Teagasc client yes or no??

John_F

Hi all, i'm contemplating joining up with teagasc with the main reason being to use profit monitor, pasture base and other programs. we were never teagasc clients and are happy enough to stick with the private consultants and advisers we currently use. So is the profit monitor useful and how does it compare to farm accounts & what other software is available to teagasc clients? milking 110 cows, not in reps or aeos or disadvantage area,

anyone on the ''teagasc club'' package happy or unhappy?? (the one without a on farm visit)

http://www.teagasc.ie/advisory/AdvisoryCharges_1March2013.pdf

pms7

Yes.
Presume you are not in a discussion group so? IF not join for that alone. No experience of privates so can't compare. Find profit monitor good, just starting PB.

maxxuumman

No, private here. Expensive, but I wouldn't be without him. He pays for himself in multiples every year

delaval

maxxuumman wrote: »

No, private here. Expensive, but I wouldn't be without him. He pays for himself in multiples every year

Max, what service does he provide?
Teag here only use them for SFP
My diss group non Teag

freedominacup

Teagasc here mainly for discussion group and SFP. Plus they are good if you're in a bind with officialdom. They have big resources compared to most private consultants. TBH I'm stuck with them. If they trebled their sub and they got another 50 years out of me I'd still be ahead after the help they gave me over the past couple of years.

Farmer Pudsey

yes joined two years ago because of discussion group

reilig

Happy with Teagasc here but would be just as happy with a private guy if he was as good. It's not Teagasc that's important, it's the quality of the advisor.

Anyone can do a profit monitor. if you are a ICBF user, you can even do it online!

If you are happy with who you have then why change?

td5man

reilig wrote: »

Happy with Teagasc here but would be just as happy with a private guy if he was as good. It's not Teagasc that's important, it's the quality of the advisor.

Anyone can do a profit monitor. if you are a ICBF user, you can even do it online!

If you are happy with who you have then why change?

Theres two advisers at our discussion group, one has a very common sense approach to things and of course hes not in our area. :-(

John_F

no intention of moving from our private guys to teagasc for advise as such, just want to know it the fee of 175 is worth it for over the phone advice, newsletters, todays farm and most importantly is it worth paying it to have access to teagasc computer programs, like what programs are available? i wold have a good share of them i would think from my ag college days not so long ago e.g. grass budget, fertiliser planner, farm business planner, ration reckoner (just had a look and i have more than i thought).

re discussion group there a a fair few private ones i know of locally, and would much rather join these than the teagasc ones i know of.

re profit monitor, just looked for it on icbf, never knew it was there!!! so this may be a better alternative :cool:

John_F

just started browsing the e-pm on icbf website, it looks like a teagasc customer number is required

Timmaay

Hmmmm I'm fairly sure the ICBF one was meant to be integrated with Teagasc, ie you submit all the data there and click enter and it gets sent to your adviser who throws it in hisown excel spreadsheet or whatever. However that never got finished for some reason, and the one on the teagasc client website is still the main one used still.

rs8

no

Toplink

maxxuumman wrote: »

No, private here. Expensive, but I wouldn't be without him. He pays for himself in multiples every year

What sort of payment arrangement would you have with this fella. Obviously I dont want exact details but...

Would you give him a set amount every year and then he would give advice throughout the year on an adhoc basis?
Or would you pay him whenever you need him?

I will be taking over the family farm in about 5/6 years time and I am looking at puting a plan in place in 2014 that will give me a decent wage from the farm come 2020. (Easier said then done I am sure!)

Dad is in control at the moment and has his own ways of doing things but having worked off-farm all his life and having not being originally from a farming background himself (he married into the place), he is open to changing how things are done.

maxxuumman

Toplink wrote: »

What sort of payment arrangement would you have with this fella. Obviously I dont want exact details but...

Would you give him a set amount every year and then he would give advice throughout the year on an adhoc basis?
Or would you pay him whenever you need him?

I will be taking over the family farm in about 5/6 years time and I am looking at puting a plan in place in 2014 that will give me a decent wage from the farm come 2020. (Easier said then done I am sure!)

Dad is in control at the moment and has his own ways of doing things but having worked off-farm all his life and having not being originally from a farming background himself (he married into the place), he is open to changing how things are done.

delaval wrote: »

Max, what service does he provide?
Teag here only use them for SFP
My diss group non Teag

He does my SFP,reps, and derogation work and any grant paper work that has to be done. Does up a business plan and cash flow projection every year. Any interaction with the dept is done through him.
Comes onto the farm every 4 to 6 weeks and gives me 2 hours.
The 2 hours go on walking/grass measuring. Check all stock visually.
Then back to the office to cover (depending on time of year) breeding data, calving data, silage stocks, projected stocking rates/grass allocation, projected return on any notions I get. On the last point I have often been floored when the financial implications of a decision are put down in plain black and white.
Always at the other end of the phone, and occasionally the emergency callout.

I find the regular callouts a good thing, because it keeps you on your toes. Some times when the pressure is really on, things can slip a bit, especially in times like last spring or when your plugging away on your own. But with a fresh set of eyes every few weeks things that you may not have spotted or have put on the long finger will get picked up.

Re payment, dd monthly.

Mulumpy

Teagasc started charging this year for being part of a discussion group. It was part of the advisors fee prior to the dep scheme a few years ago. I quiered this with them this year and the answer I got was they needed to make up the shortfall of farmers exiiting Reps. Asked what would happen if I didn't pay she agreed with me teagasc were taking the piss with so many charges. She said they could do nothing about it so I didn't pay and despite a few months of letters they gave up.

epfff

John_F wrote: »

Hi all, i'm contemplating joining up with teagasc with the main reason being to use profit monitor, pasture base and other programs. we were never teagasc clients and are happy enough to stick with the private consultants and advisers we currently use. So is the profit monitor useful and how does it compare to farm accounts & what other software is available to teagasc clients? milking 110 cows, not in reps or aeos or disadvantage area,

anyone on the ''teagasc club'' package happy or unhappy?? (the one without a on farm visit)

http://www.teagasc.ie/advisory/AdvisoryCharges_1March2013.pdf

Was
found them lazy and had very little real life knowledge
But I do think it depends on adviser
Some good and more brutal
So answer now is no

TEAT SQUEEZER

i`ve found for schemes ,grants etc my private guy is top class.. am a teag client (over phone and disc group etc)... the private guys are unable to deliver on the practical info due to the obvious lack of a reaserch arm behind them..

has anyone taken up the lic consultancy which in theory would have reams of info and research at its disposal ...
was at a meeting they held a few weeks back re compact calving and was resonably impressed.. i thought the approach was fresh with written timeframe goals and reg on farm stuff too...

freedominacup

TEAT SQUEEZER wrote: »

i`ve found for schemes ,grants etc my private guy is top class.. am a teag client (over phone and disc group etc)... the private guys are unable to deliver on the practical info due to the obvious lack of a reaserch arm behind them..

has anyone taken up the lic consultancy which in theory would have reams of info and research at its disposal ...
was at a meeting they held a few weeks back re compact calving and was resonably impressed.. i thought the approach was fresh with written timeframe goals and reg on farm stuff too...

Are they a NZ based outfit or is someone around here infringing on copyright:D?

TEAT SQUEEZER

freedominacup wrote: »

Are they a NZ based outfit or is someone around here infringing on copyright:D?

no known infringement mr cup:D ..

teagasc are cut to such a level that they give ya a pissy on farm visit a year ... i think these guys are talking of all a good few on farm doing the practical stuff with cows, bcs etc... and then farm infastructure , financials and the like... i know no more and was wondering did anyone explore this option

just do it

Private consultants got their hands on the teagasc profit monitor software for the beef discussion group programme. It's likely your current adviser has access. Like others have stated, it's the quality of the adviser that counts. Also if your current adviser visits regularly he has a working knowledge of your farm and you, the value out which isn't to be underestimated.

I recall I'd a teagasc adviser out when the suckler cow quota came in in 1992. The farm was in a sorry state with feck all housing or facilities. All he did was take a few soil samples and recommended mineral blocks. Left a sour taste I can tell you! Not saying this is the norm with teagasc by the way. I know of some excellent teagasc advisers. Your at the mercy of your location.

Toplink

just do it wrote: »

Private consultants got their hands on the teagasc profit monitor software for the beef discussion group programme. It's likely your current adviser has access. Like others have stated, it's the quality of the adviser that counts. Also of your current adviser visits regularly they have a working knowledge of your farm and you, the value out which isn't to be underestimated.

I recall I'd a teagasc adviser out when the suckler cow quota came in in 1992. The farm was in a sorry state with feck all housing or facilities. All he did was take a few soil samples and recommended mineral blocks. Left a sour taste I can tell you! Not saying this is the norm with teagasc by the way. I know of some excellent teagasc advisers. Your at the mercy of your location.

Our Teagasc guy has one eye on the lump sum and isn't overly proactive these days but he has given good advice over the years in fairness.

Will be interesting to see who replaces him once he goes next year.

freedominacup

Toplink wrote: »

Will be interesting to see who replaces him once he goes next year.

Almost certainly no-one.

Bog Man 1

I think Teagasc have upped their game and their seminars are well run start on time and well chaired . The Cross Compliance one in the Lord Bagnel was over at 10 o clock and each speaker covered his subject clearly and distinctly .The Spring Cereal one I think it was Mount Wolsley was also well run . It appears to me that they have got professional help in presentation .
I just use them for the SFP and occasionally get advice by sending our adviser a text . We have a new to us tillage adviser and he sorted our neighbors volunteer rape in his beans which impressed me . I would not pay an adviser €10 an acre for crop walking .
I think losing REPS has been good for Teagasc and we have paid the extra for the discussion group .

Conmaicne Mara

TEAT SQUEEZER wrote: »

teagasc are cut to such a level that they give ya a pissy on farm visit a year

Count yourself lucky, I've had exactly one farm visit from Teagasc, to do my REPS plan in when, 2004? Advisor is based 70+ miles away.

moy83

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

Count yourself lucky, I've had exactly one farm visit from Teagasc, to do my REPS plan in when, 2004? Advisor is based 70+ miles away.

I have a private lad thats a bit closer to you and he is pretty good if you ever change .

The father had been with teagasc for years and they were charging him big bucks , yer man was coming up on 80 I reckon and would hardly walk to the table to get a mug of tea not to mind walking the farm.
Now if I could get the old lad to do half what the new advisor was telling us we would be winning .
He should have been in reps when he stopped milking but the old advisor told him it wasnt worth the money and he would be plagued with inspections , we are in aeos now and its alot softer money than trying to keep cattle on the bad bit of land

Conmaicne Mara

moy83 wrote: »

I have a private lad thats a bit closer to you and he is pretty good if you ever change .

The father had been with teagasc for years and they were charging him big bucks , yer man was coming up on 80 I reckon and would hardly walk to the table to get a mug of tea not to mind walking the farm.
Now if I could get the old lad to do half what the new advisor was telling us we would be winning .
He should have been in reps when he stopped milking but the old advisor told him it wasnt worth the money and he would be plagued with inspections , we are in aeos now and its alot softer money than trying to keep cattle on the bad bit of land

Send me on a PM, it's always good to have options. Am in AEOS until Dec 2015 plus STAP, both with Teagasc.

Nothing to do with the organization, its ALL to do with the individual advisor.

loveta

reilig wrote: »

Happy with Teagasc here but would be just as happy with a private guy if he was as good. It's not Teagasc that's important, it's the quality of the advisor.

Anyone can do a profit monitor. if you are a ICBF user, you can even do it online!

Yes with teagasc have been since i dont know when, changed adviser about 4years ago to tie in with a discussion group which was a good move really on the ball on what ever ya want and no BS. One thing they told me was "NOT" to do the profit mon through the icbf... i asked why and they said "it would not be treated as discreetly as you would want":eek:

John_F

looking like i won't be doing a profit monitor for a while then

Timmaay

John_F wrote: »

looking like i won't be doing a profit monitor for a while then

The profit monitor certainly ain't rocket science, if you got any bit of experience with excel you'll be able to do one yourself, and you'll learn a decent bit about where exactly the c/l figures come from, and whats included/excluded.

hurling_lad

freedominacup wrote: »

Almost certainly no-one.

Got to watch out for staff turnover in Teagasc too. Our discussion group has just lost a second adviser in two years (to a perm job elsewhere in Teagasc). Both of the guys were good, but it takes any adviser a good while to get to know you and where you want to be going, especially in an expansion scenario, so it's a real pain to have to start from square one with a new guy, no matter how good he might be.