Is the farming press contributing to stress and anxiety?

[Walterp]

Stupidity, not innocence, is Man's original condition; if information is power, the man who reads less does not become more powerful, but less so.

This thread is infinitely depressing because it endorses myopia - reading less, and less widely, is one of the main reasons people become less well-informed.

Over time, they become more insular (many societies and clubs, once widely subscribed, now struggle for membership), more ensconsed in their prejudices, and more stupid.

Then they complain that they are doing badly.

 

[7610 super q]

Hmmmm.........well if prises were given for arrogant carp, this forum needs a new trophy cabinet.

 

[AM_Arable]

As a writer for the yellow peril all I would say is this: If you are one of the seeming minority that do still read our stuff and think its a load of old tosh - do get in touch and tell us why if you have the time. I'd rather a bollocking than a wall of silence if it means I do better next week, and I don't know any colleague that would disagree.

 

[Hilly]

there are days when I think that selling farm, buying a island somewhere, going "off grid" and moving my family there away from politics, money, tax, religion, terrorism, war, consumerism etc might just be the way forward vs the clear race to the bottom that mankind is certainly on track for

All i would have too is sell the livestock, an sit n look out the window, very tempting every april, sometimes less is more.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

All i would have too is sell the livestock, an sit n look out the window, very tempting every april, sometimes less is more.

I will resend you this message when the sun is shining at the Autumn sales and you can't resist buying more ewes

 

[Hilly]

I will resend you this message when the sun is shining at the Autumn sales and you can't resist buying more ewes

I know ! lol i will certainly resist buying yows but store lambs take a bit of resisting but im certainly going to try and resist them this year plenty to do without being on my own and working for the tax man has lost its appeal.

 

[Walterp]

As a writer for the yellow peril all I would say is this: If you are one of the seeming minority that do still read our stuff and think its a load of old tosh - do get in touch and tell us why if you have the time. I'd rather a bollocking than a wall of silence if it means I do better next week, and I don't know any colleague that would disagree.

Yes you do....

When the editorship of the FW passed to Jayne King I wrote in to her to complain, as a long-time subscriber, that the magazine was being dumbed-down. It began to carry 'a load of old tosh' like 'Farmer Joe' and silly articles about e.g how to marry a farmer.

The contrast with FG, then under Liz Bellingham, could not have been greater. Today, it is more so, with Abi Kay publishing incisive and interesting (and surprisingly well-sourced) articles, and Ben Briggs using the editorial to make serious and interesting points.

I never heard from Ms King. (Abi Kay, by contrast, replies to her correspondence).

That's my personal experience - FW couldn't give a stuff for its readership,. which it treats with seigneurial contempt.

Put that in your spell-checker and smoke it...

 

[JP1]

Yes you do....

When the editorship of the FW passed to Jayne King I wrote in to her to complain, as a long-time subscriber, that the magazine was being dumbed-down. It began to carry 'a load of old tosh' like 'Farmer Joe' and silly articles about e.g how to marry a farmer.

The contrast with FG, then under Liz Bellingham, could not have been greater. Today, it is more so, with Abi Kay publishing incisive and interesting (and surprisingly well-sourced) articles, and Ben Briggs using the editorial to make serious and interesting points.

I never heard from Ms King. (Abi Kay, by contrast, replies to her correspondence).

That's my personal experience - FW couldn't give a stuff for its readership,. which it treats with seigneurial contempt.

Put that in your spell-checker and smoke it...

Ben is a journalist at heart first and foremost and it shows (positively)

Emma Penny always replied to correspondence too

 

[AM_Arable]

Yes you do....

When the editorship of the FW passed to Jayne King I wrote in to her to complain, as a long-time subscriber, that the magazine was being dumbed-down. It began to carry 'a load of old tosh' like 'Farmer Joe' and silly articles about e.g how to marry a farmer.

The contrast with FG, then under Liz Bellingham, could not have been greater. Today, it is more so, with Abi Kay publishing incisive and interesting (and surprisingly well-sourced) articles, and Ben Briggs using the editorial to make serious and interesting points.

I never heard from Ms King. (Abi Kay, by contrast, replies to her correspondence).

That's my personal experience - FW couldn't give a stuff for its readership,. which it treats with seigneurial contempt.

Put that in your spell-checker and smoke it...

Employers take note. If any more evidence was necessary of the impact that one action by one employee can have on the reputation of a business, positive or negative, rightly or wrongly, this is it. I also learned that seigneurial is a word.

 

[Walterp]

Employers take note. If any more evidence was necessary of the impact that one action by one employee can have on the reputation of a business, positive or negative, rightly or wrongly, this is it. I also learned that seigneurial is a word.

You are very kind.

When I took my A levels (a long time ago) I was fortunate to be offered a traineeship with 'The Western Mail' in Cardiff to become a journalist and, also, a place at UCW Aber to read law.

I often wonder how I would have fared had I taken the other turning at that fork in the road.

 

[Suffolk Serf]

You are very kind.

When I took my A levels (a long time ago) I was fortunate to be offered a traineeship with 'The Western Mail' in Cardiff to become a journalist and, also, a place at UCW Aber to read law.

I often wonder how I would have fared had I taken the other turning at that fork in the road.

As a journalist, you might have struggled a bit with being impartial!

 

[Henarar]

As a journalist, you might have struggled a bit with being impartial!

fitted right in then

 

[Cowabunga]

I have only read about a half dozen posts on this topic, mainly on the first page on on this last page.
For my own part I felt exactly like the OP about the farming press, only twenty years ago. Cancelled them all them. Don't miss them one little bit and feel more confident with my farming as a result.

Until about ten years ago I did actually subscribe to two weekly and four monthly car magazines, a couple of monthly tractor magazines and two monthly photography ones and the occasional gadget rag like Stuff. It cost a small fortune annually and I stopped most of them about a year after getting fast broadband. The saving made on papers does pay for the broadband thrice over. Only Profi comes here nowadays, paid for.

The OP mentions that he or she is short of time for anything other than farming. I say to such people……. MAKE TIME. There's more to life than farming. You'll end your days like my father who had no other interest whatsoever outside of the farm and just couldn't let go of it as age and health took its toll. Was up there just now and he asked my mother "who were they" as we left. You only live once. One Life. Live it and get off the farm, if only for a few days once every couple of months. Forget about the farm. Go see Shania Twain in the Autumn like me and increase your range of interests. Forget the Farmer's Weekly and Guardian and get Woman's Weekly or something instead. Anything.

"Can't do it!" you'll say. YES YOU CAN.

 

[ollie989898]

The only publication worth reading is your neatly foldered accounts at the end of your financial year.

Coincidentally these rarely appear in the farming press.

 

[DrWazzock]

Stupidity, not innocence, is Man's original condition; if information is power, the man who reads less does not become more powerful, but less so.

This thread is infinitely depressing because it endorses myopia - reading less, and less widely, is one of the main reasons people become less well-informed.

Over time, they become more insular (many societies and clubs, once widely subscribed, now struggle for membership), more ensconsed in their prejudices, and more stupid.

Then they complain that they are doing badly.

Well yes and no. Sometimes you can listen to so many experts and read so much information that it makes your head spin or distorts your own clear and correct line of thought.

Sometimes it's best just to look at what's in front of you, and make a decision based on your own judgement. I've seen a lot of successful people do that. They certainly listen, consult and read, but they are never afraid to make a decision based on their own interpretation of the situation.

I wish I'd never joined a political party. I wish I'd listened to my own advice.

As far as magazines go, that's what they are, just magazines. I buy one occasionally but I am not losing any sleep over what they put in them. Most of its way too technical and expensive for my business.

Many consultants and advisers have come and gone here, often shaking their heads in despair.

But we are still here, power harrowing into the night with a DB1494 and full throttle with no aircon or radio and thoroughly enjoying it.

 

[fgc325j]

I have only read about a half dozen posts on this topic, mainly on the first page on on this last page.
For my own part I felt exactly like the OP about the farming press, only twenty years ago. Cancelled them all them. Don't miss them one little bit and feel more confident with my farming as a result.

Until about ten years ago I did actually subscribe to two weekly and four monthly car magazines, a couple of monthly tractor magazines and two monthly photography ones and the occasional gadget rag like Stuff. It cost a small fortune annually and I stopped most of them about a year after getting fast broadband. The saving made on papers does pay for the broadband thrice over. Only Profi comes here nowadays, paid for.

The OP mentions that he or she is short of time for anything other than farming. I say to such people……. MAKE TIME. There's more to life than farming. You'll end your days like my father who had no other interest whatsoever outside of the farm and just couldn't let go of it as age and health took its toll. Was up there just now and he asked my mother "who were they" as we left. You only live once. One Life. Live it and get off the farm, if only for a few days once every couple of months. Forget about the farm. Go see Shania Twain in the Autumn like me and increase your range of interests. Forget the Farmer's Weekly and Guardian and get Woman's Weekly or something instead. Anything.

"Can't do it!" you'll say. YES YOU CAN.

Going to see Shania Twain .............. definitely got your head screwed on the right way

 

[Farmer Roy]

I remember sitting in a pub that had a video jukebox about 20 or more yrs ago
there were some boys there with a pocket full of coins
this song was on high rotation, they just kept feeding in the cash
still makes me smile all these years later

 

[honeyend]

Listening to Steve Wright yesterday and listened to an interview with authors of a book on fact fullness,
https://www.hodder.co.uk/books/detail.page?isbn=9781473637467
The main thing that came out of the interview was that people who thought they knew things actually didn't and that we are addicted to drama of bad news. They check the facts by real statistics, and the world is not as bad as we think, honestly.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p064p9kt
Journalists have to make up copy to fill the paper, read any cheap women's magazine and you would think every women was sleeping with her daughters boyfriend, where as in real life most of us are out living a 'normal' life. I am addicted to TV's hoarders, it makes me feel better about the rubbish I collect, and my gate collection, just bought four more.
When you are stuck at the coal face of s**t and mud its hard to think that its going to end and the idea of just getting out just for a few hours and do something that means you see other people to distract you from everyday problems seems a good one.
I no longer buy any newspapers or magazines, over the last few years I have found the internet a wonderful place for hard information from either government websites, or professional bodies and some forums. I tend to avoid adformation. Even my own professional magazine is full of slanted rubbish, which I used to get for free, which could have been written by an A level student. So my advice is always try and get as much hard information as possible, then decide if it fits your situation or you can adapt it to your needs, and if something doesn't work don't be afraid to change. Knowledge is never wasted.

 

[Suffolk Serf]

Listening to Steve Wright yesterday and listened to an interview with authors of a book on fact fullness,
https://www.hodder.co.uk/books/detail.page?isbn=9781473637467
The main thing that came out of the interview was that people who thought they knew things actually didn't and that we are addicted to drama of bad news. They check the facts by real statistics, and the world is not as bad as we think, honestly.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p064p9kt
Journalists have to make up copy to fill the paper, read any cheap women's magazine and you would think every women was sleeping with her daughters boyfriend, where as in real life most of us are out living a 'normal' life. I am addicted to TV's hoarders, it makes me feel better about the rubbish I collect, and my gate collection, just bought four more.
When you are stuck at the coal face of s**t and mud its hard to think that its going to end and the idea of just getting out just for a few hours and do something that means you see other people to distract you from everyday problems seems a good one.
I no longer buy any newspapers or magazines, over the last few years I have found the internet a wonderful place for hard information from either government websites, or professional bodies and some forums. I tend to avoid adformation. Even my own professional magazine is full of slanted rubbish, which I used to get for free, which could have been written by an A level student. So my advice is always try and get as much hard information as possible, then decide if it fits your situation or you can adapt it to your needs, and if something doesn't work don't be afraid to change. Knowledge is never wasted.

I heard that. I've always noticed that any journalistic articles about anything that I know well are often (not always) very inaccurate indeed. Therefore it must follow that similar proportion on everything that I don't know much about must be similarly inaccurate.
Therefore, don't believe too much of any of what you read in the press.

 

[Cowabunga]

Up until 15 years ago I suffered unknowingly from Dunning-Kruger syndrome, where I thought that most other people knew far more than me about most things. Especially the ones who exhibited the most confidence.

Then I unshackled myself from the cow’s tail, went out and did other stuff and dealt with lots of people both socially and in fairly high pressure work
That snapped me out of it, I can tell you. I found that a fair proportion of people who boast the most about their competence and efficiency and like to see their names pushed forward and to be seen, are in fact deluded and sometimes quite incompetent. Not all of course, but a significant proportion. A lot of the quiet low profile types who lack confidence, on the other hand, would run rings around them.
Dunning-Kruger works both ways.

Basically don’t let those super efficient people in the press get you down. All may not be as it seems.