STAP over subscribed

Conmaicne Mara

Heard at or meeting today they have enough money to give 3,000 farmers 1k. Problem is, 5,000 farmers in the scheme!

Partick Thistle

A fair few of the 5000 dropped out or did not meet terms and conditions of scheme

razor8

know a few in our group turned up first meeting then disappeared!

Partick Thistle

I'd guess the payment will be around 875 per farmer but thats a pure guess. All should be revealed shortly as payment will be made in December or late November.

Conmaicne Mara

The two groups I am familiar with seem well attended, both had a joint meeting today to gather a crowd for two demonstrations.

Also, we were told Dept want no further meetings until Feb, both because they are processing paperwork and also considering new entrants for next year.

I think that's a good thing. I like the STAP programme, particularly visiting other farms and the conversations that get going, I fee they're valuable. Would not like to think it would end up a closed shop for the entire three years.

Salmonman

Partick Thistle wrote: »

I'd guess the payment will be around 875 per farmer but thats a pure guess. All should be revealed shortly as payment will be made in December or late November.

We were told payment would be €800.
We had our last meeting a few months ago but heard nothing since, do we have to send in receipts for the tasks we got(creep feeding) before we get paid

Partick Thistle

Creep receipts have to be retained by farmer in case of inspection. They are NOT to be posted to Dept of Ag

AnFeirmeoir

I never signed up to this.

I know most will disagree here but i just didn't think it was worth it.
It was obvious it was going to be oversubscribed so the $1k was never going to happen.
and the idea that you have to pay (discussion group fee) to get a grant is obviously corrupt. It makes a mockery of the whole idea "We want you to do things right but you still have to give backhanders to the boys like always"

Why is the costs not worked out as part of the package? Cowboys.

I don't think i've missed much. (other than the €600 or so). If you read the IFJ/ Teagasc advisories etc, you should know the recommended best practices. And i've probably avoided a few inspections.

razor8

AnFeirmeoir wrote: »

I never signed up to this.

I know most will disagree here but i just didn't think it was worth it.
It was obvious it was going to be oversubscribed so the $1k was never going to happen.
and the idea that you have to pay (discussion group fee) to get a grant is obviously corrupt. It makes a mockery of the whole idea "We want you to do things right but you still have to give backhanders to the boys like always"

Why is the costs not worked out as part of the package? Cowboys.

I don't think i've missed much. (other than the €600 or so). If you read the IFJ/ Teagasc advisories etc, you should know the recommended best practices. And i've probably avoided a few inspections.

Money crap but have to say i really enjoyed visiting other farms. Its great to know its not only you that has problems!!
Even if no money for next year I would still join up

I read all the advisories too but still doesn't beat standing on a farm

Username John

razor8 wrote: »

Money crap but have to say i really enjoyed visiting other farms. Its great to know its not only you that has problems!!
Even if no money for next year I would still join up

I read all the advisories too but still doesn't beat standing on a farm

+1

Like razor said, it's good to see how Others deal with the same problems, and to see how / what people do on their own place. Even if it's little ideas on handling, or setup, or methods of doing something.

But I must say I was a bit disappointed with some of the visits. Our facilitator doesn't do much to generate discussion. It will be interesting to see how many return next year.

Conmaicne Mara

I was always in it for the ideas, and information I'd pick up elsewhere. I find our facilitator (here I go jinxing him!) excellent, and our group as a whole very good, everyone inputs to the discussion and no one gets marginalised.

Salmonman

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

I was always in it for the ideas, and information I'd pick up elsewhere. I find our facilitator (here I go jinxing him!) excellent, and our group as a whole very good, everyone inputs to the discussion and no one gets marginalised.

Same as C Mara,joined it to pick up new ideas but our facilitator was crap, kept going over same thing and looking at his watch every 5 min.
There was no discussion and no farm visits.Very disappointed

Conmaicne Mara

Salmonman wrote: »

Same as C Mara,joined it to pick up new ideas but our facilitator was crap, kept going over same thing and looking at his watch every 5 min.
There was no discussion and no farm visits.Very disappointed

Do other members of your group feel that way? Is he a Teagasc facilitator or private? I'd be inclined to get talking to a few heads in your group and either directly approach the facilitator with ideas or go over his head. While there will be whatever money coming in from the scheme, the facilitator IS getting paid to do a job.

rancher

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

Do other members of your group feel that way? Is he a Teagasc facilitator or private? I'd be inclined to get talking to a few heads in your group and either directly approach the facilitator with ideas or go over his head. While there will be whatever money coming in from the scheme, the facilitator IS getting paid to do a job.

Our group always decided the agenda and venue for the next meeting before we finished each meeting, success depends more on the group than the facilitator, farm visits are very informative.

Conmaicne Mara

rancher wrote: »

Our group always decided the agenda and venue for the next meeting before we finished each meeting, success depends more on the group than the facilitator, farm visits are very informative

The course we're taking for next year will be in our first meeting in Feb we will plan the visits for the entire year that day. Agree about the farm visits, I'd be inclined to miss a classroom type day if I really had to but I'd pull all the stops out to get to a farm day.

razor8

when no one volunteered in our group for a farm visit, our facilitator drew names for a hat, if you objected then you were threatened with eviction

Conmaicne Mara

razor8 wrote: »

when no one volunteered in our group for a farm visit, our facilitator drew names for a hat, if you objected then you were threatened with eviction

We had that the first day Eventually one man volunteered, and to be fair to him we had a genuinely fantastic day there. The weather was absolutely stunning, the demo excellent, and the to and fro of differing opinions went on for the day.

I would say if the group is overly quiet then one or two lads need to get a bit cheeky and start playing devils advocate to rise a few opinions from the hurlers on the ditch.

razor8

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

We had that the first day Eventually one man volunteered, and to be fair to him we had a genuinely fantastic day there. The weather was absolutely stunning, the demo excellent, and the to and fro of differing opinions went on for the day.

I would say if the group is overly quiet then one or two lads need to get a bit cheeky and start playing devils advocate to rise a few opinions from the hurlers on the ditch.

agree, just needs someone to start the ball rolling

Salmonman

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

Do other members of your group feel that way? Is he a Teagasc facilitator or private? I'd be inclined to get talking to a few heads in your group and either directly approach the facilitator with ideas or go over his head. While there will be whatever money coming in from the scheme, the facilitator IS getting paid to do a job.

He is a private facilitator,I know most off the people at the meeting didn't even want to be there.They were sent letters and told to put their names in for it.
Facilitator looking after himself,the more names the more money he gets

AnFeirmeoir

I'd be very interested to see how others operate too. but i can understand fellows not wanting to host. Most sheep operations are small setup with little / no handling facilities. They'd be embarrassed hosting some of ye guys with state of the art setups. They'd be thinking "what the **** do they want at my place"

I didnt realise these visits are being forced on people. Another thing i don't like about it.

Conmaicne Mara

AnFeirmeoir wrote: »

I'd be very interested to see how others operate too. but i can understand fellows not wanting to host. Most sheep operations are small setup with little / no handling facilities. They'd be embarrassed hosting some of ye guys with state of the art setups. They'd be thinking "what the **** do they want at my place"

I didnt realise these visits are being forced on people. Another thing i don't like about it.

In fairness, when there's twenty farmers in a room pretending to be a discussion group and not one is willing to host - I didn't put my hand up - then straws is the only option.

Farm visits really are the best days. One farm we went to had just a handling pen and we had a good day doing FEC test talk, talk about doses, estimating weights of lambs in pens by eye, etc.

It's often surprising the direction a conversation will take, and the details they will go to.

There are some parts of my farm, and an animal or two belonging to me I'm downright ashamed of, but had I been picked I'd have done my best to give a good day out.

I'll admit, I am happier to be a host next year as I'll have a couple of extra things to show hopefully.

tomwaterford

would loved to have done it meself but wudnt like the idea of holding a farmwalk b a bit embarresed tbh:o....think it is a very worthwhile idea to share and develop ideas thou....any little bit of advice doesn't go astray


would they b both lowland & hill farmers in the one group??

Conmaicne Mara

tomwaterford wrote: »

would loved to have done it meself but wudnt like the idea of holding a farmwalk b a bit embarresed tbh:o....think it is a very worthwhile idea to share and develop ideas thou....any little bit of advice doesn't go astray


would they b both lowland & hill farmers in the one group??

I am in a predominantly hill area but we have I think two farmers who would not let sheep to the hill, so you can class them as lowland. One has all texels, I am not so sure on the other guy I think he may have a hill breed but for shows mostly.

The other group in the area I would guess would have a few more lowland types than us.

Wooly Admirer

Most STAP discussions groups are only scratching the surface of the potential benefits of a group of same interest farmers coming together. Alot of my buddies are excellent dairy farmers involved in an excellent discussion group. The facilitator help to organise the meetings, send out the texts etc, but apart from that its over to the farmers.

No group should be overly dependent on the facilitator, they're there to facilitate discussion - its up to farmers to discuss.

A group should have its own Chairman and structure - this gives the farmers ownership of the group and makes it feel like its their meeting and not the facilitators meeting.

These dairy guys buy everything together, the savings the make on feed and veterinary is hard to believe. Everyone gets a job at some point, but they have their 'top' negotiator, usual someone with a hard neck. The benefits of the group to them are endless - they would be nowhere near as profitable as they are without the group!!