What's a fair wage on a family farm?

[pappuller]

My kids must eat more than yours.

most peoples do !! £1500/ mnth with no vehicle or property expenses probably racks to equivalent of £30k a year(2 vehicles) but as I said I wouldn't want to do it for any less

 

[Funny Farmer]

I can't get anyone to drive a tractor for less than £10 hour and that's for trailer work any one decent doing something more skilled is more like £13 /hour.

That's equal to £20k and £27k per year respectively with no worries or hassle!

 

[sleepy]

Fair comment, Sleepy, but against that one sees so many businesses where the proprietors have happily lived for years off depreciation of their working assets, only suddenly to hit a brick wall.

Depreciation of their working assets!? Do you mean living off the appreciation?

 

[bankrupt]

Depreciation of their working assets!?

The general idea is you use depreciation as personal drawings instead of reinvesting.

 

[sleepy]

The general idea is you use depreciation as personal drawings instead of reinvesting.

Still not sure I understand? Do you mean they are paying themselves more than the business can afford, at the expense of reinvestment, and eventually everything is going to need replacing at once and they can't afford to do it?

 

[bankrupt]

Still not sure I understand? Do you mean they are paying themselves more than the business can afford, at the expense of reinvestment, and eventually everything is going to need replacing at once and they can't afford to do it?

Yes.

 

[Funny Farmer]

I can't get anyone to drive a tractor for less than £10 hour and that's for trailer work any one decent doing something more skilled is more like £13 /hour.

That's equal to £20k and £27k per year respectively with no worries or hassle!

The point is if it's your arse/ money on the line you should expect more for yourself than just an hourly paid worker who clocks off at 5pm

 

[Clayfarmer]

Still not sure I understand? Do you mean they are paying themselves more than the business can afford, at the expense of reinvestment, and eventually everything is going to need replacing at once and they can't afford to do it?

Yes, they will be working all hours for a pittance, working their machinery for a pittance, trying to conserve cash rather than maximising profits until its all gone.

Alternatively they will rush out and buy a Range Rover, loads of big shiny kit, then out bid everyone to rent enough land in a desperate attempt to spread the cost of the shiny kit and range rover over as much land as possible, trying to maximise profits rather than conserve cash until its all gone.

 

[sleepy]

Yes, they will be working all hours for a pittance, working their machinery for a pittance, trying to conserve cash rather than maximising profits until its all gone.

Alternatively they will rush out and buy a Range Rover, loads of big shiny kit, then out bid everyone to rent enough land in a desperate attempt to spread the cost of the shiny kit and range rover over as much land as possible, trying to maximise profits rather than conserve cash until its all gone.

Either way the future is not bright

 

[james ds]

So it's pretty much a consensus £8k's a bit on the low side, esp as I do may a good portion of my own house bills. And that if I up sticks to build a few motorway junctions for a few years I could squirrel some dough away! I think we need to have a sit down as a family and discuss before jumping head long into new machinery. I was also thinking earlier deploying my mole traps funny how some of us farmers are prepared to work for £3-£4/hr, yet I'm being badgered by the younger bro to order a new JD on tick for £70+k, as one of our tractors needs yet more engine surgery. Wonder how much the German workers work for assembling the thing, not to mention management per hr. A reality check is in order!!!!

I'll give you a job for the next six months for €12 / hr into your hand . From 50- 100 hrs a week . About €15 k . For the summer and head back home for the winter.

 

[Douglasmn]

Anyone else find it odd that most farmers like to talk about how they are so hard done by when it comes to money, but on the other hand so many of them drive Range Rovers and constantly have brand new tractors? There is a very expensive private school not too far from where I live (very pleased to say I did NOT go there), and so many of the pupils there are from farming families. For me something just doesn't add up here...

 

[Still Farming]

They use the Subsidy -that's why they can't manage with out it ?

 

[Flat 10]

Yes, they will be working all hours for a pittance, working their machinery for a pittance, trying to conserve cash rather than maximising profits until its all gone.

Alternatively they will rush out and buy a Range Rover, loads of big shiny kit, then out bid everyone to rent enough land in a desperate attempt to spread the cost of the shiny kit and range rover over as much land as possible, trying to maximise profits rather than conserve cash until its all gone.

Its finding a happy medium that's the hard bit.............

 

[DRC]

Anyone else find it odd that most farmers like to talk about how they are so hard done by when it comes to money, but on the other hand so many of them drive Range Rovers and constantly have brand new tractors? There is a very expensive private school not too far from where I live (very pleased to say I did NOT go there), and so many of the pupils there are from farming families. For me something just doesn't add up here...

Big variation in farmers circumstances I'd say. Some owner occupiers on big farms, right through to tenanted or big mortgage .
I see many farms where there's just too many family members at home.

 

[J 1177]

Anyone else find it odd that most farmers like to talk about how they are so hard done by when it comes to money, but on the other hand so many of them drive Range Rovers and constantly have brand new tractors? There is a very expensive private school not too far from where I live (very pleased to say I did NOT go there), and so many of the pupils there are from farming families. For me something just doesn't add up here...

Only know of 1 farmer that drives one around here and its an 02 plate. I must admit i nearly bought one myself for £1200 to play with. But we needed a new floor in the livingroom. Most of those farmers have outside income or stonking big overdrafts.

 

[Cowabunga]

Its a matter of attitude and priorities as much as circumstances. If a farm owner is getting to the last third of his/her life and seeing contemporaries dropping off their perch weekly, who is to say that they are wrong to get that new Range Rover regardless of borrowing for it.

It is very easy to be prudent and end up as one of the richest corpses in the cemetery.

 

[S J H]

It's ok to say that £18k isn't a reasonable wage, but we don't know how many hours the OP works per day, I think a lot of people think they are entitled to farm because they're siblings are.

I would try and find another way to diversify on you're own rather than with the farm, at least you can be in charge of that and hopefully earn your own money.

 

[bankrupt]

If a farm owner is getting to the last third of his/her life and seeing contemporaries dropping off their perch weekly, who is to say that they are wrong to get that new Range Rover regardless of borrowing for it.

An extremely good point, well made, Cowabunga.

How much are they?

 

[Tarw Coch]

An extremely good point, well made, Cowabunga.

How much are they?

I believe a full spec RR Sport Autobiography is in excess of 90k.

Got called out to shift one with the tractor one Saturday night, only place I could find to tow from was the electric uppy downy tow hitch but as we couldn't get the thing in neutral we still couldn't move it (150hp would have moved it no problem) so had to call Land Rover assist to recover it for the dealer to take a fortnight to find a loose wire on some sensor. Don't think I'll be buying one any time soon

 

[Cowabunga]

I believe a full spec RR Sport Autobiography is in excess of 90k.

Got called out to shift one with the tractor one Saturday night, only place I could find to tow from was the electric uppy downy tow hitch but as we couldn't get the thing in neutral we still couldn't move it (150hp would have moved it no problem) so had to call Land Rover assist to recover it for the dealer to take a fortnight to find a loose wire on some sensor. Don't think I'll be buying one any time soon

You don't really have to buy a fully customised 'Autobiography". The standard with 'poverty pack' is a perfectly respectable motor, so they say.