Our new(ish) parlour

[Tim G]

Thought I'd start a thread showing the build of our new parlour as it comes along.
The building we are converting was the farm's original parlour, it looks like it could have been an abreast type parlour to start with but most remember it as a pit parlour before a new one was built nextdoor in the mid 90's.
We used the building to house our mill and mix as general tat.
We'vecut a new door and gave it a clean out.

 

[Tim G]

Re-using what we can, these blocks were part of a falling down building on the farm. We're using them to form a dividing wall in the building.

 

[BobbySusie]

Be interested in this, im currently doing the same but in a building with much less character that yours. Best of luck.

What type of cows will you milk.

 

[Tim G]

On to laying out the rubble to form the step.

 

[Tim G]

Be interested in this, im currently doing the same but in a building with much less character that yours. Best of luck.

What type of cows will you milk.

Thanks. We milk Jerseys.
We started milking in June 2018 with three cows. We don't have a contract just sell it raw from the farm. We wanted to see if and how it would work before putting too much money into it (we call it a shoe string prototype). I bought a four stall abreast parlour for little money and currently we use two stalls in a temporary home.

This was this morning. Once done we will have a pipeline, tank etc.

 

[Scoobyscotlad]

Good on you, how is the direct selling going?

 

[som farmer]

from your photos, you appear to be a young couple, and you deserve all the praise you get. It is nice to see y/farmers having a go, farming today is an extremely hard industry to 'get' into, and whether you have plenty of acres, and just having a go at this, or you have a few acres, and want to develop into something bigger, the best of luck to you, keep posting as you go, it will be interesting to see how you go.

 

[Tim G]

Good on you, how is the direct selling going?

Not without its challenges, but probably the only way we could do it without 150 cows!

 

[BobbySusie]

Well done, I 100% agree with the 'shoe string prototype'. What is the long term plan, how many cows do you wish to sell, how are you selling your milk, i.e is it through a vending machine, honesty box etc.

 

[upnortheast]

@Tim G Just something to ponder- may be another way to grow your sales . I know lots of folk have vending machines on farm which, subject to location, do well.
We have a customer put one in his shop - one of these minimal packaging concepts, in a suburb of Newcastle. Been going a month & volumes are going up & up. The urban punters seem to love it
- and the good news, the customer carries the capital cost

 

[Tim G]

from your photos, you appear to be a young couple, and you deserve all the praise you get. It is nice to see y/farmers having a go, farming today is an extremely hard industry to 'get' into, and whether you have plenty of acres, and just having a go at this, or you have a few acres, and want to develop into something bigger, the best of luck to you, keep posting as you go, it will be interesting to see how you go.

Thank you,
We're youngish (both under 40) and have 120 acres here we rent.

 

[JP1]

from your photos, you appear to be a young couple, and you deserve all the praise you get. It is nice to see y/farmers having a go, farming today is an extremely hard industry to 'get' into, and whether you have plenty of acres, and just having a go at this, or you have a few acres, and want to develop into something bigger, the best of luck to you, keep posting as you go, it will be interesting to see how you go.

Tim and his wife work very hard ; no mean feat on a tenancy, with two (delightful) young children and a diverse farm and retail / food business. No respite at weekends with farmers markets etc

 

[spin cycle]

fantastic thread....keep it coming

 

[Tim G]

Well done, I 100% agree with the 'shoe string prototype'. What is the long term plan, how many cows do you wish to sell, how are you selling your milk, i.e is it through a vending machine, honesty box etc.

Long term our aim was for 15 cows, I'm building the parlour so we could put 30-40 through it without too much trouble.
Currently we sell from the farm, at a farmers market and through the local milkman. No vending machine, the quote of around £10k put us off for now.

 

[Tim G]

Homemade formwork, rubble vibed down and mesh laid.

 

[Tim G]

@Tim G Just something to ponder- may be another way to grow your sales . I know lots of folk have vending machines on farm which, subject to location, do well.
We have a customer put one in his shop - one of these minimal packaging concepts, in a suburb of Newcastle. Been going a month & volumes are going up & up. The urban punters seem to love it
- and the good news, the customer carries the capital cost

The plastic free tribe are very keen on vending machines and have approached us about it but for now the price has put us off (and them too when we suggested some help funding it!)
If we had one in a shop somewhere else we would have to pasturise the milk, but it is something we are considering longer term.

 

[Tim G]

5 ton of concrete thrown in.
They were booked for 10am but turned up just as I finished milking. Was going to mix it ourselves but for £50 more to have ready mix it was a no brainer.

 

[Tim G]

Dad managed to find time in his busy schedule that comes with retirement to lay some bricks for us.

 

[Tim G]

Brickwork done.

 

[Tim G]

More 2nd hand blocks going up and the unused half of the parlour offered up in place.