Reduction in arable acreages

[robs1]

I think winter in Hampshire is perhaps a little different to Shap, probably half as long for starters

But it's always been like that, I think a lot of the problems for farmers is that too many have listened to all the advisors and agents etc and have developed systems that aren't right for the area they are in, most ways of farming have developed over centuries and for a reason, there is far too much specialized units these days and not enough mixed farms, there are good reasons for that but it also makes us vulnerable at the same time, I suppose those of us that have diversified into non food income streams are protected from down turns to an extent.
The only thing that is 100% certain is that moaning on tff or any other way is not going to save a single farmer, the answers and solutions are down to us to find , the government, supermarkets, banks or anyone else aren't there to help us . When the going gets tough the tough get going

 

[kfpben]

what exactly are we mourning the loss of ? From what i can see uk ag has been mostly unviable and financially unsustainable for the last 20 years ?

is a situation where a AHDB report a couple year ago suggested over 80% of farm businesses were making without subsidies something worth trying to hold on to ? !

if an industry ever needed ground up fundamental change it’s british agriculture

I suppose it’s loss of community that would be mourned.

I’m part of various farming clubs, a farmers quiz team, the local ag show, evening talks at the vets, hunt skittles, help steward YFC comps. My wife and I’s whole social life revolves around living in a rural community and the sense of belonging that brings. We just aren’t urban people, and there would be many like us out there.

The bloke who works for me and his Mrs spend most weekends of the Summer showing their livestock. They live for it.

We are only in Hampshire, the sense of loss would be felt much more keenly somewhere like Exmoor.

 

[Vader]

Who is this staff that wants to trail around calving cows and feeding sheep in the rain and snow all winter?
If you find him let me know

More likely to find rocking horse round here

 

[Vader]

Except that it's paying for herbal leys and legume fallow at £382 and £670 per ha

You can cut your legume fallow in the first year of establishment so there's your winter forage taken care of.

What about if you can not cut your grass...?
Or work the grass land?

 

[Vader]

Taken the plunge and put 50% in. Offer signed yesterday. It’s cost the local machinery boys a combine (3 farmers clubbing together) and for me personally a tractor and loader. 50% less fertiliser and chemicals for the next 3 years as well and no casual help needed at harvest. AHL2 into AHL1 is paying £644/ac and that’s without any of the other things like no insecticide and direct drilling. You’re mad not to go into this at these rates.

Nice if you can get in sfi...

 

[serf]

Sounds like a good time to sell TFF if there will be half the farmers to chat about farming in 5 years time!

No , think you'll find more traffic on here comparing how many butterflies and what variety they have got in their fields !

Well there won't be oat else to do other than drink Guinness ....

 

[anzani]

No , think you'll find more traffic on here comparing how many butterflies and what variety they have got in their fields !

Well there won't be oat else to do other than drink Guinness ....

Maybe spend the time working out what the larger surviving seed- eating bird population will eat from Spring through to Winter?

 

[Dockers]

For perspective there ar 10yr bonds doing 6% return right now - ZERO risk

so if you have 1 million invested in farming (that's not exactly a big farm or much kit these days). if you are not making a regular 60K pa you are worse off ! (not forgetting bonds don't involve setting a 6am alarm clock everyday or worrying about rain !)

Frankly you REALLY have to love farming to WANT to do it right now - how sad is that

Nice to have both, farming is a great hobby. Prefer it to golf !!!

 

[Humble Village Farmer]

You will only get AHL2 in one year and AHL1 the next, there's no real way you can deliver AHL2 and AHL1 on the same land parcel in a 12 month period.

If you had a March the 1st start date you could do AHL2 followed by NUM3; especially if you mixed the legumes in with the wild bird mix the year before.

After all, one is a summer objective and one is a winter objective.

Expecting clover to do much in the summer following a late spring sowing is too risky for me.

 

[Humble Village Farmer]

What about if you can not cut your grass...?
Or work the grass land?

I'm just pointing out some options are potentially quite livestock friendly.

 

[Andy26]

If you had a March the 1st start date you could do AHL2 followed by NUM3; especially if you mixed the legumes in with the wild bird mix the year before.

After all, one is a summer objective and one is a winter objective.

Expecting clover to do much in the summer following a late spring sowing is too risky for me.

Yes you could do AHL2 in spring 2024, providing bird food winter 2024/25 then NUM3 in spring 2025, back into WW Oct or AHL2 in spring 2026

 

[Vader]

I'm just pointing out some options are potentially quite livestock friendly.

Not mainly for the hill men.
They the ones moonbat and goldsmith hate along with their cult member.
They blamed for flooding and nature loss by the cult.
So remove them and cover the land with trees is what they want

 

[Spencer]

But it's always been like that, I think a lot of the problems for farmers is that too many have listened to all the advisors and agents etc and have developed systems that aren't right for the area they are in, most ways of farming have developed over centuries and for a reason, there is far too much specialized units these days and not enough mixed farms, there are good reasons for that but it also makes us vulnerable at the same time, I suppose those of us that have diversified into non food income streams are protected from down turns to an extent.
The only thing that is 100% certain is that moaning on tff or any other way is not going to save a single farmer, the answers and solutions are down to us to find , the government, supermarkets, banks or anyone else aren't there to help us . When the going gets tough the tough get going

My point being, there aren’t many young people turning up into shap hill farms looking to help out at lambing, as per original message. Didn’t read rest of essay.

 

[Spencer]

For perspective there ar 10yr bonds doing 6% return right now - ZERO risk

so if you have 1 million invested in farming (that's not exactly a big farm or much kit these days). if you are not making a regular 60K pa you are worse off ! (not forgetting bonds don't involve setting a 6am alarm clock everyday or worrying about rain !)

Frankly you REALLY have to love farming to WANT to do it right now - how sad is that

It’s your age.. you’ve scratched the farming itch, something we all have to do if lucky enough ( or unlucky )

 

[ollie989898]

Nice to have both, farming is a great hobby. Prefer it to golf !!!

You could always try that fudging cycling!!!

 

[Vader]

what exactly are we mourning the loss of ? From what i can see uk ag has been mostly unviable and financially unsustainable for the last 20 years ?

is a situation where a AHDB report a couple year ago suggested over 80% of farm businesses were making without subsidies something worth trying to hold on to ? !

if an industry ever needed ground up fundamental change it’s british agriculture

Biggest loss will be the beautiful scenery in the hills. People love going there as its lovely to look at.
When its all covered in trees and they walking on a path in a forest then nothing to see apart from trees 10m in front of you...

 

[ollie989898]

Biggest loss will be the beautiful scenery in the hills. People love going there as its lovely to look at.
When its all covered in trees and they walking on a path in a forest then nothing to see apart from trees 10m in front of you...

What's the plan in 30-40 years time when all this mature forestry is ready to be harvested? Leave it all there or throw it into Drax?

 

[DrWazzock]

I'm just pointing out some options are potentially quite livestock friendly.

With the government paying £150 an acre rent for herbal ley and fat lambs at £150 we aren’t complaining. Sheep whip the hide off OSR. Yet they tell me they are on their arse in Oz and NZ.

 

[livestock 1]

Well it looks like those have done something to prepare, I have a Lifetime's experience of farming and have made many changes over the years to thrive rather than just survive, being a dairy farm within a semi rural area brings it's own challenges, I gave up milking in 1999, having done virtually every single milking for the last 10 years, as I could see the writing on the wall for those hemmed in by houses etc and milk quotas were worth a lot of money which was obviously going to drop, we have evolved over the years away from food to equine, a market that pays, we have advantages over a remote farm in that respect but then they have advantages that we don't.
I think you're pretty disrespectful of those that have " normal" jobs, I'm sure many of those folk look with envy at what you have and the freedom of being your own boss , the grass is not always greener on the other side though. No one owes us a living, life is what we make of it.

You are ignorant. To state that someone has prepared for the end of bps by selling their lifetimes work either by selling their land or breeding stock is pretty bad.
The comparison you make between farmers who work round the clock to miners who are on strike is showing stupidity.
Just because you can’t be bothered to milk cows doesn’t mean others should follow

 

[Kevtherev]

Change the way they farm. Sell all the young stock before winter, out winter cows on deferred/bale grazing. Send ewes away if possible for example.

Not advisable on a welsh winter sheds were built for a reason.☔️