Alternative farming

kincaid

Ok apart from livestock is there anything else that you could do to make money
On the land..
Someone mentioned to me willow planting but this seems to gone quiet lately..
I’ve only got a smalling holding of 30 acres and work only part time so just looking for profitable ideas

Thanks

reilig

kincaid wrote: »

Ok apart from livestock is there anything else that you could do to make money
On the land..
Someone mentioned to me willow planting but this seems to gone quiet lately..
I’ve only got a smalling holding of 30 acres and work only part time so just looking for profitable ideas

Thanks

There are a few people growing organic vegetables around the country and selling them at farmers markets - and doing quite well with small acerage. There are other guys selling organic lamb and beef at farmers markets and making a lot of money too. If you can sell your products direct to the public, and cut out the middle man like factory or supermarket, then you should be able to sell at lower prices than the supermarket and still make more profit.

There are hundreds of ideas out there for farms. I'm sure you will get lots of suggestions.

red menace

Are you near a town.
Would allotments be a runner for you?

vanderbadger

there is an open farm not too far from me, you know with all the different animals thats kids can go to see etc, i think it does very well

whelan1

vanderbadger wrote: »

there is an open farm not too far from me, you know with all the different animals thats kids can go to see etc, i think it does very well

these have really been hit in the recession i know 2 people with them 1 cant cover the wages/overheads this year and the other might as well not be open for the amount of people that are coming , people dont have the money anymore to go there , there are alot of free places to go rather than paying for an open farm.. It woul work if you had something different to offer

Muckit

Profit, in farming?!!:D

Rent it out, you'I at least get €100 an acre, more if the neighbours fight for it!:rolleyes: You'I have €3000 at least PROFIT and no much hassle!

If your lookin for WORK, farm it yourself. You'I plough alot of money into it before you even make €3000 gross (it won't be PROFIT)

Cynical outlook maybe, but sadly true....

BeeDI

reilig wrote: »

There are a few people growing organic vegetables around the country and selling them at farmers markets - and doing quite well with small acerage. There are other guys selling organic lamb and beef at farmers markets and making a lot of money too. If you can sell your products direct to the public, and cut out the middle man like factory or supermarket, then you should be able to sell at lower prices than the supermarket and still make more profit.

There are hundreds of ideas out there for farms. I'm sure you will get lots of suggestions.

One of the greatest shams of all time. Lots and lots of people planting bits of organic veg and selling at farmers markets, and making a nice earner.
Big percentage of the same people, unable to grow enough on a round the year basis to keep their stall supplied on a weekly basis. What do they do???
Buy from non organic producer and sell at a nice margin at the farmers market:cool:
Now if there was the same level of cross compliance checking, and follow up by the dept, on these guys and these markets as we have trying to get a weanling sold in the autumn ................. my guess is there would be far less farmers markets surviving :pac::pac:

reilig

BeeDI wrote: »

One of the greatest shams of all time. Lots and lots of people planting bits of organic veg and selling at farmers markets, and making a nice earner.
Big percentage of the same people, unable to grow enough on a round the year basis to keep their stall supplied on a weekly basis. What do they do???
Buy from non organic producer and sell at a nice margin at the farmers market:cool:
Now if there was the same level of cross compliance checking, and follow up by the dept, on these guys and these markets as we have trying to get a weanling sold in the autumn ................. my guess is there would be far less farmers markets surviving :pac::pac:

Totally agree. But there is money to be made from growing your own. The past 12 months have seen several new markets spring up in towns around us. The Mrs buys a lot of veg there from a neighbour. We know what he grows - and the fertilizer that he uses (he graped out my calving pens in exchange for the dung last year )

If you can get established and are trustworthy then yopu will get regular custiomers.

pakalasa

Muckit wrote: »

Profit, in farming?!!:D

Rent it out, you'I at least get €100 an acre, more if the neighbours fight for it!:rolleyes: You'I have €3000 at least PROFIT and no much hassle!

If your lookin for WORK, farm it yourself. You'I plough alot of money into it before you even make €3000 gross (it won't be PROFIT)

Cynical outlook maybe, but sadly true....

Sad, but TRUE!
But then you wouldnt be able to complain about the weather, factory prices etc

BeeDI

Muckit wrote: »

Profit, in farming?!!:D

Rent it out, you'I at least get €100 an acre, more if the neighbours fight for it!:rolleyes: You'I have €3000 at least PROFIT and no much hassle!

If your lookin for WORK, farm it yourself. You'I plough alot of money into it before you even make €3000 gross (it won't be PROFIT)

Cynical outlook maybe, but sadly true....

And when you drive by, and notice over a period of a few years, the docks, and the rushes and the ragwort taking over :mad:
And you see that when ever it makes a deluge which is regular, you find your man has shifted 30 heavy bullocks into your best 8 acre field ...... and feeding with round feeder and a few meal troughs around the place :cool::cool: Won't be long till you get the urge to take it back, and run it yourself:P

johngalway

BeeDI wrote: »

Now if there was the same level of cross compliance checking, and follow up by the dept

The image of lads out in a field tagging carrots comes to mind

kincaid

not really interested in organic veg etc..
the rate €100 per acre for letting land at present, suppose this price depends on quality of land as i need to get at least half of it reseeded by right?

there was huge talk years of growing plants/trees for biofuel and wood burning fuels but what has happened now as its hardly mentioned nowadays... seems like very little work involved

Tora Bora

johngalway wrote: »

The image of lads out in a field tagging carrots comes to mind

Imagine having a crush and skulling gate for carrot flies.

Birdnuts

kincaid wrote: »

there was huge talk years of growing plants/trees for biofuel and wood burning fuels but what has happened now as its hardly mentioned nowadays... seems like very little work involved

I remember in the last budget the government setting up an initial 150 million euro fund to cover Irelands carbon credits via forestry offsetting. Must looks this up to see the exact details - could be usefull in your situation:)

kincaid

yes a nice grant for alternative energy projects etc would be good..
Gormleys always talking about the enviroment(well before he was in government Anyway)but has actually done little since he became minister

barbersfort

if you plant forestry, on 30 acres you could get approx 7k - 8k per annum tax free for first 5 years (FEPS) followed by 15 years of tax free premiums (depending on what you plant).

All planting, fencing , land prep etc is done free (via a grant) which u can avail of yourself or get a forester to do.

Further income will come from thinnings and final crop (OK, that will be a good few years!).

not bad..

newholland

he would have to be in reps to avail of feps. also would have to be a farmer to get the farmer rate...

Red Sheds

A number of years back, Teagasc (I think) published a small book called something like "101 alternative farming enterprises". it was really good as it devoted about 2 pages to each enterprise, giving details of how to get established, the amount of work involved, the start up costs and expected returns. It covered everything from organic egg production to energy crops and would give you loads of food for throught. I know some of the figures and profits would be out of date now, but the ideas won't. I had a copy, not sure if its still about, but will have a look and see if I can find it and if so will post more info on it.

Muckit

BeeDI wrote: »

And when you drive by, and notice over a period of a few years, the docks, and the rushes and the ragwort taking over :mad:
And you see that when ever it makes a deluge which is regular, you find your man has shifted 30 heavy bullocks into your best 8 acre field ...... and feeding with round feeder and a few meal troughs around the place :cool::cool: Won't be long till you get the urge to take it back, and run it yourself:P

That wouldn't worry me in the least. Take the land back then after the 5years are up and you've plenty of money to mole plough and reseed the lot, something that's prob well due even befor you thought about renting.

Then buy a few cattle if you like and farm it right and you'd make more money than him just rearing them off the grass. No nuts required....;)

kincaid

Due to it being a pretty small 30 acres with about 7 acres of marshy /wet ground
i dont think i could really make much out of keeping cattle on such a small holding.(would you's agree?)
Im not in REPS Scheme either.

Sam Kade

Red Sheds wrote: »

A number of years back, Teagasc (I think) published a small book called something like "101 alternative farming enterprises". it was really good as it devoted about 2 pages to each enterprise, giving details of how to get established, the amount of work involved, the start up costs and expected returns. It covered everything from organic egg production to energy crops and would give you loads of food for throught. I know some of the figures and profits would be out of date now, but the ideas won't. I had a copy, not sure if its still about, but will have a look and see if I can find it and if so will post more info on it.

It was the farmers journal not Teagasc. I have that book also half the ideas aren't related to farming unless you have a farm on the outskirts of Dublin city. Others ideas died when the celtic tiger died (the book was published when the celtic tiger was still roaring). Selling on Ebay is one of the ideas :rolleyes: Rearing broilers ????? I saw chickens in Tesco last week for €1 each, how would you compete with that?

bold_defender

Was thinking of this myself tis week. My father is retired and none of us children at home. He has the land set to neigbours and he's sick of the whole business. Looking for money (I'll be down when I sell a pen of Bullocks!), not taking care of the land, wrecking fences etc. I was thinking what could he do with it himself with out livestock as hes not fit to handle them.
Then I saw a few acres of willow near Carrickmacross on Sunday. Does anyone know if you put in some willow, after you crop once or twice is it hard to return land to grass if you wanted?

reilig

bold_defender wrote: »

Was thinking of this myself tis week. My father is retired and none of us children at home. He has the land set to neigbours and he's sick of the whole business. Looking for money (I'll be down when I sell a pen of Bullocks!), not taking care of the land, wrecking fences etc. I was thinking what could he do with it himself with out livestock as hes not fit to handle them.
Then I saw a few acres of willow near Carrickmacross on Sunday. Does anyone know if you put in some willow, after you crop once or twice is it hard to return land to grass if you wanted?

I understand that its easy to return to grass after planting willow, but 1 planting of willow could produce crops for up to 15 years. I'd imagine that it would be the latter years when you would see the best returns. Its a long term crop, so cropping once or twice and then returning to grass would be an awful waste of money with little or no return.

Muckit

bold_defender wrote: »

Was thinking of this myself tis week. My father is retired and none of us children at home. He has the land set to neigbours and he's sick of the whole business. Looking for money (I'll be down when I sell a pen of Bullocks!), not taking care of the land, wrecking fences etc. I was thinking what could he do with it himself with out livestock as hes not fit to handle them.
Then I saw a few acres of willow near Carrickmacross on Sunday. Does anyone know if you put in some willow, after you crop once or twice is it hard to return land to grass if you wanted?

Willow or any other such adventurous exercise would not, in my opinion, be realistic for your retired Father. As you say, It's less hassle and worry he wants at this stage of his life, not more.

I would suggest sticking with leasing it out, BUT do so through an AUCTIONEER or letting agent. Let them deal with the gathering of money and they'I have more formal leasing arrangments in place. Oftentimes farmers would be more inclined pay them up than your Father who they will try and take advantage of. For the amount of money it'd cost it'd be well worth it for both yourselves (as family living away from home) and your Father's peace of mind.

Down the road who knows what will happen? You don't want to be left with fields of willow and not knowing what to do with them. And I'm sure there's alot of paperwork and fees/expenses before you ever see a return on them.

At least letting it out for grazing (even though it might not seem ideal) is the better option of the two. Your father seems to have been into livestock all his life, so at least he can be looking over the hedge at them even though their not his own, and he knows he's still making something off them (Albeit indirectly):rolleyes:

WildBoots

Allotments would be a good idea, plenty of demand there and its only going to increase as time goes on.

tommylimerick

if it were me i would just rent it out through a auctioneer
no investment in capital or livestock needed
in limerick you could get 150 easily and have your pick of customer at that

b.g.p

Back to your original post about growing willow, this seems to be a profitable option, i meet some guys on a stand at tullamore show a few weeks ago from farrelly willow in co meath, they talk about 190/200 profit /acre after payback witch is year 5, they also do all the work and buy the crop back of you. the only snag is it is relitivly expensive to start but there is 50% government grant,i've been looking into it now for a year or so and it seems like one of the better options out there, so far the bank are looking favourbly at it because of the nature of the project.

reilig

b.g.p wrote: »

Back to your original post about growing willow, this seems to be a profitable option, i meet some guys on a stand at tullamore show a few weeks ago from farrelly willow in co meath, they talk about 190/200 profit /acre after payback witch is year 5, they also do all the work and buy the crop back of you. the only snag is it is relitivly expensive to start but there is 50% government grant,i've been looking into it now for a year or so and it seems like one of the better options out there, so far the bank are looking favourbly at it because of the nature of the project.

I spoke to that guy from farrelly's before too. His figures were great, maybe a little too good. He was really only interested if you were willing to plant 100 acres +. Said it wouldn't be profitable if you were planting any less.

YFlyer

Miscanthus is probably a better option to grow then willow if the farmer decided to convert its land back to pasture or to grow food crops.

Harvesting of miscanthus is so much easier as well.

b.g.p

Seems to me that theres a lot of hastle with mischantus, you have to bale it then get it transported to somewhere to get it shredded and thats not as easy as it sounds, i know a few people who have it planted and they dont know what to do with it at harvest time. apparently the power stations arent that keen on it either.

YFlyer

I just heard today that they are considering putting a double balde on the harvester when cutting. This seems to shred the grass into smaller pieces that may not need to be further shredded.

I'll try to find out more information again.