I remember the time when...

DeeGee

Member
Location
North East Wales
When you could keep a family well by milking 50 cows

In the 1960s and 70s small mixed farms of about100 acres could keep a family fairly well, often with a worker employed as well.
200 plus mixed acres in that era was enough to give a comfortable lifestyle for the farmer who probably had at least two workers doing most of the routine work with he helping out at busy times, or basically doing what he chose to do rather than what had to be done every day.
 

DrWazzock

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire
In the 1960s and 70s small mixed farms of about100 acres could keep a family fairly well, often with a worker employed as well.
200 plus mixed acres in that era was enough to give a comfortable lifestyle for the farmer who probably had at least two workers doing most of the routine work with he helping out at busy times, or basically doing what he chose to do rather than what had to be done every day.

Still doing it.(y)
 

Roy_H

Member
I remember the day I left school, it was just after lunch time l said my goodbyes to the teachers and then just walked out. None of this have to be let out of a padlocked gate, (Because the school is surrounded by 8 foot high fencing and it's the only way in or out) by a member of staff who has to have a DBS check to be allowed to work there, wearing a label with their photograph around their neck palaver. Oh how times have changed.
 
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primmiemoo

Member
Location
Devon
Peardrax and Cydrax ,crates of it in the milking cool house, couple of glasses each after throwing the bales in the barn, before going back to the field.. happy days.

Cresta* for us. The contractor unearthed some empty bottles when casting up the hedge in what must have been the last field ever where Dad made, baled and drayed hay in by himself (with we kids rolling the bales** into groups ready to pitch into apexes should the weather turn without warning), and Mum brought us out drinkings and a snack.
Contractor wasn't so much as an imagining of a twinkle then. He was fascinated that I'd done that sort of work as a child. He'd thought his father's age group was the last, his father being 10 years older than me.


*It's frothy, man! :cool:

** not big or strong enough to carry them by the cords.
 

DrWazzock

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire
We sold dressed turkeys off the dining room table at Christmas
We drove the sawbench with a belt and pulley and dad used to put his foot against it as it gathered speed to keep it on.
They used to lift you down off the trailer with the bale slave and see if they could shake you off.
Roofers walked across purlins 20 foot up with no safety nets while smoking a fag.
Folks put a stihl saw through a batch of asbestos sheets to mitre the corners off and still lived till 84.
And the stump blaster came and landed one on the 11 kv line during princess Anne's first wedding and as kids we helped him pack the explosives under the stumps.
Hand hoeing beet rows for 5p a 600 yard row.
A lot of the old fellows in town had wooden legs because they'd lost one in the war and they'd tell some story or lift you up by your collar.
An STD was something you dialled before the local number.
Doing a ton on the M180 was a good night out.
 

Goffer

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Yorkshire
Yfc ploughing match one lad forgot his marking sticks , took to using a white post in the distance! Turn out was a ships mast on the river , was in the next plot by the time he got to the other end concentrating far too much looking forward opening a rig .
 

fingermouse

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
cheshire
I remember the day I left school, it was just after lunch time l said my goodbyes to the teachers and then just walked out. None of this have to be let out of a padlocked gate, (the school itself surrounded by 8 foot high fencing) by a member of staff wearing a label with their photograph around their neck palaver. Oh how times have changed.
I left school on the 22nd June 1982 it was early afternoon had sat a maths o level ( failed miserably ) then as was customary met the headmaster whom I recall rattled on about some crap about wasted years etc :whistle:
Got on my pushbike and was home in 20 mins
First thing Dad said was chuck your blazer off and don’t bother changing out of the rest of your uniform you won’t need em again
Then hop on that tractor and go down the field and start staking into sixes them 2000 odd bales of hay :wtf:
I distinctly remember thinking I wished I had decided to do my English and history O levels that would have kept me at school for another day :ROFLMAO:
 
In the 1960s and 70s small mixed farms of about100 acres could keep a family fairly well, often with a worker employed as well.
200 plus mixed acres in that era was enough to give a comfortable lifestyle for the farmer who probably had at least two workers doing most of the routine work with he helping out at busy times, or basically doing what he chose to do rather than what had to be done every day.
Today if wanted to milk 50 cows you have to get a second job
 

Derrick Hughes

Member
Location
Ceredigion
I remember the time when a 100hp tractor was a bloody huge tractor! ( Now tractors that size are considered only just big enough for hedge cutting and raking hay)
I can remember when dad bought a Martin Markam forager New in 1962 . He could not find a tractor with enough power to turn it . Fordson Major was useless . . The local Ford dealer sent a new Dexta out with high an low box . It drove it with ease and dad bought it on the spot
 

bovrill

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
East Essexshire
I left school on the 22nd June 1982 it was early afternoon had sat a maths o level ( failed miserably ) then as was customary met the headmaster whom I recall rattled on about some crap about wasted years etc :whistle:
Got on my pushbike and was home in 20 mins
First thing Dad said was chuck your blazer off and don’t bother changing out of the rest of your uniform you won’t need em again
Then hop on that tractor and go down the field and start staking into sixes them 2000 odd bales of hay :wtf:
I distinctly remember thinking I wished I had decided to do my English and history O levels that would have kept me at school for another day :ROFLMAO:
I did my exams with my whole back peeling off from sunburn from stacking hay on the trailers. Every exam was a case of cycle into school from working, then straight back to the field afterwards (it must have been a nice June . . . another thing we don't get these days :rolleyes:)
 

Derrick Hughes

Member
Location
Ceredigion
Bought a tear to my eye

The beginning of it all
20190413_205653.jpg
 
I started up in the 50's with a new wife , 12 milk cows , bought in Lanark, rented 80 acres , and a £1,600 loan from my F-in - L . The grant then was 85% on approved jobs , but it was quite easy to get the approval . I certainly remember thinking "Yes , 85% good ! but if you couldn't raise the other 15 % , it wasn't much benefit . You could get fertiliser , liming, and slag on it too , as well as building jobs . It was called "The marginal land scheme " ( Old lad never asked for his money back either !. )
 

Pond digger

Never Forgotten
Honorary Member
Location
East Yorkshire
Cresta* for us. The contractor unearthed some empty bottles when casting up the hedge in what must have been the last field ever where Dad made, baled and drayed hay in by himself (with we kids rolling the bales** into groups ready to pitch into apexes should the weather turn without warning), and Mum brought us out drinkings and a snack.
Contractor wasn't so much as an imagining of a twinkle then. He was fascinated that I'd done that sort of work as a child. He'd thought his father's age group was the last, his father being 10 years older than me.


*It's frothy, man! :cool:

** not big or strong enough to carry them by the cords.
Crests; that brings back memories. Weird colours!
 

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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