"Improving Our Lot" - Planned Holistic Grazing, for starters..

[Kiwi Pete]

571grams a day!!! That’s very impressive in anyone’s book. Well done you!

Well done them- I do nothing!

These critters haven't even been vaccinated

but it does show the merits (or lack of merit) with the short-grass controlled starvation type of pasture management; even when I think there is 'no grass' the gains tell a different story

where it is dry, I guess there is a lot more merit in storing water/Carbon in the crops and soil, but I just aim to store it as fat in their backs and get them gone ASAP.

Took this after one day's grazing, they will get another day in here and move on.
We're well and truly in a grass surplus, pasture balance date on the dairy farms was about a fortnight ago and we're understocked

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

Is this 40 head or 40 cows with respective followers? Asking because im trying to do just this and if it’s possible then I know I have an achievable target. Thanks

Cows. If selling calves at weaning then, for part t of the year, all you'd have on farm is the cows and a bull. It takes strict cost control though.

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

Yes, better to make a profit on a small number of cows than a loss on a lot of cows.

People like you will be the death of the inputs industry

 

[Treg]

People like you will be the death of the inputs industry

The accountant said to me the first year "have you missed out a lot of costs in your books"

 

[texas pete]

The accountant said to me the first year "have you missed out a lot of costs in your books"

Yes, because I didn’t f**king spend it!!!

 

[Treg]

The accountant said to me the first year "have you missed out a lot of costs in your books"

There was one year afew years ago that he also said I was one of 12 farmers on his books, I was the smallest farm on his books but the only one that showed a profit that year, I think that's quite sad.
Also there was a thread a couple of days ago where someone stated they had just under 1000 acres and couldn't see a future in it , I know farming varies around the country and I probably farm in one of the easiest but really no profit/ future on a 1000 acres, surely that's someone's business model rather than the state of the farming industry or am I missing something?

 

[Kiwi Pete]

I love "not spending"

it's just like retail therapy, but completely different.. seeing what you can do without, and not doing what doesn't really need done.

For us one of the best things about 'grazing' is that we don't really run up costs anyway.. if the stock need a contractor or meds then the cost gets passed on. All of that bothersome expenditure

 

[farmgineer]

Depends on how much you call a living?
25 cows with follows here, new tractor every few years + keep machinery up to date & reasonable living.

That’s great, really inspiring. Our farm is owned as my great Uncle worked really hard and paid it off years ago before leaving it to my Dad.
I have alternative employment, so really I’m trying to work out how to make ends meet without SFP when it ends. It needs to cover the bills and put a little away for rainy days or future improvements etc. This is how I ended up following this forum.
My brother and I have regular discussions about how to get to our goal and I often use the information I’ve gained on here to furnish my arguments that the only things we should spend on are animal welfare, safe handling facilities, fencing and water. Anything else gets a serious case of how do we do without?
Thank you all for the interesting and thought provoking input.

 

[Henarar]

I love "not spending"

it's just like retail therapy, but completely different.. seeing what you can do without, and not doing what doesn't really need done

think to yourself, "what would happen if I didn't do that"

 

[Henarar]

Yes, because I didn’t fudgeing spend it!!!

if you don't spend it you haven't got to make it back

 

[Henarar]

There was one year afew years ago that he also said I was one of 12 farmers on his books, I was the smallest farm on his books but the only one that showed a profit that year, I think that's quite sad.
Also there was a thread a couple of days ago where someone stated they had just under 1000 acres and couldn't see a future in it , I know farming varies around the country and I probably farm in one of the easiest but really no profit/ future on a 1000 acres, surely that's someone's business model rather than the state of the farming industry or am I missing something?

I had a similar thing years ago, been a bad year we had shown a bit of profit but not much I said to the accountant not sure what to do but it don't look to good do it she said well there are farms five times your size would love to see that, I shut up and went on.
Better not more

 

[som farmer]

i started of just before BSE struck, my start up capitol disappeared, in the valuation drop, chuck in a bad accident, and i was very lucky to keep going, with cash being extremely tight, i worked on a principle, of 'do i need it', if it was a quick yes, i got it, if i hesitated, i didn't. Worked well for me.

 

[awkward]

Should the question be what would happen if I was not their,what would the stock do naturally

 

[JohnGalway]

There was one year afew years ago that he also said I was one of 12 farmers on his books, I was the smallest farm on his books but the only one that showed a profit that year, I think that's quite sad.
Also there was a thread a couple of days ago where someone stated they had just under 1000 acres and couldn't see a future in it , I know farming varies around the country and I probably farm in one of the easiest but really no profit/ future on a 1000 acres, surely that's someone's business model rather than the state of the farming industry or am I missing something?

The other thing to consider is the difficulty in change, how conventional industry pressures both politicians and civil servants to change or bring in regulations so as to make it more difficult/expensive/too much hassle for farmers to farm in a way that generates a profit for the farmer, as opposed to the hanger on. Currently running into obstacles like that as I'm exploring other enterprises.

 

[Treg]

That’s great, really inspiring. Our farm is owned as my great Uncle worked really hard and paid it off years ago before leaving it to my Dad.
I have alternative employment, so really I’m trying to work out how to make ends meet without SFP when it ends. It needs to cover the bills and put a little away for rainy days or future improvements etc. This is how I ended up following this forum.
My brother and I have regular discussions about how to get to our goal and I often use the information I’ve gained on here to furnish my arguments that the only things we should spend on are animal welfare, safe handling facilities, fencing and water. Anything else gets a serious case of how do we do without?
Thank you all for the interesting and thought provoking input.

Brilliant, enjoy the journey, it's the best job there is

 

[Treg]

The other thing to consider is the difficulty in change, how conventional industry pressures both politicians and civil servants to change or bring in regulations so as to make it more difficult/expensive/too much hassle for farmers to farm in a way that generates a profit for the farmer, as opposed to the hanger on. Currently running into obstacles like that as I'm exploring other enterprises.

I think difficulty in change is a big issue in farming, mainly because it's a aging work force & I'm finding it harder to be open minded & change as I get older.

 

[texas pete]

I love "not spending"

it's just like retail therapy, but completely different.. seeing what you can do without, and not doing what doesn't really need

Any chance you could have a word with my wife??

 

[Kiwi Pete]

think to yourself, "what would happen if I didn't do that"

That's about the strength of it, what would happen if U didn't subdivide that, what would happen if I halved the density and doubled the time

etc

and it's a very easy test

 

[bendigeidfran]

I think not spending comes naturaly to some.
Father said he gave me, sister and younger brother a pound to spend in a coffe eavning to raise money for the school.
I came home with 50p sister had spent her pound, brother was beging his grandfather for more money half way through.

 

[JohnGalway]

Have saved €2k after two conversations this morning and this evening, pretty happy with that as I can redirect it to something profit making.