- Location
- Glen Clova, Angus, DD8 4RD
"Improving Our Lot" - Planned Holistic Grazing, for starters..
- Thread starter Kiwi Pete
- Start date
- Location
- NSW, Newstralya
- Location
- Owaka, New Zealand
So grateful you introduced me to Soils For Life
- Location
- Owaka, New Zealand
Quite common to see rebar posts used with poly pipe slipped over them as an insulator
Hard to get much cheaper, or easier to drive for that matter
- Location
- NSW, Newstralya
So grateful you introduced me to Soils For Life
if that's all ive achieved here, its been worthwhile
ive highlighted Maddy before - I think she is an awesome example of someone NOT from a farming background or generations of "tradition" being able to look at things objectively, rather than "that's what we've always done"
- Location
- Owaka, New Zealand
You're actually quite the coach, you probably don't see it in yourself - but I have put a fair few bucks in the account thanks to your 'questions'if that's all ive achieved here, its been worthwhile
ive highlighted Maddy before - I think she is an awesome example of someone NOT from a farming background or generations of "tradition" being able to look at things objectively, rather than "that's what we've always done"
It's useful to have someone outside your own paradigm asking 'why do/would you do that??' because locals and mates simply "will not portray their ignorance" if you catch my drift
Someone who doesn't have a non-brittle environment and a livestock background sees what's hidden in plain sight. And you have the balls to ask.
ShooTa
Member
- Location
- Denbighshire - In the vale of Clwyd!
I like that idea - i was wondering about rebar but hadnt clocked about the poly idea... i was about to go start cleaving some oak but ive not got a brake made yet.
- Location
- Owaka, New Zealand
Understanding… the Cost and the Value of Gain – - Pharo Cattle Company
It seems as though most cow-calf producers are always looking for ways to increase weaning weights. They can accomplish their goal by using large-framed, high-growth bulls, feeding expensive supplements, implanting calves and by using wormers and other toxic chemicals. Of course, the...
www.pharocattle.com
- Location
- Owaka, New Zealand
Lots of things work pretty well, the bonus of the polypipe/rebar posts is that you can just put a half-hitch in the poly/tape at each one which can then be slid up or down to suit.
Otherwise your bottom wires disappear in summer and your current disappears everytime it rains
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- Location
- NSW, Newstralya
I’ve been planning on limiting my TFF exposure, but I had to share this & here is probably the best place.
I was just listening to ABC ( our equivalent of BBC ) radio. A Sydney based afternoon show, a regular money / investment segment
The regular expert / investment advice guru, was saying that BEEF was the big investment for the future. Particularly Australia & North America
This was a cold, objective, no emotion involved view based purely on analysis with a global perspective & investment advice with a view of making money
take from that what you will . . .
I just thought it was an interesting counter point to all the vegan & “the jobs fûcked” negative post that seem to dominate THFF
How that relates to the UK - I have no idea. Just realise that there is a HUGE demand worldwide for animal protein . . .
THFF
( the hobby farmer forum )
as so many ( in other threads of course ) seem to treat farming like a tax payer funded hobby / birth right, rather than a business . . .
I was just listening to ABC ( our equivalent of BBC ) radio. A Sydney based afternoon show, a regular money / investment segment
The regular expert / investment advice guru, was saying that BEEF was the big investment for the future. Particularly Australia & North America
This was a cold, objective, no emotion involved view based purely on analysis with a global perspective & investment advice with a view of making money
take from that what you will . . .
I just thought it was an interesting counter point to all the vegan & “the jobs fûcked” negative post that seem to dominate THFF
How that relates to the UK - I have no idea. Just realise that there is a HUGE demand worldwide for animal protein . . .
THFF
( the hobby farmer forum )
as so many ( in other threads of course
) seem to treat farming like a tax payer funded hobby / birth right, rather than a business . . .
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- Location
- Owaka, New Zealand
Beef is massive
Massive beef is expensive
As per the link I shared above you really have to understand just where the big gains lie in value, not in weight; or in another angle anyone can grow beef fast but it's a business, not a "forget the cost" race to 750kg.
Meat is a commodity, and needs to be produced according to what it actually is, not what you think it is
Massive beef is expensive
As per the link I shared above you really have to understand just where the big gains lie in value, not in weight; or in another angle anyone can grow beef fast but it's a business, not a "forget the cost" race to 750kg.
Meat is a commodity, and needs to be produced according to what it actually is, not what you think it is
- Location
- Owaka, New Zealand
Profit and profits go hand in hand.
Unsure what else does, I would venture that productivity of the area used is relatively important;
eg I can't make much profit off 100 acres if I only have 6 cows and 6 calves unless I do something special with marketing, and it doesn't really matter how "productive" they are, or how productive I am at feeding and watering them
But if I have 620 sheep and 62 cattle on it, then I might make money because I have fixed costs associated with the land and also with the business itself - by fixed I mean they would be there if I had no sales and no animals
It probably doesn' matter how productive your wheat crop is either if the inputs used 'being a productive crop' are the same or greater than the sales figure, and I think that's where the likes of "productivity grants" are excellent, eg they get people spending money on drills they don't need and then seed because they have a new drill
And spending money on sheep handling kit to handle sheep that really shouldn't need need handled or God would have made them with handles... but while they're in maybe you could wear out some old cutters and give them a drench and be all productive - ie, raise your COP and that definitely relates to profit - all around the town
Maybe time is money because the farmer pays himself/herself by the hour or has a paying job in town to go to...?
But otherwise I would have my own questions for the speaker about who all this productivity actually benefits because ingredients for meals aren't exactly in short supply AFAIK
I did question if they meant productivity of produce or productivity of profit that's when I got the answer above and a blank look
I struggle with the whole productivity thing as in what is meant by it, its not something that has really come in to how I do things especially when it always seems to be linked to producing more, I am probably not putting this very well and didn't yesterday hence the blank look
I struggle with the whole productivity thing as in what is meant by it, its not something that has really come in to how I do things especially when it always seems to be linked to producing more, I am probably not putting this very well and didn't yesterday hence the blank look
that did come up in relation to the grants we can get from the small grants scheme, I said they are not small enough as there is a lower limit and so folk by stuff they don't need and even if they do need it it becomes more expensive because there is a grant on it, that got another interesting look
NFU meeting BTW
I actually decided to open my gob instead of sitting at the back looking stupid which is not hard,
The point I made that we should be talking up grassland beef/lamb farming from the environmental point of view and not just be defensive about it but they seem to want to push the tech route to cutting emissions rather than the do less but work with nature way that I would prefer and still linked it with production as in more of
I think it comes back to Roy's vid and wanting to feed the world rather than look after yourself and those around you.
Lots of talk about the country's food self sufficiency
I don't see it as my problem or job but lots it would seem do
I actually decided to open my gob instead of sitting at the back looking stupid which is not hard,
The point I made that we should be talking up grassland beef/lamb farming from the environmental point of view and not just be defensive about it but they seem to want to push the tech route to cutting emissions rather than the do less but work with nature way that I would prefer and still linked it with production as in more of
I think it comes back to Roy's vid and wanting to feed the world rather than look after yourself and those around you.
Lots of talk about the country's food self sufficiency
I don't see it as my problem or job but lots it would seem do
- Location
- Owaka, New Zealand
Just keep your head in the right space.
Pretend money's no object, it usually works out close to that; make improving your bit your absolute focus because they certainly aren't going to feed the world with soils that have been mined to waste
and anyway if we feed the world they only make more folk to feed and want it for less so its a thankless task
- Location
- Glen Clova, Angus, DD8 4RD
An interesting webinar from last week. Niels Corfield talking through the whole soil health process and its potential for making rainfall more effective.
Webinar recordings - NERC Natural Flood Management research programme
Optimising NFM in headwater catchments to protect downstream communities. Moorland restoration, including gully blocking, Sphagnum reintroduction and upland woodland planting.
research.reading.ac.uk
Were you at that sheep meeting in frome last night? Was going to go but forgot it was on