Any one thinking of moving to a sunnier climate

kerryjack

As a farmer I live for the lovely mornings in the summer bringing in the cows to be milked and watching them stretch out in the field basking in the sunshine. I am thinking this time of year i should be togged out in a pair of shorts and a straw hat instead i have full rain gear on all weekend. Its something we have knocked around here for a while after taking a trip to France a few years back It would be a big step leaving your community and your friends and family behind anyone any thoughts on this.

whelan1

kerryjack wrote: »

As a farmer I live for the lovely mornings in the summer bringing in the cows to be milked and watching them stretch out in the field basking in the sunshine. I am thinking this time of year i should be togged out in a pair of shorts and a straw hat instead i have full rain gear on all weekend. Its something we have knocked around here for a while after taking a trip to France a few years back It would be a big step leaving your community and your friends and family behind anyone any thoughts on this.

go to france and you could have drought to contend with:D

Eoghan Barra

kerryjack wrote: »

As a farmer I live for the lovely mornings in the summer bringing in the cows to be milked and watching them stretch out in the field basking in the sunshine. I am thinking this time of year i should be togged out in a pair of shorts and a straw hat instead i have full rain gear on all weekend. Its something we have knocked around here for a while after taking a trip to France a few years back It would be a big step leaving your community and your friends and family behind anyone any thoughts on this.

With climate change and serious water shortages set to worsen across the world (including continental Europe), give it a decade or two and you may well be very, very, glad of the plentiful rain we get in this island.

mf240

Grass is always greener on the other side.

But this weather is really taking the good out of farming for me aswell.

pakalasa

Remember the dry cold spell, with little cloud cover, we got in March?
Well, that's what the rest of the world is like most of the time. No good for growing grass. If you don't have wet, damp weather, you won't have grass.
I've seriously thought about emigrating myself these last few years, for different reasons. I've lived abroad for a few years aswell, so I don't find the idea daunting. I don't think I would be farming if I did though.
I agree with you on the weather here though. The joy has really gone out of farming here, these last few years.

caseman

I have live and worked in a few different countries. And you won't beat our little green island. The weather the last twelve months has taken the piss, but all we can do is hope it improves.
Only problem i have with this country is nosey people looking over the hedge and begrugers. And the gob ****s we elected to run the country.

delaval

caseman wrote: »

I have live and worked in a few different countries. And you won't beat our little green island. The weather the last twelve months has taken the piss, but all we can do is hope it improves.
Only problem i have with this country is nosey people looking over the hedge and begrugers. And the gob ****s we elected to run the country.

Key phrase WE ELECTED

kowtow

delaval wrote: »

Key phrase WE ELECTED

I don't remember electing Merkel & the Troika.

Must have been before I came back.

kerryjack

whelan1 wrote: »

go to france and you could have drought to contend with:D

A drought looks nice now from where i am sitting.:cool:

Massey10

kowtow wrote: »

I don't remember electing Merkel & the Troika.

Must have been before I came back.

They just gave us money when we spent all our own

Massey10

kerryjack wrote: »

As a farmer I live for the lovely mornings in the summer bringing in the cows to be milked and watching them stretch out in the field basking in the sunshine. I am thinking this time of year i should be togged out in a pair of shorts and a straw hat instead i have full rain gear on all weekend. Its something we have knocked around here for a while after taking a trip to France a few years back It would be a big step leaving your community and your friends and family behind anyone any thoughts on this.

Do you read about the irish family who moved to France in the journal at times .They seem happy with their move

blue5000

There was a tv series a few years back about a family from N Ireland, think they were from Fermanagh. They went to USA milking cows, don't think it looked too good, wonder how they are doing now.

HillFarmer

Hi All,

We've just movd to Sydney and it realy has opened our eyes.

I farmed part time at home and worked in IT so now over here its just all IT. I do miss the farming, still read the journal every week, but as a family we have a much better life. Its worth considering for a few years if you could swing it, it also gives you perspective on the good things about home, but the weather unfortunately isn't one of them.

Miss the funny things like going to the Co op, mart and stuff.
Anyway hope you guys get a good Summer up there so ye'll have an easier Winter with feed.

Massey10

HillFarmer wrote: »

Hi All,

We've just movd to Sydney and it realy has opened our eyes.

I farmed part time at home and worked in IT so now over here its just all IT. I do miss the farming, still read the journal every week, but as a family we have a much better life. Its worth considering for a few years if you could swing it, it also gives you perspective on the good things about home, but the weather unfortunately isn't one of them.

Miss the funny things like going to the Co op, mart and stuff.
Anyway hope you guys get a good Summer up there so ye'll have an easier Winter with feed.

Sounds good . Did you sell up or can you come back to the farm if you want later in life.

kerryjack

blue5000 wrote: »

There was a tv series a few years back about a family from N Ireland, think they were from Fermanagh. They went to USA milking cows, don't think it looked too good, wonder how they are doing now.

I don't think i would milk cows if i moved i would like to try something different I have seen some large dairy units in Eastern Europe on the net going cheap If you were young and ambitious you could buy 1 of these , but that's not for me now Its winding down i am.

pakalasa

kerryjack

HillFarmer wrote: »

Hi All,

We've just movd to Sydney and it realy has opened our eyes.

I farmed part time at home and worked in IT so now over here its just all IT. I do miss the farming, still read the journal every week, but as a family we have a much better life. Its worth considering for a few years if you could swing it, it also gives you perspective on the good things about home, but the weather unfortunately isn't one of them.

Miss the funny things like going to the Co op, mart and stuff.
Anyway hope you guys get a good Summer up there so ye'll have an easier Winter with feed.

Nice to see you doing well down under Hillfarmer You will always be a farmer no matter where you go Its in our DNA was in OZ my self a few years back on holiday went during Christmas and it was hot hot hot, we used to play spot the paddy on the beach, and off to the cock and bull pub after Great Holiday.

Muckit

Massey10 wrote: »

Do you read about the irish family who moved to France in the journal at times .They seem happy with their move

They haven't been in it now for a while? I wonder was there a fall out?!

Massey10

Muckit wrote: »

They haven't been in it now for a while? I wonder was there a fall out?!

I might be wrong but werent they on over the last few months .I think the sold a small farm here and were able to buy a good size over there .Not bad to be fair

Dampintheattic

Wonder could you ring the lad next door out foreign, at half three in the morning, to go on the end of the calving jack?

The neighbour helping neighbour is a big plus, in getting over difficulties in this country.

Mightn't be as easy on the big scale outfits in foreign countries.

1chippy

Damp thats a very misguided view. I lived abroad for a good while and found once you hit the country anywhere, people would more than go out of their way to help. We blew an engine in one spot and ordered a new one in. got talking to a farmer who done mechanics. we helped him on the farm for a while and he helped us fit it. Theres good and bad in every community and plenty of other nationalities out there are far more GENUINELY helpful than a lot of their irish counter parts.

AntrimGlens

just booked to go to oz for a month in november, fed up with this weather here hailstoning here today. must admit the mornings waking up in oz sticking on a pair of shorts and tshirt to go to work was a pleasure.

earnyourturns

Three years in New Zealand now...

C0N0R

If you sold the farm in Ireland you could buy some farm out here in New Zealand, or at least have a great deposit and be able to generate enough income from the farm to service the debt and clear the capital. And from the time I've been here its a fantastic country, and neighbours are sound. It's like Ireland, only better!

delaval

C0N0R wrote: »

If you sold the farm in Ireland you could buy some farm out here in New Zealand, or at least have a great deposit and be able to generate enough income from the farm to service the debt and clear the capital. And from the time I've been here its a fantastic country, and neighbours are sound. It's like Ireland, only better!

Spent a very happy spell there years ago.
Conor, is there not a problem brewing in NZ re massive borrowings per ha based on asset inflation. If this is the case I would have concerns. If the Aussie bankers get a little jittery with a wobble in mining there could to big problems.
Is my summation accurate in your view?

grazeaway

Dampintheattic wrote: »

Wonder could you ring the lad next door out foreign, at half three in the morning, to go on the end of the calving jack?

The neighbour helping neighbour is a big plus, in getting over difficulties in this country.

Mightn't be as easy on the big scale outfits in foreign countries.

yeah it a country thing wholewide tbh. Having good friends and neighbours is not just an irish thing. The big this would be learning the lanuage. If there were kids and they were young enough they would pick it up in a flash (its like the polish and chinesse kids over here). Naother thing wol dbe adapting to the diffenent farmign requirments. Just cos its a good idea in ireland doent mean it'll work soemwhere else with a differnt climate.

was in NZ a few years ago, the tought had struck me to stay there. Thing is that as a qualified engineer there were little or no jobs for me, only jobs i'd have been qualified to do was milking cows.

The missus is from the contient and we have joked about moving to her place and helping her dad on his farm. While it would be nice to be able to farm with the sun on my back i'm not sure i'd be able for it long term. Home is where the heart is and i'm a home bird at heart

C0N0R

delaval wrote: »

Spent a very happy spell there years ago.
Conor, is there not a problem brewing in NZ re massive borrowings per ha based on asset inflation. If this is the case I would have concerns. If the Aussie bankers get a little jittery with a wobble in mining there could to big problems.
Is my summation accurate in your view?

Yes and no, a few years ago banks might have been a bit reckless with lending, but land here has never dropped in value either though. Banks are a bit more cautious with lending now. I can understand why people would have concerns but like any lending if your deposit is high enough and you can afford your repayments then there are no problems. The mistake some people have made is buying land that would be considered lifestyle blocks and trying to make money out of them. Re Aussie banks, the worst thing that could happen here is big problems in Asia. Banks are fairly self sufficient here.

st1979

C0N0R wrote: »

Yes and no, a few years ago banks might have been a bit reckless with lending, but land here has never dropped in value either though. Banks are a bit more cautious with lending now. I can understand why people would have concerns but like any lending if your deposit is high enough and you can afford your repayments then there are no problems. The mistake some people have made is buying land that would be considered lifestyle blocks and trying to make money out of them. Re Aussie banks, the worst thing that could happen here is big problems in Asia. Banks are fairly self sufficient here.

So lets say you have a million euro from selling up in Ireland. What dairy farm in new Zealand would you buy using that as your deposit. So that the farm would give you a decent living and meets its repayments.

Actually anyone with suggestions of anywhere on the globe. For me i think it would be France only for the language barrier. Or south Africa but security may be an issue although i always said its 1 place i would live if not Ireland. Absolutely loved it there. Oh and i am scared of snakes so probably will just stay where i am

yellow50HX

st1979 wrote: »

So lets say you have a million euro from selling up in Ireland. What dairy farm in new Zealand would you buy using that as your deposit. So that the farm would give you a decent living and meets its repayments.

Actually anyone with suggestions of anywhere on the globe. For me i think it would be France only for the language barrier. Or south Africa but security may be an issue although i always said its 1 place i would live if not Ireland. Absolutely loved it there. Oh and i am scared of snakes so probably will just stay where i am

chile, southern chile is using the NZ model for dairy farming. Similar climate in the foothillls of the andes. The spanish in southa america is actualy quite easy to pick up. Geat food and its more like europe then most of south america

C0N0R

Ok quick calcs

€1,000,000 is ~$1,500,000

So at 35% deposit you have a farm worth $4,000,000.

You could have a 400 cow farm producing 440 a cow at a cost of 3.50. That's a total milk cost of ~$620,000 including labour. If we work on an average milk solid sale of $6 that's total sales of ~$1,050,000 leaving ~$400,000 to do whatever you want with. Ok you have costs outside that ie stock etc but you could stick a 50:50 share milker on it from day one and still probably reduce capital quite easily and take a wage. A lot of people out here buy farms with the intention of never paying off the total capital, they keep expanding and prefair to pay interest instead of tax. You could do it a thousand ways and get the same result. You can start off with zero and do it but if you have a million euro cash injection your starting a nice distance up the ladder.

C0N0R

yellow50HX wrote: »

chile, southern chile is using the NZ model for dairy farming. Similar climate in the foothillls of the andes. The spanish in southa america is actualy quite easy to pick up. Geat food and its more like europe then most of south america

Yea people bang on about chile here to as being the next big place. Thing is when everyone is banging on about it all the "easy" opportunities to make money have gone. It is getting Harding to climb the ladder over here but not impossible. There are people that have made a killing out of dairy farming here that couldn't run a business to save their lives. Right place right time. The thing I really like about here is the lifestyle, one hours drive in the summer and I'm at the sea or water skiing on a lake. One hours drive in the winter and I'm skiing down a mountain. It's great!

mf240

Anyone else gets a million euros they think holidays, hookers, and booze.

Farmer gets a million he thinks, more cows, more land more work, there really is no hope for us.:D

On a more serious note, what about the south east of england same languge (kind of) and not really that far from home anymore.

bob charles

mf240 wrote: »

Anyone else gets a million euros they think holidays, hookers, and booze.

Farmer gets a million he thinks, more cows, more land more work, there really is no hope for us.:D

On a more serious note, what about the south east of england same languge (kind of) and not really that far from home anymore.

do tar us all with the one brush

South east of UK and you will have serious drought problems regularly, maybe ideal for an indoors 365 operation though, close to london and lots of super arable land nearby

quadboy

In the UK I think you have a contract with a supermarket and most farmers are getting a crap milk price from them, im probably wrong as usual

st1979

Missed the boat on uk i think. Know of irish who bought after foot and mouth and have made good return as land price have shot up. But its as dear as here now as far as i can see. But banks very willing to lend even on interest only for very long periods at very small interest rates. But to me it smells of a bubble over there.

HillFarmer

Massey10 wrote: »

Sounds good . Did you sell up or can you come back to the farm if you want later in life.

Gave it to the cousin for 3 years, hes delighted, never wants to see me back I'd say!

HillFarmer

kerryjack wrote: »

Nice to see you doing well down under Hillfarmer You will always be a farmer no matter where you go Its in our DNA was in OZ my self a few years back on holiday went during Christmas and it was hot hot hot, we used to play spot the paddy on the beach, and off to the cock and bull pub after Great Holiday.

Cheers, ya, its in the blood, I'm hoping to take a trip in to the outback to see some of the big ranches over here, so should be good

Its a lovely city alright, pricey but a nice place to live for a few years, hopefully I'll come back with a few bob. thats the plan