Farming’s Boom years.

[Kevtherev]

Evening all.
Talking to a chap today about farming changes and how we’ve seen massive progress since the 60s-70s in both crops machinery and livestock.
Farming was at its very pinnacle in the 80s-90s with some very successful farming families and that’s what made me think.
Farming’s boom years and will we see a time like that again?
Pic for attention

 

[RAF]

No them days are gone . Make a living that’s it now

 

[YorkshireAndrew]

In the good potato years of 1976/77 my dad bought a new tractor , new potato harvester & swapped his 2 yo car without any finance . Potatoes reached £400t (£2,300 today adjusted for inflation) .

 

[Nearly]

In the good potato years of 1976/77 my dad bought a new tractor , new potato harvester & swapped his 2 yo car without any finance . Potatoes reached £400t (£2,300 today adjusted for inflation) .

I hope you're looking after them.

 

[colhonk]

NO. Farmers are not a necessity to produce food.

 

[Laggard]

In the good potato years of 1976/77 my dad bought a new tractor , new potato harvester & swapped his 2 yo car without any finance . Potatoes reached £400t (£2,300 today adjusted for inflation) .

We had lots of potatoes in 1976 and my grandfather told my dad that it was once in a lifetime. I was 3 at the time, looking forward to my “ once in a lifetime”. If it could hurry up please....

 

[Will Blackburn]

We had lots of potatoes in 1976 and my grandfather told my dad that it was once in a lifetime. I was 3 at the time, looking forward to my “ once in a lifetime”. If it could hurry up please....

Got some bad news.

 

[Cab-over Pete]

Evening all.
Talking to a chap today about farming changes and how we’ve seen massive progress since the 60s-70s in both crops machinery and livestock.
Farming was at its very pinnacle in the 80s-90s with some very successful farming families and that’s what made me think.
Farming’s boom years and will we see a time like that again?
Pic for attentionView attachment 942759

MF didn’t have a lot to answer that did they?

 

[PSQ]

“It takes the sh!t years to make you appreciate the good ones”.
After farming through the dark decade of ‘96 to ‘06, and 2013, I’m perfectly happy with where yields and prices are now.

 

[BobGreen]

We had lots of potatoes in 1976 and my grandfather told my dad that it was once in a lifetime. I was 3 at the time, looking forward to my “ once in a lifetime”. If it could hurry up please....

P reg for potatoes !

 

[DrWazzock]

Damage limitation nowadays. How can I farm without x y z? A gradual knocking away of the props.
Emphasis changed from boosting yields to trying to retain what we’ve got and cutting costs.
All sorts of not very exciting enviro schemes.
A bit of a quandary really. Only a big external event might shake things up, probably something old fashioned and simple like more widespread drought globally.

 

[Pan mixer]

These might be the 'days of their lives' to the younger farmers on here.

I have come to the conclusion that it is easier to think that you were having the best of things when you are younger and fitter too.

It will come right but perhaps not for us who are over 60........

 

[czechmate]

These might be the 'days of their lives' to the younger farmers on here.

I have come to the conclusion that it is easier to think that you were having the best of things when you are younger and fitter too.

It will come right but perhaps not for us who are over 60........

Oh, I always had you down as a younger chap

 

[YorkshireAndrew]

I hope you're looking after them.

The Ford 4600 is now in Pakistan, the harvester went to a new owner & the Morris Marina estate is still being driven by @Kevtherev as his everyday transport .

 

[yellowbelly]

Farming’s boom years and will we see a time like that again?

I sincerely hope so but fear us older 'uns probably won't.

Looking back, from the mid 70's to the mid 80's, the farming community was at the centre of 'the perfect storm'.

Borrowing money was costing us 18% but inflation was rampant so it didn't really matter.
Before entry into the EEC corn was £18 to £20 a ton. When we went in, it was suddenly £30. Within a couple of years it was £60. Inputs hadn't caught up (they soon did). Tractors and machinery were relatively cheap. Farmers were trading good, low houred tractors in - all but one of these were bought secondhand...

.......we farmed every acre. No set-a-side, no 2m/6m strips, no environmental crap.
Farmers were having a good time, so us contractors were too. Every new machine we bought could earn more than we paid for it in the first year.

Happy days
Feel very lucky to have started in business in that era.

 

[bluebell]

no, back then in the 1960s till the late 1970s, farmers were important parts of the village life at all levels, not any more ? their numbers and influence has deminshed markedly over the years ? watching last nights countryfile it seems a young lady straight out of university has more power influence in the running, control of the countryside and its use , im referrring to the flooding management or lack of it ?

 

[redsloe]

In the good potato years of 1976/77 my dad bought a new tractor , new potato harvester & swapped his 2 yo car without any finance . Potatoes reached £400t (£2,300 today adjusted for inflation) .

We did too and dad bought 3 tractors. They cost less than 4k each. I want to know what he did with the rest of it!
I don't think we can complain much about the last 10 years personally.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

I'm having my boom year this year if nobody else wants to .

 

[Henarar]

The last 10 years have been good, fear it may be going down hill now though
We are not wanted which is fair enough I spose, everyone is going to grow what they need in their window box and up the side of their house apparently, or is it in another country where it don't do any harm cos that is a different world so it don't matter

 

[Henarar]

I'm having my boom year this year if nobody else wants to .

You boom away son, we wont hear you