OLD FARMERS
- Thread starter forblue
- Start date
- Location
- North Norfolk
If there was someone who could come and deal with our engineering side (digester, cheese making, lots of custom control systems) I would happily semi-retire at over 70. I have been searching, advertising, posting but not found anyone after several years looking.
- Location
- Romney Marsh
They are probably correct.................. but perhaps they should get the House of Lords to go first before picking on farmers. Their average age is around 70, with 13 being over 90 !!
- Location
- LINCOLNSHIRE/KENYA
What's your point. People in most professions do retire at some point. I do not see myself ever retiring because I like what I am doing too much but I would like someone to help me luckily I have a son who would like to come home at some point but he is unlikely to want to do that without being given some responsibilty . My Dad got to 79 before he decided I should have some say at home so from a personal point of view I don't think this MP is far wrong but it is up to each individual. I think there are a lot of frustrated younger potential farmers out there who would like to have a chance but are unlikely to ever have the chance of running their own farm because of the economics of farming today and by that I mean Land prices v returns and other factors such as any available rental land being taken up by large operators in order to offset their costs.
- Location
- Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
TBF it's probably leafed out of a policy from France or some other source. There won't be that much original coming out of BoJo's head. He probably has two policy documents written, the other saying you cam't run a farm until you're 65 and then he flipped a coin - sums him up really
Northeastfarmer
Member
- Location
- Cleveland
And where are these young farmers going to come from?
yellow belly
Member
- Location
- south west lincolnshire
Mps over retirement age should set an example
- Location
- Wales UK
Plenty love working for nothing is there??
- Location
- Wormingford, Essex
No applicants or no suitable applicants?
What age is old
Tubbylew
Member
- Location
- Herefordshire
Who in their right mind, would want to bother with agriculture,in this country in the state its in. I suppose i'm a young farmer, but after ten years or so, i'm fed up of subsidising one fulltime job with another, farming is a nice hobby for me and i'm extremely lucky to be able to do the things i do to be contented, but there is about as much future in it at the moment as starting a coal mine. JMHO and i really hope it changes, as it breaks my heart.
My advice for anyone thinking of entering the industry, would be go abroad as fast as you can, it won't be long before it sh!t there as well.
My advice for anyone thinking of entering the industry, would be go abroad as fast as you can, it won't be long before it sh!t there as well.
Tubbylew
Member
- Location
- Herefordshire
I should add i reserve the right to change my mind!
Why do we need young farmers?
Old farmers are probably the most near carbon neutral as they run old equipment,well out of date,low stocking rates,no fertiliser,minimal spraying.
Old farmers are probably far better for the environment than the equivalent young tractor jockey popping down to the local garage six miles away to get a Greggs pastie and an energy drink on his Fendt 724.
Old farmers are probably the most near carbon neutral as they run old equipment,well out of date,low stocking rates,no fertiliser,minimal spraying.
Old farmers are probably far better for the environment than the equivalent young tractor jockey popping down to the local garage six miles away to get a Greggs pastie and an energy drink on his Fendt 724.
- Location
- LINCOLNSHIRE/KENYA
I
I went overseas and its worked well for me but I'd have much rather stayed at home so if there is anything the government can do to encourage the young then let them have a go. It really upsets me that no one from outside farming can get a start unless they are making a fortune in hoovers or in the city.
I'm reminded of a piece I read backalong - it was supposedly tongue in cheek, but.......
I've pasted it below
Thank you for seeing me Minister. I realise it was difficult to fit me in your busy schedule, and that you have several meetings this morning. In fact, the delegates from the Greater British Newt Trust are already in the foyer, along with those from ‘Earth Matters!’, and ‘Animals are Friends’.
Yes, I’ll try and be brief, your staff have already advised me that you’ve a luncheon engagement at 11.30
So I’ll cut to the chase. Some of my office have been noticing something going on these last few months, and have been investigating these farmer chaps. And the thing is Sir, they seem to be disappearing.
Industry has been running campaigns to encourage new entrants for several years, but they seem to have rather backfired. Our contacts in the main agri-colleges assure me they’ve been enrolling plenty of students, but looking closer, what they’re actually turning out are land managers, recreation and equine experts, and bio-diversity monitors. Yes Sir, all vital to the nations wellbeing, and largely keyed in with your policy plans, but somewhat irrelevant to actually farming the land.
Where those young men and women whose career paths include growing food have gone has taken some research, and it seems the cream of them have left Sir. Where? They’ve emigrated Sir. And it’s the industry wide assumption that food production is no longer considered important that’s driving them.
We realise that you’ve undertaken to maintain their, as you called it recently, ‘blasted subsidies’ for another 7 years, but apparently it’s not the money. It is the consistent disrespect. The go-getters, the actual chaps who do the work and drive the business of farming Sir, are vanishing.
I put a team to crunch the demographic, and what we’re soon to be left with are the categories referred to (strictly in-house) as the ‘Blow-in Lama Lovers’, and the ‘Slipper Farmers’. This latter are of most concern Sir, as they are mostly of farming stock, and retain the appearance of being farmers. But in the main, they’re simply using something called roll-over money (ironically from our own infrastructure and housing development drive) to acquire more land, on which to do very little farming. Closer investigation suggests that a lot of this group have already sent their successors overseas, increasingly using our cash to buy land in countries more conducive with their natural inclinations. It seems to have been a monumental own goal, Sir.
It isn’t helping that the younger generation have been discreetly courted by several overseas Governments. Which ones Sir? Well it’s mostly Canada, and the Antipodes, and some of our erstwhile EU partners. Worryingly the best of the technical people, and the most able agronomists, have also been, well frankly….poached by the Kansas State Department of Agriculture. Yes I know you’ve an aversion for intensive farming methods, and agro-chemicals are a sin Sir, but it is my job to point these things out.
I’ve spoken personally to the heads of the agri-colleges I mentioned.
Regrettably, the heads themselves admit they’ve also been suffering from something of a brain drain, and only 2 of them would admit, when pressed, to having anyone on site who could actually start their larger tractors, leave alone programme the GPS systems which know where their actual fields are nowadays.
You might well laugh Sir, we had a chortle about it ourselves. However, I remind you we don’t know where anybody’s fields are anymore. Not since the system crash in ‘Mapping’ last October.
Further enquiries have revealed the same is happening in the fishing and forestry communities. Since your pronouncement that the remaining 18% of UK waters not declared marine habitat protection zones will have to be shared with our former EU partners, and that the drive to afforest another 22% of the British landscape will be strictly with nature friendly amenity plantations, there has been a similar exodus from both of those industries. Sorry Sir? Well yes, they are both actual ‘industries’. They employ some tens of thousands, and generate goods we need every day. No Sir. Who would have thought it? Again, it seems there has been deliberate enticement going on below our radar. Canada, Alaska, and curiously Chile, seem to be implicated.
Yes Sir, quite so. But I really think you ought to care Sir
The ‘Institute for fiscal matters’, yes, those rascals, have produced a 10 year primary industry projection, pointing out that the economy won’t be able to stand the hit from the looming imbalance in the balance of payments –forgive the terminology.
No Sir, I’ve no idea how matters came to this pass.
Oh, on my way in, I was advised to let you know to expect a call from the PM, who is apparently not sounding very happy.
Good day Sir.
- Location
- Moreton-in-Marsh, Glos
Where are all these younger farmers?
I have to admit I never encouraged any of my kids to go into farming. Yet I can trace all my ancestors being farmers for at least 5 generations.
Much as I would have loved at least one of them taking up Farming as a career, I couldn’t see the point!
Many accountants regard most farmers as lemmings (Though the one that told me that got fired immediately!).
So if Boris or anybody else thinks that older farmer should make way for younger ones, maybe he /they should ensure farming is profitable (trading profits) enough to make it worth their while.
Yes, it’s a great life. But relying on the good will of those of us to keep doing it, hoping that things will improve, while be abused by those we feed, won’t encourage our youngsters to follow in our footsteps.
The reality being that the real money made out of agriculture doesn’t come from crop or livestock sales, but from selling off capital assets, like barns, houses and grazing paddocks, land for development or land for motorways etc. Or by those who or who’s ancestors bought land years ago and cash in on the inflated value that has absolutely no connection to its farming profitability, whatsoever.
I have to admit I never encouraged any of my kids to go into farming. Yet I can trace all my ancestors being farmers for at least 5 generations.
Much as I would have loved at least one of them taking up Farming as a career, I couldn’t see the point!
Many accountants regard most farmers as lemmings (Though the one that told me that got fired immediately!).
So if Boris or anybody else thinks that older farmer should make way for younger ones, maybe he /they should ensure farming is profitable (trading profits) enough to make it worth their while.
Yes, it’s a great life. But relying on the good will of those of us to keep doing it, hoping that things will improve, while be abused by those we feed, won’t encourage our youngsters to follow in our footsteps.
The reality being that the real money made out of agriculture doesn’t come from crop or livestock sales, but from selling off capital assets, like barns, houses and grazing paddocks, land for development or land for motorways etc. Or by those who or who’s ancestors bought land years ago and cash in on the inflated value that has absolutely no connection to its farming profitability, whatsoever.
- Location
- East Sussex
Lambs to the slaughter....... come on in if you think you're hard enough.
- Location
- Ceredigion
Is he offering a pay out ?
The London Palladium event “BPR Seminar”
This is our next step following the London rally 
BPR is not just a farming issue, it affects ALL business, it removes incentive to invest for growth
Join us @LondonPalladium on the 16th for beginning of UK business fight back
lwtheatres.co.uk
BPR is not just a farming issue, it affects ALL business, it removes incentive to invest for growth
Join us @LondonPalladium on the 16th for beginning of UK business fight back
BPR Summit | LW Theatres
lwtheatres.co.uk