Where do you see yourself in 20 years time!!

Timmaay

Ok, with all this talk about expansion etc over in the moorepark thread, it's got me thinking abit more on where I'm heading, not just post quotas, but further on after that! Farming most certainly wasn't always on the agenda with me, but I'm lucky enough to have what I have now, a moderate sized dairyfarm with possible expansion opportunities around me. My dad was happy enough to let most his life revolve around the farm, I know myself that I wont go down the same path I'll admit now. Instead, I'd be hoping to keep improving the farm from a labour point of view, reduce the workload needed, outsource as much work as I can, most machinery work contracted, and contract rear replacements etc. I'd hope to be able to have someone employed alot of the time, and reduce my hours enough on the farm to take back up a part time job, or more seriously pursue one or two business opportunities that I have outside of farming. I'd most certainly also consider any greenfield dairy business opportunities if they came up, I guess I'm the sort of person who loves a challenge of some sort!

So that sums me up ,maybe I'm being too ambitious (have to fit in a family also somewhere ha!), but I guess I got to be realistic with myself, spending the rest of my days just milking twice a day every day isn't where I see myself! What about any of the rest of you, where do yous see yourselves in 20years from now?

bob charles

The grave if the current cycle keeps up :D. From a beef point I think ......... actually will there be a beef industry in 20 yrs time, being serious. same questions can be asked about cereals aswell. Weather patterns over the next few years may determine allot as if we keep getting weather like the last 24 months, the serious reality will have to be faced up to, sooner rather than later

whelan1

think 20 years time is too far ahead to be thinking, even look at the thread for our aims for this year that was majorly fooked up by the weather.So in 5 years time, hopefully eldest lad will be still interested in farm, hopefully i will have a competent worker and also that i am still alive.....hope to have paid off most of my loans

Juniorhurler

I think that a short term plan such as one year is often harder to stick to than a long term one such as 10 years or so as you have the time to absorb the set backs, re-evaluate and approach your long term goal from another angle if necessary.
20 years time. We are at 100ish acres owned at the moment with money borrowed on some of it still. The aim is to have that paid, bought about another 30-50 acres and as the family will be raised at that stage be able to give up the job and go farming full time. Whether that means staying in sucklers or an alternative enterprise I don't know as I think 2015 will have a big say for sucklers too with maybe more dairy calves on the market.
How will I achieve this goal? I am going to commit the ultimate sin on here as I have been doing all along. Every cent that the farm makes along with some off farm income will be invested back in as I go along in order to have everything the way it needs to be for me to be able to go full time. This includes buildings, machinery, grass management, stock and anything that can save labour costs. Now I just need a better paid job.

delaval

In NZ watching my sons on a winning Lions Team!!!!!?????

bob charles

delaval wrote: »

In NZ watching my sons on a winning Lions Team!!!!!?????

A kilkenny Lion, by the end of today you lads might be tammy cats

delaval

bob charles wrote: »

A kilkenny Lion, by the end of today you lads might be tammy cats

The round ball is not they're thing, wrong shape and they are a tad too burly!!!!

Going forward...

delaval wrote: »

In NZ watching my sons on a winning Lions Team!!!!!?????

South Africa I think it'll be in 20 years. That's if they will still be touring then. After this year's farce, who knows?

bob charles

delaval wrote: »

The round ball is not they're thing, wrong shape and they are a tad too burly!!!!

Any fellow I play with or against from Kilkenny wasnt worth a **** :D

funny man

20 years fcuk that rules me out!

kevthegaff

id say thailand looking for some company:D

bob charles

kevthegaff wrote: »

id say thailand looking for some company:D

thaiboy?

kevthegaff

bob charles wrote: »

thaiboy?

haha set me self up there, nah im not like that cork hurler:D, the odd lad around here gettin married to ones from asia, if im single by then i could be heading over looking for a wife!

whelan1

kevthegaff wrote: »

haha set me self up there, nah im not like that cork hurler:D, the odd lad around here gettin married to ones from asia, if im single by then i could be heading over looking for a wife!

do they "buy" the wife or what?

pakalasa

stanflt

Hopefully taking it easy with the next generation showing interest or all the hard work will be in vein

Mulumpy

stanflt wrote: »

Hopefully taking it easy with the next generation showing interest or all the hard work will be in vein

Would it though. If all your hard work kept a roof over your head and food in your belly. I wouldnt be bit upset if our two had no interest. Once your happy what your at now and they do what they want to do I think it far more important.

Timmaay

Agreed here, I would hope our land stays as a dairyfarm in the future but if my (future) kids weren't interested I wouldn't be too pushed at all. Plenty of young eenthusiastic farmers out there who would take over. Its 1/2 the problem with farming in Ireland, and this whole land fragmentation I think, alot of attachment to land, which is a small part of the reason I found myself back a farmer now.

whelan1

Mulumpy wrote: »

Would it though. If all your hard work kept a roof over your head and food in your belly. I wouldnt be bit upset if our two had no interest. Once your happy what your at now and they do what they want to do I think it far more important.

how many people over the years where forced to stay on the farm. we all know someone who never wanted to be there. Times have changed i wold be delighted if one of mine stayed on here but if they dont ,so be it

Manoffeeling

If my daughter decides to sell after I'm gone, I hope she enjoys every cent of it. Don't be living other generations, live your own.

delaval

Friend of mine has a son farming with him and is as wild as you'd meet.
A neighbour said to the father one day that 'he'll piss it all against a wall when your gone' my friend replied 'well I hope he enjoys drinking it as much as I do building it'.
This was about 10 yrs ago and the young fellow is as good and as ambitious a man as any in the area now.

caseman

delaval wrote: »

Friend of mine has a son farming with him and is as wild as you'd meet.
A neighbour said to the father one day that 'he'll piss it all against a wall when your gone' my friend replied 'well I hope he enjoys drinking it as much as I do building it'.
This was about 10 yrs ago and the young fellow is as good and as ambitious a man as any in the area now.

Their is always a bit of madness in the best and most successful people in business

just do it

Probably on boards.ie asking what is the best new grass seed and avoiding threads like CAP 2035-2040 (in between spraying rushes on the same paddocks )

TEAT SQUEEZER

just do it wrote: »

Probably on boards.ie asking what is the best new grass seed and avoiding threads like CAP 2035-2040 (in between spraying rushes on the same paddocks )

that would be chinese agri policy(CAP) i`m sure u meant:)

moy83

Enough money made to have the kids in college and do a bit of travelling without worrying about being gone from home .
Hope Im still alive in twenty years , there is people dying now that never died before as the say .

hugo29

whelan1 wrote: »

do they "buy" the wife or what?

think so not really sure, know an old boy who went over looking for a wife, (he was in his 50s and never out of the country)with a few young lads who were going for the crack . They flew over with Thai Airlines, when one of the hostess came around asking did they want anything, yer man dead serious asked for a pint of guinness and a copy of the farmers journal,
anyway he came home with a cracker of a bird, 3 years later still together and 1 son,

1chippy

Been to thailand a couple of times. everything is for sale as their is always people on the make, however over there most of the women are just looking for a better life and auld bachelor farmers that are set in their ways can be a lot better option than some of the situations that present themselves over there.

jomoloney

"don't worry about the future
don't worry about the past
the future will soon be present
the present will soon be past
the present is all thou hast "

I adapted above approach after my dream of becoming a millionaire at 30 years old failed

20 years time I will be turned 80 :eek: :eek:

and whatever will be will be

saintsaltynuts

pakalasa wrote: »

Woah i like that!

Muckit

jomoloney wrote: »

"don't worry about the future
don't worry about the past
the future will soon be present
the present will soon be past
the present is all thou hast "

I adapted above approach after my dream of becoming a millionaire at 30 years old failed

20 years time I will be turned 80 :eek: :eek:

and whatever will be will be

You are indeed a wise old man! :D

pakalasa

In 20 years;

AntrimGlens

jaysus pak if farming for the next 20 yrs makes you look like that i'd try something handier

freedominacup

hugo29 wrote: »

think so not really sure, know an old boy who went over looking for a wife, (he was in his 50s and never out of the country)with a few young lads who were going for the crack . They flew over with Thai Airlines, when one of the hostess came around asking did they want anything, yer man dead serious asked for a pint of guinness and a copy of the farmers journal,
anyway he came home with a cracker of a bird, 3 years later still together and 1 son,

It was unreal the number of similar couples I saw at the ploughing last year.

freedominacup

Muckit wrote: »

You are indeed a wise old man! :D

Oul fella:D:D:D

freedominacup

Manoffeeling wrote: »

If my daughter decides to sell after I'm gone, I hope she enjoys every cent of it. Don't be living other generations, live your own.

If my kids decide to sell what's left after I'm gone it'll be to cover the funeral. Someone else will have been keeping me in the style to which I've grown accustomed or the or the land will be long gone to finance my retirement. I have plenty of debts and very little pension provision, as far as I'm concerned the farm is my pension and it will fund my retirement one way or the other.

reilig

freedominacup wrote: »

If my kids decide to sell what's left after I'm gone it'll be to cover the funeral. Someone else will have been keeping me in the style to which I've grown accustomed or the or the land will be long gone to finance my retirement. I have plenty of debts and very little pension provision, as far as I'm concerned the farm is my pension and it will fund my retirement one way or the other.

Retirement?? When I retire (Hopefully in less than 20 years) I want to farm not sit about doing nothing. Too many people die young after retirement because they have nothing to do. Would dearly love to be able to tip about on the farm till the day I die - even if I am not in control. Then they can do what they like with it!

freedominacup

reilig wrote: »

Retirement?? When I retire (Hopefully in less than 20 years) I want to farm not sit about doing nothing. Too many people die young after retirement because they have nothing to do. Would dearly love to be able to tip about on the farm till the day I die - even if I am not in control. Then they can do what they like with it!

I'd hope someone is interested in taking over and I won't be hanging onto power by any stretch of the imagination. The idea that the headaches are someone elses is quite appealing. I would love to be able to tip around giving a hand well after normal retirement age but I won't be tipping around unless someone else is doing the heavy lifting physically and from a management point of view.

hugo29

reilig wrote: »

Retirement?? When I retire (Hopefully in less than 20 years) I want to farm not sit about doing nothing. Too many people die young after retirement because they have nothing to do. Would dearly love to be able to tip about on the farm till the day I die - even if I am not in control. Then they can do what they like with it!

I like that idea, it would be nice to do that now, but how many lads on here are complaining about the interfering ould fella,:D, that will be you reilig and junior will be on boards givin out about ya

hugo29

freedominacup wrote: »

It was unreal the number of similar couples I saw at the ploughing last year.

yea seen a few of them alright, just thought it was a wexford thing:D

Muckit

hugo29 wrote: »

but how many lads on here are complaining about the interfering ould fella,:D, that will be you reilig and junior will be on boards givin out about ya

Reilig Jr 'I have some reseeding to do and I want to direct drill it but the oul lad keeps telling me not to be wasting my money on that modern stuff and use a chain harrow.... what's that? Anyone ever heard of it?'

nashmach

reilig wrote: »

Retirement?? When I retire (Hopefully in less than 20 years) I want to farm not sit about doing nothing. Too many people die young after retirement because they have nothing to do. Would dearly love to be able to tip about on the farm till the day I die - even if I am not in control. Then they can do what they like with it!

I'll second that - days like today make the office job a bit more unbearable!

You hear of way to many people with sudden illness or even death just after retirement, some of it due to a less active lifestyle.

hugo29 wrote: »

yea seen a few of them alright, just thought it was a wexford thing:D

Careful now!

kevthegaff

jes i hope to have another 50 yrs farming if i live till 80 that is!!

reilig

hugo29 wrote: »

I like that idea, it would be nice to do that now, but how many lads on here are complaining about the interfering ould fella,:D, that will be you reilig and junior will be on boards givin out about ya

I've never had cause to give out about my ould fella. Yes he breaks a few things, does things arseways in my eyes and is often in the way, but from I was 12 years old, I was involved in every major decision on the farm. I was never forced into farming, but I learned that farming is a way of life that I want my children to have too. If they choose to farm after college, I'll step aside and look at cattle for them. If not, they can flog the whole lot.

A lot of the people who come on here talking about an interfering father are people who were forced into farming with no choice. Some of them bear grudges against their father. A farm should never be run like that!

hugo29

reilig wrote: »

I've never had cause to give out about my ould fella. Yes he breaks a few things, does things arseways in my eyes and is often in the way, but from I was 12 years old, I was involved in every major decision on the farm. I was never forced into farming, but I learned that farming is a way of life that I want my children to have too. If they choose to farm after college, I'll step aside and look at cattle for them. If not, they can flog the whole lot.

A lot of the people who come on here talking about an interfering father are people who were forced into farming with no choice. Some of them bear grudges against their father. A farm should never be run like that!

agree with ya there have to say my ould man was great, i buggered off for 12 years, came back after my world tour (with a new boss) asked the ould man could i was take over, he said no problem, does not interfere in any way and will always give advice when asked, hope i can do the same

jfh

hugo29 wrote: »

agree with ya there have to say my ould man was great, i buggered off for 12 years, came back after my world tour (with a new boss) asked the ould man could i was take over, he said no problem, does not interfere in any way and will always give advice when asked, hope i can do the same

there's not many that understanding, very modern outlook. it's good you appreciate that. i went for a year to OZ and cows were sold & never hear the end of it..

hugo29

jfh wrote: »

there's not many that understanding, very modern outlook. it's good you appreciate that. i went for a year to OZ and cows were sold & never hear the end of it..

well it was 7 years ago and TBH i have prob put more money in, in that 7 years that was put in the previous 20,

moy83

hugo29 wrote: »

well it was 7 years ago and TBH i have prob put more money in, in that 7 years that was put in the previous 20,

Tis trying to take money out of the farm I am :P

moy83

freedominacup wrote: »

It was unreal the number of similar couples I saw at the ploughing last year.

The wife works in the maternity dept and its getting to be a regular thing to have an "ould farmer " coming in with a nice thai woman to have the baby .
I think it will be some sight when there is a thai boy bidding on cattle around the ring