I'm not sure as dairy farmers we work as hard as we think

frederick

Member
Location
south west
Today we finished putting up a concrete slurry store.
For the last month I have had a glimpse of the life of a construction worker.
So after bank holiday Monday they got into the car at 3 am Tuesday morning and arrived on site at 9.
They then worked from 7.30 till 5 every day until following Monday. All staying in a b and b. They then left for London and hoped to get home Friday night 11 days later.

Concrete pump man ok not hardwork but he was in his lorry 4 am on site by 7.30. didn't leave site until 7 would have got back to base after 10. Following day he had to spend in an office for his 3rd hs2 training session.
Crane man left Bristol Monday morning. Three days in cornwall back to me on Thursday.

They are probably paid reasonably. Their day is quite often longer than mine and they won't be home for a fortnight. I have two cooked meals everyday at home.

Got to say I was mighty impressed with all of them but wouldn't want their job for anything.

The plus has to be these people are out there we just somehow need to show that farming could actually offer so much more in a way of life than they currently get.

But then who is going to build my next project.
 

DairyNerd

Member
Livestock Farmer
Couldn't agree more with this, the attitude that 'farmers work harder than everyone else' holds the industry back, annoys people and puts good people off what can be a very rewarding career.

I am from non farming family and i know many people outside farming who work very hard indeed. It is a very different life leaving home in the morning, commuting to work then not coming back until the evening. I work long hours but i have all meals at home, no commute, plus time with my family when others do not. Coupled with the fact that a lot of farms are located where people aspire to live and cannot afford to unless you earn a six figure salary or more i find the 'hard done by farmer' line very irritating.
 

bar718

Member
We deal and talk to lots of chefs in London and when you talk to them about their day it makes you realise that farming isn’t that bad after all. One chef I know is at the train station before 6 in the morning to get the train into London then is doing the same return journey on an evening. The kitchen he work in has no outside windows as that is prime space in the office block he works in so in winter he is inside all day and does not see natural daylight during his working day
Compare that to our day and you soon appreciate the job we are lucky enough to be doing.
 

Wesley

Member
You’ve had an insight into one gang of construction workers. If your job was nearer to where they were based their work would’ve been much easier. I know of people who left agriculture & went to construction. They claim the money is much better & a far easier life. You’d need very deep pockets to tempt a lot of them to work on a farm.
 

onesiedale

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Derbyshire
Having worked in food factories/creameries for 8 years prior to taking a job on a farm I have seen both sides of the fence. I know which side I'd rather be on for a better life.
 

Kidds

Member
Horticulture
I used to get EA staff parking up at my place, they were supposed to be clearing the streams out. They sat in their van and did nothing whatsoever day after day.
I just thought it must be boring as Hell.
Sent them on their way in the end, told them to go and be idle feckers somewhere else.

I have always been grateful that I don't have to sit in an hour or more of traffic every morning and night.
Another big plus is that I actually quite like what I do (not a right lot these days) whereas most folk I know seem to be so relieved it is weekend and almost depressed when it comes round to Monday, I rarely know what day it is as it makes no difference. :)
 

Netherfield

Member
Location
West Yorkshire
Gang who used to come erecting poultry sheds got paid a price for the job, all self-employed, artic would bring a trailer with their home on the back.

They had to cook for themselves and no booze allowed until the job was finished.

These guys would work from dawn to dusk 7 days a week, then have a fortnight at home with the family before the next job..
 

Bald Rick

Moderator
Livestock Farmer
Location
Anglesey
Ones that fitted the Wilson cubicle mats here didn’t go home they just slept in my shed in a tent. Might be the same ones

That's them. Came with father. Had to translate for my builder when they wanted something
Never seen such graft... and no ear defenders

IIRC one had to go home to docs with diabetes. And they got done for overloaded transit
 

Shann_mann

Member
Yes you builders worked long hours and did a good job of it. But do they not get paid well or paid holidays? Ask them to do those hours for less than minimum wage and to find a man who is good enough to cover him when he goes on holiday and to pay him. I bet they would be less willing then.
 

Sharpy

Member
Livestock Farmer
The big thing that I see is that there are a lot of people working very hard, doing long hours at tough physical jobs, BUT they do a week or a fortnight or a month like this then have a rest for two days or a week or whatever. They go away on holiday 2 or 3 times a year and have a fortnight off at Christmas.
Stock farming and Asian corner shops are about the only businesses that are based on the owner working 80hrs a week plus with no weekends off, no public holidays and if they are lucky reduced hrs on Christmas day. Its this grind that does the damage along with the physiological pressure of not being able to just stop for a couple of days.
 
Location
cumbria
I had someone ring me up the other day to offer me a job as he had heard the cows are going.
The job sounded too much like hard work to me

I'm on the easy side of the block now tho, if he'd rung me during calving/service I might have taken it😂
 

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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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