Smart Farming Conference

rangler1

Any one at this conference yesterday, brilliant speaker from the hotel industry, some messages for farmers from him,
Farmers who volunteered for the cost saving study saved between €2000 and 15000 in the trial, average saving was €5000/yr.
The hotel speaker said he'd walk to Donegal to save €5000/yr.
One of his quotes was ''if you don't attend a conference to get 5000 cost saving you deserve to lose €15000''
He also told his sons to go off and make mistakes for someone else, because he couldn't afford to have them making them at home......have seen a few farmers should've done that too

jfh

just out of interest Rangler, what smart options were given to farmers?
thanks

rangler1

jfh wrote: »

just out of interest Rangler, what smart options were given to farmers?
thanks

They didn't go into the individual farmers cases, agri consultants worked on each case, one farmer said he increased the milk yield by 2ltrs a day by increasing the size of the wqter pipes going to the dairy cows, another farmer got involved with a buying group, also ask for the formulations of your rations and get proper independent advice, that yielded big returns for one farmer.
putting a plate cooler in the dairy, ph and lime was another big payoff also soil testing

DarByrne1980

i nearly thought when i seen smart farming that it had something to do with those tech heads at the fecking web summit

rangler1

DarByrne1980 wrote: »

i nearly thought when i seen smart farming that it had something to do with those tech heads at the fecking web summit

It's like positive farmers...doesn't happen

frazzledhome

rangler1 wrote: »

They didn't go into the individual farmers cases, agri consultants worked on each case, one farmer said he increased the milk yield by 2ltrs a day by increasing the size of the wqter pipes going to the dairy cows, another farmer got involved with a buying group, also ask for the formulations of your rations and get proper independent advice, that yielded big returns for one farmer.
putting a plate cooler in the dairy, ph and lime was another big payoff also soil testing

Consultants
Sufficient water to cows
Pre cooling milk
Soil fertility
Soil sampling

In the name of Jaysus what kind of audience was it , Greencert

frazzledhome

frazzledhome wrote: »

Consultants
Sufficient water to cows
Pre cooling milk
Soil fertility
Soil sampling

In the name of Jaysus what kind of audience was it , Greencert

Sorry Rangler, I couldn't resist

stanflt

frazzledhome wrote: »

Consultants
Sufficient water to cows
Pre cooling milk
Soil fertility
Soil sampling

In the name of Jaysus what kind of audience was it , Greencert

Biggest mistake in above is the use of a consultant

That's not positive farming that's everyday business

How much did you pay to here that crap

stanflt

You can get all that advice on here for free except you would have to read a hell of a lot of rows over Jersey xbreed vs Holstein

whelan2

stanflt wrote: »

Biggest mistake in above is the use of a consultant

That's not positive farming that's everyday business

How much did you pay to here that crap

I learn something new every day whether it be here, in discussion group or where ever as with all advice from where ever be it consultants /advisor etc, I listen to it, I will adapt it if it suits me and ignore it if it doesnt . I would never say that someone doing their job is talking crap

rangler1

stanflt wrote: »

Biggest mistake in above is the use of a consultant

That's not positive farming that's everyday business

How much did you pay to here that crap

Didn't pay anything, wasn't going, wet day, feet up, OH said, come on lets go, you know yourself, might as well.
But it highlights the sort of farmers that's out there, people on here say that you should be able to look after your own business, but it's not my experience, some people can't.eg the dairy farmer reducing his costs by €15000 on 200 cows.
It's sponsored by a whole load of quangos, so farmers mightas well get the benefit.
Liam Griffin of the hotel industry was worth sitting through the conference to hear....a M.O'Leary type

frazzledhome

rangler1 wrote: »

Didn't pay anything, wasn't going, wet day, feet up, OH said, come on lets go, you know yourself, might as well.
But it highlights the sort of farmers that's out there, people on here say that you should be able to look after your own business, but it's not my experience, some people can't.eg the dairy farmer reducing his costs by €15000 on 200 cows.
It's sponsored by a whole load of quangos, so farmers mightas well get the benefit.
Liam Griffin of the hotel industry was worth sitting through the conference to hear....a M.O'Leary type

Was at a wedding on his table, really experienced well walked guy. Thoroughly enjoyable guy.

Agree with you, worrying that this type of info needs to be em parted.

frazzledhome

stanflt wrote: »

You can get all that advice on here for free except you would have to read a hell of a lot of rows over Jersey xbreed vs Holstein

:)

frazzledhome

stanflt wrote: »

Biggest mistake in above is the use of a consultant

That's not positive farming that's everyday business

How much did you pay to here that crap

Consultants are a bigger threat to farmers than any milk price drop. If you can't do it Bullshyte about it

Justjens

The dairy farmer has more to gain with smart farming.

Was at a smart farm walk recently, all beef farmers (believe very few applied to be part of the review) lots of talk about soil fertility and it's ability to grow grass.

The soil analysis showed host farmer needed 200 tons lime, 'where are the benefits' he asked. 'Grow more grass' was the reply, 'so I can buy more cattle to lose more money!'

Then came electricity costs, very few areas to save on that farm. Switch suppliers, which he did and saved €450/yr. The other suggestion was night saver electricity, you'd need to use 3.5kw/night to break-even. He suggested to 'put washing machine on before you go to bed, it uses 1.5 kw/load and dryer about 2kw.' 'Who's going to tell the wife to put the clothes in the drier in the middle of the night then?' came the reply:D

Consultants are all well and good, but a bit of common sense is cheaper and goes a lot further.

DarByrne1980

Justjens wrote: »

The dairy farmer has more to gain with smart farming.

The consultants have it grand in da theory. Id have though smart-farming was more about using the internet and smartphones to help with better farming. doesnt necessarily make things more efficient but could lessen the workload on a farmer for example. Like that type of smartfarming the children of farmers might buy into it quicker and be more likely to stay on da land.

GRASSorMUCK

frazzledhome wrote: »

Consultants are a bigger threat to farmers than any milk price drop. If you can't do it Bullshyte about it

HAHA this makes me happy.:D Farm buisness conutants are alled failed farm managers over here, talk the talk but know bugger all about putting into practice as they have little practical experience bar maybe 6 months as an assistant manager then though bugger this.
Although it' unfair t tar all with the ame brush have met some good ones too, just got to trat anyone who arrives on farm in a suit or 'formal-ish' office wear trying to sell you somethng or push an agenda.

ganmo

I think farming consultants have their place in making people think and plan.
Better to have your own advice rather than listening to reps the whole time.

Saying that the chat here does some of the job a consultant might do

Bullocks

Justjens wrote: »

The soil analysis showed host farmer needed 200 tons lime, 'where are the benefits' he asked. 'Grow more grass' was the reply, 'so I can buy more cattle to lose more money!'

Did my old lad host that walk unbeknownst to me ? They were pretty much his exact words to me a couple of years ago after I got soil results back !
I spread a few bags of gran lime in some fields since and it was only the last day that he admitted the difference in where I didn't spread " sure I might spread a few loads of lime , might be as cheap as wasting it on fertiliser for them feckin sucklers "

rangler1

Justjens wrote: »

The dairy farmer has more to gain with smart farming.

Was at a smart farm walk recently, all beef farmers (believe very few applied to be part of the review) lots of talk about soil fertility and it's ability to grow grass.

The soil analysis showed host farmer needed 200 tons lime, 'where are the benefits' he asked. 'Grow more grass' was the reply, 'so I can buy more cattle to lose more money!'

Then came electricity costs, very few areas to save on that farm. Switch suppliers, which he did and saved €450/yr. The other suggestion was night saver electricity, you'd need to use 3.5kw/night to break-even. He suggested to 'put washing machine on before you go to bed, it uses 1.5 kw/load and dryer about 2kw.' 'Who's going to tell the wife to put the clothes in the drier in the middle of the night then?' came the reply:D

Consultants are all well and good, but a bit of common sense is cheaper and goes a lot further.

I think beef producers are punch drunk, on the ropes and giving up, and you can't blame them

whelan2

Justjens wrote: »

The dairy farmer has more to gain with smart farming.

Was at a smart farm walk recently, all beef farmers (believe very few applied to be part of the review) lots of talk about soil fertility and it's ability to grow grass.

The soil analysis showed host farmer needed 200 tons lime, 'where are the benefits' he asked. 'Grow more grass' was the reply, 'so I can buy more cattle to lose more money!'

Then came electricity costs, very few areas to save on that farm. Switch suppliers, which he did and saved €450/yr. The other suggestion was night saver electricity, you'd need to use 3.5kw/night to break-even. He suggested to 'put washing machine on before you go to bed, it uses 1.5 kw/load and dryer about 2kw.' 'Who's going to tell the wife to put the clothes in the drier in the middle of the night then?' came the reply:D

Consultants are all well and good, but a bit of common sense is cheaper and goes a lot further.

on the washing machine, wash put on at bedtime another one on when i get up, no drier ,all clothes dried on clothes line or in kitchen, no emmersion either.

Muckit

Justjens wrote: »

The other suggestion was night saver electricity, you'd need to use 3.5kw/night to break-even.

I assumed all dairy lads would be dual tariff?

Brass Tag

whelan2 wrote: »

on the washing machine, wash put on at bedtime another one on when i get up, no drier ,all clothes dried on clothes line or in kitchen, no emmersion either.

Power washing at night is where it's at for smart farmers -:)

Mad4simmental

Brass Tag wrote: »

Power washing at night is where it's at for smart farmers -:)

And tea at 4AM

Justjens

whelan2 wrote: »

on the washing machine, wash put on at bedtime another one on when i get up, no drier ,all clothes dried on clothes line or in kitchen, no emmersion either.

Then you would have no hope of saving enough to even break-even if you signed up to night saver.;)

My point is the consultant was clutching at straws to find ways of saving a few bob on a beef farm, 3.5 kw/night is a lot of electricity.

I just work night shift now..........