Life after cows

Jdunn55

Member
So, another related question.If you had no succesion, and wanted / were able to leave the farm to an organsation that would guarantee to maintain it as a farm and use it like a tenant farm to give keen youngsters a chance to get on the ladder ... which organisation would you choose / trust? I''ve read of people who have left estates to the National Trust with conditions attached re hunting etc, who's wishes have then been ignored / overturned or the estate sold for the cash .. so who would you trust? some that spring to mind .. Addington Fund .. RABDF... Duchy of Cornwall .. RABI...
When are you thinking of retiring? This screams share farming to me
 

Martyn

Member
Location
South west
So, another related question.If you had no succesion, and wanted / were able to leave the farm to an organsation that would guarantee to maintain it as a farm and use it like a tenant farm to give keen youngsters a chance to get on the ladder ... which organisation would you choose / trust? I''ve read of people who have left estates to the National Trust with conditions attached re hunting etc, who's wishes have then been ignored / overturned or the estate sold for the cash .. so who would you trust? some that spring to mind .. Addington Fund .. RABDF... Duchy of Cornwall .. RABI...
I wouldn't leave it to Duchy Of Cornwall they have enough to try and manage. Def not national trust. Maby best you find a sharefarming agreement etc.
 

Ffermer Bach

Member
Livestock Farmer
So, another related question.If you had no succesion, and wanted / were able to leave the farm to an organsation that would guarantee to maintain it as a farm and use it like a tenant farm to give keen youngsters a chance to get on the ladder ... which organisation would you choose / trust? I''ve read of people who have left estates to the National Trust with conditions attached re hunting etc, who's wishes have then been ignored / overturned or the estate sold for the cash .. so who would you trust? some that spring to mind .. Addington Fund .. RABDF... Duchy of Cornwall .. RABI...
countryside restoration trust? I would want to look a lot more at what they do, but I have like what I have read about them.
 

Ffermer Bach

Member
Livestock Farmer
Leave it to a young hard working tenant farmer.








(I fit that description.........


....just in case you were struggling to find one)
A few years ago, there was a programme on S4C about a farmer in Ffarmers, who semi retired and and found a young farmer from Llangadog who share farmed the farm. I have no idea how it went.

I think it used to be a common way for young people to start milking in NZ, I think start with share farming not owning the cows, and gradually buy the cows etc. I was told about that when I was over there (but it was over 35 years ago, so with the increase in costs it may not happen any more).
 

Wooly

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Romney Marsh
When your world has revolved around cows for many years, when you have reared all the calves and built a beautiful pedigree herd virtually from scratch, when everything is arranged around time and milking etc, when non farming interests are zilch, when friends are non existent because you lead such a solo life ...am I the only one who finds the prospect of life without cows both scarey and sad? How have others here handled it? Gradually. Keeping the youngstock and selling as calving in? Could be expensive with no milk cheque and nit every heifer

The thing about changing your life, is that you always worry about the things that you think you might miss.

You need to embrace the new opportunities that are going to arrise.
 
A few years ago, there was a programme on S4C about a farmer in Ffarmers, who semi retired and and found a young farmer from Llangadog who share farmed the farm. I have no idea how it went.

I think it used to be a common way for young people to start milking in NZ, I think start with share farming not owning the cows, and gradually buy the cows etc. I was told about that when I was over there (but it was over 35 years ago, so with the increase in costs it may not happen any more).

It's still common place and exactly what I'm doing here. I own/provide the cows, machinery and labour, the supposed to be retired farmer provides the land and we farm on a profit share basis.

It's working well but there's no hope of me ever buying the farm.
 

Martyn

Member
Location
South west
So, another related question.If you had no succesion, and wanted / were able to leave the farm to an organsation that would guarantee to maintain it as a farm and use it like a tenant farm to give keen youngsters a chance to get on the ladder ... which organisation would you choose / trust? I''ve read of people who have left estates to the National Trust with conditions attached re hunting etc, who's wishes have then been ignored / overturned or the estate sold for the cash .. so who would you trust? some that spring to mind .. Addington Fund .. RABDF... Duchy of Cornwall .. RABI...
Ruffly what area in Cornwall are you. Is the farm big enough to possibly provide an income for young couple on sharefarming, is there the possibility of a house available, are your dairy facilities worn out etc?
 
Location
East Mids
So, another related question.If you had no succesion, and wanted / were able to leave the farm to an organsation that would guarantee to maintain it as a farm and use it like a tenant farm to give keen youngsters a chance to get on the ladder ... which organisation would you choose / trust? I''ve read of people who have left estates to the National Trust with conditions attached re hunting etc, who's wishes have then been ignored / overturned or the estate sold for the cash .. so who would you trust? some that spring to mind .. Addington Fund .. RABDF... Duchy of Cornwall .. RABI...
Try Ernest Cook Trust, they do have an environmental/countryside learning focus and recently stepped in to save Newton Rigg's farm. https://ernestcooktrust.org.uk/news/2021/07/were-buying-a-farm/

They are a large charity founded on the wealth of the Thomas Cook family from Leicestershire. They own several estates - one close to me - with commercial tenanted farms but their educational focus adds other things eg a local learning centre offers free school visits to the farms, guided by their employed education officer. They are keen to promote traditional countryside management and encourage young people. As yet, they do not have a 'woke' agenda other than the traditional focus on balanced land management.
 

glow worm

Member
Location
cornwall
Again, thanks for all the thought provoking answers. Sharefarming could be very interesting but I hear fraught with problems if u get the wrong share. The person I'm thinking about wanted to secure the future of their farm for successive new entrants, whereas a share farmer hopes one day to own it
 

Ball acre

Member
Location
Somerset
And this was how the tff perpetual trust started........ As has been mentioned above, in a way it is sad to see someone's legacy changed from their wishes. It would be one heck of a legacy to leave though, a bit like council farms by providing a step up whilst you grow capital.
 
Could you leave it in trust so that you could prescribe exactly what you want to happen to the farm going forward?

That way you could insist that the ownership was non profit making and that all the rent was to be reinvested in infrastructure to keep it up to date. The problem with most council farms locally is they have had no investment and they're really run down.
 

carbonfibre farmer

Member
Arable Farmer
There is something similar to what you would like to happen, in Suffolk. I think. Run by Peter Critchen. 2 or 3 farms. 1 is small, and the others larger. Start out on the smaller one for around 5-7yrs then move up to one of the bigger ones.
It's been mentioned on here in the past.
Not council owed etc. A charitable trust IIRC.
I'm pretty sure @JP1 knows what I'm on about/more about it 👍
 
@glow worm

I am in a very similar position, with 3 sons who do not want to farm, but do retain an interest in the farm and the way it is run.
I am unhappy to sell up and harvest 4 generations of graft for a cash windfall. Need to move close to the sea so Mrs OG can swim in the sea most days so potentially heading your way.
We have a younger couple who are going to contract farm, but it is a daily challenge to bite my tongue and not interfere (too much).
If you are near the sea and had a cottage or barn(to convert) we could move to you, give you some cash and then discuss how we spend our time!
Serious offer if the sea distance fits!
 

ColinV6

Member
I don’t think I would miss cows if they went tomorrow. However what I would miss is the reassurance of the monthly milk cheque.

I’ve had a week off this week, (first one this year) and it’s been heaven really. It’s amazing how chilled out you can find things. There’s something very relaxing about having no set routine. A lot of people say once you retire you sit down and die, but I don’t see it that way. You just do the stuff you always wanted to do but never could.

However I’m only 36 so I’m a long way from retiring.
 
I don’t think I would miss cows if they went tomorrow. However what I would miss is the reassurance of the monthly milk cheque.

I’ve had a week off this week, (first one this year) and it’s been heaven really. It’s amazing how chilled out you can find things. There’s something very relaxing about having no set routine. A lot of people say once you retire you sit down and die, but I don’t see it that way. You just do the stuff you always wanted to do but never could.

However I’m only 36 so I’m a long way from retiring.
It's alright saying you do what you you always wanted to do but couldn't, the problem is your not 19 any more, and most of them have married someone else anyway.
 

unlacedgecko

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Fife
@glow worm

I am in a very similar position, with 3 sons who do not want to farm, but do retain an interest in the farm and the way it is run.
I am unhappy to sell up and harvest 4 generations of graft for a cash windfall. Need to move close to the sea so Mrs OG can swim in the sea most days so potentially heading your way.
We have a younger couple who are going to contract farm, but it is a daily challenge to bite my tongue and not interfere (too much).
If you are near the sea and had a cottage or barn(to convert) we could move to you, give you some cash and then discuss how we spend our time!
Serious offer if the sea distance fits!

If you can resist the urge I'm sure you'll have a great set up.
 

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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