Introduce Yourself

[holwellcourtfarm]

Thanks Pete. Appreciate it.

As for the land it absolutely is! The stigma to shake for me is we have had strong connection with it for 20 years and back then it was a bit if a tumble down relic, outsourced for every service and never really a business.

Now my parents run the show and at ages between 59 and 69 they are in the bracket of "why change it. If previous people have failed how could we"

I however am gung no let's get it back up to date and working again.

A larger farm that is next to ours decided just to sell up for a huge sum to developers. That is hands down not my intention nor theirs.

North Essex! Heaps of potential. A friendly climate, lots of disposable cash in local communities.

Don't be fooled into thinking it had to grow arable crops just because that's what it's done before.

I like Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's idea of community allotments as well: set a few acres aside for keen local folk to grow their own food in return for a small proportion donated to you. Everyone wins.

The fantastic solar deals stopped here when the government cut the FiT rate but it could come back yet.

Also look at some of the ideas for multi cropping /stacked farming operated by the likes of Gabe Brown and Joel Salatin. Fruit or nut trees planted in grazed land act as shelter belts, raise deep nutrients to the surface and offer a second crop. Add in some free range hens in mobile laying sheds and you've got a third income stream with the benefit of the hens eating some of the insect pests.

There are plenty of ideas out there.

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

Oh, and UK farmers are terrible for hoarding machines. We're as bad as everyone else.

Before you buy any machine ask yourself what it will actually earn you. You'd be surprised how little kit you actually need.

For many jobs contractors are actually good value.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Oh, and UK farmers are terrible for hoarding machines. We're as bad as everyone else.

Before you buy any machine ask yourself what it will actually earn you. You'd be surprised how little kit you actually need.

For many jobs contractors are actually good value.

(Just don't let the proper farmers know you use contractors)

 

[garethr123]

The community it allotments is so.ething I have really considered too.

One of the plots is 4.5 acres. We are looking to use 0.75 of an acre for a house for ourselves, a garden, garage and large mature garden but the remaining I though about community allotments. Maybe my.mindset is along the right lines just chat going the elder to understand it all.

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

(Just don't let the proper farmers know you use contractors)

Or put a shed up and offer it to your local contractor for free winter machine storage so the neighbors see you've got loads of expensive kit

 

[Kiwi Pete]

The community it allotments is so.ething I have really considered too.

One of the plots is 4.5 acres. We are looking to use 0.75 of an acre for a house for ourselves, a garden, garage and large mature garden but the remaining I though about community allotments. Maybe my.mindset is along the right lines just chat going the elder to understand it all.

We are going to create a heritage orchard here, old old fruiting varieties and allow the community to maintain and help themselves.
Good "foot in the door" to get a working group, as the logical next step is a permaculture-style allotment for the locals.... who will then be more obliged to source their beef, honey, and lamb from the ever-helpful, and generous landowners
I believe in "paying it forward."

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

We are going to create a heritage orchard here, old old fruiting varieties and allow the community to maintain and help themselves.
Good "foot in the door" to get a working group, as the logical next step is a permaculture-style allotment for the locals.... who will then be more obliged to source their beef, honey, and lamb from the ever-helpful, and generous landowners
I believe in "paying it forward."

You'll never be a "proper farmer" with an attitude like that Pete

 

[Daan96]

Hello farmers,

My name is Daan and i’m living on a dairy in Holland. We milk about 240 cows and i worked for a year on our farm in 2016. Since 2017 i am working as a agricultural tire advisor at Profile Tyrecenter Rinus Roon. I am here to help people out who have questions about soilprotection and so on. I also hope to learn from you guys!

If you are wondering what our farm looks lije check out our instagram: mts.deruijter

If you have any questions please do not hestitate to ask me!

Greetings,
Daan

Holland

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

Hello farmers,

My name is Daan and i’m living on a dairy in Holland. We milk about 240 cows and i worked for a year on our farm in 2016. Since 2017 i am working as a agricultural tire advisor at Profile Tyrecenter Rinus Roon. I am here to help people out who have questions about soilprotection and so on. I also hope to learn from you guys!

If you are wondering what our farm looks lije check out our instagram: mts.deruijter

If you have any questions please do not hestitate to ask me!

Greetings,
Daan

Holland

Welcome aboard Daan.

 

[SH Ivy]

Hello everyone,

My name is Iv and I am from Serbia.
Just started working in agriculture company and until now I did not have any interaction with agriculture.

I'm here because I'm hoping that I will learn from all of you and that I will eventually feel more comfortable in this line of work.
Also to introduce you with my new employer Seeds House and with all that they are doing.

It is family owned business, which until couple of years ago was producing seeds only for their own needs.
The main core is production-multiplication of forage seeds (mostly alfalfa, red clover and sudan grass) and vegetable seeds.

If this is something you might be interested in, feel free to contact us.


Greetings,
Iv

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

Hello everyone,

My name is Iv and I am from Serbia.
Just started working in agriculture company and until now I did not have any interaction with agriculture.

I'm here because I'm hoping that I will learn from all of you and that I will eventually feel more comfortable in this line of work.
Also to introduce you with my new employer Seeds House and with all that they are doing.

It is family owned business, which until couple of years ago was producing seeds only for their own needs.
The main core is production-multiplication of forage seeds (mostly alfalfa, red clover and sudan grass) and vegetable seeds.

If this is something you might be interested in, feel free to contact us.


Greetings,
Iv

Welcome Iv. You may find some of the discussion threads in the "Livestock and forage" forum interesting then. @Kevtherev and @Great In Grass are both forage grass dealers on here.

 

[nblinks]

Hello and welcome on board. Hope you enjoy your stay in the forum.

 

[Stewart Setter]

Hi, my name is Stewart and I'm a software developer based in Ipswich, Suffolk.

I'm a newbie to the farming world, I volunteer my time on a rare breeds farm at the weekends doing maintenance, cleaning, building, feeding etc.

Since starting it's all I want to do but I'm worried about the whole transition from office to farm etc..
Can a 40 year old office bum successfully move out doors ? Has anyone else on here done this ?

Anyway, hello to all..

Stewart

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

Hi, my name is Stewart and I'm a software developer based in Ipswich, Suffolk.

I'm a newbie to the farming world, I volunteer my time on a rare breeds farm at the weekends doing maintenance, cleaning, building, feeding etc.

Since starting it's all I want to do but I'm worried about the whole transition from office to farm etc..
Can a 40 year old office bum successfully move out doors ? Has anyone else on here done this ?

Anyway, hello to all..

Stewart

Hi Stewart. Welcome to TFF.

Anyone can start farming if they really want to. It just depends how driven you are. There's no single way in, everyone's different but you need to work out what sort of farming interests you first.

You'll find farming much more challenging than office work but it can also be much more rewarding too.

Ian.

 

[Castillojm]

Hey Starting up have 4 acres that I just bought and whaiting to see if I should start a sheep farm I started with 3 and went up to 23 sheep now I reduced it to16 sheep. No deaths in 3 years scared to jump in. Hello from Jalisco México

 

[Still Farming]

Hey Starting up have 4 acres that I just bought and whaiting to see if I should start a sheep farm I started with 3 and went up to 23 sheep now I reduced it to16 sheep. No deaths in 3 years scared to jump in. Hello from Jalisco México

Welcome.
What's the World like out there .
Apart from what the stuff "Trump", wants us to hear ?
Can you grow grass or crops there?
All the best.

 

[Castillojm]

Welcome.
What's the World like out there .
Apart from what the stuff "Trump", wants us to hear ?
Can you grow grass or crops there?
All the best.

Trump is a bully! Taxes are very low here cant say for the states its 50 us dollars a year and there is plenty of grass lands I started with cuban 22 grass seed to eventually grow more if it works. Water is not an issue and if you have enough capital the world is yours.

 

[Loner]

Hi Rob,
Thank you for the opportunity for newbies to the site like myself to add their information.
I have put some information on my profile ,but I will post some now.
I have been involved in farming doing mainly dairy farming. It was a early on in my working life when farming was still mainly hands on . Milking was done with the individual machines , before milking each cow had their udders washed and tested for mastitis .
Mucking out was done with barrow and shovel.and then a wash down with the old hose pipe.
A ford Dexta was used for moving and loading the waste on to the muck spreader.
The feed was mixed by hand with an alloy shovel,the beet was shredded with a hand mangler
and all the other contents were added,this included the bye product from the brewers,it arrived steaming and had a great smell.
Lots of work at calving time using the rubber teats,a good time to be involved with the start of life for animals.
I had passed some of the tests for trainees farmers at the time,these included , milking and dairy hygiene,poultry plucking and trussing, tractor driving with potato spinner,and hedge laying.
the other good time was using the horse and cart to bring in the root crops,normally a bit of a wet and muddy job,but with a close horse /driver relationship , don't think there was a test for using the horse and cart?.
Later I worked on a mainly crop growing farm. This farm supplied the local market in Manchester,and local schools,and greengrocers with produce.Remember topping and tailing root crops on frosty mornings ,and waiting for the snap to arrive to get my hands round a warm cup of tea,farmers wives do a very good and appreciated job.

All has changed today in respect of technology,I don't think I could get in a modern tractor and just start it,or work the land with it.I think today's farmers are very tech minded through need. It amazes me when I watch the ' Countryfile ' series.Things like the satellite information used for working fields etc.

About Myself& Family :

I am married to 'Irene' and have been since I was aged 17yrs.
We have two son's and four grandchildren.
My eldest son lives in Belgium and is married to a Flemish lady who's family are mainly farmers in the poultry,dairy and beef industry.
Her father is a member of the Farmers representative body in Belgium.
I go there to visit about twice a year and enjoy my time on the farms and woods that they own,that is when I am at peace with myself,farming and nature hand in hand,what more could you want?.

I am very much in to nature,I believe all farmers are guardians of an countryside,and politicians are there to annoy and frustrate farmers on something they have little grass roots knowledge.
I used to go shooting with my 12 gauge ,but due to a bad shoulder had to curtail that pastime.
I love my garden which is laid out to encourage nature,and it has,I also have fruit trees,apple pear,and fig tree which has produced juicy figs ( and the runs ).
I have has turkeys,and chickens which produced masses of eggs. and I had to ask neighbor's if they wanted any so that I did not have to get rid if them,in the end I decided it was not viable to keep them. The turkeys provided Xmas dinner for family members.
My wife and I enjoy getting out in to the country,not as hikers or pathway warriors,just sticking to path routes. A lot of farmers do not want groups of people walking on their land,and I for one can appreciate that, it is harder to get permission now due to those who have spoiled the chance for people like us.
I still get excited when I see the swallows arrive to nest in the farm buildings and anything else that is around.

I have always done a lot of things on my own hence my avatar 'Loner' , it is not that I am ignorant ,just that I like to concentrate on what I am doing a some people just do not let you.

Of course most of the time it is myself and Irene who do everything together.
My son in Belgium took us with him once when he went metal detecting,we both enjoyed it when we could get a go,but the event was such that the owner of the land had got helpers to distribute old pennies all over his fields, these when found were exchanged for prizes which consisted of mainly beer, needless to say we never won anything.

I don't think we would enjoy the organized events,too many people rushing about.

So anybody out there who would let an older couple have permission to look on their land or woods , it would be well appreciated.Even just for the farm experience.
Well I think that is one heck of an introduction,hope I have not bored you, but then you did give me the opportunity.

And Rob, looked at your Facebook page, what a great place you and your family have.

Respect to all farmers

Barry

 

[john1968]

hi all, how is everyone doing. I have been in farming nearly all my life and last 18 years managing poultry farms mainly broilers. was hoping to find someone who would either rent or profit share on a poultry farm. it may suit someone wanting to take life easy or spend their time on other projects. if anyone want to have a chat about it pm me please. Have a good Christmas everybody.

 

[spin cycle]

hi @Donna900 ....and thanks for the pm