Are farm children prepared to live off farm?

[DrWazzock]

I once lived in a new build (rented) on the edge of the Wythenshaw estate south of Manchester. A mate had bought it but couldn’t sell it and had to move job. Woke up one morning to find the dustbin lorry ramming parked cars in the street. Been hijacked by kids during the night.
A caravan overlooking a slurry pit would have been far better.
I don’t think many farmers have any idea how ordinary folk live.

 

[Tarw Coch]

I don’t think many farmers have any idea how ordinary folk live.

Or probably more accurately city folk/those in larger towns or at least areas of those cities/towns

Mind you, I dare say most city folk have equally little idea of what real life is like in the country

 

[DrWazzock]

Believe me there are many good decent folk in those run down areas but they get no back up from the government to help rid them of the minority that make their lives a misery. You know the sort of areas. The ones you drive through and think thank God I don’t live here.

 

[Tarw Coch]

If I want to know how city folk live I can watch Eastenders/Coronation Street
If city folk want to know what country life is like they can watch Counryfile.

 

[kiwi pom]

Recently helped an internet illiterate neighbour recruit a beef stockmen to help him as he wanted to slow down. Advert clearly stated no accommodation on the farm, but that the salary was significant enough to compensate for that. It's Sussex so not exactly rural, would be a 10-15 minute drive from the farm to the village.

The number of people who enquired about the job and then pulled out when they were told they'd have to find their own accommodation was astounding, many children brought on farms didn't even seem to understand the concept of private rentals, that they were entitled to live on the farm. There isn't any breeding stock so no operational requirement to live on the farm. Do farming parents do enough to prepare their children for adult life? I suppose many of them haven't rented before either but was quite atonishing.

My brain is going very slowly this morning (nothing new) so you're saying it was farmers children applying for the job and they thought they would be staying on farm?
What was the salary ? Is there any local accommodation?

Most farm jobs around here have accommodation otherwise they wouldn't get anyone. I think its seen as a way to keep the money part of the salary down too. The big difference being the houses are just workers houses (some are awful) unlike the UK there aren't rich townies wanting to live at the bottom of the farm drive and be miles from anywhere. So there isn't the opportunity to sell them off.

 

[onesiedale]

The rental market is driven by supply and demand, and if you are in an area where prices are high, and you need staff, then you need to pay them accordingly.

agree. but sadly the property market is driven by finance, tax breaks and developers. Nothing to do with affordability

 

[betweenthelines]

Well exactly, the salary did more than compensate for the lack of house, even after tax but that is exactly it, many would have rather lived in a caravan on the farm, which wasn't on offer for exactly that reason.

Really?

One bed flat in the Brighton area was about £800 month 2 years ago when my daughter lived there. 10-15 mile journey to work is now about £150/month in fuel alone. So the wage on offer would have to be the best part of £1,500 month/£18k per annum above the going rate to meet that criteria.

Can't see many beef units paying a stockman £40k a year.

 

[steveR]

A great attitude to have, but you have to walk before you can run. You see paying almost half your salary in rent as madness, some will agree with you. However, it depends what you want from life, and what sacrifices you are willing to make to get their. Looking back would you do the same again ?

I have children who have paid the painfully high rents in and South of London, however to achieve there objectives and career aspirations, that is where they had to be, and what they had to do at that time. They now have careers and salary's that has allowed them to buy property and pay the ridiculously high prices in that area.

The rental market is driven by supply and demand, and if you are in an area where prices are high, and you need staff, then you need to pay them accordingly.

Maybe the farmer who needs staff would be wise to invest in property that he can rent to his own employee's.

Yep.

Maybe time to start building accommodation for the staff again. PP should be feasible on Ag grounds, but might need a Report to accompany the application...