Lost work due to bad weather (a more regular occurrence?)

[J.T.Agri]

So as we are all aware the weather patterns we are seeing are becoming a little more extreme

We are all losing days/weeks due to bad weather.

For me I seem to lose more and more working days each year for the last few years due to bad weather, this is obviously having a knock on effect in earnings and a consistent income.
So my question is what are you Self employed lads and ladies doing for work when weather stops farm work in its tracks?

Currently I'm heading for my 2nd week straight without work due to rain holding up the planting season ( on average that's a loss of around £1800 for this time of year) small figures for many I'm sure but for me its a massive loss

When you commit to a business for a certain time period you are expected to be available from the date agreed, you accept that you will always lose a few days here and there but when it starts creeping into weeks then it becomes very difficult to manage as you are committing your time to one business.

Its difficult to commit to other jobs when you don't know how many days you will be off for and the shorter the period the less interested people seem to be in giving you short term work, this obviously is a risk of being self employed but it does however seem to be becoming a more regular occurrence.

For me farming is becoming a much less stable industry for regular and consistent income, Its all I've ever done but even I am questioning the stability of the industry when we are so dependant on the weather etc

I would quite happily train and gain tickets to do other jobs and run other pieces of equipment but the costs are so high and the rewards so little its not really a financially viable route.

But right now this year I've lost 18 days work which puts me down around £2700 out of pocket. To put it into perspective that's 3 months rent, nearly 7 months worth of diesel. money that's extremely valuable in this day and age.

I don't mind being open and honest about my experience as its the only way to get honest truths and feedback

So help me out in any way, I'd appreciate it

 

[bobk]

So as we are all aware the weather patterns we are seeing are becoming a little more extreme

We are all losing days/weeks due to bad weather.

For me I seem to lose more and more working days each year for the last few years due to bad weather, this is obviously having a knock on effect in earnings and a consistent income.
So my question is what are you Self employed lads and ladies doing for work when weather stops farm work in its tracks?

Currently I'm heading for my 2nd week straight without work due to rain holding up the planting season ( on average that's a loss of around £1800 for this time of year) small figures for many I'm sure but for me its a massive loss

When you commit to a business for a certain time period you are expected to be available from the date agreed, you accept that you will always lose a few days here and there but when it starts creeping into weeks then it becomes very difficult to manage as you are committing your time to one business.

Its difficult to commit to other jobs when you don't know how many days you will be off for and the shorter the period the less interested people seem to be in giving you short term work, this obviously is a risk of being self employed but it does however seem to be becoming a more regular occurrence.

For me farming is becoming a much less stable industry for regular and consistent income, Its all I've ever done but even I am questioning the stability of the industry when we are so dependant on the weather etc

I would quite happily train and gain tickets to do other jobs and run other pieces of equipment but the costs are so high and the rewards so little its not really a financially viable route.

But right now this year I've lost 18 days work which puts me down around £2700 out of pocket. To put it into perspective that's 3 months rent, nearly 7 months worth of diesel. money that's extremely valuable in this day and age.

I don't mind being open and honest about my experience as its the only way to get honest truths and feedback

So help me out in any way, I'd appreciate it

I'm forgetting how to do the job it's that long since any wheels have turned

 

[spin cycle]

'strings and bows' is only answer i think

 

[principal skinner]

Surely if you commit to a business for a certain time period you should just turn up and been given work or paid to go home? Some body is taking the mickey!

 

[Spencer]

Surely if you commit to a business for a certain time period you should just turn up and been given work or paid to go home? Some body is taking the mickey!

Not sure you can just rock up and drill for a farmer into a bog.. might not pay you

 

[principal skinner]

Other work. How can you commit to a time frame then not be given work. Self employed harvest staff here are always offered something to do on a wet day to make it fair. I need them when the sun is out, they need me when it’s raining l, we all have bills to pay and families to keep.

 

[Chae1]

The works still there to be done?

So it's not lost as you put it.

Must be frustrating not earning though when bills to be paid.

Joys of being self employed I guess and why you can charge more than someone on the books

 

[J.T.Agri]

Not sure you can just rock up and drill for a farmer into a bog.. might not pay you

Exactly,

There is no way I would turn up for a farm and be paid to do a bad job, that's not my style, I take a huge amount of pride in my work.

And even I know in this day and age farmers couldn't afford to pay someone to turn up and go home having achieved nothing with their day

 

[J.T.Agri]

The works still there to be done?

So it's not lost as you put it.

Must be frustrating not earning though when bills to be paid.

Joys of being self employed I guess and why you can charge more than someone on the books

I can imagine there is work there, just not in the areas I can afford to commute too

My main source of employment is about a 60 minute one way commute

The potato planting job is about 35 minute one way commute

Until January this year I was charging £13/hr to be informed by my accountant that after expenses I was earning less than minimum wage,
Sad I know but I have never been driven by money, I just enjoy the work I do,

Its only this year that my hourly rate has risen to £14.50+/hr
maybe I'm still too cheap but it still doesn't attract the the work, I can even back up my abilities and experience with references but it does not seem to be enough

so is it my cheap rates, lack of experience or an industry issue?

 

[Chae1]

I can imagine there is work there, just not in the areas I can afford to commute too

My main source of employment is about a 60 minute one way commute

The potato planting job is about 35 minute one way commute

Until January this year I was charging £13/hr to be informed by my accountant that after expenses I was earning less than minimum wage,
Sad I know but I have never been driven by money, I just enjoy the work I do,

Its only this year that my hourly rate has risen to £14.50+/hr
maybe I'm still too cheap but it still doesn't attract the the work, I can even back up my abilities and experience with references but it does not seem to be enough

so is it my cheap rates, lack of experience or an industry issue?

From the pictures of your work and skillset I'd say you could easily charge £18/HR up here.

Does sound like area your working in. There's a serious shortage of skilled people to work on farms up here.

 

[J.T.Agri]

From the pictures of your work and skillset I'd say you could easily charge £18/HR up here.

Does sound like area your working in. There's a serious shortage of skilled people to work on farms up here.

If I'm completely honest, Shropshire has been a very backwards county in terms of skills to value for as long as I know, the lowest paying county I have worked in,
I have earned an average of £2.00/HR more in Cheshire, £4.00/hr more in Norfolk, £1.50/hr more average everywhere else.
Don't ask me why, its just the way it is,
But I have family, a life ect here and moving away isn't as straight forward as when I was young and single

 

[Chae1]

If I'm completely honest, Shropshire has been a very backwards county in terms of skills to value for as long as I know, the lowest paying county I have worked in,
I have earned an average of £2.00/HR more in Cheshire, £4.00/hr more in Norfolk, £1.50/hr more average everywhere else.
Don't ask me why, its just the way it is,
But I have family, a life ect here and moving away isn't as straight forward as when I was young and single

The wage levels often reflects the cost of living in that area.

Everythings very expensive up here.

So probably no better off at end of day

 

[Cab-over Pete]

I don’t have the answers JT but you’re not alone.

My spreading business hadn’t earned a single penny since October 16th, until yesterday.

My lad drove 20 odd miles to do 5 hours work. He called me after a while and said if it had been next door he would have left the whole job. It was wet , sticky and soft in various places but the farmer told him to carry on and get it done.

As if that in itself wasn’t bad enough, we don’t have any other customers asking us to spread anything at all. Not a single job to look forward to.

There are lambs everywhere and cattle will have to be out soon because straw is running out. Nobody wants lime spread when there is stock on fresh, lush grass.

Arable land is like a bog, crops that have survived look dismal and harvest is already a disaster. SFI looks like the best option and nobody will put lime or P&K on for that.

So I have the thick end of 1/4 million pounds of kit parked up for longer than ever before and a son who is bursting to get going , but there’s no hope.

I am already thinking I’ll have to sell a tractor or two to keep going.

So, whilst I can’t help you much, grab the rope and pull yourself up into the same boat as a lot of us.

We decided to diversify into a feed and general supply outlet last October, which is keeping us very busy. But we won’t make anything out of that for a couple of years so could have done with a busy time on the spreading.

It could all go very wrong very quickly if things don’t turn around.

Still, I’m expecting a drought soon and there will be no second cut grass!!

 

[J.T.Agri]

I don’t have the answers JT but you’re not alone.

My spreading business hadn’t earned a single penny since October 16th, until yesterday.

My lad drove 20 odd miles to do 5 hours work. He called me after a while and said if it had been next door he would have left the whole job. It was wet , sticky and soft in various places but the farmer told him to carry on and get it done.

As if that in itself wasn’t bad enough, we don’t have any other customers asking us to spread anything at all. Not a single job to look forward to.

There are lambs everywhere and cattle will have to be out soon because straw is running out. Nobody wants lime spread when there is stock on fresh, lush grass.

Arable land is like a bog, crops that have survived look dismal and harvest is already a disaster. SFI looks like the best option and nobody will put lime or P&K on for that.

So I have the thick end of 1/4 million pounds of kit parked up for longer than ever before and a son who is bursting to get going , but there’s no hope.

I am already thinking I’ll have to sell a tractor or two to keep going.

So, whilst I can’t help you much, grab the rope and pull yourself up into the same boat as a lot of us.

We decided to diversify into a feed and general supply outlet last October, which is keeping us very busy. But we won’t make anything out of that for a couple of years so could have done with a busy time on the spreading.

It could all go very wrong very quickly if things don’t turn around.

Still, I’m expecting a drought soon and there will be no second cut grass!!

I guess we all do what we do because of our passion,

I guess I'm still learning the financial struggle regardless of scale

What is it with this country and the farming industry and the struggle, its very frustrating

 

[Chae1]

The struggle is real.

 

[Tubbylew]

It'll turn round, I know it's rained since july but before that we had a few really dry winters, 2022 was as dry as a chip, 2023 was looking to be the same until the rain started, just hold on as best as you can in the mean time.

 

[Robt]

Are you really only charging £14:50 an hour self employed….. I am actually astounded by that…. You get more per hour fully employed….
As a guide. I’ve invested about 10k in 4x4 and trailer. 4k Im tools. I am charging myself out at 30-35 an hour. Please don’t think I’m trying to belittle you. I’m not. But at £14:50 an hour self employed you will never earn enough to get ahead. Take off your holidays, private pension. Insurance. Vehicle running cost (350-450 miles a weeks will soon kill a cheap vehicle. I understand you love your work but that is far too cheap. You would genuinely be better off working full time In an other industry. Saving all your holiday then go driving tractors in your holiday. Then take a month off unpaid leave…. Sorry if that’s harsh but rent/ mortgage won’t pay its self.

 

[glasshouse]

I guess we all do what we do because of our passion,

I guess I'm still learning the financial struggle regardless of scale

What is it with this country and the farming industry and the struggle, its very frustrating

You need to find jobs for wet weather.
Fencing, grass topping, road mending etc.
Baling season last year was totally skewered by bad weather.
Glad my baler is paid for and no hp to pay

 

[DrWazzock]

I like doing “rainy day” jobs but I’m reluctant to do any that require much expenditure of cash as I can see this harvest being a disaster. I’m trying to conserve cash.
The only solution I can see is some kind of second non ag related part time job but as said it’s not easy to fit that in with unpredictable availability.
One other possible solution is go into manufacturing some product like fence panels, bird boxes etc that you can pile up on rainy days but leave at short notice if you are called away for your job.

 

[nelson]

The works still there to be done?

So it's not lost as you put it.

Must be frustrating not earning though when bills to be paid.

Joys of being self employed I guess and why you can charge more than someone on the books

not all the work will be there others will be called in to get jobs done as fast as possible and they will find someone to do it