New entrants / post entry / building the future of our industry.

JPB

Member
Location
North Yorkshire
The words "first generation farmer" make me cringe on social media I'm afraid. Without naming names there is a few people that post on Instagram which reckon to be first generation farmers, post all day on what they are doing, always seem to dress in the latest schoffels and 1000 acre trousers, maybe have 50 sheep, and seem to crop up everywhere on radio/ social media events etc. How the hell do people have time to do all this promotion stuff when starting out. It drives me insane. I've managed to get to about 120+ cattle and contracting machinery on my own, although I have borrowed bits of money here and there, but posing in front of the camera for attention is the last thing I'd want. Seem to work 14 hours 7 days a week, which I don't mind as its my choice and I'm hungry to succeed.
 

Gulli

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Somerset
The words "first generation farmer" make me cringe on social media I'm afraid. Without naming names there is a few people that post on Instagram which reckon to be first generation farmers, post all day on what they are doing, always seem to dress in the latest schoffels and 1000 acre trousers, maybe have 50 sheep, and seem to crop up everywhere on radio/ social media events etc. How the hell do people have time to do all this promotion stuff when starting out. It drives me insane. I've managed to get to about 120+ cattle and contracting machinery on my own, although I have borrowed bits of money here and there, but posing in front of the camera for attention is the last thing I'd want. Seem to work 14 hours 7 days a week, which I don't mind as its my choice and I'm hungry to succeed.
People have different priorities, I wouldn't want to put myself in front of the camera and I can't muster the motivation for building a big social media profile, but each to their own, it's no easy feat to cultivate that sort of profile in terms of time, probably why most aren't milking 400 cows on their own or whatever.
It doesn't matter what you put the time into so long as it makes you money.
 

Nithsdale

Member
Livestock Farmer
Are you prepared to do anything to get farming...


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People have different priorities, I wouldn't want to put myself in front of the camera and I can't muster the motivation for building a big social media profile, but each to their own, it's no easy feat to cultivate that sort of profile in terms of time, probably why most aren't milking 400 cows on their own or whatever.
It doesn't matter what you put the time into so long as it makes you money.
I suppose the only danger is when people confuse the fact that it is actually two different industries..... and begin to ask the folk who make a living from social media to make decisions which impact upon the lives of those who make a living from farming. Maybe?!?
 

Gulli

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Somerset
I suppose the only danger is when people confuse the fact that it is actually two different industries..... and begin to ask the folk who make a living from social media to make decisions which impact upon the lives of those who make a living from farming. Maybe?!?
Yes I think that's fair, although there's people is the 50 sheep crowd who have a sensible handle on what the future should look like, and there's some full time farmers who I'd totally disagree with and vice versa
 
Yes I think that's fair, although there's people is the 50 sheep crowd who have a sensible handle on what the future should look like, and there's some full time farmers who I'd totally disagree with and vice versa
I would agree with that also! Very much so. It’s not about sheep numbers at all. There is no number to how many sheep you can farm badly.

On a slightly side note - some of the bull sh!t is actually quite amusing, very successful and impressive in terms of buisness strategy, but laughable in some ways. Mid twenties, been around a few sheep for a handful of years, don’t actually do much sheep work, and you write your autobiography? About your journey and life as a shepherd. Really ? 😂

I’m just off to do a speed awareness course. I might write my autobiography about my life as a rally driver when I get back 😂
 

Gulli

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Somerset
I would agree with that also! Very much so. It’s not about sheep numbers at all. There is no number to how many sheep you can farm badly.

On a slightly side note - some of the bull sh!t is actually quite amusing, very successful and impressive in terms of buisness strategy, but laughable in some ways. Mid twenties, been around a few sheep for a handful of years, don’t actually do much sheep work, and you write your autobiography? About your journey and life as a shepherd. Really ? 😂

I’m just off to do a speed awareness course. I might write my autobiography about my life as a rally driver when I get back 😂
If it earns you enough money to build a house off the back of it then why not? More money in farming people. 😂

The only thing that annoys me about the social media side of things is the ones who claim to show both the good and the bad sides but 99% of the time the bad things are down to poor management and easily avoidable problems. Everyone gets things wrong but to dress it up as just another part of sheep farming doesn't sit well with me.
 

ImLost

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Not sure
@CopperBeech - as a new entrant, how should I be going about getting into farming?

The biggest barrier for me is land.

Blood, sweat, toil, tears and money been put into finding it and feel like I'm getting nowhere.

Very definitely first generation, which doesn't help, but isn't "everyone wanting new, young entrants"? :rolleyes:
 
If it earns you enough money to build a house off the back of it then why not? More money in farming people. 😂

The only thing that annoys me about the social media side of things is the ones who claim to show both the good and the bad sides but 99% of the time the bad things are down to poor management and easily avoidable problems. Everyone gets things wrong but to dress it up as just another part of sheep farming doesn't sit well with me.
If I’m honest, I just have a massive allergy to bulls**t 😂 I’ve just always been that way, I’ll say it like I see it and call people on their bulls**t.... it doesn’t make them bad people. But if you’re gonna talk crap, you’ve got to either just say “yer it’s just crap for attention” or stand by it 😂 it’s not personal, and it doesn’t mean I don’t respect what folk do in some ways or find it interesting in terms of a buisness model etc. I’m the same with my mates. Maybe that’s why a lot of people don’t like me ? 😂

But if your tag line is “keeping it real every day” then you have to be willing to get called on your bulls**t I think.

And I totally agree with your last point - same as just folk acting the expert, getting taken for the expert and showing terrible practice and backwards ways of doing things. And that just being “proper” or “normal” sheep farming. Same as folk going on about it being impossible to make money, costs are too high etc, cake going up etc. Well stop complaining about things you can’t change and look at your system! If you’re lambing 100 sheep in April, maybe try outside, try not caking them 6 weeks before, during lambing and after, because that’s what the book says you must do.
 
I can’t see where it’s gone now, but @Electricfencer mentioned earlier on, the weird obsession with lambing sheep. Seems to me that a hell of a lot of lambs which don’t need pulling get pulled. So many videos on social media of people lambing normally presented; normal size lambs which aren’t yellow. Lambs which id hazard a guess the ewe would have lambed fine herself. It seems that people want to pull lbs because if they don’t they can’t take photos / video. This then leads on to the idea that most lambs need pulling and but lambs are a good thing. Like these below I just saw now! Not sure many of us wants lambs like that !
3CF2414E-2D35-4A2D-8E79-BAC7E2E0BD31.png
 

Estate fencing.

Member
Livestock Farmer
I can’t see where it’s gone now, but @Electricfencer mentioned earlier on, the weird obsession with lambing sheep. Seems to me that a hell of a lot of lambs which don’t need pulling get pulled. So many videos on social media of people lambing normally presented; normal size lambs which aren’t yellow. Lambs which id hazard a guess the ewe would have lambed fine herself. It seems that people want to pull lbs because if they don’t they can’t take photos / video. This then leads on to the idea that most lambs need pulling and but lambs are a good thing. Like these below I just saw now! Not sure many of us wants lambs like that ! View attachment 1024177
If she needed an arm length glove on she wasn’t just giving the feet a pull either was she. I’ve been lambing properly since Sunday and am yet even to see a ewe lamb let alone put one out. Came in the shed this morning and had 8 twins (one was a dead small lamb) and a set of triplets so then had 9 sets of twins, that’s lambing not pulling lambs out of ewes that aren’t even ready. 😡
 

Anymulewilldo

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Cheshire
I can’t see where it’s gone now, but @Electricfencer mentioned earlier on, the weird obsession with lambing sheep. Seems to me that a hell of a lot of lambs which don’t need pulling get pulled. So many videos on social media of people lambing normally presented; normal size lambs which aren’t yellow. Lambs which id hazard a guess the ewe would have lambed fine herself. It seems that people want to pull lbs because if they don’t they can’t take photos / video. This then leads on to the idea that most lambs need pulling and but lambs are a good thing. Like these below I just saw now! Not sure many of us wants lambs like that ! View attachment 1024177
FFS. That’s just silly. Give me a little sharp one that does it all itself any day!!!
 

Nithsdale

Member
Livestock Farmer
I can’t see where it’s gone now, but @Electricfencer mentioned earlier on, the weird obsession with lambing sheep. Seems to me that a hell of a lot of lambs which don’t need pulling get pulled. So many videos on social media of people lambing normally presented; normal size lambs which aren’t yellow. Lambs which id hazard a guess the ewe would have lambed fine herself. It seems that people want to pull lbs because if they don’t they can’t take photos / video. This then leads on to the idea that most lambs need pulling and but lambs are a good thing. Like these below I just saw now! Not sure many of us wants lambs like that ! View attachment 1024177


Don't stress, lad.

As far as I can tell - the industry has always had a % of 'shepherds' who believe you need to lamb inside. You need BIG lambs. You NEED to lamb every ewe... And ofcourse If you're not doing this you're not a real farmer.

And the small scale/hobby/lifestylers have always mollycoddled and fussed over every single sheep whether she would lamb herself or not! (That becomes a welfare issue IMO)

It's just that there is now a platform for these folk to show everyone how arse about tit they are.. and pat each other on the back for how arse about tit they are. I don't blame them really, it's been taught or passed on from the previous generation, or a 'mentor' type - they believe this is OK because they've been led to believe it's OK. That Lambing Live programme probably helped spur it on - it's great viewing/drama seeing someone 'having' to intervene and a ewe being lambed.... it's shyte TV (no 'drama') if she just drops the lambs herself



Just leave them to it, some will get by (may e even learn!) but most will fail in time... and another one will come along to take their place
 

Anymulewilldo

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Cheshire
Don't stress, lad.

As far as I can tell - the industry has always had a % of 'shepherds' who believe you need to lamb inside. You need BIG lambs. You NEED to lamb every ewe... And ofcourse If you're not doing this you're not a real farmer.

And the small scale/hobby/lifestylers have always mollycoddled and fussed over every single sheep whether she would lamb herself or not! (That becomes a welfare issue IMO)

It's just that there is now a platform for these folk to show everyone how arse about tit they are.. and pat each other on the back for how arse about tit they are. I don't blame them really, it's been taught or passed on from the previous generation, or a 'mentor' type - they believe this is OK because they've been led to believe it's OK. That Lambing Live programme probably helped spur it on - it's great viewing/drama seeing someone 'having' to intervene and a ewe being lambed.... it's shyte TV (no 'drama') if she just drops the lambs herself



Just leave them to it, some will get by (may e even learn!) but most will fail in time... and another one will come along to take their place
That’s very true. We do lamb a ruck inside but it would be pee boring tv. “ while we had breakfast another 4 lambed 🤭” shock horror the ewe did it itself, licked them clean and is now offering violence too anyone brave enough too go near them!

or maybe that’s just my anti social sheep?
 

Anymulewilldo

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Cheshire
Giving lambs cuddliest and taking selfie’s with them 😤😤😤
Leave the damn things on the ewes! “If that ewe rejects the lamb because it smells of you now. You’re getting an arse kicking” the amount of students that have too be told several times!!! Always get 1 a year more interested in posing and cuddling lambs that getting on. While the others work like trojans!
 

Nithsdale

Member
Livestock Farmer
Giving lambs cuddliest and taking selfie’s with them 😤😤😤
Leave the damn things on the ewes! “If that ewe rejects the lamb because it smells of you now. You’re getting an arse kicking” the amount of students that have too be told several times!!! Always get 1 a year more interested in posing and cuddling lambs that getting on. While the others work like trojans!

The next rotten lamb I get... I'm.cuddling and taking a selfie for you 🤣
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 80 42.3%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 66 34.9%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 15.9%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 7 3.7%

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

  • 1,292
  • 1
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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