Farming and the ageing process

[unlacedgecko]

It is a comment on the fact that farming is basically a closed shop. The fact that there are no longer oppurtunities for younger entrants means that the old folk just keep going. It’s a bit of a vicous circle.

Opportunities for new entrants are lacking due to UK taxation and subsidy regimes.

 

[Cowmansam]

My old man is of the 'ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh fudge it, don't need PPE for this!' kind of mindset. Chain not that keen? Try forcing the fudging thing more. Give it some point. Try cutting at lower revs etc.

I'm left handed but would never use the thing sinister-handed. I've seen a chainsaw injury in hospital. I don't like the fudging thing at the best of times and I like them even less now...

Mate of mine slipped with a large stilh went straight into the thigh and nicked the bone how the hell he never bled out Ill never know stuck his belt round the leg and walked a mile out the wood to his truck then drove to the hospital cut you could stick your whole hand in always makes me feel queasy when I see someone mishandling a saw now

 

[ollie989898]

Mate of mine slipped with a large stilh went straight into the thigh and nicked the bone how the hell he never bled out Ill never know stuck his belt round the leg and walked a mile out the wood to his truck then drove to the hospital cut you could stick your whole hand in always makes me feel queasy when I see someone mishandling a saw now

He was very very lucky. If you hit the artery in your upper leg generally it is curtains. On the plus side once hypovolemia kicks in the shock means you won't feel much pain.

In my lowly opinion anyone involved in using a chainsaw needs to know how to do some serious first aid including the use of an Israeli bandage and should have the full kit on them or nearby in case something goes wrong.

 

[bumkin]

i think also the arrogance of youth has a lot to do with not letting the young ones take over, a lot of them think the oldies know nothing and when they take over they spend vast amounts to modernize the farm what they don't realize is most of this modernization is flim-flam the old man at the helm has seen it all before and doesn't want to see everything he has been working for all his life put at risk at the moment the banks want to lend farming money because it is secure but they can soon put up interest rates and make a farm unviable, at my age, we have seen it all before, it seems that the education system is at fault here when the kid goes to college they are encouraged to modernize and spend money they don't have to borrow tens of thousands if not millions to put in the latest gismos if you are farming with one man and put in a labour-saving device what are you going to do sack the one man you employ? you can be modern and innovative without spending a fortune I urge the young ones to think outside the box if you are fortunate enough to own your farm remember it's your greatest asset

 

[MRT]

if your reactions are still sharp what does age matter? Some are done by 50 others can climb the Matterhorn at 90.

You can get safer with age and experience but your reactions are not sharp. You just think they are.

 

[ollie989898]

Opportunities for new entrants are lacking due to UK taxation and subsidy regimes.

This too. The tax regime is backward. Literally penalising anyone with assets who wants to retire.

 

[Cowmansam]

He was very very lucky. If you hit the artery in your upper leg generally it is curtains. On the plus side once hypovolemia kicks in the shock means you won't feel much pain.

In my lowly opinion anyone involved in using a chainsaw needs to know how to do some serious first aid including the use of an Israeli bandage and should have the full kit on them or nearby in case something goes wrong.

Went in from the top side straight down sort of across the leg if I remember right the big artery is up the inside edge is it ? Just must have been luck really and he had big legs if it was mine it would have been clean off from the depth he went in

 

[unlacedgecko]

i think also the arrogance of youth has a lot to do with not letting the young ones take over, a lot of them think the oldies know nothing and when they take over they spend vast amounts to modernize the farm what they don't realize is most of this modernization is flim-flam the old man at the helm has seen it all before and doesn't want to see everything he has been working for all his life put at risk at the moment the banks want to lend farming money because it is secure but they can soon put up interest rates and make a farm unviable, at my age, we have seen it all before, it seems that the education system is at fault here when the kid goes to college they are encouraged to modernize and spend money they don't have to borrow tens of thousands if not millions to put in the latest gismos if you are farming with one man and put in a labour-saving device what are you going to do sack the one man you employ? you can be modern and innovative without spending a fortune I urge the young ones to think outside the box if you are fortunate enough to own your farm remember it's your greatest asset

Access to land doesn't have to mean access to someone else's capital.

Lack of secure access to land is my biggest hurdle. Recently had someone asking why I'm not putting nitrogen on land I've got on a grazing licence.

When it comes to grazing licences, I've learned at significant cost not to put anything on land that can't be rolled up and taken away. Spend money on inputs to improve someone's asset so they can charge more rent? Not a f**king chance.

And why are grazing licences so prevalent? The UK taxation and subsidy scheme which attaches such great financial advantage to being an "active farmer".

Abolish IHT entirely. Abolish all these enviro-schemes and subs. Or watch UK ag further continue its decline as a rich man's hobby.

 

[DrWazzock]

I would imagine that when we finish here, this farm will just be added on to somebody else’s farming business and the house sold off, so nobody will replace us. Our departure will not provide a viable opportunity for a young person, not least because the farm is no longer big enough to provide a living. What I’m trying to say is it isn’t a case of old folks moving aside to make way for younger people, it’s more about amalgamation and redundancy. Farms here get ever larger employing fewer and fewer people operating larger and faster machinery. Personally I don’t like it, but that’s how it’s gone.

 

[unlacedgecko]

I would imagine that when we finish here, this farm will just be added on to somebody else’s farming business and the house sold off, so nobody will replace us. Our departure will not provide a viable opportunity for a young person, not least because the farm is no longer big enough to provide a living. What I’m trying to say is it isn’t a case of old folks moving aside to make way for younger people, it’s more about amalgamation and redundancy. Farms here get ever larger employing fewer and fewer people operating larger and faster machinery. Personally I don’t like it, but that’s how it’s gone.

There are people making a living off 200ac stock farms.

 

[Bury the Trash]

You are aware of your shortfalls though so are much safer in that respect unlike a 60 yo who still thinks he/she is 40 and is as agile /strong as they once were

and as he has, he says, a fat guts , well that doesn't help agility now does it.

Come to think of it I can still wear the suit i got married in , but I'm not sure the Mrs could still wear her dress

 

[Bury the Trash]

I would imagine that when we finish here, this farm will just be added on to somebody else’s farming business and the house sold off, so nobody will replace us. Our departure will not provide a viable opportunity for a young person, not least because the farm is no longer big enough to provide a living. What I’m trying to say is it isn’t a case of old folks moving aside to make way for younger people, it’s more about amalgamation and redundancy. Farms here get ever larger employing fewer and fewer people operating larger and faster machinery. Personally I don’t like it, but that’s how it’s gone.

Exactly , I was going to post similar.


There's plenty of farmers helping there sons and daughters on to take up farms as well, that's plenty enough competition for new entrants.

 

[wanton dwarf]

Mate of mine slipped with a large stilh went straight into the thigh and nicked the bone how the hell he never bled out Ill never know stuck his belt round the leg and walked a mile out the wood to his truck then drove to the hospital cut you could stick your whole hand in always makes me feel queasy when I see someone mishandling a saw now

With chainsaws I just don't know how to treat them. Got a chainbreak on the saws but so far not had one kick to any extent.

So should I relax and not fight the saw or should I tense in fear of a kick back ?

Really should have a training tool - without chain - that demonstrates a kick back.

 

[steveR]

Access to land doesn't have to mean access to someone else's capital.

Lack of secure access to land is my biggest hurdle. Recently had someone asking why I'm not putting nitrogen on land I've got on a grazing licence.

When it comes to grazing licences, I've learned at significant cost not to put anything on land that can't be rolled up and taken away. Spend money on inputs to improve someone's asset so they can charge more rent? Not a f**king chance.

And why are grazing licences so prevalent? The UK taxation and subsidy scheme which attaches such great financial advantage to being an "active farmer".

Abolish IHT entirely. Abolish all these enviro-schemes and subs. Or watch UK ag further continue its decline as a rich man's hobby.

OOI, what would be the ideal time scale for an "agreement", for your business model?

 

[wanton dwarf]

I would imagine that when we finish here, this farm will just be added on to somebody else’s farming business and the house sold off, so nobody will replace us. Our departure will not provide a viable opportunity for a young person, not least because the farm is no longer big enough to provide a living. What I’m trying to say is it isn’t a case of old folks moving aside to make way for younger people, it’s more about amalgamation and redundancy. Farms here get ever larger employing fewer and fewer people operating larger and faster machinery. Personally I don’t like it, but that’s how it’s gone.

That trend might end if farmers could sell at local market at retail prices.

But I would say a lot of very powerful people just won't allow that.

 

[steveR]

With chainsaws I just don't know how to treat them. Got a chainbreak on the saws but so far not had one kick to any extent.

So should I relax and not fight the saw or should I tense in fear of a kick back ?

Really should have a training tool - without chain - that demonstrates a kick back.

Almost right! Proper training... full stop!

Maybe not yourself, but certainly many could do with the local Ag colleges offering a weekend course again! Seen one old lad collecting timber and watching him with a 24" bar piece of chinese crap scares the shite out of me!

 

[DrWazzock]

There are people making a living off 200ac stock farms.

I am sure there are, just as there are people making a living off 5 acres of broiler houses. But I don't see a rush in this area to split up big arable operations into 200 acre stock farms. It goes one way here. Bigger acreages farmed with fewer bigger machines and fewer people all in the name of spreading overheads. The way I see it, it is a bit of a treadmill. Bigger machine needs more acres. More acres needs bigger machine. This isn't an exceptional livestock area. Grass is burnt off by end of June, turnips are hit and miss as to whether they establish. Without our own beet and barley we would have been knackered some years with the sheep if we'd relied on grass and forage crops.
Its all wrong of course. The soil is being mined by FBT merchants. You never see a lime spreader or a muck spreader. They benefit from old grass leys ploughed out then they move on. Modern extractive farming driven by the yellow trouser set talking it up to billy big balls.

 

[Bury the Trash]

With chainsaws I just don't know how to treat them. Got a chainbreak on the saws but so far not had one kick to any extent.

So should I relax and not fight the saw or should I tense in fear of a kick back ?

Really should have a training tool - without chain - that demonstrates a kick back.

To minimise the chances of kick back Make sure there is a clear path for the blade to cut right through and clear space around .
Don't use the ' dangerzone' tip of the guidebar.

There's plenty of info online , what a tremendous tool the web and computers are , no exscuse for any of us to be in the dark over any subject these days .

 

[DRC]

I would imagine that when we finish here, this farm will just be added on to somebody else’s farming business and the house sold off, so nobody will replace us. Our departure will not provide a viable opportunity for a young person, not least because the farm is no longer big enough to provide a living. What I’m trying to say is it isn’t a case of old folks moving aside to make way for younger people, it’s more about amalgamation and redundancy. Farms here get ever larger employing fewer and fewer people operating larger and faster machinery. Personally I don’t like it, but that’s how it’s gone.

Exactly this . Our landlords agents admit they eventually only want one or two tenants Farming the whole estate . Already three farmsteads lying empty with the land let on FBT . Madness and very sad in my opinion.
No chance of a young family getting a go.

 

[unlacedgecko]

To minimise the chances of kick back Make sure there is a clear path for the blade to cut right through and clear space around .
Don't use the ' dangerzone' tip of the guidebar.

There's plenty of info online , what a tremendous tool the web and computers are , no exscuse for any of us to be in the dark over any subject these days .

LANTRA CS30/31 maintenance cross cutting and felling. 5 day course £995. What price against life limiting injury or death?