So Booths....we are not key workers

[neilo]

ever considered that livestock farmers get more hassle from joe/jane public walkers than arable farmers ? if an arable farmer's gate is left open would the corn get out ? do arable farmers get their corn chased and killed by dogs ? can dog sh1t cause corn to abort ?
some walkers are well capable of abuse not to mention thieving and vandalism
two sides to every story you know
that said we have footpaths through the farm and have had very little trouble with walkers as a rule just let them get on,
we did get trouble on some land we use to rent, in the end we gave it up as the hassle and mess made it not worth having

I was going to post similar but held off as I’d just get put right by he who knows best. We have an extensive web of footpaths through this place and have seen a massive increase in footfall in recent months. Mrs NeilO sat and counted 67 people passing through one gate in half an hour the other week (all touching one gate handle?). I am apparently one of the few farmers locally that doesn’t move/remove footpath signs, and who sprays out paths across arable fields.
99% are absolutely fine and are very welcome, but there is a minority that feel they have a right to roam everywhere through my lambing paddocks, let dogs run loose, don’t clean up after their dogs (more than 50% of my hoggets have condemned livers through dog sh*te!) and leave gates open. Most of those that feel entitled to do so are abusive when asked, politely, to desist and a few of them are physically aggressive. My wife has been threatened on several occasions (that’s a big no-no, especially if I’m around) and a few, with bigger balls, have threatened me too. At one point I was reporting those threats to the police as they happened, in order to make sure they had a log of the behaviour, ready to show I had been pushed when it ‘escalated’, iykwim.

 

[Lowland1]

The ‘getting paid to do it’ argument is nonsense. I can’t think of any on the key workers list who aren’t getting paid to do it. All are essential cogs in a wheel, or most anyway.

So why do people think we need special treatment.

 

[Bill the Bass]

ever considered that livestock farmers get more hassle from joe/jane public walkers than arable farmers ? if an arable farmer's gate is left open would the corn get out ? do arable farmers get their corn chased and killed by dogs ? can dog sh1t cause corn to abort ?
some walkers are well capable of abuse not to mention thieving and vandalism
two sides to every story you know
that said we have footpaths through the farm and have had very little trouble with walkers as a rule just let them get on,
we did get trouble on some land we use to rent, in the end we gave it up as the hassle and mess made it not worth having

It’s pretty hard to hassle an arable farmer, their either in Tenerife, on the slopes, or socially distancing themselves miles from home in the Fendt daddy bought them direct drilling in perfect conditions on the 2 year FBT they paid £250 an acre for.

 

[Chopsy Varmint]

Seems like to me that you are thinking of your own situation rather than your own.

Eh?

Spare time I have yes, spend it shopping no thanks. With or without Coronovirus around I have better things to do with my time as do many others.

I can also think of better things to do but food shopping is an essential chore. If I didn't do it, I'd starve. I have used online shopping pre-cv19, but I am at fairly low risk for complications from cv19 and there's competition for online shopping delivery slots so it seems only fair that I take my chances shopping in-store. I don't like it any more than you do, but I'm putting on my big girl pants and doing what I can to keep myself safe because this is going to be a new 'normal' for a long time to come.

You doubt spending time outside near others increases the risk. Why have we all been told to stay in globally except for essential needs. I will listen to the experts on that one ta.

I doubt spending time outside increases the risk. Spending time near other people who are not in your household does, yes, hence the guidelines to stay at least 2m away.

Yes disinfecting is a good idea, even things that have been handled by others is a risk. You can be as safe as you like but one cough on fresh fruit and veg could infect loads of people!

As long as you don't lick the produce or touch your face after touching it and before washing your hands, you won't catch cv19. The virus can only infect you through your eyes, nose and mouth. Your hands can be dripping with viral load but you're safe as long as you don't touch your face.

Aerosol infection is possible but as you seem very worried, you may still be able to get respirator masks from army surplus stores.

You do not have to be remote to suffer with poor broadband. 3 miles from an exchange on copper wire is enough to leave you with 0.5 meg of broadband speed. Online shopping is impossible with that and then you need an up to date computer or tablet.

Yep, I know about crappy broadband from living more remotely than I do now. It was such a pain that one of my considerations for buying my current home was distance from the exchange, broadband speed, and likelihood of weather or mice damage to the phone line.

Do my shopping for me, thanks I'll have a case of malt whisky please ASAP if you don't mind!

Shall I PM my sort code and account number so you can transfer the cash? Where do you want it delivered?

 

[Johnnyboxer]

Waitrose of the North. Mainly Cheshire / Lancashire.

And Yorkshire

 

[delilah]

Really
poultry farmers slaughtering early to reduce egg production
hatchery destroying 1 .5 million egg because of no market
prices down on beef and sheep because of low demand
milk Being poured down the drain as no market
soft fruit and veg will be left in the field due to availability of pickers
restraints shut so no market for
barley not needed for beer production
wheat Consumption down due to food services being shut
worst wheat crop for 40 years

furthers a field
pigs and chickens being euthanased due to slaughter houses shut and no space to keep them

we live in a society where we need every one to carry out their role
some jobs can be paused for a few weeks but are eventually essential for every ones wellbeing
food needs producing each season and storing for year round consumption

None of which has pushed farmers up my list of those in society deserving a special slot to do their shopping, which I think was the point in the OP.

Are you saying farmers should appear/ not appear on a list of priority shoppers according to where the wheat price is at ? We could have a discussion about the root causes of those issues you describe, and I think we would find much common ground, but that would be off topic.

 

[Goweresque]

I agree
Imagine if farming had been locked down like other businesses and farmers were only allowed to do essential livestock work only on animal welfare grounds
No arable work
There would be uproar and farming has been luckier than a lot of other business sectors

Thats the entire point of us being key workers! Its not a question of farming being 'lucky' not to be shut down, its that it is indeed a key industry that MUST be kept working. Why on earth do you think in WW2 farming was a reserved occupation? Because it was vitally important for the strategic survival of the nation. Nothing has changed, we all still need food to eat. So saying farmers are 'lucky' is to miss the point by several miles. We are doing something very important, just as important in fact as the healthcare industry - every single person requires food, only a fraction of the country has required hospitalisation with CV-19.

What would kill the most people the quickest, no nurses or no food?

 

[neilo]

So why do people think we need special treatment.

I don’t think anyone is asking for any more special treatment than that given to any other key workers. We are all essential cogs in a wheel.

 

[renewablejohn]

I was going to post similar but held off as I’d just get put right by he who knows best. We have an extensive web of footpaths through this place and have seen a massive increase in footfall in recent months. Mrs NeilO sat and counted 67 people passing through one gate in half an hour the other week (all touching one gate handle?). I am apparently one of the few farmers locally that doesn’t move/remove footpath signs, and who sprays out paths across arable fields.
99% are absolutely fine and are very welcome, but there is a minority that feel they have a right to roam everywhere through my lambing paddocks, let dogs run loose, don’t clean up after their dogs (more than 50% of my hoggets have condemned livers through dog sh*te!) and leave gates open. Most of those that feel entitled to do so are abusive when asked, politely, to desist and a few of them are physically aggressive. My wife has been threatened on several occasions (that’s a big no-no, especially if I’m around) and a few, with bigger balls, have threatened me too. At one point I was reporting those threats to the police as they happened, in order to make sure they had a log of the behaviour, ready to show I had been pushed when it ‘escalated’, iykwim.

I have resorted to placing IBC container frames on tracks with the notice " This is not the Public Footpath " and it does seem to be working as prior to that it was just a case of well its a roadway so must be a public footpath. I did it due to the abuse I was getting some quite nasty especially on the two tracks which go through my garden.

 

[exmoor dave]

if an arable farmer's gate is left open would the corn get out ?

Thanks H that really did make chuckle at the thought of that...... think I need more sleep ??

 

[thesilentone]

There is a time for saber rattling, but I don't think this is it. Most of the essential workers on the Booths list are employed, and don't have the luxury of being flexible with shopping times. In addition, it is also a hangover from early panic buying and empty shelves.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

None of which has pushed farmers up my list of those in society deserving a special slot to do their shopping, which I think was the point in the OP.

Are you saying farmers should appear/ not appear on a list of priority shoppers according to where the wheat price is at ? We could have a discussion about the root causes of those issues you describe, and I think we would find much common ground, but that would be off topic.

Key workers have priority, that official.
I as a farmer would never dream of using it to gain advantage and often have queued for over half an hour to do shopping.
If the government have said farmers are key workers then they are key workers. No one is arguing that doctors and nurses are the real hero’s.
There’s no point calling us key workers if we aren’t...it’s a bit like giving a disabled person a blue parking badge then telling them to park miles away...like I said I couldn’t care less about being called a key worker as I don’t feel farmers are but the government have deemed so

 

[7610 super q]

Some farmers do seem to have a grandiose sense of self worth (not the OP I think what happen to his wife is just a mistake) go and visit them ‘British farming forum on Facebook’ group and it is full of farmers threatening to attack people walking in the wrong place, utter contempt for the consumers, townie hating, everyone is an idiot apart from farmers. It’s really aggressive.

Foooking ell, sounds awesome, I'm away to join straight away.

Better than the endless anti farmer tosh we have to put up with on here.....

 

[Highland Mule]

Key workers have priority, that official.
I as a farmer would never dream of using it to gain advantage and often have queued for over half an hour to do shopping.
If the government have said farmers are key workers then they are key workers. No one is arguing that doctors and nurses are the real hero’s.
There’s no point calling us key workers if we aren’t...it’s a bit like giving a disabled person a blue parking badge then telling them to park miles away...like I said I couldn’t care less about being called a key worker as I don’t feel farmers are but the government have deemed so

Exactly right, but our “key worker” privileges are government mandated and extend to be allowed out of our house for more than an hour a day, to be allowed to use transport etc. That a small supermarket chain has chosen to give extra courtesy to a small subset of key workers who need extra help is not anything to throw toys out of prams over, imho.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Exactly right, but our “key worker” privileges are government mandated and extend to be allowed out of our house for more than an hour a day, to be allowed to use transport etc. That a small supermarket chain has chosen to give extra courtesy to a small subset of key workers who need extra help is not anything to throw toys out of prams over, imho.

I completely agree, and I think it’s great the the genuine key workers have priority over everyone

 

[goodevans]

Most of us on here can arrange a days shooting or a day at the county show without too much bother so it shouldn't be to hard to arrange shopping times

 

[Sid]

I doubt spending time outside increases the risk. Spending time near other people who are not in your household does, yes, hence the guidelines to stay at least 2m away

How far do coughs and sneezes travel?

Coughs and sneezes spread diseases, and you’ll definitely want to cover your mouth after reading this.

www.sciencefocus.com

But according to research by scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, it’s not just the person next to us we should worry about: coughing spreads droplets as far as six metres, and sneezing as much as eight metres. These droplets stay suspended in the air for up to 10 minutes
Going out is therefore a risk, Wind speed of 6 MPH and it travels 1 mile, but is diluted at the same time,
Enjoy standing in the queue with someone that could be incubating. Hayfever season is here so sneezers are everywhere. Who going to look after you, yiour family and your business while your ill?

So to me going to the supermarket as a keyworker is a risk. Shorting the time frame I am in contact with the risk is paramount!

Where do you want it delivered?

COD send it along

 

[lazy farmer]

Seems like to me that you are thinking of your own situation rather than your own.

Spare time I have yes, spend it shopping no thanks. With or without Coronovirus around I have better things to do with my time as do many others.

You doubt spending time outside near others increases the risk. Why have we all been told to stay in globally except for essential needs. I will listen to the experts on that one ta.

Yes disinfecting is a good idea, even things that have been handled by others is a risk. You can be as safe as you like but one cough on fresh fruit and veg could infect loads of people!
You do not have to be remote to suffer with poor broadband. 3 miles from an exchange on copper wire is enough to leave you with 0.5 meg of broadband speed. Online shopping is impossible with that and then you need an up to date computer or tablet.

Do my shopping for me, thanks I'll have a case of malt whisky please ASAP if you don't mind!

(
Sorry @Sid you are an intelligent man. we are told to stay at home(unless in an at risk group) as to reduce the risk of us SPREADING the disease not to reduce the risk of catching it. Of course being outside lowers the risk of catching it UV light is our friend as is space. Why do you think other viruses such as flue's disipate in the larger community during summer months ?!

 

[Nearly]

And Yorkshire

I'm making a point of NOT going to Booths in Ripon today.
I've only ever used it to park to go to Ripon Auto Electrical next door.

 

[Sid]

(
Sorry @Sid you are an intelligent man. we are told to stay at home(unless in an at risk group) as to reduce the risk of us SPREADING the disease not to reduce the risk of catching it. Of course being outside lowers the risk of catching it UV light is our friend as is space. Why do you think other viruses such as flue's disipate in the larger community during summer months ?!

That make absolutely no sense at all .