Farming and the ageing process

[Goweresque]

Taxation and IHT relief no barrier to UK share farming. The landowner is still the active farmer.

The barrier to share farming in the UK is not tax, its human nature. An elderly person who has spent X decades farming their farm exactly the way they want it is not psychologically prepared to let go of the reins and have a completely new person on the farm deciding things on an equal basis. Its a recipe for arguments and fallings out. UK farmers are notorious for not wanting to co-operate and elderly ones even more so.

 

[Red Fred]

For those types it's fine if they're lucky enough to "die in harness" but a miserable old age though if they become incapable of farming.

That's where Dad is now at 88. He openly says he's done everything he wanted to and would do it all again but wants to die now because he just can't do it any more. I can't really blame him for feeling that way either, He's no longer got any interests at all.

Mum was just like this in her last days. She spent her entire married life on the farm, and one of her few flaws was being stubborn to the point that she would suffer for it rather than show a crack of softness. She felt she had to be seen to be working and wouldn't take holidays or have anything done to the house as it might appear as a weakness. Of course, no one else took any notice but her attitude became more insular over the years, until she became bedridden through arthritis. In the end she spent her final 7 or 8 years lying in bed in the front room, but she still refused to accept the attempts we made to make life more bearable, such as the big screen telllie we bought and the radio set up. She hadn't many interests or friends from outside either but seemed to carry on through force of stubbornness. I must say I dread endnig up like that.

 

[Lowland1]

For those types it's fine if they're lucky enough to "die in harness" but a miserable old age though if they become incapable of farming.

That's where Dad is now at 88. He openly says he's done everything he wanted to and would do it all again but wants to die now because he just can't do it any more. I can't really blame him for feeling that way either, He's no longer got any interests at all.

I put a like but because it’s true rather than i like the sentiment. My Dad was exactly the same got to 78 and found he couldn’t work anymore but had zero interest in organising others to do that work so basically gave up. Would do a bit for me fetching spares etc but he was and always wanted to be a hands on farmers and when he couldn’t do that it was just sit in the chair watch the cricket and wait for the end which wasn’t very pleasant when it happened.

 

[Overby]

Nothing sadder than those wrapped up in the idea that they're impressing everyone by being at work all the time. Utterly tragic as many are laughed at rather than admired. Anyone can do whatever they want in my mind, and fair play, but most of these 'look at me' types , stubbornly working away are as miserable as sin.......not sure what the point is myself. Might be the old ' my father did this before me' scenario, but not breaking the mould and blindly following the same route due to lack of willpower or spine makes me feel pity. Not to mention how many younger generations get chased away due to the 'hero' refusing to change.

On a health note, I agree that the active farming life is good for increasing health into old age.I'm in my 40s but I've had both my hips done and various other repairs to my neck and knees, but those were all primarily sport related, those things are fixed and my general health is miles better than most of my desk driving, Greggs supporting, desk jockey pals.

 

[Clive]

Not if you love what you do!

i love what i do but i’m not sure i want to do it forever and maybe there are other things i would equally love doing

its a case of whatever makes you happy I guess

 

[ollie989898]

You guys must have seen my older man on a handler, got him to a T

I can beat that, you should see my old man using a chainsaw...

 

[ollie989898]

Have said it before, this isn't the farming forum, it's the retiring landowner forum. Any other industry got a forum where the majority of posters are over 50 ? It's not exactly a sign of a vibrant industry.

Seriously, what difference does it make how many times any of the contributors to this forum have been around the sun?

Folk are busy farming. It keeps them active and occupied and they produce a bit of food and generally keep the cuds looking tidy. Would you prefer they all took up building model railways or drinking white lightning whilst smashing up bus stops all day?

 

[delilah]

Seriously, what difference does it make how many times any of the contributors to this forum have been around the sun?

Folk are busy farming. It keeps them active and occupied and they produce a bit of food and generally keep the cuds looking tidy. Would you prefer they all took up building model railways or drinking white lightning whilst smashing up bus stops all day?

I think it is important, in that it is a contributing factor to an issue of growing importance to the industry: Critical mass.

 

[Lowland1]

I think it is important, in that it is a contributing factor to an issue of growing importance to the industry: Critical mass.

I have two kids boy and a girl 21 and 20 if i didn’t have a farming business what chance would they have of ever running their own farm pretty close to zero i’d think.

 

[delilah]

I have two kids boy and a girl 21 and 20 if i didn’t have a farming business what chance would they have of ever running their own farm pretty close to zero i’d think.

Is that a vote for or against the person at the helm staying there until s/he is 80 ?

 

[Old McDonald]

A very interesting thread and most posters appear to have different problems regarding what is needed, wanted or expected in the future. We do not know how long that future will be either.

I will be 77 in less than a month. When younger (even up to 3 years ago) I could not imagine that I would be looking forward to retirement. We all age differently and I note some much younger than me are not as fit as others that are older. That is the way of the world. Now, I just want travel to open up so that I can begin pushing adverts to sell the place.

We moved here from the Black Isle when I was 59 – still raring to go and ready for yet another new challenge. We had a business based on free range eggs, mushrooms and honey which involved me being at markets or on the road at least 6 days a week and both of us were (literally) working in excess of 100 hours every week. We like our dinner at night, and often had to forego it to be ready for the next morning’s journey. More to life we thought, so we moved and I set up our present place for semi-retirement. It has been enjoyable and, an important factor in our choice of Portugal, the weather is almost always very pleasant – not too hot in summer, with the usual dry spell of Iberia, never really cold in winter and reasonable rainfall.

During 2018 I suddenly became old. Rugby injuries and falls from horses decades ago became reasons to stop me doing things. I could no longer move about as freely. I could not pick up 40kgs bags of urea, and even the 25kgs of other fertiliser were a struggle into the spreader at shoulder height. I deteriorated badly the next year and ended up needing heart surgery. Some days I do not feel like doing any work. Again – there is more to life than carrying on working and many people are dead long before the age we are now, including most of my relatives, so thankful not to have joined them.

I have done weight training, including some fairly heavy, for about 60 years, but now use only an exercise bike and dumbbells to keep joints and muscles right. I no longer hump barbells. I have no intention of losing what fitness I have so make the effort with the bike and dumbbells every day. I propose to fish as often as possible during my retirement, and looking forward to some vegetable gardening too. My wife always sees to the ornamental gardens. We both feel that being active is beneficial to achieving a longer life.

There is no easy answer. Some have family that want to take over. We do not. Our one son learned to “shovel sh!t” at a young age but does not farm. Eventually, unless the mind goes, I think most people will realise their time is up for continuing farming. It is all I ever wanted to do. Father was not a farmer so it was not easy to get started, but my wife and I have owned 5 farms between 9 and 3000+ acres in 4 countries in the last 50 years so are quite happy with what our working life has been, and have no qualms about retiring to enjoy some free time.

 

[Lowland1]

Is that a vote for or against the person at the helm staying there until s/he is 80 ?

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.

 

[ollie989898]

I have two kids boy and a girl 21 and 20 if i didn’t have a farming business what chance would they have of ever running their own farm pretty close to zero i’d think.

Which would be the exact same case for many many primary and secondary industries today. There are precious few family owned mining or (serious scale) manufacturing concerns these days.

 

[ollie989898]

I must qualify what I have posted on this thread with the disclaimer mind: if you are still doing something you no longer enjoy doing then for Godsake stop doing it and do something else you enjoy.

 

[B R C]

Interesting thread, I think it’s basically what floats your boat how long you stay farming, but I will say that the work hard with minimal time off no holidays other interests etc is perhaps something that gets indoctrinated and then becomes normal which I think is very sad. I’m only 50 but already reducing farming workload and selling non farming business, perhaps it’s because I’ve got bored of driving tractors, perhaps I shall get more interested in the farm overall if I’m not doing the day to day jobs. I am always thinking of new ideas though and I’m sure I’ll start up something else soon enough, I prefer variety and there is so much more out there to see and do than driving tractors. I can see the attraction of livestock farming more than arable even though there are no animals here, might be tempted by a few sheep....

 

[Gordy1]

I’ll turn 70 next year but feel I’m in my forties only difference now is I have to climb down from the tractor instead of jumping down as I used to do.......or is it that the machines have got a lot bigger now & need ladders to get up & down... what is this word retirement anyway, it’s not for me.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

My Job today . The first time I drove a tractor was in this field in the mid 60ts , discing with a Dexta . I've ploughed and worked it dozens of times since
I finished off with a small bike ride to blow the cobwebs out

 

[tinsheet]

I can beat that, you should see my old man using a chainsaw...

My old man is left handed and uses a chainsaw the wrong way, looks fudging lethal!!
still got all his arms legs fingers, not sure how

 

[Cowmansam]

Interesting thread, I think it’s basically what floats your boat how long you stay farming, but I will say that the work hard with minimal time off no holidays other interests etc is perhaps something that gets indoctrinated and then becomes normal which I think is very sad. I’m only 50 but already reducing farming workload and selling non farming business, perhaps it’s because I’ve got bored of driving tractors, perhaps I shall get more interested in the farm overall if I’m not doing the day to day jobs. I am always thinking of new ideas though and I’m sure I’ll start up something else soon enough, I prefer variety and there is so much more out there to see and do than driving tractors. I can see the attraction of livestock farming more than arable even though there are no animals here, might be tempted by a few sheep....

Buy a pig there cheaper haha

 

[ollie989898]

My old man is left handed and uses a chainsaw the wrong way, looks fudging lethal!!
still got all his arms legs fingers, not sure how

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...