Traditional mixed Farming

[TelesnaAg]

Not sure exactly how the science of it all works, they said though the best way to keep levels up was through livestock? Mainly cattle

I have to get the fungi into the apil rather than wait, ao i will make up the brews and let them sit to mature, then work on application method u can use each year.

For fert id much rather sow in woth single disc than spread as well. If going into moisture disc wear is minimal

Ant...

 

[bluebell]

Bumkin your right, most farms that have "survived" have had to specialize, in one enterprise, be it a dairy farm, or all arable etc, you can track that with just one item or two? the amount of commercial potato growers, ( that is some that grew just a few acres to hundreds), has declined massively over just 40 years, same as sugar beet growers, reasons are many, in the past most farms had "farm workers" as well as the "owner" and his son? So to keep the workers "busy" all year, livestock, such as cattle were keep as a sideline to the main arable side of the business, now the "labour" on many farms has all but gone, with it, the local marts, where those livestock could easily be traded?

 

[bumkin]

not sure we have had to specialise, and intensify, to pay for the highly mechanized, expensive and technical machinery.

when i started it was all handball and i didn't mind it but there is only so much a man can do, we used to make 6000 bales a year, and the only machinery was a tractor and trailer and two pitchforks if you went to a field and showed a man a thousand bales and a pitchfork these days he would say f-- off those days are gone, the scale we need to farm at to make a living means we need mechanization everything comes on pallets or tote bags mucking out with a wheelbarrow is generally a thing of the past it would be interesting if others on this site would like to suggest what the ideal size for a mixed farm would be and put a few costs to it,

 

[kfpben]

when i started it was all handball and i didn't mind it but there is only so much a man can do, we used to make 6000 bales a year, and the only machinery was a tractor and trailer and two pitchforks if you went to a field and showed a man a thousand bales and a pitchfork these days he would say f-- off those days are gone, the scale we need to farm at to make a living means we need mechanization everything comes on pallets or tote bags mucking out with a wheelbarrow is generally a thing of the past it would be interesting if others on this site would like to suggest what the ideal size for a mixed farm would be and put a few costs to it,

Haha mucked out 40 lambing pens yesterday with a wheelbarrow- similar number today!

 

[DrWazzock]

You seem to need to be small enough to be able to do it all yourself or big enough to justify the big machinery, employees wages etc.
I’d say either up to 400 acres doing absolutely everything yourself or greater than 1000 acres. My cousin reckons he doesn’t make much more on 2000 acres employing folk and buying new kit than we do on 200 doing it ourselves with old kit.

 

[som farmer]

when i started it was all handball and i didn't mind it but there is only so much a man can do, we used to make 6000 bales a year, and the only machinery was a tractor and trailer and two pitchforks if you went to a field and showed a man a thousand bales and a pitchfork these days he would say f-- off those days are gone, the scale we need to farm at to make a living means we need mechanization everything comes on pallets or tote bags mucking out with a wheelbarrow is generally a thing of the past it would be interesting if others on this site would like to suggest what the ideal size for a mixed farm would be and put a few costs to it,

l agree, but every time you buy a machine, you have to pay for it, means more, but easier work.

l am as guilty as anyone, about buying kit to make life easier, no labour etc

but that hamster wheel, just needs another gear, added.

Most of us are stuck on that wheel, and its difficult to get off it, its difficult to see how we could manage without that kit.

 

[Bossfarmer]

View attachment 609620

View attachment 609622

 

[bumkin]

Haha mucked out 40 lambing pens yesterday with a wheelbarrow- similar number today!

yes doing similar myself, but that's not quite the same as mucking out a stable that had bullocks in it over winter and when you open the door you have a row of knobbly knees looking you in the face

 

[Cab-over Pete]

Done a bit of that.

My Grandad was right handed so when Dad was working with him 60+ years ago throwing muck out of a stable door in unison, Grandad made Dad use the fork left handed.

Years later, I could use the fork right handed because Dad still used one left handed.

Christ, we were super efficient!

 

[Kevtherev]

Be nothing left before long tree planting and tree un planting for concrete and stone

 

[TelesnaAg]

Be nothing left before long tree planting and tree un planting for concrete and stone View attachment 1101066

Context??

Ant...

 

[Tarw Coch]

Context??

Ant...

HS2
Controversial high speed rail line being constructed from London north, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds in more than one stage.
Plenty of stories about the money being wasted, going well over budget and completion date getting put back, and in an ever more digital world plenty asking will it even be of any use by time it’s completed.
Lots of countryside being destroyed in the process.
Lots of land been compulsory purchased some time ago now yet those who have had their property compulsory purchased still have no idea when they will be paid despite having already lost their property. You can bet all the consultants and companies working on the project will be getting paid on time or they’d lay down tools .
Worst still for those affected, the value they will eventually receive has already been set so with constantly rising property prices, when they do eventually get their money it will not be nowhere near enough to replace what they’ve lost.
The late payment of property owners is pretty much standard practice on such projects, not uncommon to hear of property owners not having being paid a couple of years or more after new roads have been built and opened

There’s a thread on here somewhere about dicking about on HS2

Just my opinion from things I hear, I’m not remotely close to it so not affected

@caboverpete is your man on here for a closer opinion

 

[TelesnaAg]

Surely the compulsory acquisition has a contract with a payment date from possession?

This is why the usa citizens wont give up guns.

Ant...

 

[TelesnaAg]

The problem with that system is i see alot of need for mechanisation, and in future rnning a plow to sow some clover or grass wont pay, as the tax will be too high, so while it may improve soil etc, id you need bulk diesel and kit to do it. Can't see it ever being profitable unless its direct drill with disc seeder maybe.

They will impose carbon tax on to use o equipment...then wonder why biofuel plant empty...these people are holistically stupid.

Once they try to tighten meat supply, it will increase mechanisation and burn more fuel and wear out more equipment.

Thye will never achieve a real carbon reduction.

Ant...

 

[Tarw Coch]

Surely the compulsory acquisition has a contract with a payment date from possession?

This is why the usa citizens wont give up guns.

Ant...

Haven’t a clue how the contracts work, have never been involved in a compulsory purchase situation, just going on many comments I’ve heard from folk who have.

Did have a sewage pipeline through here 20 years ago, let’s just say if it had been optional and they’d offered ten times as much as we got payed, they’d have been told to fek off.

 

[cmtwngo]

I was wondering, if people wanted to slowly reintroduce mixed/traditional farming is there an option for smaller producers/farmers to sell directly to consumer? Is this viable?

The People's Food and Farming Alliance – For The People, By The People

the-pffa.org

 

[som farmer]

I was wondering, if people wanted to slowly reintroduce mixed/traditional farming is there an option for smaller producers/farmers to sell directly to consumer? Is this viable?

The People's Food and Farming Alliance – For The People, By The People

the-pffa.org

one of our goals is to maximise food grown on the farm, so we grow some cereal now, works into a rotation very nicely.
We grow maize, which utilises a lot of slurry, not bought fert
loads of clover and herbs

all contribute to improving soil structure, fertility and resilience, add in the reduced costs of dd and min-til, our change back to more mixed, hasn't really cost anything, but saved a lot.

 

[Kevtherev]

I was wondering, if people wanted to slowly reintroduce mixed/traditional farming is there an option for smaller producers/farmers to sell directly to consumer? Is this viable?

The People's Food and Farming Alliance – For The People, By The People

the-pffa.org

Certainly room for a change in some farming systems adding livestock and rotations based around that livestock system is possible.
BUT does every farm have the manpower or up to date infrastructure?

 

[cmtwngo]

one of our goals is to maximise food grown on the farm, so we grow some cereal now, works into a rotation very nicely.
We grow maize, which utilises a lot of slurry, not bought fert
loads of clover and herbs

all contribute to improving soil structure, fertility and resilience, add in the reduced costs of dd and min-til, our change back to more mixed, hasn't really cost anything, but saved a lot

I love hearing about it working in practise!

 

[cmtwngo]

Certainly room for a change in some farming systems adding livestock and rotations based around that livestock system is possible.
BUT does every farm have the manpower or up to date infrastructure?

Does anyone have any ideas of how we (PFFA) can help farmers increase manpower or help lighten the load to encourage this further?