Do you enjoy farming?
- Thread starter fermerboy
- Start date
- Location
- sw scotland
I enjoy it but I have also had another job which took me away 2 days a week though it has now stopped. I can assure you that the paperwork in farming is nothing compared to other jobs although the penalties are more severe. Currently spending 14 hour days with dead lambs, etc but also lots of healthy pairs skipping about if I stop the quad to look. I get satisfaction from mundane stuff - covering a field with slurry or cutting silage
Brought a tear to my eye.I have had a tough time this last 6 months and seriously thought of giving up, the farming wasn't tough it was looking after my dying Mum that was tough.
Don't want to sound harsh about it but now that is over it is like a weight being lifted and I can get on again. It has taken a few weeks but I think I am getting back into my stride again. Just this last week I was in my fields and said to myself this is what I want to do and actually felt happy again.
Mum was a famer and a grower, she loved growing anything but after I stopped growing sunflowers as cut flowers she took it on and sunflowers were always a big thing with us.
This year I am going to grow an acre of them, just to look at and in memory of Mum.
Yes I enjoy farming, it is just buggering about in my fields doing as I please.
Make very sure whatever happens take some time to enjoy those sunflowers this year. You and your mothers memory more than deserve it.
To be honest I haven't enjoyed much of the business side of the last 12 months. It has been hard work with lots of worry and endless deliberation over business decisions, stress over machinery breakdowns and the weather over harvest and drilling was not helpful.
On the flip side the fringe benefits are priceless, I live in a lovely place. (If I remember to realise it) I have ample space to be what I chose to be without worrying to much what other people think. I'm healthy, I have a family that I love and they love me.
On the flip side the fringe benefits are priceless, I live in a lovely place. (If I remember to realise it) I have ample space to be what I chose to be without worrying to much what other people think. I'm healthy, I have a family that I love and they love me.
- Location
- Berkshire
Yes, love it…
I’m a Farm Manager so I choose to do it
I’m maybe devoid of some of the emotion of previous generations of expectation but I strive to do my best in the short term and long term for my employers who are dedicated to this estate and my value as an employee is based on what I deliver.
I feel that as much as I enjoy the pressure of the hard nosed business side of things it’s the practical side of the business like drilling, spraying and field walking that gives me the balance and satisfaction to cope with the pressures of the former.
The pleasure of living and working in such a beautiful piece of England is something to not be overlooked, I wouldn’t be here unless I choose to be a FM so I soak up the pressure because I want to be here
I also appreciate this forum as it’s the one place in AG where I feel connected to other people who have a similar view point where we discuss feelings of taking back the power that we’ve collectively given away, despite having never met many of the forum members I feel a connection to, I feel we are making a difference to the future of the AHDB, RT and the NFU by being vocal on this platform, and although they can be a confrontational hornets nest prodding type of character it’s a credit to the prominent members on here that they keep prodding away at the very comfortable coexistence between our esteemed leaders and exposing the worrying connections between them
I’m here in AG and will remain here for as long as I can foresee a life that I choose to live
I’m a Farm Manager so I choose to do it
I’m maybe devoid of some of the emotion of previous generations of expectation but I strive to do my best in the short term and long term for my employers who are dedicated to this estate and my value as an employee is based on what I deliver.
I feel that as much as I enjoy the pressure of the hard nosed business side of things it’s the practical side of the business like drilling, spraying and field walking that gives me the balance and satisfaction to cope with the pressures of the former.
The pleasure of living and working in such a beautiful piece of England is something to not be overlooked, I wouldn’t be here unless I choose to be a FM so I soak up the pressure because I want to be here
I also appreciate this forum as it’s the one place in AG where I feel connected to other people who have a similar view point where we discuss feelings of taking back the power that we’ve collectively given away, despite having never met many of the forum members I feel a connection to, I feel we are making a difference to the future of the AHDB, RT and the NFU by being vocal on this platform, and although they can be a confrontational hornets nest prodding type of character it’s a credit to the prominent members on here that they keep prodding away at the very comfortable coexistence between our esteemed leaders and exposing the worrying connections between them
I’m here in AG and will remain here for as long as I can foresee a life that I choose to live
Attachments
- Location
- People's Republic of South Yorkshire
Less so I guess.
Can never seem to have enough hrs in the day, while everyone else on school run seems to have plenty. They pick up kids and thats it for the day. I take mine home and back to work.
Also tired of the public.
All today had motor bikes , some with young kids on, crossing road from housing estate and flying up and down the fresh drilling.
Police don't care.
Dog walkers thinking the farm is a park.
Fly tipping nearly everyday. House clearance stuff or cannabis factory clearcut...
Everyday seems got a problem because of someone else doing something on farm they should not be doing..
Can never seem to have enough hrs in the day, while everyone else on school run seems to have plenty. They pick up kids and thats it for the day. I take mine home and back to work.
Also tired of the public.
All today had motor bikes , some with young kids on, crossing road from housing estate and flying up and down the fresh drilling.
Police don't care.
Dog walkers thinking the farm is a park.
Fly tipping nearly everyday. House clearance stuff or cannabis factory clearcut...
Everyday seems got a problem because of someone else doing something on farm they should not be doing..
Right to roam isn't a thing over here, it's such a huge difference. My land is as private as my back lawn, the difference is huge. I have 12 houses bordering some of my land and I never have an issue. I don't envy you
- Location
- LINCOLNSHIRE/KENYA
Opinion: The country where 30 farmers die each day
India needs far more than agricultural reform, writes Gunisha Kaur. Officials can begin by destigmatizing and decriminalizing suicide, by sincerely committing to collecting accurate data on suicide attempt and mortality, and by devoting resources to support the mental health needs of India's...
amp.cnn.com
- Location
- south norfolk
I enjoy it but sick to death with ridiculous regulations and everything that costs for no return and could do with out the stress too.being a small farmer no one ever seems to take enquiries seriously and often get ignored.at this point in time I can see this growing season the last with everything going on in the world.spoke with a neighbor yesterday in exactly the same situation.its just a sad worrying time with the future looking very bleak
nick...
nick...
Everyone's grandparent round here seem to have been shepherd's, that what they tell me when giving advise on a lame/ dirty sheep. I say "well my grand farther was a pilot but you wouldn't want me to fly you to Australia"
- Location
- East Sussex
I still enjoy the job, after all why would I still be starting when it gets light and finishing after dark!
Seriously though I believe you need to have some long term goals. Just doing the same old thing day after day can get you down.
We have always had a long term plan to improve the productivity of our livestock enterprise without adding any more work or cost. We are a long way down the road of achieving this after almost 15 years of genetic improvements and it is very rewarding to see the results.
It is also important to have another goal (dream) in your mind for the farm. We have not diversified very much but have always concentrated on doing what we do better and think (dream) about what could be the ultimate answer to more profitable farming.
Don't let the people or the politicians grind you down, when they are hungry and can't find or afford to buy food they will realise how important those few peasants who Till the soil or look after those animals and maintain the trees and hedges are to the world.
Seriously though I believe you need to have some long term goals. Just doing the same old thing day after day can get you down.
We have always had a long term plan to improve the productivity of our livestock enterprise without adding any more work or cost. We are a long way down the road of achieving this after almost 15 years of genetic improvements and it is very rewarding to see the results.
It is also important to have another goal (dream) in your mind for the farm. We have not diversified very much but have always concentrated on doing what we do better and think (dream) about what could be the ultimate answer to more profitable farming.
Don't let the people or the politicians grind you down, when they are hungry and can't find or afford to buy food they will realise how important those few peasants who Till the soil or look after those animals and maintain the trees and hedges are to the world.
I'm sill mad keen on farming (well most day's job to be when picking up a lot of dead), if I can achieve the same again in the next 15 years that I have in the first of my working life I will be a very happy man, started with 2 pet lambs and have at present 450 ewes and same dry sheep, a nice size contract shepherding business and a fledgling fencing and paddock maintenance contacting business, I specialize in doing the small jobs that the big boys don't want, looking after 50 ewes, shearing 120 sheep, topping 6 acres, fencing 100m and 3 gates etc.. for the people that have bough there "little bit of heaven" on the Cotswold's, doing these jobs means that I can do my own for just the labor.
We have a similar experience fencing, we usually get some one who walks past and exclaims that they used to do miles of fencing, probably more than we have ever done, and they didn’t have a fancy machine either they did it by hand!Everyone's grandparent round here seem to have been shepherd's, that what they tell me when giving advise on a lame/ dirty sheep. I say "well my grand farther was a pilot but you wouldn't want me to fly you to Australia"
I love farming and maybe sadistically I enjoy the business side and volatility, it makes for a great challenge. If I didn’t have loads of pressure and people to keep happy I would probably just go to the pub too much.
I really dislike farming politics, things like red tractor/AIC and spineless NFU. The massive amount of fat within our industry that leach of us and how incredibly weighted things are against farmers.
The recent urea stuff is a good example, being celebrated by many as a good result (which it was in the context of salvage!) but in reality should have never got anywhere near that stage.
Saying that though being outspoken and saying it how it is on social media does bring some benefits. Often have people say to me that I am saying exactly what most people think, but because of jobs/politics etc they cannot say it themselves.
I really dislike farming politics, things like red tractor/AIC and spineless NFU. The massive amount of fat within our industry that leach of us and how incredibly weighted things are against farmers.
The recent urea stuff is a good example, being celebrated by many as a good result (which it was in the context of salvage!) but in reality should have never got anywhere near that stage.
Saying that though being outspoken and saying it how it is on social media does bring some benefits. Often have people say to me that I am saying exactly what most people think, but because of jobs/politics etc they cannot say it themselves.
- Location
- People's Republic of South Yorkshire
No right to roam here on arable land...
Just local muppets don't care, just as police don't seem to. Mind you not enough police about. Ones in area to busy trying to deaL with local gang wars and other crimes.
kfpben
Member
- Location
- Mid Hampshire
I’m addicted to farming.
I find it challenging, enjoyable and fulfilling. I had a couple of other jobs when I was younger but I got bored of them pretty quickly and ended up keeping some sheep ‘as a hobby’ which quickly got out of hand.
Working outside with animals and the seasons, seeing my family at meal times, no commute, being an active participant in the community. As a livestock farmer I can have Sunday afternoons off for cricket in Summer. Take the odd day off in winter for hunting.
It’s pretty good really.
Imagine having to spend your whole working life in zoom meetings!? How depressing.
I find it challenging, enjoyable and fulfilling. I had a couple of other jobs when I was younger but I got bored of them pretty quickly and ended up keeping some sheep ‘as a hobby’ which quickly got out of hand.
Working outside with animals and the seasons, seeing my family at meal times, no commute, being an active participant in the community. As a livestock farmer I can have Sunday afternoons off for cricket in Summer. Take the odd day off in winter for hunting.
It’s pretty good really.
Imagine having to spend your whole working life in zoom meetings!? How depressing.
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Castle Farm
Member
What other way of life gives you so much pain.