Women!

Kovu

Now that I have your attention, I'm just wondering what the opinion is towards female farmers these days. I stand to inherit my fathers farm and I am very happy about this as I have grown up in farming and have a feel for it. Only recently I've noticed a few people in marts etc commenting about how I shouldn't be down the yard as I may get hurt. To me this is sexist, I know as much about cattle as them and I have never been hurt in all my years in the mart. So I'm just asking the farming community on this, what are their opinions of a female taking over a farm? (I'm also just new to boards.ie as I didn't now it existed until a wee while ago)

johngalway

Think of a hard heavy boring physical task that doesn't need doing. Then suggest they come do it for you for free next time they start on at you. Once people are asked to do favours they vanish like ice in the Sahara

I shoot foxes for one of them there female sheep farmers, who has very good quality stock.

babybrian

no problem with women farmers, they are in no way less competent than men. Maybe years ago when it was very labour intensive but now most times there are easier ways of doing jobs so it requires more brains than muscle...
Good luck

dar31

ive three little girls, and one of them reckons she is going to be a farmer, once she is allowed have a pink quad.
any ways i would be more than happy for one of them to take, but i would try leave it in such a way that they could manage it rather than the physical grind, not holding my breath though they still have a long way to go.

i would insist on them having some kind of 3rd level qualitification before coming back.

Kovu

Well I have a FETAC in Veterinary Assistant, I am just on a year out of studying journalism in DIT, I gave up a good job to please my Dad and to get a diploma because my brother has one. But I now work in marts and I have never been happier, I have just seen a bit of critism around my area towards females in the work. Albeit they are the older generation, I am just worried that if I do what i plan, that I'll upset the neighbours etc. To be fair, I now it's not the norm, but what does a family do when the son won't farm!

whelan1

well i am 37 .. i have been to ag college here and in england , have been farming in my own right for around 18 years and have the farm in my own name now , i dont get any comments or anything like that ,,, sure aren't there women bus drivers and all now! i dont see myself as any different than any of the lads farming around here anyways

johngalway

Karen112 wrote: »

I am just worried that if I do what i plan, that I'll upset the neighbours etc.

Do the neighbours pay your bills?

:pac:

Kovu

johngalway wrote: »

Do the neighbours pay your bills?

:pac:

No, but I have bigger plans for the farm, I want to feed to slaughter on certain breeds. I.E. prime breeds, HE and AA so it would mean more sheds and noise and slurry. The neighbours are not farmers as well. My dad is also one of the 'neighbour' clan, he is called for calvings etc. Last time I turned up instead of him and got a cold reception, until it was realised that only my hands were small enough to rope the calf inside the cow. Although the calf was eventually delivered perfectly well, I think some egos were damaged on the male side of things. This is my problem!

irishh_bob

Karen112 wrote: »

Now that I have your attention, I'm just wondering what the opinion is towards female farmers these days. I stand to inherit my fathers farm and I am very happy about this as I have grown up in farming and have a feel for it. Only recently I've noticed a few people in marts etc commenting about how I shouldn't be down the yard as I may get hurt. To me this is sexist, I know as much about cattle as them and I have never been hurt in all my years in the mart. So I'm just asking the farming community on this, what are their opinions of a female taking over a farm? (I'm also just new to boards.ie as I didn't now it existed until a wee while ago)

the mart where i attend , the most respected haulier to it is a woman and one of the main yard attendants is a woman , while women farmers are a small minority , i dont think farmers are any more sexists than any other occupation , farmers are however less formal and so more likely to tease and take the piss

dar31

Karen112 wrote: »

Well I have a FETAC in Veterinary Assistant, I am just on a year out of studying journalism in DIT, I gave up a good job to please my Dad and to get a diploma because my brother has one. But I now work in marts and I have never been happier, I have just seen a bit of critism around my area towards females in the work. Albeit they are the older generation, I am just worried that if I do what i plan, that I'll upset the neighbours etc. To be fair, I now it's not the norm, but what does a family do when the son won't farm!

ya should never farm for you neighbours benifit

Kovu

@ Irish bob, I think I know where you speak of. If so, I've worked there before! It's not that I'm working for the neighbours benefit, it's more so the being friendly with him for the sake of a needed hand at calving, while away etc. I don't want to seem an arse to him by not knowing him. He just appears to be of the older mind, where men are men and women make sandwiches. Judging by these posts though, he appears to be one of few!

The Paws

It is for you to decide what you want to do with the farm not them! I know it will be hard working around them but you will get used to it.
I know a school friend who is a farmer. She and her younger sister are farmers working together and the two of them are farmy happy!

ihatetractors

Karen112 wrote: »

@ Irish bob, I think I know where you speak of. If so, I've worked there before! It's not that I'm working for the neighbours benefit, it's more so the being friendly with him for the sake of a needed hand at calving, while away etc. I don't want to seem an arse to him by not knowing him. He just appears to be of the older mind, where men are men and women make sandwiches. Judging by these posts though, he appears to be one of few!

Think you need to learn a little saying, (If they don't like it, f##k'em)...:D Have 3 sisters at home, 2 haven't been on the farm in 3 years, and the other helps away with the cows. If it's what YOU want do it....

johngalway

Karen112 wrote: »

No, but I have bigger plans for the farm, I want to feed to slaughter on certain breeds. I.E. prime breeds, HE and AA so it would mean more sheds and noise and slurry. The neighbours are not farmers as well. My dad is also one of the 'neighbour' clan, he is called for calvings etc. Last time I turned up instead of him and got a cold reception, until it was realised that only my hands were small enough to rope the calf inside the cow. Although the calf was eventually delivered perfectly well, I think some egos were damaged on the male side of things. This is my problem!

Unless you need them for something, they'll get used to it. If you start giving in to them, in my opinion, it'll be a mistake as they, likely without malice, may start taking the piss out of you in regards to what they think you can or can't or should or shouldn't be doing.

Clint Eastwood, that well known feminist , has a great line in Heartbreak Ridge:

"Start as you mean to go on".

just do it

Karen112 wrote: »

Well I have a FETAC in Veterinary Assistant, I am just on a year out of studying journalism in DIT, I gave up a good job to please my Dad and to get a diploma because my brother has one. But I now work in marts and I have never been happier, I have just seen a bit of critism around my area towards females in the work. Albeit they are the older generation, I am just worried that if I do what i plan, that I'll upset the neighbours etc. To be fair, I now it's not the norm, but what does a family do when the son won't farm!

Says it all for me - go for it.

There are alot of better reasons you'd decide not farm, being a woman is not one of them.

The lads with the sly comments - you'll find quite often they're fairly s*** at farming themselves;).

As to upsetting people/ neighbours, from your posts so far, you appear consciencious, friendly and helpful. That's half the battle with getting on with people.

Female vets used to get alot of that auld sexist stuff. With time that has pretty much disappeared and it's their performance that they're judged on. A lot of lads prefer to see a female vet coming to the yard.

Good luck!

irishh_bob

Karen112 wrote: »

@ Irish bob, I think I know where you speak of. If so, I've worked there before! It's not that I'm working for the neighbours benefit, it's more so the being friendly with him for the sake of a needed hand at calving, while away etc. I don't want to seem an arse to him by not knowing him. He just appears to be of the older mind, where men are men and women make sandwiches. Judging by these posts though, he appears to be one of few!

those older traditional men had as much respect for women as men nowadays do , they just showed it in a different way , not everything traditional is bad despite what feminists or other PC liberal do - gooders would have us believe

Kovu

Jaysus, ye have definitely helped me here. Start as I mean to go on, so F**K them and I shall do what I like and know. I'm happy breeding my cattle and working the land. When I do my A.I. course in Sept it may be a different story though!:D

johngalway

My version of things is that you'll get a lot more respect having your own plan, working at it, and succeeding, than you ever will worrying about the neighbours, who'll never know you were worried about them in the first place.

what happen

Karen112 wrote: »

Well I have a FETAC in Veterinary Assistant, I am just on a year out of studying journalism in DIT, I gave up a good job to please my Dad and to get a diploma because my brother has one. But I now work in marts and I have never been happier, I have just seen a bit of critism around my area towards females in the work. Albeit they are the older generation, I am just worried that if I do what i plan, that I'll upset the neighbours etc. To be fair, I now it's not the norm, but what does a family do when the son won't farm!

best of luck in taking over the farm and dont worry what other people think.it is your life and you can do what you like.the fetac in veterinary assistant will come in handy. you would have learned a lot.

Kovu

My God lads, I never dreamed of getting such positive replies! Thank you, from both the top and bottom of my heart, and all in between. I grew up with farming dairy- BR FR and changed at roughly a 5 yr old, first lesson I got off my dad was in calving a cow. Never forgot it and I will fight aout that says I don't know anything. My Da asks my opinion on everything, to me that seemed like a normal thing but from your comments, I now realise it's a bigger responsibility than I thought it was.

just do it

Karen112 wrote: »

I want to feed to slaughter on certain breeds. I.E. prime breeds, HE and AA

So now that you've convert to the other side, why are you going this route? I'm always interested to hear what others are at. When you say feed to slaughter with prime breeds, do you intend finishing on grass alone, or supplementing with meal?

Kovu

just do it wrote: »

So now that you've convert to the other side, why are you going this route? I'm always interested to hear what others are at. When you say feed to slaughter with prime breeds, do you intend finishing on grass alone, or supplementing with meal?

Very difficult to finish on grass alone with Leitrim land, It would def be a while before I start what I want to do, but I have lived in Dublin and have seen the amount of students looking for good priced, honest to god, good beef. Rather than overpricing what's there, is there not a market for Irish beef that is affordable?

reilig

Karen112 wrote: »

Rather than overpricing what's there, is there not a market for Irish beef that is affordable?

Do you really think that beef is over priced? Maybe the butchers and the supermarkets that are selling it are over pricing it but the farmer certainly isn't. I believe that higher beef prices are they way forward - on a par with those in France, Spain and Italy. At least a small percentage of the increased price might return to the farmer. If we make beef "affordable", will it not mean lower prices for the farmer???

(Spent 6 years in Dublin as a student myself - beef was the last thing on my shopping list - chicken and pork were the chosen meats as they were the easiest and fastest to cook)

Best of luck with the venture. I'm in leitrim myself. We used to finish all of our cattle but found it unprofitable - its best left to the lads who are able to grow their own grain IMO. Currently keeping sucklers and selling weinlings - 50:50 BB:Chaorlais - mostly for the export market.

John_F

i knnow a few women into farming big time around here, they'd show up a good few farmers sons and even lads that went to ag college. Best of luck, they say that a womans animal husbandry skills is 10 times better than a man

just do it

reilig wrote: »

We used to finish all of our cattle but found it unprofitable - its best left to the lads who are able to grow their own grain IMO.

+1.
Margins are very tight unless you can bulk buy or grow your own.

Grass - good grass can be grown anywhere, it all comes down to management. Cheapest feed available! J3 in last weeks Journal has a good section on summer grazing. Get it quick because this weeks edition will be on the shelves this Thursday.

Kovu

reilig wrote: »

Best of luck with the venture. I'm in leitrim myself. We used to finish all of our cattle but found it unprofitable - its best left to the lads who are able to grow their own grain IMO. Currently keeping sucklers and selling weinlings - 50:50 BB:Chaorlais - mostly for the export market.

I'd prob know you so! Are you north or south Leitrim? I know it's not the farmers that overprice it, wasnt there an old saying that an animal is worth three times more if killed right!

reilig

Karen112 wrote: »

I'd prob know you so! Are you north or south Leitrim? I know it's not the farmers that overprice it, wasnt there an old saying that an animal is worth three times more if killed right!

I'm in south leitrim which I'm guessing you are too if ye were milking. I never heard that saying. But I do know that a butcher or a factory can sell a lamb or a heifer for 3 times more than they pay for the animal - once they process the meat of course.

Kovu

Yup, south Leitrim woman. Depends on which mart you go to if you'd know me! My dad used to say it, he worked in a meat plant most of his life.

reilig

Karen112 wrote: »

Yup, south Leitrim woman. Depends on which mart you go to if you'd know me! My dad used to say it, he worked in a meat plant most of his life.

I'm not a martaholic. I only go when I have something to sell or sometimes I'll just drop them off and let the old man sell them. I have a 9 to 5 job so its hard to find the time. Sell most animals in Mohill and Carrigallen marts. An odd time I'd be in Elphin or Drumshambo - Dowra on a rare occasion and I can sometimes be seen in Granard or Cavan if I'm looking for something specific

Your Dad worked in Roosky or Dromod I assume?

Kovu

reilig wrote: »

I'm not a martaholic. I only go when I have something to sell or sometimes I'll just drop them off and let the old man sell them. I have a 9 to 5 job so its hard to find the time. Sell most animals in Mohill and Carrigallen marts. An odd time I'd be in Elphin or Drumshambo - Dowra on a rare occasion and I can sometimes be seen in Granard or Cavan if I'm looking for something specific

Your Dad worked in Roosky or Dromod I assume?

If you've been in Mohill you'd know me! Hard to miss me down the yard for the heifer ring. Yup, he worked for Lyon's (or however you spell it) for many many years.

ihatetractors

reilig wrote: »

its best left to the lads who are able to grow their own grain IMO. Currently keeping sucklers and selling weinlings - 50:50 BB:Chaorlais - mostly for the export market.

Not worth the hassel, the return for the amount of work/capital required is not worth it. Only reason anyone would is for cash flow more so than profit.

reilig

Karen112 wrote: »

If you've been in Mohill you'd know me! Hard to miss me down the yard for the heifer ring. Yup, he worked for Lyon's (or however you spell it) for many many years.

I don't think I've been in Mohill mart myself in about 12 months (and I only live a few miles out the road). Sold some weinlings there last october allright but wasn't there myself - I don't think there were any women working in the yard the last time I was there (only in the office).

But more power to you!
Sam will keep you in line

Kovu

reilig wrote: »

I don't think I've been in Mohill mart myself in about 12 months (and I only live a few miles out the road). Sold some weinlings there last october allright but wasn't there myself - I don't think there were any women working in the yard the last time I was there (only in the office).

But more power to you!
Sam will keep you in line

No i'm not down the yard....doubt Martin Walsh would allow that! I do the heifer ring sheets though. Usually picked out by the red hair! Sam is a living legend, he can be heard all over Mohill on mart days.

reilig

Karen112 wrote: »

No i'm not down the yard....doubt Martin Walsh would allow that! I do the heifer ring sheets though. Usually picked out by the red hair! Sam is a living legend, he can be heard all over Mohill on mart days.

Very Good! Its probably before your time but Timmy used to be on the unloading and loading pens. His neighbours in Eslin used to be able to hear him roaring in the mart. :D:D

Kovu

Don't remember a Timmy despite being in Mohill 6 years!

reilig

Karen112 wrote: »

Don't remember a Timmy despite being in Mohill 6 years!

He's still in the mart every saturday, but its a good 10 years since he worked there

Kovu

reilig wrote: »

He's still in the mart every saturday, but its a good 10 years since he worked there

Then I have to now him! It's a rare person that gets by me without being known. The usual Leitrim way, sure my granny was your granny's husbands daughters second cousin! Hahaha:p

thetangler

[QUOTE=Karen112;71878290. So I'm just asking the farming community on this, what are their opinions of a female taking over a farm? (I'm also just new to boards.ie as I didn't now it existed until a wee while ago)[/QUOTE]

Hi
I know a few Ladies running farms and they run very good operations.
I sell cattle to one lady who comes to my shed and picks out what she wants.
All I can say is that you run the farm half as well as you run the office in the 2 marts I know you from it will be top class .

Kovu

thetangler wrote: »

Hi
I know a few Ladies running farms and they run very good operations.
I sell cattle to one lady who comes to my shed and picks out what she wants.
All I can say is that you run the farm half as well as you run the office in the 2 marts I know you from it will be top class .

Thank you! I have no qualms about anyone knowing who I am on this as I'm already well known around the marts:rolleyes: Which ones do you know me from? I've worked in four but have only gotten settled in two.

thetangler

Hi
Mostly Mohill but you have taken the odd cheque off me in Ballymote as well.

Kovu

thetangler wrote: »

Hi
Mostly Mohill but you have taken the odd cheque off me in Ballymote as well.

You do know this is going to drive me crazy until I know who you are!:pac:

who the fug

Simple point to make but wimmen ran the farms all winter whilst the lads were away on the beat campaigns / coal mining etc all winter, so can't see what you are worried about

Kovu

who the fug wrote: »

Simple point to make but wimmen ran the farms all winter whilst the lads were away on the beat campaigns / coal mining etc all winter, so can't see what you are worried about

I'm not worried, more bewildered at what reaction would be if I took it up as a side job. The usual auld bachelors around me wouldn't be too used of wimmin farmers!:P

who the fug

Karen112 wrote: »

I'm not worried, more bewildered at what reaction would be if I took it up as a side job. The usual auld bachelors around me wouldn't be too used of wimmin farmers!:P

I know Leitrim is weird but do ye have some sort of virgin birth in reverse thing going on up their, that they are not use to wimmen farmers

Kovu

who the fug wrote: »

I know Leitrim is weird but do ye have some sort of virgin birth in reverse thing going on up their, that they are not use to wimmen farmers

Hahahahaa that would be a sight to see. Of course there's farmers wives, but it's rare to see a woman take over a farm around here. Usually a flock of kids o fight over it.

who the fug

Karen112 wrote: »

Hahahahaa that would be a sight to see. Of course there's farmers wives, but it's rare to see a woman take over a farm around here. Usually a flock of kids o fight over it.

Have all them bachelor farmers died out then.

Kovu

who the fug wrote: »

Have all them bachelor farmers died out then.

Still a heap of them around here anyway. I can name three just five mins from me. Maybe I should woo one of them!

who the fug

Karen112 wrote: »

Still a heap of them around here anyway. I can name three just five mins from me. Maybe I should woo one of them!

Think you should get a ruling from health and safety before showing them a bit of leg

Kovu

who the fug wrote: »

Think you should get a ruling from health and safety before showing them a bit of leg

A good auld skite of Taktik wouldn't be a bit of harm either:D
And a flash of ankle would be enough for them!

ArtSmart

i dont think a woman can run a farm, unless she has a layabout no-good husband.

i would like to be that man.


ps. how many acres we talkin bout?

who the fug

Karen112 wrote: »

A good auld skite of Taktik wouldn't be a bit of harm either:D
And a flash of ankle would be enough for them!

Go with the green cut down wellies to get them going