How much land does it take to pay an employees wages ??

[curlietailz]

just pondering
On an arable farm
How much land could one man look after himself ... using an extra driver to corn cart and perhaps using targeted contractors to do certain jobs
From that scenario
How much extra land would you need to justify a full time employee

??

 

[farmbrew]

It would depend on level of mechanisation, etc. but I would guess 500ac if all combinable crops.
Could possibly double it if big posh machinery is available. Root crops would be a different issue.

 

[Mark C]

just pondering
On an arable farm
How much land could one man look after himself ... using an extra driver to corn cart and perhaps using targeted contractors to do certain jobs
From that scenario
How much extra land would you need to justify a full time employee

??

Chap near me has a proper paying job and farms 400 acres arable. , no till, he does the drilling , spraying and fert spreading and gets a contractor to combine

 

[steveR]

Chap near me has a proper paying job and farms 400 acres arable. , no till, he does the drilling , spraying and fert spreading and gets a contractor to combine

It's the Future...

 

[bobk]

I used to reckon 50 cows to pay for a worker ,

 

[teslacoils]

1000ac per man. All combinables.

Although the likelihood is you'd be better off getting a contractor in anyway.

 

[bobk]

1000ac per man. All combinables.

Although the likelihood is you'd be better off getting a contractor in anyway.

Really ? wow

 

[Al R]

1000ac per man. All combinables.

Although the likelihood is you'd be better off getting a contractor in anyway.

Mainly down to field sizes and cultivation techniques I would say.
Average under 10 acre on plough based probably 5-800ac per person. 40 acre fields all mine till/DD over 1,000acre per person
There are way to many variables, ring fenced or spread over 20 mile etc…

 

[teslacoils]

The big outfits have been on 1000ac a man round here for 5 years.

Think backwards- if you put in a rent, a decent wage, good gear etc then how much do you need to work to get a margin?

 

[teslacoils]

If it's "bought and paid for" and granny, aunty, sister etc aren't all expecting a handout, then you can have loads of staff and do your winter ditching with shovels.

 

[Bald Rick]

I used to reckon 50 cows to pay for a worker ,

Rule of thumb is one man to 100 cows
Would suggest that current returns puts that at 1:150

 

[bobk]

Rule of thumb is one man to 100 cows
Would suggest that current returns puts that at 1:150

Good job I got out

 

[gone up the hill]

I used to reckon 50 cows to pay for a worker ,

Beef cattle/sucklers they now reckon 500 head per one worker!

One hell of a lot of work if that one worker does all the paperwork/tractor work/ deals with the FA bulls**t etc etc!

So if you want any time off you need to be running 650/700 head of beef stock in real terms per one full time worker!

 

[bobk]

Beef cattle/sucklers they now reckon 500 head per one worker!

One hell of a lot of work if that one worker does all the paperwork/tractor work/ deals with the FA bullsh*t etc etc!

So if you want any time off you need to be running 650/700 hI wasead of beef stock in real terms per one full time worker!

I was talking milkers

 

[gone up the hill]

I was talking milkers

100/150 dairy cows per man is not that many tbh.

Thou of course if they want regular time off then you can add 30+ cows to the above figures per worker!

 

[Steevo]

It all depends what you see as the scope of work. Just arable operations as done by contractors, or the paperwork, day to day maintenance, ditching, management, etc.

Even without farming it a few hundred/thousand acres of land has quite a workload just standing still as it is.

 

[renewablejohn]

Probably looking at an acre of Glasshouse for similar return to 1000 acre cereal

 

[Ivorbiggun]

Farm near us is doing 5000 acres with 3 full time staff, students for harvest.
That works out at 1,666 acres per man.

 

[Farmer Roy]

Chap near me has a proper paying job and farms 400 acres arable. , no till, he does the drilling , spraying and fert spreading and gets a contractor to combine

err, I’m farming 800 ha ( 2000 acre arable ), mostly zero till, with a full time job in town.
I do the planting, but use long term, reliable contractors for spraying, fert spreading & harvest

 

[Hfd Cattle]

I remember reading few yrs ago about someone who runs just over 1000 acres on his own with basically 2 big tractors ,sprayer and a 36'cut combine and no till kit . 3 crops ..wheat,barley then rape rotated in 3 blocks and his average field size was 63 acres . He will get someone in to cart the corn if the weather is looking dodgy otherwise its all done on his own . It also said he aims to be all planted up by 15 October !
Can't remember where I saw it but I suppose if your kitted out correctly it can be done .