Dont gamble what you can't afford to lose'
or in contract farming terms 'a bit of your own is worth a lot of somebody else's'
- Location
- Dorset/Wilts
People only ask for opinions to back up the decision they have already made
There is a lot of very good posts and experience in this thread
There is also some pointless name calling
- Location
- East meath/dublin
Id say thats a case of a wise head starting to descend on young shoulders!! You are of course right in your observations it has to be about the money, it can only be about the money. Expand for more profit not some vague notion of scale or the possibility of justifing new shiny kit. If you want a hobby take up golf !!! Farming extra land in the hope that all your ducks will line up is a fools game it may work in theory paper never refused ink but the field will try the man. Maybe it would be a good idea to find out why the farm is available? What happened to the previous operator ? What expectations has the owner realistic or unreasonable ? Will he expect you to put his land at the front of the queue for the combine to preserve his margin and to hell with the rest of your land . Or would he be open to a straight rent and let you farm it as you please ?
Appreciate that. I’m not trying to be a dick just honest and facing the brutal facts. This exact thing could happen to me tomorrow so it’s been a good excerise going through it all and personally would find it very hard to justify on a standard CFA.