Will your kids take over.

[Lowland1]

I for one am faced with this dilemma. I’m 52 and love wat I do. I’ve always said I don’t work because it’s my life’s dream come true. I married late in life and didn’t want kids after 40 like my father but wife I’d 12 years younger than me and we have two girls 5and 6. Neither I can see farming but I’d like it if they did. Wife would be happy living in town but I’d rather die and be buried on my farm which is my happy space. I think deep down I’d keep the farm and rent it out and maybe do some driving for the tenant just to satisfy the urge come spring. Seen so many her quit and do nothing except be miserable and fade away. I’d like the kids to have the farm but not to sell it but keep it for a steady income and maybe grand kids might farm. Too much blood sweat and tears gone into most farms to be turned into money to be pi55 Ed away. Wife has ideas about living in the Caribbean after I retire and sell the farm but who the heck has a combine for me to drive there.

There must be loads of people like you the unfortunate thing is when they retire and rent the farm out it usually goes to a big setup taking on land to ‘justify’ an extra Quadtrac and whilst it may make financial sense if you reduce the numbers involved in agriculture which in turn reduces its relevance to society. Some form of land bank to help youngster would be good but unlikely

 

[theboytheboy]

Those who don't think their kids want to follow them into farm.....you may be surprised....and may have to be patient

I had no interest as a boy or growing up as a young man. (Aside from grain cart, stacking small bales and shooting rabbits whilst mum milked on neighbors farms) I saw the hours, graft, conditions and rubbish pay my mum and dad got.

It wasn't untill my 30's I started to really gravitate back to the farm. I realize I was very lucky to have the option to walk away from the office life. (I did however takeover a debt ridden mess so not all roses)

I saw the light, the downsides are offset against being my own boss (alongside partners), flexibility, working with my family, seeing the physical/tangible results of my work over the months/years, etc

I do sometimes look at how well my siblings are doing but, there is soooooo much more to life than money and suspect when it comes to quality of life im well ahead of most my friends.

I would say the main thing is don't attempt to persuade or cojole a child into staying or getting involved in the farm. If anything get them doing work in an office environment and they may well realise in time what they have left behind at home.

 

[Bossfarmer]

Good pall has same amount of cows as me and 500 acre arable he’s always says he only keeps cows because he was brought up
With them , arable profits make cows look stupid arable workload makes cows look like slavery , his words not mine and he’s no bull shitter .

when you say arable do you mean cereals or tatties/veg?

 

[tjhooker]

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

That's really interesting, as given your scale, fixed cost structure and potential financial output - arable farming should be quite enjoyable and rewarding?? If the business can generate a return comparable to other professional careers (which I am sure yours does as otherwise you wouldn't bother...), you will be hard pushed to find a better working environment than the UK countryside - there is significant value to attach to this as a dentist's surgery or solicitor's office are pretty stale environments to spend your working day!!! It's all about perspective, isn't it - other careers often look more appealing in a challenging season....

 

[Hilly]

when you say arable do you mean cereals or tatties/veg?

He just has cereals , says you can work out costs proffit down to almost bang on with arable before you start , said cattle work it all out and throw your calculations in the fire it’s gambling

 

[Bill the Bass]

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.

Exactly, it will be here if she wants it but her life is hers to live as she choses.

 

[Hilly]

That's really interesting, as given your scale, fixed cost structure and potential financial output - arable farming should be quite enjoyable and rewarding?? If the business can generate a return comparable to other professional careers (which I am sure yours does as otherwise you wouldn't bother...), you will be hard pushed to find a better working environment than the UK countryside - there is significant value to attach to this as a dentist's surgery or solicitor's office are pretty stale environments to spend your working day!!! It's all about perspective, isn't it - other careers often look more appealing in a challenging season....

The best farmer imo around here has looking from outside in an unbelievable set up you would have to see it to believe it phenomenal is the only word I can describe it as , talking to him at a wedding said he wished he had never started and if he had his time over again would never get involved in anything agg , you could have knocked me down with a feather but thj king about it and how successful he has made farming if had had made equal success at almost anything else he would probably have times the millions

 

[SilliamWhale]

I wouldn't want my kids back here until they're 30 anyway. I won't be making them buy me out either, I'll need enough cash for me to live on but otherwise they may as well have the advantages of the business. It doesn't need to be farming - they can use the farm as a springboard for other ventures.

There's a big wide world out there. In my 20's I travelled every winter for about 3-4 months for about 10 years. Went to all sorts of places with just a backpack and a budget (India, Oz, South America, Vietnam, Syria and mid east, USA, Central America etc). You can never replace the learning and thinking experience of travelling solo when you are young with sitting on a fecking tractor at home and travel is a different experience when you get older anyway (ie more cynical!)

The way I see it with farming is we are such price takers that its best off not putting all your labour efforts into it. All the routine jobs should be done as quick as possible and for a lot of jobs contracting is not a whole lot dearer than doing it yourself, so free up your life and get others to do a certain chunk of work. For me I always drill, combine and spray. I don't bale, spread muck or spread fert. Be happy to put limits on your farm work.

 

[Spud]

That's really interesting, as given your scale, fixed cost structure and potential financial output - arable farming should be quite enjoyable and rewarding?? If the business can generate a return comparable to other professional careers (which I am sure yours does as otherwise you wouldn't bother...), you will be hard pushed to find a better working environment than the UK countryside - there is significant value to attach to this as a dentist's surgery or solicitor's office are pretty stale environments to spend your working day!!! It's all about perspective, isn't it - other careers often look more appealing in a challenging season....

What's enjoyable is down to the individual. For me, 8000ac of notill combinable (ala Clive) wouldn't float my boat - flat out for a few weeks and boredom the rest of the time. Breeding livestock or things like chickens not my barrow, but a hill farming friend hates machinery - we're all different. Personally, 8 different crops, stewardship, cover and companion crops, different methods of establishment, pigs on straw yards, and doing pretty much every operation ourselves gives me a challlenge and satisfaction every day, even if it is a bit busy sometimes.

Your once a man twice a boy in this job - in arable terms, you start off carting, cultivating and rolling, graduate to drilling, spraying and combining...and finish up running the dryer and doing the paperwork!!! Me, I'm in the latter category now (by default of father passing away) but 'clinging to the wreckage' (Terry Wogan quote for those old enough) by still doing the spraying - best crop walking I do too.

My plan is to build infrastructure now, so there's enough capacity in the business for it to look after me in later years. If in 20yrs time this is a 21/2 man farm, I want to be the half a man - not be working 85hrs a week scrabbling about for casual labour - I want to be the casual labour. If you can't build it in your 30's and 40's, then you'll never do it in your 50's and 60's.

A wise man no longer with us summed up retirement very well - "Retiring is working because you want to, not because you have to"

 

[SilliamWhale]

What's enjoyable is down to the individual. For me, 8000ac of notill combinable (ala Clive) wouldn't float my boat - flat out for a few weeks and boredom the rest of the time.

Not speaking for Clive obvs but this scenario wouldn't necessarily be boredom as the idea is you do something else the rest of the time.

 

[Spud]

Not speaking for Clive obvs but this scenario wouldn't necessarily be boredom as the idea is you do something else the rest of the time.

I guess that depends what the something else is. For me, combinable arable has massive peaks and troughs in labour requirement and workload - which arguably makes it more difficult to both justify and keep full time staff occupied in the slacker times - far more so than in a mixed operation anyway.

 

[Netherfield]

My mate bought a couple of ex meals on wheels Transit connect vans ex council.

Mostly been driven by older ladies, and well serviced in the councils own workshops, and with 11 months MOT.

5 years later still has one, other got t boned.

 

[Chae1]

One thing that annoys me. Should maybe in what grinds your gears, is the perception that farming is for idiots.

I mean I think it was a tradition a while ago that the thick child that was basically unemployable came home to work with dad.

This perhaps puts the younger generation off coming home to farm. My wife is a teacher and have children 6 & 8. The amount of times I hear the "problem" children are going to be farmers or work on farms really annoys me.

Its like the parents have sat down and thought what possibly could there little tearaway possibly do when they leave school and they've decided to steer them towards farming.

I'm quite happy to play the idiot and reinforce there stereotype and I know it's not rocket science. But some people have no clue of capital and work involved.

 

[Chae1]

My mate bought a couple of ex meals on wheels Transit connect vans ex council.

Mostly been driven by older ladies and well serviced in the councils own workshops, and with 11 months MOT.

5 years later still has one, other got t boned.

So, did the kids come home to drive the transits?

 

[Henarar]

One thing that annoys me. Should maybe in what grinds your gears, is the perception that farming is for idiots.

I mean I think it was a tradition a while ago that the thick child that was basically unemployable came home to work with dad.

This perhaps puts the younger generation off coming home to farm. My wife is a teacher and have children 6 & 8. The amount of times I hear the "problem" children are going to be farmers or work on farms really annoys me.

Its like the parents have sat down and thought what possibly could there little tearaway possibly do when they leave school and they've decided to steer them towards farming.

I'm quite happy to play the idiot and reinforce there stereotype and I know it's not rocket science. But some people have no clue of capital and work involved.

they might seem idiots or a problem at school but that don't mean they won't make good farmers

 

[Chae1]

they might seem idiots or a problem at school but that don't mean they won't make good farmers

I never said they wouldn't make good farmers?

Many people who weren't good at school go on to be very successful.

It's just the assumption that, thats what they'll do that annoys me.

None of the bright kids ever say they want to farm.

 

[Henarar]

I never said they wouldn't make good farmers?

Many people who weren't good at school go on to be very successful.

It's just the assumption that, thats what they'll do that annoys me.

None of the bright kids ever say they want to farm.

Depends what you call bright
So may be very bright but can also be incredibly dim

 

[Chae1]

Depends what you call bright
So may be very bright but can also be incredibly dim

Oh Ffs. Fed up going round in circles with you.

Bye.

 

[Henarar]

Oh Ffs. Fed up going round in circles with you.

Bye.

OK

 

[Chasingmytail]

Unless we sell it in the next 10 years there isnt an income from this farm to keep 2 families. Like us farming is part-time while main income coming in from construction. The boys are used to high standard of living with all boys toys no way would this farm bring in a decent margin to sustain the outgoings.