Matthew Naylor and obsession with young farmers

David.

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
J11 M40
Perhaps Mr Naylor is having a pop at the baby-boomer generation rather than ours.
Don't forget that that generation has only ever known the largesse of the CAP, and probably had parents whose only ambition in life was to make sure their son had an easier life than they themselves had during The Depression.
It has been very difficult to go bankrupt unless one actually went very far off the rails on the women or the horses.
We are talking about a generation who were able to privately educate all their children off the back of 2/300 acres farmed, asset stripped the farm by selling off farmyards outlying barns, converted buildings that were put up on FHDS grants into industrial use, and then let out the farm on tenuous contract farming agreements to the local Big-balls in order to keep farmer status in retirement.
I doubt any subsequent generation will ever have such a life of Old Riley and such a couldn't care less attitude about well qualified kids leaving college/uni who crave a starter farm and find it to be a closed shop.
All thoroughly tongue in cheek of course, no reference implied to any particular persons, living or dead; for the purpose of discussion.:whistle:
And yes I am aware that interest rates were 18% for a bit, when I was at school in the 70/80s.
 
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7610 super q

Never Forgotten
Honorary Member
As far as I can see, it's NEVER been easy to start up farming.
Dad started in 1960, bumbling along with spuds and milk.....never made much money...
As mentioned above interest rates still at 17% when we ' upgraded ' farms in the early 90's.
Started to make big money in the mid 90's.....and got hammered by tax.
With land at £10k / acre + now I'd say it's impossible.
Kicking old duffers off the land isn't the answer though. Although I'm not as young and keen as I was 20 years ago, I'm going to do as I please till I kick the bucket thanks. Besides which, I've tried all the trendy diversification enterprises like organic vegetables and free range hens....and it got me nowhere.(n)
 

cudota

Member
Location
east lancashire
As far as I can see, it's NEVER been easy to start up farming.
Dad started in 1960, bumbling along with spuds and milk.....never made much money...
As mentioned above interest rates still at 17% when we ' upgraded ' farms in the early 90's.
Started to make big money in the mid 90's.....and got hammered by tax.
With land at £10k / acre + now I'd say it's impossible.
Kicking old duffers off the land isn't the answer though. Although I'm not as young and keen as I was 20 years ago, I'm going to do as I please till I kick the bucket thanks. Besides which, I've tried all the trendy diversification enterprises like organic vegetables and free range hens....and it got me nowhere.(n)
Why does getting dynamic going to change anything its a shortage agriculture needs not producing more
 

Neddy flanders

Member
BASE UK Member
Does dyamism and change fuel advertising, as younger farmers more likely to risk cash on new tackle. So in a roundabout way, Naylor's article benefits FW
 

Daniel

Member
Ive just read it. Matt writes well, engaging style, opens with some whimsy about a speed awareness course, makes his points.

He's right that young farmers often can't get their ideas implemented, push in new directions and so on.

Also, he was rude about the Schoffel gilet and the dull, unoriginal mindset of anyone daft enough to be seen dead in one, what's not to like?!
 

Wastexprt

Member
BASIS
I met Naylor whilst I was still in YFC. A group of us went to the NFU conference and happened to sit down next to him at the bar. Maybe he'd had a few (maybe he'd had more than a few) but he didn't endear himself to any of us. We all came away with the same view... full of his own self importance and generally a bit of a berk!

He views himself in pretty much the same light http://www.face-online.org.uk/pure-tilth/matthew-naylor
 

No wot

Member
Remember him writing an artical in the style of a recovering drug addict ,except it was about his potatoe growing "habbitt " , absolutely priceless , wish I'd cut it out & kept it.
 

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