Farmer Roy's Random Thoughts - I never said it was easy.

[holwellcourtfarm]

 

[Farmer Roy]

yes, I saw that earlier myself

very exciting

I think it is between $1000 - $5000 to set up & collars around $100 each . . .

 

[Farmer Roy]

you getting blown away @CornishTone ?

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1920075138056377

 

[beefandsleep]

What is the smallest paddock size the collars are effective with?

 

[FonterraFarmer]

I spent about an hour last night on the phone to Anna from "Just Farmers". It's a group she's setting up where farmers of all sectors with no officially held positions (NFU etc) or journalistic links make themselves available for unbiased interview by the media to show farming as it really is in the UK.

I'm probably mad but it sounds like a good thing.

I think you more than up to the job!

 

[hendrebc]

yes, I saw that earlier myself

very exciting

I think it is between $1000 - $5000 to set up & collars around $100 each . . .

That sounds very competetive. A techno grazing setup from a reputable company here costs £550 a hectare and the subscription fee to help with the management comes to thousands a year. I dont think the numbers we were quoted for a research project with farming connect (welsh government agency to help farmers with various things research projects being one) would be worth it for sheep amd beef on my scale. Watch this space though ill let you know how it goes.

 

[hendrebc]

Part of being a farmer is recognising the we can/can’t situations and making an educated decision.

I like to think I am a can do person however sometimes when you work with your father it is difficult to hold your line if their opinion is can’t.

I get the feeling at least @hendrebc knows what I mean along with all on here who work with family members.

You have to bite your tongue,be diplomatic and get on with it.

Yes it can be bloody difficult and can make for an awkward day or two after a proper argument. But sometimes you have to know when to bite your tongue and compromise. And sometimes you have to know when to tell them to f**k off and do something your own way anyway

 

[CornishTone]

you getting blown away @CornishTone ?

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1920075138056377

Terrible wind here, although that could be down to the sweet and sour pork I had last night!

Good rain up in the hills but it amounted to 5/8 of f**k all where it’s was actually needed! Dust was being blown so bad down on the flats there were cars parked on the side of the Sturt Hwy till it passed apparently.

Bonkers weather!

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

I think you more than up to the job!

Thank you Paul. I must have made an impression then .

 

[New Puritan]

Part of being a farmer is recognising the we can/can’t situations and making an educated decision.

I like to think I am a can do person however sometimes when you work with your father it is difficult to hold your line if their opinion is can’t.

I get the feeling at least @hendrebc knows what I mean along with all on here who work with family members.

You have to bite your tongue,be diplomatic and get on with it.

If it's any consolation it's not wildy different being a tenant with a landlord* hanging around watching your every move...

*the now-retired previous farmer

 

[New Puritan]

I'm now reading the last of my Groundswell purchases

On a similar note, and especially with reference to @unlacedgecko 's comment, has anyone read "Making Small Farms Work" by Richard Perkins? It's an interesting read but there are a few things which don't quite add up to me, along the lines of how does he find time for everything? I suspect he gets a fair bit of free labour coming in too.

I've been interested in permaculture for a long time, but the one thing that has always struck me about it is that it appears to be a pyramid scheme, with the only people ever making a living out of it doing so by teaching others how to make a living out of it. If you combine that with a working farm, you get loads of your labour done for free (or you actually get paid by people to do it) while you teach them. In some ways its clever, but I wouldn't say it was properly sustainable if it needs huge quantities of unpaid work.

 

[Farmer Roy]

 

[hendrebc]

I wouldn't say it was properly sustainable if it needs huge quantities of unpaid work.

Much like a lot of family farms then

 

[New Puritan]

Much like a lot of family farms then

I thought that as I was writing it, though again, it would equally apply to my farm which isn't a family farm.

 

[hendrebc]

I thought that as I was writing it, though again, it would equally apply to my farm which isn't a family farm.

Id bet that its not just a UK problem though i bet its worldwide. A days tractor driving on a weekend while dad is busy or help getting cows in for milking. Even feeding the sheepdogs while someone is on holiday. All adds up i bet our unpaid family labour bill would be quite large if i had to pay my sister a wage when shes been helping dad. I bet it woukd be £2k a year off the top of my head? And she doesnt do much only faffing about helping dad with what he cant do because of his bad hip. But then she doesnt pay livery for her bloody horses or kenneling for her damn dogs so she is still probably way ahead. f**king horses
Thats the problem with farming its become a lifestyle and not a job like almost any other industry.
But i suspect a lot of small family businesses are the same though. Thinking of our local village the pub and the shop are both family affairs were everyone pitches in as and when they can. Local shopkeeper reckons he couldnt do it any other way or no one would shop there if he had to rise prices enough pay wages his wife watches the shop while he goes to the cash and carry and has his meals. Theyre both proper grafters though they open 6.30am every morning and are open till 7.30pm 364 days a year only close on christmas day. Not a job id want to do its more of a tie than milking no wonder they are trying to sell. Will be a hell of a loss when they are gone

 

[Yale]

Id bet that its not just a UK problem though i bet its worldwide. A days tractor driving on a weekend while dad is busy or help getting cows in for milking. Even feeding the sheepdogs while someone is on holiday. All adds up i bet our unpaid family labour bill would be quite large if i had to pay my sister a wage when shes been helping dad. I bet it woukd be £2k a year off the top of my head? And she doesnt do much only faffing about helping dad with what he cant do because of his bad hip. But then she doesnt pay livery for her bloody horses or kenneling for her damn dogs so she is still probably way ahead. fudgeing horses
Thats the problem with farming its become a lifestyle and not a job like almost any other industry.
But i suspect a lot of small family businesses are the same though. Thinking of our local village the pub and the shop are both family affairs were everyone pitches in as and when they can. Local shopkeeper reckons he couldnt do it any other way or no one would shop there if he had to rise prices enough pay wages his wife watches the shop while he goes to the cash and carry and has his meals. Theyre both proper grafters though they open 6.30am every morning and are open till 7.30pm 364 days a year only close on christmas day. Not a job id want to do its more of a tie than milking no wonder they are trying to sell. Will be a hell of a loss when they are gone

These local shops and pubs really struggle.

The way forward for our community has been to take them on as community run by volunteers.

Works well here and it seems to be the way forward.

Also brings people together.

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

These local shops and pubs really struggle.

The way forward for our community has been to take them on as community run by volunteers.

Works well here and it seems to be the way forward.

Also brings people together.

There's a pub at Pirton near Hitchin has been community owned and run for around 30 years now

 

[hendrebc]

These local shops and pubs really struggle.

The way forward for our community has been to take them on as community run by volunteers.

Works well here and it seems to be the way forward.

Also brings people together.

The village have been talking of buying the shop for the community but no one is really doing anything about it. They should havr started a year ago so people would have some idea what running the shop means and what they need to be doing when and what they need to stock. There will be a bloody uproar when he shuts the doors for the last time. I dont think anyone much appreciates what he does for everyone. The village were i did live and were the farm is lost the shop over 10 years ago and the pub nearly 20 years ago. It was a posh restraunt for a while but it didnt last and it opened a few years ago for nearly a year but shut again and i doubt it will ever open now
Everyone used to know everyone there but now its full of strangers i dont know much of anyone there unless they happen to walk their dogs past the farm. Were i live now has the shop and a really good pub and the community spirit is great i know more people here than were i was born and grew up all because there isnt a pub
Really makes me realise what everyone is missing out on in any small community with nothing to bring them together. We did look at trying to buy the pub for the community but it was going to be too much money its for sae for £800k it mught be worth a quarter of that in reality so it puts it out of reach for anyone

 

[Blaithin]

Like a warm summer day in Australia here today.

 

[Deerefarmer]

yeah, some of those threads can get you down & question your faith in mankind, cant they

yeah, we are ok. As ive said before, have basically just shut up shop, sitting down doing nothing & pulled the belt a few notches tighter. Avoiding all spending, so that means we cant do any projects & only minimal maintenance. We don't know how long it will be before any income stream.
Already reconciled the fact we will have no crops for this season , but that is the story for this broader area ( first time in over 30 yrs of my active involvement in farming here ). A few people dry sowed, but I haven't seen any / know of any crops around here. I do know of 2 fields of wheat, that are irrigated & are only watered so they can honour valuable contracts / customers. Most irrigators seem to be conserving what water allocation they have for the summer, for cotton
My biggest problem is sheer boredom & lack of motivation.
We have a 640 mm annual rainfall here
less than 300 mm last year
less than 90 mm six months this year so far
we have zero moisture & zero chance of ANY growth
night time temps are down to -6 but being so dry, it is very damaging
I am finding the boredom & inactivity difficult, especially as I have lost faith in modern industrial chemical farming & have lots of plans & ideas to implement change ( which have reignited my interest in farming ), but as I said, we have pretty much put up the 'closed' sign for now.
Because there is no guarantee when or if it will rain again, I am very hesitant to spend any money on anything . . .
might start looking at what I can sell shortly ( motorbikes, spare vehicles etc ) to free up a bit of spare cash . . .

Best case scenario, is we may have an income stream in 12 months time . . .

I am down, but not out yet
yes, it is hard, but we are a long way from being fu^cked yet
I plan to still be around after it floods



just thankful Im not poor old Master Bater stressing over losing his subs, thatd be too much

Ahh,good to see you still alive and well,sounds like your doing a great job thinking positive , I don't know if I could handle the boredom, that when my negative thinking tries to rear its head,
Big high five on looking around at what to sell for extra cash instead of waiting for the gov handouts

Ever thought about letting an oil or coal company explore your property ,
You could be sitting on a gold mine eh