Daniel Larn
Member
I'm not sure, I can find out.
Contract Farming Opportunities
- Thread starter Daniel Larn
- Start date
That may be ok if the weather is on your side,and if you are in South of England , could go really pear shaped in a wet season.
Chae1
Member
- Location
- Aberdeenshire
Farmer I worked for in WA spotted a patch of the real stuff being grown on his farm from his plane. He burnt it!
Daniel Larn
Member
Well, we are still interested in hearing from anyone who might be interested. So please get in touch if you have any questions.
Daniel Larn
Member
I've seen patches of it grown in the middle of corn fields in Canada. Often you don't notice until you start harvesting and see the 'empty' patch coming up in front.
Happens quite regularly I imagine.
- Location
- East Essexshire
Having been involved with it when it was first licensed in '92, I never want anything to do with the stuff again!
Incidentally, as someone who has never touched any illegal drugs, we used to get high as kites fertising the stuff on sunny days, and putting the wet green trimmings from under the hedge in a warm truck.
Incidentally, as someone who has never touched any illegal drugs, we used to get high as kites fertising the stuff on sunny days, and putting the wet green trimmings from under the hedge in a warm truck.
Why?
ThatsSomeSheep
Member
I may have missed this, but who is “we” and who are you? What is part in this potential arrangement?
TSS
Daniel Larn
Member
'We' is my company, and by extension the client.
I am me.
And my part in this arrangement is that of an agent/ consultant. I will work for the client to find APPROPRIATE farms, and then help the respective farmers get everything sorted out to grow the crop.
- Location
- East Essexshire
Harvesting the stuff with rape swathers and round balers in a wet autumn was nigh on impossible. I know the methods have moved on a lot since (I square baled a lot a decade or so later for someone) but it's not great stuff to put through any machine, especially in our damp climate.
Then there was all the problems with a succession of financial problems with the processors.
Goweresque
Member
- Location
- North Wilts
The point is that people have tried growing hemp in this country for quite a long time now, if it was a viable crop it would have gained a foothold somewhere by now. And it hasn't, mainly due to the climate in the autumn not being suitable on a predictable basis for harvesting the crop.
I can see that the current bout of cannabis law liberalisation around the world has made hemp trendy and started people in offices thinking they're going to make a killing growing the stuff, completely ignoring the rural peasants who've actually tried growing it, and found it doesn't work in the UK.
I guess a load of suits will just have to lose their shirts on trying to grow it before they'll learn the lesson they could have had for free, if they'd just spent a few days travelling round the UK asking some questions. Or indeed asking a few people on here who've tried growing it too, which they could do from the comfort of their air conditioned offices.
- Location
- East Essexshire
Take any yield predictions with a huge pinch of salt too.
Any slight hiccup from perfect soil conditions bring the height of the plant down dramatically, and that's where you get the volume of crop. It has a different concept of compaction from most crops, if the roots are in any way restricted from growing (and they want to grow at a phenomenal pace in the summer) you get a very stunted plant.
Any slight hiccup from perfect soil conditions bring the height of the plant down dramatically, and that's where you get the volume of crop. It has a different concept of compaction from most crops, if the roots are in any way restricted from growing (and they want to grow at a phenomenal pace in the summer) you get a very stunted plant.
Suffolk Serf
Member
- Location
- Bury/Thetford
@Breckland Boy grew quite a bit a few years ago. Hopefully he'll be along with some words of wisdom.
Daniel Larn
Member
The company have been growing it successfully for 3 years in the UK.
They are now looking to expand and have a significant amount of cash available to do so.
I hear all the concerns about companies going bust and crops failing, but I am working with the client to put in place 3rd party guarantees from Lloyd's of London that will give farmers the security they need.
People with lots of money aren't really that daft, everyone does their due diligence.
Hemp has been grown in the UK for centuries, it only disappeared in the last 100 years, maybe it's time for it to make a comeback?
Daniel Larn
Member
We are harvesting seed, fiber is a secondary concern.
That being said, I've been told it can play havoc with machinery. I don't think we will be retting the crop prior to gathering it, which means it should be drier and therefore easier to handle.
The people involved so far have had a lot of success, so it can't be all that bad.
Goweresque
Member
- Location
- North Wilts
If its such a guaranteed winner, why don't your clients just rent land and farm it themselves? Its not exactly hard to find land to rent, especially if you've lots of cash to throw at the rent figure.
I'm always very suspicious when City money types start getting involved in farming enterprises, they are not exactly known for their generosity. You can bet your bottom dollar that they'll be looking to take all the upside themselves and offload all the downside onto the poor old farmer/contractor doing all the hard graft.
I'm always very suspicious when City money types start getting involved in farming enterprises, they are not exactly known for their generosity. You can bet your bottom dollar that they'll be looking to take all the upside themselves and offload all the downside onto the poor old farmer/contractor doing all the hard graft.
Daniel Larn
Member
Well they are looking for that, they will let all the land they can. But that doesn't really put any good money in your pocket.
I find city types are often a bit misunderstood, I wont disagree with your statement about them not being 'generous' though. Really they want to make money, but they know everyone else does too. If you get on the right side, and prove the value you represent, they will always pay for it.
They carry all the risk, if they put the money in and it all goes awry then it's only them that lose out. So it's only fair they get the lions share of the reward in that instance.
Spencer
Member
- Location
- North West
Well I wish you good luck, but I’m out!