Will your kids take over.

[Flatlander]

Growing up it was always my intention to farm. I was lucky enough to be able to have the chance to farm in my own from my early twenties. Started on a rented farm that the landlord was an aunt. It was almost expected of me to farm and follow countless generations before me. I’d truly love to say that my kids will farm too but in all reality I can’t see it. I have girls. I know it’s not un heard of but here in Canada the un spoken expectation that the kids will follow in the fathers footsteps is all but non existence. Some actively discourage their kids because they see a better life away from the farm. Every situation is different and kids are all different but how many can honestly say the farm is done once they are either retired or pushing up the Daisy’s

 

[hally]

Dont want my kids to have to work the hours i have done merely to make an average living

 

[snarling bee]

My daughter (25) has done a degree in Ag Business and is now running our pig unit and helping on the arable side and in the office. She has plenty of sensible and realistic ideas for diversification. My son (23) is not interested, and has a job in marketing.
It might depend who daughters marry!

 

[snarling bee]

Dont want my kids to have to work the hours i have done merely to make an average living

An article in the DDer magazine this month concluded with the author stating he wanted to be the last generation to spend 100 hours for a week drilling his crops. If you cant get pleasure out of spending a bit of time drilling and harvesting your own crops then fudge off and let someone do it who will! We are not the only occupation in the country to work long hours, and we only do it for a few weeks of the year.
I agree that livestock farming is different.

 

[hally]

An article in the DDer magazine this month concluded with the author stating he wanted to be the last generation to spend 100 hours for a week drilling his crops. If you cant get pleasure out of spending a bit of time drilling and harvesting your own crops then fudge off and let someone do it who will! We are not the only occupation in the country to work long hours, and we only do it for a few weeks of the year.

Speak for yourself.....livestock only here
But i agree you arable boys seem to do feck all

 

[Bald Rick]

Son (33) runs the business. I just get in the way

 

[MRT]

Whatever your intentions for retirement be honest with yourselves and your children, take advice, make a plan and stick to it.

 

[Chae1]

Don't think ours will. Don't want them too tbh. If they did choose to I would support either or both of them.

It's not the great life many make it out to be in my view.

 

[SilliamWhale]

An article in the DDer magazine this month concluded with the author stating he wanted to be the last generation to spend 100 hours for a week drilling his crops. If you cant get pleasure out of spending a bit of time drilling and harvesting your own crops then fudge off and let someone do it who will! We are not the only occupation in the country to work long hours, and we only do it for a few weeks of the year.
I agree that livestock farming is different.

To be honest I find drilling crops pretty boring.

Harvesting is a bit more exciting but I still find doing these jobs pretty unstimulating. Not helped by constant poor harvest weather here mind

I enjoy the process of growing crops but its not mega exciting

 

[grainboy]

To be honest I find drilling crops pretty boring.

Harvesting is a bit more exciting but I still find doing these jobs pretty unstimulating. Not helped by constant poor harvest weather here mind

I enjoy the process of growing crops but its not mega exciting

Seems you are in the wrong occupation !!

 

[rusty]

I have 2 daughters . Youngest not interested in the farm but the older one, 16 years old is and currently looks like she will eventually take over from me. She has been told. She has to go and work somewhere else preferably for 5 years or so after she has finished her education. We milk 320 cows and although it's a big commitment it provides a good return currently.

 

[teslacoils]

Nooooo. If they want to keep the farm as a little base in England then fair doos. But if they don't get on a plane and sod off for some adventures I'll be very upset.

 

[daveydiesel1]

Iv 2 daughters currently, there too young to know what theyl do yet but all i do know is if they arent interested in it when i come 50 god willing the milk cows are going cause why would i keep milkin with no1 comin behind me

 

[Landrover]

Don't want either of my kids to follow me, there are better ways to make a living than farming !

 

[Fake it ‘til you make it]

Don't want either of my kids to follow me, there are better ways to make a living than farming !

There’s a lot to be said for weekends, paid holidays, an employer’s pension scheme and fewer worries about paying the bills each month

 

[Hilly]

Mine have now both got jobs off farm, I’d be surprised if they come back but if they really want to I will support them but after a life of hard bloody work most hopes and dreams ruined by outside forces and a country full of people who want food for nowt and take everything you have worked for off you all the time they be fuking mental to want to come back , farming is not as fabulous as some make it out to be and certainly not as great as them looking over the fence think it is , it’s bloody hard work .

 

[Clive]

unless things change significantly in British ag over the next decade i would positively discourage either of my boys from farming

 

[Clive]

An article in the DDer magazine this month concluded with the author stating he wanted to be the last generation to spend 100 hours for a week drilling his crops. If you cant get pleasure out of spending a bit of time drilling and harvesting your own crops then fudge off and let someone do it who will! We are not the only occupation in the country to work long hours, and we only do it for a few weeks of the year.
I agree that livestock farming is different.

not sure anyone should aspire to work 100hrs a week in 2021

even if you enjoy it personally its an extremely selfish way to live your life

 

[hally]

When I first took on the tenancy here , upland farmers were well supported with all sort of schemes for cows, sheep but most importantly for the man doing the work. Nowadays the sudsidy is on the way out, big business has amalgamated unchequed for years so they have a stranglehold on all our businesses, government no longer cares about farmers only environmentalists and the media are working very hard to destroy the image of our once great industry.
Years ago I would have supported my lad into the industry but now he is told he needs another trade to run alongside a farm if he wants to take on the tenancy so he has another income stream. Which begs the question if farmers have to diversify or work off farm to survive ......why bother to farm. I will add that if I owned a large farm outright then I would be more confident going forward but I think small family units will be finished within 10 years.

 

[DRC]

When I first took on the tenancy here , upland farmers were well supported with all sort of schemes for cows, sheep but most importantly for the man doing the work. Nowadays the sudsidy is on the way out, big business has amalgamated unchequed for years so they have a stranglehold on all our businesses, government no longer cares about farmers only environmentalists and the media are working very hard to destroy the image of our once great industry.
Years ago I would have supported my lad into the industry but now he is told he needs another trade to run alongside a farm if he wants to take on the tenancy so he has another income stream. Which begs the question if farmers have to diversify or work off farm to survive ......why bother to farm. I will add that if I owned a large farm outright then I would be more confident going forward but I think small family units will be finished within 10 years.

The big problem with having another trade alongside the farm, is the succession rules specify earning all your income from the holding to qualify .