Share farming opportunity

[Geared]

New hear, been reading for a while now, so be kind to me everyone

Currently farming at home with on a average size herd of cows converting to an autumn block slowly. Have a friend of mine that has no experience of farming hands on and is looking to buy a farm 12 miles from us. Have looked into it with farm advises and recommends low cost spring calving possible OAD milking, which I would be keen to be involved with.

Am i just creating more work for myself or is this a opportunity i should take straight away? It would mean having to employ staff which we don't currently do, possibly a herds man at the new farm that would live on site. I would be a share milkers but still have to employ staff as i would also be looking after our current farm.

All view's welcome

 

[onesiedale]

A simple spring calving OAD would work fine. BUT there are so many other questions and variables that would need answering and sorting first.
Obvious one being a milk contract. Then you need to ensure that your system at home is simple enough stand the changes.
Realistically, how much investment is needed and is it worth doing it off site rather than at home?

 

[Rossymons]

I'd be inclined to let them get on with it without you.

You probably have enough going on at home moulding that into your own image first.

 

[Durry cows]

few questions for a start how old are you? How many cows at home? Is Home system profitable and going forward? Next how many acres at new block? Is your friend the type of chap you can get on with (if there’s a hint not then don’t bother imo) hope this doesn’t come across blunt but a few things to chew on best of luck either way

 

[Beef farmer]

Your friend who's about to just buy a farm.... what line of work is he in? And is he your age?

 

[O'Reilly]

Don't do business with friends.

 

[Farmer Bogass]

Only worth share milking if you share resources, like sell your farm and go in 50 50 on land twice the size. Major expense short term, and a huge risk, especially if he has no experience.

Pointless with two separate farms, less efficiency savings to be made. You could grow crops and keep young stock and dry cows on a second farm (the smaller one), but how many Milkers can fit on the largest site?

Only worth share milking if you can make enough efficiencies to make a higher profit margin per cow.

My advice would be to let him go it alone but form a co-op for resources and manpower sharing, but keep the businesses separate. Less risk.

 

[multi power]

Only worth share milking if you share resources, like sell your farm and go in 50 50 on land twice the size. Major expense short term, and a huge risk, especially if he has no experience.

Pointless with two separate farms, less efficiency savings to be made. You could grow crops and keep young stock and dry cows on a second farm (the smaller one), but how many Milkers can fit on the largest site?

Only worth share milking if you can make enough efficiencies to make a higher profit margin per cow.

My advice would be to let him go it alone but form a co-op for resources and manpower sharing, but keep the businesses separate. Less risk.

Not at all true

 

[Slippery Slope]

Yeah your just creating more work for yourself!

Farm your own farm really well rather than two average farms. 12 miles is a fair old run around when you start doing it on a regular basis.

 

[multi power]

Not much ambition on this thread

 

[Rossymons]

When is enough enough? How many families does he want to feed?

 

[Clay52]

Not much ambition on this thread

To me it’s not about lack of ambition it just not a good opportunity.

Going into a joint dairy business with a friend who has zero dairy experience for starters. Sounds like a nightmare to me.

 

[Clay52]

When is enough enough? How many families does he want to feed?

How long is a piece of string. Some people are happy with not a lot and some multi billions aren’t enough.

 

[Cows 'n grass]

When is enough enough? How many families does he want to feed?

Ha ha. It's a good quote which I'm guessing John Roach used at all his various talks around the UK.

 

[Cows 'n grass]

When I took up my share farming job I originally looked at continuing to milk on the previous farm as well. I live on the old farm which is about 3 mile drive from the share farming job and I just couldn't make the figures stack up. This was in a fully set up 170 cow farm with parlour, tanks, tracks water housing slurry store ect all in place already and by the time you've played a cowman 30k plus some relief plus the owner, being for outside farming, will be expecting a good ROC which will leave nothing for you except hassle. Sorry.

 

[Dragon]

Probably not enough info for people to be answering and saying no just yet. The fact you dont employ anyone would point to the fact your skill set might not be there yet! You need to fill in the gaps to the question posed above.
For me I'd jump at the chance if the figures stacked up.

 

[BELOWAVERAGE]

When I took up my share farming job I originally looked at continuing to milk on the previous farm as well. I live on the old farm which is about 3 mile drive from the share farming job and I just couldn't make the figures stack up. This was in a fully set up 170 cow farm with parlour, tanks, tracks water housing slurry store ect all in place already and by the time you've played a cowman 30k plus some relief plus the owner, being for outside farming, will be expecting a good ROC which will leave nothing for you except hassle. Sorry.

There seem's to be a few in Cheshire who can't get enough farms, soon put cows and staff in, I think you've said on here you wouldn't rule out another unit if it came available, Steve Brandon and a partner have one up Cumbria, Evolution seem to move into farms, can't understand your negativity as you come across as pretty sharp.

 

[Cows 'n grass]

There seem's to be a few in Cheshire who can't get enough farms, soon put cows and staff in, I think you've said on here you wouldn't rule out another unit if it came available, Steve Brandon and a partner have one up Cumbria, Evolution seem to move into farms, can't understand your negativity as you come across as pretty sharp.

When I originally read it I got the impression that @Geared was talking about a relatively small scale unit but I could well be wrong as we have very few facts to work with. If you take a look at Steve Brandon's or Tom Rawsons outfits you won't find many herds under 400.

Even if this was potentially a 400 cow unit my advice would still probably be no. If he has no experience with staff management or spring calving then you would need an exceptional herdsman to run everything and still leave a margin for the share milker and farm owner.

It would be a vary different situation if he was talking about winding up his current farm and just using that for youngstock and dry cows so that all all efforts could be focussed on the new unit.

 

[Rossymons]

When I originally read it I got the impression that @Geared was talking about a relatively small scale unit but I could well be wrong as we have very few facts to work with. If you take a look at Steve Brandon's or Tom Rawsons outfits you won't find many herds under 400.

Even if this was potentially a 400 cow unit my advice would still probably be no. If he has no experience with staff management or spring calving then you would need an exceptional herdsman to run everything and still leave a margin for the share milker and farm owner.

It would be a vary different situation if he was talking about winding up his current farm and just using that for youngstock and dry cows so that all all efforts could be focussed on the new unit.

Location would be useful for a start.

 

[Geared]

Thanks for the replies and advice everyone

few questions for a start how old are you? How many cows at home? Is Home system profitable and going forward? Next how many acres at new block? Is your friend the type of chap you can get on with (if there’s a hint not then don’t bother imo) hope this doesn’t come across blunt but a few things to chew on best of luck either way

Currently home farm around the 130 cows, possible new farm 250 acres not the dryest of farm but could be improved. Friend is from a manufacturing background so still employes a few staff in a factory, very business minded and good at people management but just no experience of farming but willing to learn.

Not much ambition on this thread

I have the ambition to do it i just don't want to interfere with what i am currently doing

When I took up my share farming job I originally looked at continuing to milk on the previous farm as well. I live on the old farm which is about 3 mile drive from the share farming job and I just couldn't make the figures stack up. This was in a fully set up 170 cow farm with parlour, tanks, tracks water housing slurry store ect all in place already and by the time you've played a cowman 30k plus some relief plus the owner, being for outside farming, will be expecting a good ROC which will leave nothing for you except hassle. Sorry.

Thanks. I totally see where you are coming from and tbh im struggling to see anything that i would bring to the venture and if a herdsman in place i would just be following around him a checking everything is ok.

Organic has been mentioned. Or is there any other way that i should be looking at this to benefit both parties?