impossible to farm?

[Cab-over Pete]

Certainly interesting.

We have 14 acres and I would love to know how we could do something quite intensive on it to at least earn a part of our wage from. At the moment it’s just grazed but with varying soil types on it I’m sure we could make more from it.

 

[YorkshireAndrew]

Sell us more fodder, but if they're importing from the continent then England must haven't much either.

There was a woman on a Facebook page saying that fodder was leaving Ireland like it was going out of fashion . Shortages everywhere it would appear .

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Sell us more fodder, but if they're importing from the continent then England must haven't much either.

what you describe is the same here, if Ireland was in the state we are here which it seems you are would you be exporting fodder

 

[New Puritan]

You should start a diary thread like @Selectamatic or @Kevtherev

Sounds like your system would be very interesting to follow (in my opinion anyway).

Thanks @ThatsSomeSheep - I have considered it, but maybe I'm not quite ready yet. Re-reading my post, I didn't mean to sound so glib, and I do really feel for those that are experiencing real difficulties. There's a few on this forum who moan about everything though, so it's a bit cry wolf. When I started using the forum in earnest last summer there was lots of talk of it being 'another 1976', and now they're all going on about the rain.

Thing is, the business side and the plant growing bit of farming I'm not too bad at, it's the fighting with old tractors part that makes me feel like a right numpty, and I'm very grateful for all the help the collective wisdom of TFF has given me over the last couple of years that I've been doing this.

 

[Princess Pooper]

After avidly reading this forum since its inception, I see you are constantly labouring under this misapprehension.
Almost no other business in other industrys set their own prices. It is always your competitors that set the prices, and it is up to the individual business to decide if they wish to compete with them for customers who will buy their products or services.
If , for instance Ford doubled the price of a Focus, do you not think their sales would be non existent when there is plenty of alternatives on the market.

Farming is not unique.

but..... a Ford focus can sit in a showroom, or in a holding compound, for a few months. Yes there is an element of overheads and interest on working capital, just as with combinable crops. However, meat animals cost a lot more and risk going out of spec if they are not marketed when ready. Fresh produce will rot if not harvested when ready and has an extremely short shelf life with the freezer market the only 'backstop'. Milk is unsaleable after 2 days and the cows HAVE to be milked for welfare reasons so there is always more being 'harvested'.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

but..... a Ford focus can sit in a showroom, or in a holding compound, for a few months. Yes there is an element of overheads and interest on working capital, just as with combinable crops. However, meat animals cost a lot more and risk going out of spec if they are not marketed when ready. Fresh produce will rot if not harvested when ready and has an extremely short shelf life with the freezer market the only 'backstop'. Milk is unsaleable after 2 days and the cows HAVE to be milked for welfare reasons so there is always more being 'harvested'.

Joys of selling out control of most sectors' marketing and sales - due to lack of cooperation and investment..

To complement this analogy, mainstream British Ag has the Focus parked on the roadside with "offers" chalked on the glass, it appears anything with a limited shelflife is simply offered up to The Supermarket Gods for whatever they will offer to maintain a supply.

I don't think farmers can blame supermarkets however convenient it may be to do so, that is the kings shilling at work, nothing "needed to be done" in time.

It appears that is where "exceptionality" went terribly terribly wrong for Ag UK - attitude - take The Netherlands as contrast, they dealt with famines and remain the pinnacle of cooperative efforts from moneylending to marketing.
Very little excuses for performance need exist because the Dutch have a much, much different attitude to business and wealth.

 

[rob1]

Joys of selling out control of most sectors' marketing and sales - due to lack of cooperation and investment..

To complement this analogy, mainstream British Ag has the Focus parked on the roadside with "offers" chalked on the glass, it appears anything with a limited shelflife is simply offered up to The Supermarket Gods for whatever they will offer to maintain a supply.

I don't think farmers can blame supermarkets however convenient it may be to do so, that is the kings shilling at work, nothing "needed to be done" in time.

It appears that is where "exceptionality" went terribly terribly wrong for Ag UK - attitude - take The Netherlands as contrast, they dealt with famines and remain the pinnacle of cooperative efforts from moneylending to marketing.
Very little excuses for performance need exist because the Dutch have a much, much different attitude to business and wealth.

Dairy farmers had the chance to join milk marque but took the silver shilling, the same with central grain storage the clever ones think they can do better than the coops, and maybe like the milk job back when MM was formed on day one they can but long term everyone gets shafted by the big companies. Thats why I sell direct to the end buyer I take ALL the profit

 

[DeeGee]

Yes, those ubiquitous clever people who brag and boast about how they have grabbed another penny by shafting everyone else will always sacrifice the greater long term good by strangling co operation at birth.

 

[johnspeehs]

There was a woman on a Facebook page saying that fodder was leaving Ireland like it was going out of fashion . Shortages everywhere it would appear .

Any mention of where it is going ? I can't see that being correct , the price it's making here I can't see it being economically viable to put it on a boat.

 

[Farmer Roy]

Any mention of where it is going ? I can't see that being correct , the price it's making here I can't see it being economically viable to put it on a boat.

unless it was being sold elsewhere for much more, in which case it would make a lot of sense ?

 

[YorkshireAndrew]

Any mention of where it is going ? I can't see that being correct , the price it's making here I can't see it being economically viable to put it on a boat.

She reckoned it was going to England , desperate times mean desperate measures .

 

[johnspeehs]

She must have her wires crossed, it's £30+a bale for silage here IF and its a big if you can find any, haulage to mainland would be £15 minimum, can't see how that would add up. Is she sure it's not bales of rubbish? A lot goes out as wrapped bales.

 

[YorkshireAndrew]

She must have her wires crossed, it's £30+a bale for silage here IF and its a big if you can find any, haulage to mainland would be £15 minimum, can't see how that would add up. Is she sure it's not bales of rubbish? A lot goes out as wrapped bales.

She said it was forage as she had horses & was having difficulty finding it for her own use .

 

[johnspeehs]

Her difficulty might be that there was very little haylage made here last year so it is very scarce but there’s plenty coming in from mainland at £60 for a 4x4 round or from Spain at silly money if she looks around.