Choice , 20 , 100 cow family run farms or one 2000 plus dairy farm ?
- Thread starter bluebell
- Start date
Pieces_of_Eight
Member
The consumers' perception of agriculture (especially animal) is often at odds with the consumers'(and retailers) desire for cheaper and cheaper food.
- Location
- Ceredigion
You cant have whats best for all can you
You have too choose whats most important
But as a farmer you can only do what gives you a profit
We would all love to go back too 30 cows in a cowshed , Fairytales
You have too choose whats most important
But as a farmer you can only do what gives you a profit
We would all love to go back too 30 cows in a cowshed , Fairytales
Roger Perry
Member
Question, have you visited many dairy farms in the U.S. or family farms in general, please do not get sucked into believing that agriculture in America is as portrayed in UK tabloids..............because its' not.
- Location
- South Molton
Speak for yourself!
We all would not like to go back to a cowshed!
ollie989898
Member
Well, 20 families earning a crust, instead of one. Most of these small outfits employed a surprising amount of help too. Back in the day, these 70 acre units seemed to have at least one newish tractor, and a range of implements . Not much in the way of pollution incidents.
Big cow herds ? one family + 2/3 Polish staff ? New scraper tractor + contractors doing the work ?
I know which I'd prefer, although for the rural economy, probably not much in it TBH.
Big cow herds ? one family + 2/3 Polish staff ? New scraper tractor + contractors doing the work ?
I know which I'd prefer, although for the rural economy, probably not much in it TBH.
Goweresque
Member
- Location
- North Wilts
The question is not which is better, the question is how exactly do you propose to prevent there being a 2000 cow mega-dairy, if free choices by people (both producers and consumers) means such a thing is a viable option? Or even stop a farmer with 200 cows going to 300, or 400. In a free country, if someone wants to make their business bigger, and has the acumen to achieve it, who are you, or anyone else to stop them?
All this kind of stuff is always proposed by the people who foresee themselves as being at the 'best' level of production (and thus unaffected) and that someone else will have to have their business taken away from them. When in reality if 100 cow herds are better than 1000 cow herds, perhaps 10 cow herds are better still. So lets take 90 cows away from the 100 cow farmer and give them to 9 other people. Hell lets go all the way and do away with specialised farming entirely and give everyone one cow and a acre and tell them to be a subsistence peasant.
Adam@Rumen
Member
- Location
- Nantwich/Rishton
All the 2000+ cow herds I know are family run
- Location
- Lincolnshire
The only way for the public to get their Hovis advert farming dream, is to somehow *take* the publics money and *give* it to small farmers to cover their losses. Or they pay at the till.
...... when the milk price and costs allowed people to live well from a handful of cows.
Soz, couldn't resist finishing that for you.
Dunno. Are we having a referendum? Or are people just gonna get on with running their businesses as normal?
- Location
- South Molton
Bit of a broad statement that small farmers are making a loss?
Whitebred Shorthorns in South West Cornwall
A recent trip to the Penzance area in SW Cornwall provided a very interesting insight into two very different uses for the Whitebred Shorthorn. Karen Wall, owner of the Trenow herd, and Gerald and Anne Babcock, owners of the Pendeen herd, work closely with their animals despite using their...
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Old Boar
Member
- Location
- West Wales
Depends on whether you look at the overall rural economy or the living for the farmer. 20 families keeps the village school alive, the village shop and the community (and possibly the pub!). 20 families occasionally employing, buying in feed etc, spending a little all over the place. One big farm possibly employing a couple of people, but buying in bulk from away. No time to stand and have a gossip, no time to share or download....
One big one near me just went pop. They worked so hard on it, and I feel so sorry for them.
Although we now expect a comfortable living, at what cost to our own health, our families, our community if we grow so big there is no time to stand and stare?
One big one near me just went pop. They worked so hard on it, and I feel so sorry for them.
Although we now expect a comfortable living, at what cost to our own health, our families, our community if we grow so big there is no time to stand and stare?
Monty
Member
- Location
- Nantwich, Cheshire
It's funny this perception that larger herds can produce milk cheaper than a small farm. Yes there some economies of scale in terms of efficiency but then there are diseconomies of scale which come from hauling silage/feed from fields further and further away and carting muck back the other way. Then there is the fact that it costs far more to house and feed a cow 365 days a year compared to just the winter months. It's a good job these big farms are being paid a hefty volume bonus to compete with us smaller farmers 
I was reading in the dairy farmer magazine that more than 50% of the uk's dairy herd are now permanently housed.
I was reading in the dairy farmer magazine that more than 50% of the uk's dairy herd are now permanently housed.
- Location
- 200 miles N,NW of New York
It's still a free market and farms have not been nationalised yet, so each to there own, and do what you think is best for you and your family,
On the other side if someone loves milking, yet cannot seem to make it pay, and many do make a real good living off 60 to 100 cows,
If it's a none gower, and a farm owner, rent the land out to a mega dairy and go milk for them , that way should be making a reasonable wage, regular time off and rent for the land, if you have the buildings, then do contract rearing of replacements for mega dairy on a headage basis as well
On the other side if someone loves milking, yet cannot seem to make it pay, and many do make a real good living off 60 to 100 cows,
If it's a none gower, and a farm owner, rent the land out to a mega dairy and go milk for them , that way should be making a reasonable wage, regular time off and rent for the land, if you have the buildings, then do contract rearing of replacements for mega dairy on a headage basis as well