where you and your farm 10 yrs ago today

bob charles

just a bit of a Sunday thing, where were you and your farm in 1/12/03

Our farm ran a herd of suck cows, took all animals to finish and bought some fattening animals. times were a serious struggle on farm level. We done a huge amount of work on farm ourselves etc painting, building stone walls, fencing as we could afford to employ anyone and couldnt afford to spend. herd size was less than half of today but the strange thing is we are farming nearly the same acreage. All acres were done to grass. the amount of cattle finished back then was not much more than a busy month now.

Personally I was in college in Dublin, probably either waiting to play a match or waking up from a night on the raz on my own probably!

jersey101

We had just moved farms. Old farm had 50 cows with ten replacements and the rest was all beef bullocks bred out of cows, father was at silage all summer doing nearly 10,000 bales of silage on his own for other farmers, and i was only a chap . Now we do no silage only our own, no beef any more and have 30% more cows and triple the acreage

1chippy

we have twice the cows three times the no of cattle and 50% more land.next year we should be on four times. shed capacity hasnt evolved as fast though but will be sorted in the coming months. i was earning 3 times the amount i am now but making my money work better now.
This time 10 years ago personally i was on a three week holiday that turned into 3 years. another few years and i should be at a stage where i have the option of farming full time. i may on the other hand be so disillusioned by it that i wont want to look at another cow.

simx

in 03 we were farming twice what we are now, I was only a chap in school dreaming about tractors and machinery, more into 4 legs than wheels now, remember spending my Saturdays scraping sh**e and bedding, was happy as Larry because I was allowed drive the tractor ha, doesn't bother me at all now, we had milkers and sucklers, used to spend Sundays fencing/maintaining out farm, used to be buying meadows/bales every year as never had enough, a lot changes in two or three years let alone ten

moy83

We were milking that time and would have had double the amount of stock than what we have now . Time flies when you look back it only seems like yesterday

Timmaay

Our farm hasn't evolved much, we had a very similar number of cows (80ish), but probably more beef stock. My dad had just after spend a fair few quid on a new shed/slurry storage, and was starting to drive on production, risking the superlevy for afew years, until I think it was 06 that he got hit with a huge levy ha!

I was probably flatout studying for the leaving, can remember was I in 5th or 6th yr then, similar to bob, it was back in my rugby days also so I probably was at a match as well! And almost zero interest in farming back then I'll admit, a decent few lads getting out of dairying then, farming much less appealing, property was all the rage! I think my dad got afew serious offers to sell either the land, or sites off it, on hinesight, god!! We could have sold the lot, bought it all back off Nama and another 200acres locally and still had spare change to fuel the porsche :P

Conmaicne Mara

I was in the same place with 15 less ewes and more money, talk about a ****ed up system.

munkus

Timmaay wrote: »

I think my dad got afew serious offers to sell either the land, or sites off it, on hinesight, god!! We could have sold the lot, bought it all back off Nama and another 200acres locally and still had spare change to fuel the porsche :P

A lot of lads sold and put the millions into bank shares, as they were advised. Worth fuch all now!

munkus

Same amount of land ten years ago. Auld lad milked 30 cows and kept all the calves to finishing. Low cost system and I'd say he was more profitable than many lads with 70 cows. I was in college so he got sick of the milking. Now have 25 sucklers and finish stock. Could be doing a lot more but part time farming for the foreseeable future.

Timmaay

munkus wrote: »

A lot of lads sold and put the millions into bank shares, as they were advised. Worth fuch all now!

Story of a local lad who did that, had the full amount pre tax sitting in his bank account, bank manager told him to put it all in BOI shares, worth pennys afew months later when the tax bill came, he ended up no land, tax bill of several 100k, and afew bits of worthless paper for the shares!!! Actually I think it was my dad who told me that when I jokingly said a yr or so ago about how we could own 1/2 our townland by now if we sold back then ha!

on the river

Alot has changed in 10 years increased number of stock and older and wiser people i think

6480

in 2003 i boworred 80 k from the bank to restock the farm and build a new milking parlour , we had 30 cows milking and in febuary 2002 we lost a few cows every 60 days from tb till we were left with 6 the following 12 months , milking almost 70 today and no beef at all now

Manoffeeling

I was off the road

on the river

Manoffeeling wrote: »

I was off the road

How long ?

Manoffeeling

on the river wrote: »

How long ?

Got a year. Was back after 6 and a half months

on the river

Manoffeeling wrote: »

Got a year. Was back after 6 and a half months

Fair play you must have some courage

Manoffeeling

on the river wrote: »

Fair play you must have some courage

?

on the river

Manoffeeling wrote: »

?

Courage getting back on the road again. It must have been difficult for you and your family.

Manoffeeling

on the river wrote: »

Courage getting back on the road again. It must have been difficult for you and your family.

Not really. I was single and just love beer and women. Best thing ever happened to me. Working hard and playing hard. Shure that's what you do in your 20s.


Was farming over 350 acres with brother. Casual work. 40 acres of sugar beet. 70 sucklers and buying in calves. Everything kept till factory. Busy fools.

on the river

Great combination farming drinking and women . Do you still live by this motto presently ?

Manoffeeling

on the river wrote: »

Great combination farming drinking and women . Do you still live by this motto presently ?

Through kids into the equation and it all changes. Don't drink much anymore and just have sex with one woman. Such is life.

on the river

Manoffeeling wrote: »

Through kids into the equation and it all changes. Don't drink much anymore and just have sex with one woman. Such is life.

Best of luck in future i hope everthing works out the way you want it.

awaywithyou

I was in UL 'studying' to be a teacher.....

While on the farm... Well we were just after being cleaned out due to a cow having BSE.... As far as I remember we had to stay out for a month... We were back in action from middle of dec on....

naughto

Manoffeeling wrote: »

Through kids into the equation and it all changes. Don't drink much anymore and just have sex with one woman. Such is life.

best post i have read in a long time.
10 yrs ago i was in college,not that i went in mind.
was working parttime in a shop butchering,loved lit,no money in tho.

Massey10

Timmaay wrote: »

Our farm hasn't evolved much, we had a very similar number of cows (80ish), but probably more beef stock. My dad had just after spend a fair few quid on a new shed/slurry storage, and was starting to drive on production, risking the superlevy for afew years, until I think it was 06 that he got hit with a huge levy ha!

I was probably flatout studying for the leaving, can remember was I in 5th or 6th yr then, similar to bob, it was back in my rugby days also so I probably was at a match as well! And almost zero interest in farming back then I'll admit, a decent few lads getting out of dairying then, farming much less appealing, property was all the rage! I think my dad got afew serious offers to sell either the land, or sites off it, on hinesight, god!! We could have sold the lot, bought it all back off Nama and another 200acres locally and still had spare change to fuel the porsche :P

Banks were pushing bank shares back then you could be left with no money and no land

Mulumpy

Apart from the wife; kids and new house, not a lot has changed for me had same job I have now and milking same number of cows. Only difference was I had my Dad around to run the farm.

onyerbikepat

God i wish I knew 10 years ago what i know now. I guess we all have 20/20 vision in hindsight.

Farmer Pudsey

Had just bough the place about 10 months before had some bullocks on a acre and a half feeding hay and ration on top of a concrete slab. No sheds twenty year old 675 tractor(something never change except it is 30 years old now) and a good back( that is dodgy now as well).

Only thing I regret is that I did not buy it 2-3 years sooner I be one of those serious farmers cribbing over the taught of losing half my SFP. Was drawing 800/HA in payments on average over those two years. Was lucky in one way had signed contract in late '02 so got a bit from NR. However it is a nice bit less than half that I drew in payments in 2003/4.

Was over twenty years away from farming and that was on mountainy land steep learning curve since.

However no regrets.

Muckit

onyerbikepat wrote: »

God i wish I knew 10 years ago what i know now. I guess we all have 20/20 vision in hindsight.

You were probably walking back then Pat:D

coolshannagh28

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

Had just bough the place about 10 months before had some bullocks on a acre and a half feeding hay and ration on top of a concrete slab. No sheds twenty year old 675 tractor(something never change except it is 30 years old now) and a good back( that is dodgy now as well).

Only thing I regret is that I did not buy it 2-3 years sooner I be one of those serious farmers cribbing over the taught of losing half my SFP. Was drawing 800/HA in payments on average over those two years. Was lucky in one way had signed contract in late '02 so got a bit from NR. However it is a nice bit less than half that I drew in payments in 2003/4.

Was over twenty years away from farming and that was on mountainy land steep learning curve since.

However no regrets.

Was in exactly the same place could have bought the same land three years earlier and been a serious farmer,but made the same mistakes and am on that same steep mountainy learning curve

Bodacious

Surveying basement level of Houses of Parliament London. Single, was renovating a house in UK ... Home when I could , Grandad was still alive , few token cows kept at home and sister/BIL dad had place full of Connemara ponies and land falling deeper into disrepair ... Dreaded white electric tape everywhere and horse dung patches !

visatorro

Had just started in ballyhaise to learn how to be a farmer! Was an education alright.

jimmy G M

Aprox 1 month before I got married. Had just bought a site €68k (1/3 acre) and was putting in for planning permission

On home farm had aprox 50 sucklers and 300 sheep. Serious amount of work in the spring. Dad slowing down a bit now and I'm working so no breeding ewes now and more drystock.

Brother and I leasing 50 acres now, so have my own "enterprise" where I make all the decisions more or less.

Couple of kids, mortgage, you know the rest.

nashmach

First year of college in the big smoke and still down home every weekend.

At that stage we were farming less land, less cattle and less tillage, all have grown since then but all gradual no revolution here over those years!

Muckit

jimmy G M wrote: »

Aprox 1 month before I got married. Had just bought a site €68k (1/3 acre) and was putting in for planning permission
.

I thought you had to have 1/2acre for planning permission?

Muckit

10 years ago.....I was trying to hop on women and the property ladder!! :pac: I achieved both, at huge cost to my wallet and sanity! Was more into my cars than their green diesel cousins.

Got a little bit more sense now. Married just over a year. A good work, farm, personal life balance. Happy as a pig in sh*t. Long may it last (famous last words!)

jimmy G M

Muckit wrote: »

I thought you had to have 1/2acre for planning permission?

Bought a serviced site in an estate on the outskirts of town. Connection to town sewerage scheme, hence smaller site.

keep going

Milking less than half the cows that we are now and trying to get more land.working in the building trade and milking as well.expecting our first child and doing up the house and living in 2 rooms having just finished building a house for my mother the year before ,I sometimes cant belive what work I was prepared to do at the time-just ccouldn't do it now in my forties

hugo29

Living in London, drinking like a fish, didnt give a fcuk about the farm

hugo29

Bodacious wrote: »

Surveying basement level of Houses of Parliament London. Single, was renovating a house in UK ... Home when I could , Grandad was still alive , few token cows kept at home and sister/BIL dad had place full of Connemara ponies and land falling deeper into disrepair ... Dreaded white electric tape everywhere and horse dung patches !

What part did you live in bod, was there then too

blue5000

I was in ul, first yr env sc. Was also milking then, so was up at 5.30. Did bull beef with fresians then as well. Was often still out in the yard feeding at 10pm as well so the social life was all ul based! Madness, wouldn't be able for it now.

Massey10

Used to milk half the number of cows and rent land for tillage when barley was making the 78 a tonne straw 4 a bale and sugar beet gone I gave upmost rented land stacked entitlements and started to milk more. Life is much easier without the crops was alwaysworking late with them.

redzerologhlen

Trying to kick the ball of the chimney with my left leg I'd say...was too young to be thinking about much else!!

Farrell

Started working full time after completing college & helping out on the family farm. The down turn in manufacturing left it hard to get employment. Similar story being told by many today.

bob charles

hugo29 wrote: »

Living in Sligo, drinking like a fish, didnt give a fcuk about the farm

Would this be the present day update

Bodacious

hugo29 wrote: »

What part did you live in bod, was there then too

I was living in chelmsford,Essex and commuting ... Up A12 towards Colchester ... great town

Conor556

Was under serious pressure thinking up of a good santa list,, and was delighted with my first 2 charolais heifer weanlings I bought with my communion money and thinking about expansion!

locky76

2003- Tipping along as an electrician doing a few nixers, drinking like a fish, home place going to wrack and ruin with lads renting it...
2013- 3 houses on the home farm done up in the mean time (1 for the old pair, 1 rented out & living in the third one), old age pension sorted for the old pair, degree done in UL, farm making a profit, farm refurbished (fencing, drainage, reseeding etc. etc.), farm fully stocked now, slatted shed & straw shed built, 20 acres of forestry bought, found a good woman, married with 2 kids...
Oh yeah and bought a caravan

tabby aspreme

Ten years ago my father died and some of the land I farmed went to my sisters so sheep numbers dropped, around the same time I joined Reps which makes change a bit awkward , I planted 16 acres of wet ground in 2010 which had been giving me trouble with fluke, phosphate levels have dropped over the last few years so in planning to sort that shortly and finish putting in paddocks and try to push up stocking rates a bit

darragh_haven

I was in CIT doing aritectural technology, having a fcuking ball. Helping out on the farm at weekends. My dad was milking nearly 100 cows then and stilll farms the same amount of land today but with beef cattle and I help out a lot more now. Ended up hating everything architectural.

J DEERE

Was studying for the leaving in 2003/2004. All I wanted was farming, had big plans for going to ag college and taking on the farm which was dairy at that the time. Father had other ideas though and the herd and quota were sold in 2004. Broke my heart at the time and still miss them at times