Is farming an 'identity'

traineefarmer

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Mid Norfolk
Sentimentality is a farming epidemic. It prevents us from selling grandad's tractor for something more efficient, modifying the flint walled shed with tiny doors where uncle Jedd milked his first cow, from turning the odd shaped field with 15 corners and low yields over to stewardship or even changing practices that have stayed the same since the war for no other reason than tradition.

My Grandfather and father both succumbed to the disease. I had hoped for immunity, but even now as poor health is forcing me to consider new options, I'm finding it very difficult to accept what may have to change.
 

Lowland1

Member
Mixed Farmer
Sentimentality is a farming epidemic. It prevents us from selling grandad's tractor for something more efficient, modifying the flint walled shed with tiny doors where uncle Jedd milked his first cow, from turning the odd shaped field with 15 corners and low yields over to stewardship or even changing practices that have stayed the same since the war for no other reason than tradition.

My Grandfather and father both succumbed to the disease. I had hoped for immunity, but even now as poor health is forcing me to consider new options, I'm finding it very difficult to accept what may have to change.
Sentimentality or lack of money or just stuck in their ways. No doubt if I’d continued to work with my Dad I’d either have killed him or myself. ‘
‘Why don’t we put drinkers in all the pigs?’
‘Because they will waste water’
‘Why don’t we use the Forklift to load potatoes into the riddle rather than forking them in?’
‘Because they’ll get cut’
‘Why can’t I have a radio in the tractor?’
‘Because you can’t hear the machine behind’
But I always wanted to be like my Dad and I learnt a lot from him possibly a lot about how I’d like to do it differently. So I went off and did it on my own rather than fighting him.
 

Hilly

Member
I always find it quite sad when someone has built up a successful farm but their children don't want any part of running it.
Obviously you shouldn't force them, they should do whatever they want (and perhaps be glad they've had a good start in life) still sad though.

My dad was telling me the other day that the farmer who's parlour I learnt to milk in when I was a kid is selling his cows and renting out his ground as his children don't want to know. He was in the process of taking over from his dad when I started there while still at school in the 80's.
I don't suppose it will be a working farm again:(
The theme is repeated time and time again sadly .
 

7610 super q

Never Forgotten
Honorary Member
It's a job. Unfortunately the job requires continually beating the weather, or looking after animals at unsocial hours. Not really the average 9-5 job. There it is. So what.
The modern idea is you must love your job, or fudge off and get another one. 50 years ago, Nobby would spend 40 years down a coal mine. I doubt whether he enjoyed it. Today, Chantelle spends 4 months in a job, then finds something else, usually at the other side of the country.:rolleyes:
Cracking social commentary there @7610 super q :ROFLMAO:
 

Hilly

Member
It's a job. Unfortunately the job requires continually beating the weather, or looking after animals at unsocial hours. Not really the average 9-5 job. There it is. So what.
The modern idea is you must love your job, or fudge off and get another one. 50 years ago, Nobby would spend 40 years down a coal mine. I doubt whether he enjoyed it. Today, Chantelle spends 4 months in a job, then finds something else, usually at the other side of the country.:rolleyes:
Cracking social commentary there @7610 super q :ROFLMAO:
Grandfather had his whole life under ground digging coal , hated it but did it.
 

ajcc

Member
Livestock Farmer
Grandfather had his whole life under ground digging coal , hated it but did it.
What made it an ok way of life? The community, the social club, strikes one out all out, the time without helmet and overalls on, working the allotment of a weekend, greyhound racing on a Wednesday night???? very few people “love their job.” Hands up whose looking forward to retirement.
Don’t like work, don’t like prospect of retirement?
I don’t think being a farmer is an identity so much as being a country person born and bred.
Farm to live not live to farm...I like that. Thanks @Bucks Boy
 

ajd132

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Suffolk
i am in the business of commodity grain production. i love farming but I would not do it if it was un-viable financially. sentimentality is a scourge to many farm/family farming businesses.
 

Hindsight

Member
Location
Lincolnshire
Sentimentality or lack of money or just stuck in their ways. No doubt if I’d continued to work with my Dad I’d either have killed him or myself. ‘
‘Why don’t we put drinkers in all the pigs?’
‘Because they will waste water’
‘Why don’t we use the Forklift to load potatoes into the riddle rather than forking them in?’
‘Because they’ll get cut’
‘Why can’t I have a radio in the tractor?’
‘Because you can’t hear the machine behind’
But I always wanted to be like my Dad and I learnt a lot from him possibly a lot about how I’d like to do it differently. So I went off and did it on my own rather than fighting him.

Sounds to me as though your Dad was spot on young man. Look after the pennies and the pounds look after themselves!!
 

Campani

Member
Having an 'identity' outside of farming really helps me. Sometimes things go wrong on the farm and it's nice to have other things to remind me it's not all bad or at least takes my mind off it for a while.

For this reason, I think anyone running a farm should try and have interests away from farming.
 

Bald Rick

Moderator
Livestock Farmer
Location
Anglesey
Clothes maketh man so let's be honest ...........

No one in the right minds would chose to dress as livestock farmers do

(Agronomists & arable farmers might as well be in an office excepting the two months of the year when "work" takes place)
 

Hilly

Member
Aren’t most occupations identity after so many years of service ? Spot the brickie who’s in the pub Friday afternoon spot the butcher who goes about in stripy apron , spot the teacher who wears a sports jacket with leather elbo patches etc.
 

kfpben

Member
Location
Mid Hampshire
I was always told in Sociology that farming was the only occupation where you couldn't ascertain someone's social status or class, whereas in all other walks of life you can tell pretty much immediately.
I always love it at a farm sale when you see someone you know is worth millions, possibly tens of millions in a holey shirt and string for a belt.

Can’t think that many city traders rock about London looking like a scarecrow.
 

DRC

Member
Clothes maketh man so let's be honest ...........

No one in the right minds would chose to dress as livestock farmers do

(Agronomists & arable farmers might as well be in an office excepting the two months of the year when "work" takes place)
I always wonder what sheep farmers do all summer. Once lambing’s over it’s a doddle until they put the rams in again. Bit of shearing, draw a few lambs . What else is there 🤔
 

Bald Rick

Moderator
Livestock Farmer
Location
Anglesey
I always wonder what sheep farmers do all summer. Once lambing’s over it’s a doddle until they put the rams in again. Bit of shearing, draw a few lambs . What else is there 🤔

Good grief.
Sheep are born to die in ways not thought of. Wife found one pegged out on Aberffraw beach a few days ago. Wasn’t sun bathing either (dog thought it was fantastic as something to roll in mind)
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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