Are you all depressed ?

gatepost

Member
Location
Cotswolds
At times it just seems to out of your control, yet another box to tick which didn't exist when I started, and a lot depends who you are surrounded by, I'm married to someone who's cup is always half empty, nothing is ever worth the bother, I got an award a couple of years back, comment, ''I don't know why?'' It can grind you down a bit!
 

Bury the Trash

Member
Mixed Farmer
At times it just seems to out of your control, yet another box to tick which didn't exist when I started, and a lot depends who you are surrounded by, I'm married to someone who's cup is always half empty, nothing is ever worth the bother, I got an award a couple of years back, comment, ''I don't know why?'' It can grind you down a bit!
She cant help it ? @gatepost but it goes without saying that doesn't make it any easier for you.
 

Rob91

Member
Livestock Farmer
Very much so, rapidly increasing costs, rapidly decreasing milk price, BPS is going, and on top of all that, Farmers are being scapegoated for climate change and people are being told constantly to stop eating meat and dairy, the long hours, isolation, loneliness...
The constant worry of TB testing, the weather....
 

tullah

Member
Location
Linconshire
I've just taken on a self employed man doing two days a week flexible hours. He can put his hand to most things but not good at tractor work. He uses his phone too much when I'm not about. Just continually going round to the yard, keeping him supplied with tools for the job and checking him in and out is driving me nuts and I don't get anything done myself. Wouldnt be able to find a replacement so put up with it.
 

glasshouse

Member
Location
lothians
I've just taken on a self employed man doing two days a week flexible hours. He can put his hand to most things but not good at tractor work. He uses his phone too much when I'm not about. Just continually going round to the yard, keeping him supplied with tools for the job and checking him in and out is driving me nuts and I don't get anything done myself. Wouldnt be able to find a replacement so put up with it.
Stay away all day and see what happens
 

Hooby Farmer

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
roe valley
I've just taken on a self employed man doing two days a week flexible hours. He can put his hand to most things but not good at tractor work. He uses his phone too much when I'm not about. Just continually going round to the yard, keeping him supplied with tools for the job and checking him in and out is driving me nuts and I don't get anything done myself. Wouldnt be able to find a replacement so put up with it.
Exact same place, have a flexible man. On his own the work rate is reduced. When we work together unreal what we can turn out. Have him 3 years but I can't do without him, it's a real rock and a hard place.
 

glasshouse

Member
Location
lothians
I've just taken on a self employed man doing two days a week flexible hours. He can put his hand to most things but not good at tractor work. He uses his phone too much when I'm not about. Just continually going round to the yard, keeping him supplied with tools for the job and checking him in and out is driving me nuts and I don't get anything done myself. Wouldnt be able to find a replacement so put up with it.
Probably driving him nuts too
 

Estate fencing.

Member
Livestock Farmer
Probably driving him nuts too
That's what I thought, I'm self employed and do 2/3 days a week for someone as well as running my own job, he is a nightmare and just can't give you jobs and let you get on, he just keeps hanging around the sheep pens when I'm working not doing anything or turning up to check on me, for Crist sake I can run the job on my own! He would be much better to give me a list of job that I work though.
 

Hfd Cattle

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Hereford
That's what I thought, I'm self employed and do 2/3 days a week for someone as well as running my own job, he is a nightmare and just can't give you jobs and let you get on, he just keeps hanging around the sheep pens when I'm working not doing anything or turning up to check on me, for Crist sake I can run the job on my own! He would be much better to give me a list of job that I work though.
If they are going to hang around all day watching they might as well do it themselves.
 

SteveHants

Member
Livestock Farmer
This is pretty much what I was trying to say but put better than I did ................. is the reason an industry-wide depression ? and if so how do we snap an entire industry out of the spiral?

Part of the reason I do the job I do - Young people. I enjoy talking to them. Forward looking, ready to go out and develop, change, find their way.

As you age, all he psychology says that you get more risk averse and less innovative which to me is a major problem in Ag, some of the most dynamic industries (tech, for example) are rammed with younger people. The average age of a farmer should be much, much younger. How we achieve that, I have no idea.
 

Derrick Hughes

Member
Location
Ceredigion
Part of the reason I do the job I do - Young people. I enjoy talking to them. Forward looking, ready to go out and develop, change, find their way.

As you age, all he psychology says that you get more risk averse and less innovative which to me is a major problem in Ag, some of the most dynamic industries (tech, for example) are rammed with younger people. The average age of a farmer should be much, much younger. How we achieve that, I have no idea.
Bull poo , miserable minds are born miserable
 

SteveHants

Member
Livestock Farmer
But not the work of it, they dont seem to want that because if they did why is there a shortage of farm workers. they wouldnt want to take a pay cut either to live in a proper rural area.

where would they live? theres a shortage of housing for local wrking types, plenty of community disfunctional 2nd/holiday homes mind you.

The countryside to a working farmer is a work place.
and I love it but when , i walk the farm and if i dont turn a blind eye all i see is work that needs doing.
and that's constantly ongoing, nature doesnt stop changing itself at 5pm or on a Sunday.

It was a choice I made not to go to the town - Most of the people I went to sixth form or uni with ended up in cities (Bristol, London, Manchester). I knew at the time it would mean probably never getting on the housing ladder, but I felt that other things made it worth it.

The 2nd/holiday homes drive up both prices and rents in the countryside and drive people townwards, whether they want to leave or not.

I did eventually get a deposit for a house, but I was 40 by that time and it was paid for by sheep, not a salaried job.
 

Derrick Hughes

Member
Location
Ceredigion
I don't meet many miserable ag students or young people at all. Older farmers, well........Have you read this (or any) thread on here?
Have a look at let's be positive I bet most are older ones , Ive been posting on FF since FW Farming forum started , it's always the same ones posting gloom and doom
Out of say 100 people that come to my farm a week the older ones would be more cheerful, their main moan , old men in lycra getting in their way , every second of the day is so important to them
 
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ColinV6

Member
Part of the reason I do the job I do - Young people. I enjoy talking to them. Forward looking, ready to go out and develop, change, find their way.

As you age, all he psychology says that you get more risk averse and less innovative which to me is a major problem in Ag, some of the most dynamic industries (tech, for example) are rammed with younger people. The average age of a farmer should be much, much younger. How we achieve that, I have no idea.

Almost impossible I think. Times have changed and tech is the future good or bad. If you can make crazy money being warm fixing computers or setting them up or whatever they mainly do, Monday to Friday, or at weekends for a crazy on call price, then what’s the attraction to being out in all weathers, covered in sh!t, going home stinking and tired as you’ve been up since 4:30am, stressed cause something’s gone wrong or there’s a test or inspection due, being probably the only industry that can’t pass on costs to the consumer.

I honestly fear for where the next generation will come from.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 78 42.9%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 63 34.6%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 16.5%
  • 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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