Is Farm Assurance stressful
- Thread starter Agrivator
- Start date
spin cycle
Member
- Location
- north norfolk
I voted but left after 18 years (without a single non compliance ever) in 2016 because it was overloading my ,albeit already fragile, mental health
sorry if I'm not eligible to vote I'll withdraw it
I'm still very much rt"s enemy because I see it as an unaccountable cabal...a symptom of our 'clipboard society" where the "talentless' seek to control the 'creators"
sorry if I'm not eligible to vote I'll withdraw it
I'm still very much rt"s enemy because I see it as an unaccountable cabal...a symptom of our 'clipboard society" where the "talentless' seek to control the 'creators"
- Location
- Moreton-in-Marsh, Glos
Is the Pope Catholic?
Of course it is stressful!
It is stressful enough trying to farm, let alone have a bloke with a clipboard come round every year.
Some inspector’s are ok and want to try to pass you.
Others are complete arseholes who wan to try to find something to fail you on.
Some are also agronomists who think they can supplement their income during a slack period by becoming an Rt inspector.
One told me that he has to fail some farmers so as to make RT think he is doing his job properly!
The point being that there must always be the same standard for everybody.
I’ll say this to any of that type:
“Don’t you ever come here trying to sell me anything. You should be utterly ashamed of yourselves for endorsing any such organisation!”
Of course it is stressful!
It is stressful enough trying to farm, let alone have a bloke with a clipboard come round every year.
Some inspector’s are ok and want to try to pass you.
Others are complete arseholes who wan to try to find something to fail you on.
Some are also agronomists who think they can supplement their income during a slack period by becoming an Rt inspector.
One told me that he has to fail some farmers so as to make RT think he is doing his job properly!
The point being that there must always be the same standard for everybody.
I’ll say this to any of that type:
“Don’t you ever come here trying to sell me anything. You should be utterly ashamed of yourselves for endorsing any such organisation!”
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Yes, of course it applies to any farmer who is or could be a member.
- Location
- Lincolnshire
Stressful, no.
Example of how we have been stitched up, yes.
Annoying waste of money I cant currently do without, yup.
Example of how we have been stitched up, yes.
Annoying waste of money I cant currently do without, yup.
- Location
- Dorset/Wilts
I find harvest more stressful, and probably more stressed about other period of our farming year.
I find it stressful in that it's more work I could do without.
Tbh our inspector is alright.
Not to down play it. It is a stressful point of the year
I find it stressful in that it's more work I could do without.
Tbh our inspector is alright.
Not to down play it. It is a stressful point of the year
M-J-G
Member
Not stressful, but maybe some stress more than others 
- Location
- South Wales UK
Every" clip board wielding fanatic ",that we deal with is STRESSFUL!
for a one man band productive type with less resources and wants /needs to make the very most of those resource's how can it not be a wind up?
- Location
- Yorks
Slightly stressful for me. Imagine it's particularly stressful for dairy farmers (and some others such as broilers) because you're business is closed down if you've forgotten to write something down spot on.
Sort of similar for oilseed rape. Very few markets outside of the big crushers. At least OSR keeps while you get assured again, although the TASCC merchants aren't allowed to store it on same site as assured, so if you've failed inspection at harvest you could be in a bit of a spot.
Bigger issue for me is NFU thinking RT is brilliant, only wanting a single assurance scheme (which has meant RT can just ad whatever rules they like, and we've still little choice but to comply), yet NFU know imported grain isn't assured, so is farmers spend a whole lot of time and money messing about with the paperwork.
Someone from Red Tractor told me they know full well that e.g. although the grain temperatures might be fine, the farmers often make up the temperatures when writing the records down, because although they check grain temps regularly, they don't rush into office to write it down.
So a lot of it is nonsense. Red Tractor know a lot of it is nonsense. AIC like RT because they think it's12 month inspection interval, but AIC have been told there's farmers who have gone approximately 16-24 months between inspections. What are AIC going to do now? as it doesn't meet AIC's expectations.
Sort of similar for oilseed rape. Very few markets outside of the big crushers. At least OSR keeps while you get assured again, although the TASCC merchants aren't allowed to store it on same site as assured, so if you've failed inspection at harvest you could be in a bit of a spot.
Bigger issue for me is NFU thinking RT is brilliant, only wanting a single assurance scheme (which has meant RT can just ad whatever rules they like, and we've still little choice but to comply), yet NFU know imported grain isn't assured, so is farmers spend a whole lot of time and money messing about with the paperwork.
Someone from Red Tractor told me they know full well that e.g. although the grain temperatures might be fine, the farmers often make up the temperatures when writing the records down, because although they check grain temps regularly, they don't rush into office to write it down.
So a lot of it is nonsense. Red Tractor know a lot of it is nonsense. AIC like RT because they think it's12 month inspection interval, but AIC have been told there's farmers who have gone approximately 16-24 months between inspections. What are AIC going to do now? as it doesn't meet AIC's expectations.
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- Location
- Montgomeryshire
‘Slightly stressful’ for me, but I only do assurance for sheep now, and have the fallback that I can tell the auditor to do one if they are an arse, whilst still having an outlet.
However, it was far more stressful when I used to do all the FA stuff for dairy at home, and I suspect my head would explode if I had to satisfy the rules for combinables (hence I don’t).
However, it was far more stressful when I used to do all the FA stuff for dairy at home, and I suspect my head would explode if I had to satisfy the rules for combinables (hence I don’t).
Jdunn55
Member
- Location
- Helston, cornwall
I've had less than 30 hours of sleep for the past 7 days because of red tractor hanging over my head.
I'm due a spot inspection at some point in the next month or two.
I went to bed at 1am last night and was up again at 4am doing paperwork.
The night before was 3:30am and 6am.
I can not sleep atm because all I can think about is the water trough that needs pressure washing or the amount of freeboard on the slurry pit, or the cows tail that's dirty.
I was out tidying the medicine cabinet and AI room last night and was pee'd off because I didn't get around to cleaning up the pile of dirt I had brushed up.
I can no longer stop my hands from shaking during the day and get waves off chest pain and unbelievable headaches that no amount of paracetamol, ibuprofen or even codeine will touch.
I do my best to ignore it and focus on the positives (sold 2 bulls to stud recently, cows are calving in and milking really well, fertility a big improvement on last year etc) but they're always in the back of my mind making me feel awful. There's better days but most are bad, if they phone me on a bad day to say they're on the way I don't think things will go well for me.
I invited my milk buyer out this week as she used to do red tractor audits and overall she was happy, the cows look really good and isn't worried about them, she said I need an overall tidy up which I knew anyway but find it very hard in the winter when you're fighting with mud, rain and short days to keep things tidy, but like I say fairly happy overall, and yet I can guarantee red tractor would come and give me a list and a half of things they want done yesterday.
I'm trying my best and the cows always come first and look great, my milk buyer is happy with what I send and yet red tractor have deemed me appropriate for a spot inspection which personally I think should be reserved for farms with massive milk supply issues (antibiotics in the tank etc) or with cows dropping dead and looking like sh!t.
So yes, for me atleast, farm assurance is stressful and they make feel like sh!t.
I'm due a spot inspection at some point in the next month or two.
I went to bed at 1am last night and was up again at 4am doing paperwork.
The night before was 3:30am and 6am.
I can not sleep atm because all I can think about is the water trough that needs pressure washing or the amount of freeboard on the slurry pit, or the cows tail that's dirty.
I was out tidying the medicine cabinet and AI room last night and was pee'd off because I didn't get around to cleaning up the pile of dirt I had brushed up.
I can no longer stop my hands from shaking during the day and get waves off chest pain and unbelievable headaches that no amount of paracetamol, ibuprofen or even codeine will touch.
I do my best to ignore it and focus on the positives (sold 2 bulls to stud recently, cows are calving in and milking really well, fertility a big improvement on last year etc) but they're always in the back of my mind making me feel awful. There's better days but most are bad, if they phone me on a bad day to say they're on the way I don't think things will go well for me.
I invited my milk buyer out this week as she used to do red tractor audits and overall she was happy, the cows look really good and isn't worried about them, she said I need an overall tidy up which I knew anyway but find it very hard in the winter when you're fighting with mud, rain and short days to keep things tidy, but like I say fairly happy overall, and yet I can guarantee red tractor would come and give me a list and a half of things they want done yesterday.
I'm trying my best and the cows always come first and look great, my milk buyer is happy with what I send and yet red tractor have deemed me appropriate for a spot inspection which personally I think should be reserved for farms with massive milk supply issues (antibiotics in the tank etc) or with cows dropping dead and looking like sh!t.
So yes, for me atleast, farm assurance is stressful and they make feel like sh!t.
I used to stress about it 20yrs ago, now I don't care.
If your statutory records are up to date, and your stock are looking well kept and healthy, and your grain heap isn’t covered in ratshit and dove feathers, you are unlikely to suffer a critical failure.
Anything else you can fix within the 28 days.
If your statutory records are up to date, and your stock are looking well kept and healthy, and your grain heap isn’t covered in ratshit and dove feathers, you are unlikely to suffer a critical failure.
Anything else you can fix within the 28 days.
Not one bit stressful, I find if u are are on top of everything throughout the year and keep good records as you go along you’ll be very unlikely to have any major problems. Having said that I think it’s a lot easier in n.ireland to pass inspections as there are very few failures
Inspections aren't stressful, we have a bit of a tidy up the day before, check for out of date products in the spray store, that kind of thing.
Dealing with SAI and RT themselves is very stressful. We hadn't had an inspection for two years despite paying for it and they haven't been the least bit bothered. Inspected yesterday with only minor advisories and then today told by our beef buyer we had been removed from RT. Just had confirmation that we're back in the racket. Blooming hard work.
Dealing with SAI and RT themselves is very stressful. We hadn't had an inspection for two years despite paying for it and they haven't been the least bit bothered. Inspected yesterday with only minor advisories and then today told by our beef buyer we had been removed from RT. Just had confirmation that we're back in the racket. Blooming hard work.
- Location
- Lincolnshire
It’s the spin offs I find stressful. If my sprayer should fail and be irreparable due to metal fatigue or corrosion etc then it’s game over for my arable operation. I can’t afford a replacement. Central storage has helped greatly as my own store is approaching end of life though it’s still passed for now. Really though it’s just not fit for purpose due to age, constriction, design etc. The thought of failing that used to keep me awake at night as it would have finished my business at the stroke of a pen.
- Location
- Yorks