Are farmers in Ireland happy?

DarraghFitz98

We always see farmers complaining about various things like beef prices etc. but is this all a front?

Are farmers actually happy deep down? :P

Duff

If you were a farmer, would you be happy?

DarraghFitz98

Duff wrote: »

If you were a farmer, would you be happy?

I'm not sure that's why I'm asking

McDermotX

Almost 100% of them have to live 'in the country'.


No-one gonna be happy about that.........apart from us Dubs.

Duff

DarraghFitz98 wrote: »

I'm not sure that's why I'm asking

I wouldn't be anyway. I don't like cows. Or grass.

5starpool

Farmers are happy farming, but the majority of them are not happy at the amount of money their hard work brings in. It's a lot of long hard days with little in the way of days off (weekends are just another day, proper holidays rare) with relatively recompense. I come from a farming background but had no desire to become a farmer.

Most farmers aren't on the breadline either but the majority are not well off either. The bottom line is that most of them enjoy farming in general, which is my answer I guess.

whiskeyman

Happy or not, they are extremely competent.

In fact, they are outstanding in their fields.

Hoop66

Did you miss out the word "trigger" there?

The_Valeyard

Tis my field!!!!!!

Jake Rugby Walrus666

They need to cultivate a positive attitude.

mass_debater

I've yet to hear a farmer admit to making a few quid, if they weren't making money they wouldn't be at it, complaining and crying poverty are all part of the act.

cometogether

Supposedly mental health problems are quite common among farmers, and people in rural Ireland in particular. Less services or outlets for socialisation as well as isolation from having few neighbours

Lucyfur

whiskeyman wrote: »

Happy or not, they are extremely competent.

In fact, they are outstanding in their fields.

And have magic tractors wot drive down the road and turn into a field.

Jake Rugby Walrus666

They need to be more bullish about their prospects.

The Peanut

There's a thread about Depression over in the Farming and Forestry forum. Very honest and highly interesting read. Real eye-opener into the reality of farming in Ireland. Pop over and have a read.

Edit: I think it's in the "Off-Season" sub-forum.

Tugboats

5starpool wrote: »

Farmers are happy farming, but the majority of them are not happy at the amount of money their hard work brings in. It's a lot of long hard days with little in the way of days off (weekends are just another day, proper holidays rare) with relatively recompense. I come from a farming background but had no desire to become a farmer.

Most farmers aren't on the breadline either but the majority are not well off either. The bottom line is that most of them enjoy farming in general, which is my answer I guess.

Hi Eddie

5starpool

Tugboats wrote: »

Hi Eddie

Hello Randall.

mass_debater

The Peanut wrote: »

There's a thread about Depression over in the Farming and Forestry forum. Very honest and highly interesting read. Real eye-opener into the reality of farming in Ireland. Pop over and have a read.

I can't take that forum seriously, they have a sheep photo thread o_0

kneemos

Farmers have learned that whinging gets them more money ,so therefore never appear happy in public.Only amongst their own and with family will they drop the mask and talk about their millions.

The Backwards Man

Farmers are businessmen.

The first rule of running a business is never ever, under any circumstances, even to your closest family (especially to your closest family) admit that you are making any money at it.

The Peanut

Last few posts have referenced money and that's not the question that the OP asked. It is quite common to have a lot of money and not be happy.

thegreatgonzo

DarraghFitz98 wrote: »

We always see farmers complaining about various things like beef prices etc. but is this all a front?

Are farmers actually happy deep down? :P

Why don't you post this in the Farming forum?

The Backwards Man

The Peanut wrote: »

Last few posts have referenced money and that's not the question that the OP asked. It is quite common to have a lot of money and not be happy.

Very true, but any of the complaints you hear are money related.

You never hear a farmer complaining about having to get up at three in the morning to stick their arm up a cow's uterus, or standing knee deep in muck draining fields in the middle of January.

Kovu

There are a lot of up & downs in farming. Good suspension helps, along with a well padded arse


In a serious answer though, it can be a highly stressful job with long hours, many farmers have other work and farming is done early in the mornings & late in the evenings, with a notable lack of the social aspect you'd get working in an office. We'd also see a fair amount of animal mortality as part of the lifestyle, which a lot of people wouldn't take into account. It's never nice to see an animal die in front of you or find one dead after trying our best to keep it alive.

It certainly does have redeeming factors but they're worked hard for. It's also quite a volatile market and one year can be extraordinarily different from the next from angles such as weather that we don't have a choice in but have to take it as it comes.

(You'll have to take this with a pinch of salt as there are also farmers out there who sit on their arses and let the farm fall into disrepair around them while they spend their SFP on whatever takes their fancy)

conorh91

People who say that farmers are always complaining probably have little exposure to farming.

Among farmers and in the farming media, there has been widespread agreement and comment on how profitable dairy has been in recent times, and how it's the best 'field' to be in, no pun intended.

When farmers say 'things are good at the moment', and nobody is striking, it doesn't get reported in the news headlines.

So I guess I can see why Dubliners and townies think farmers only ever complain, but think of it this way: last October's meat-factory protests/blockade was the first of its kind since about 1998.

The Peanut

The Backwards Man wrote: »

Very true, but any of the complaints you hear are money related.

You never hear a farmer complaining about having to get up at three in the morning to stick their arm up a cow's uterus, or standing knee deep in muck draining fields in the middle of January.

I'm not a farmer but have lived rurally all my life. When many people discuss farming, it nearly always breaks down to how much do farmers really earn/are they always poor-mouthing. I'm suggesting to the OP to read some of the threads in the Farming forum. Admittedly it's mainly farming folk that are posting but it'll give the OP a good indication whether they are really happy or not. Whether they are complaining about money if not, it'll give a better indication as to what really makes them tick.

Point taken though.

ganmo

I'd like to ask OP why he posted a question directed at farmers (I assume) in after hours rather than the farming forum where you'd get answers from the horses mouth

DarraghFitz98

I've done so to get a farmers perspective which will be gotten in AH as well as a "townie" perspective,I'm not really a townie or a farmer so I needed to see both sides..for an upcoming debate :P

supersean1999

Ask 125000 farmers if there happy. Id imagine there might be just the slightest difference in everyone.

Mr_Muffin

I always wondered how they become farmers. They usually own alot of land and machinery which must cost millions of euro for the bigger farms.

How do they decide to become farmers at such a young age and get the financing for it?

MadsL

I'll tell you what - you farmers, you don't like outsiders, do you? like to stick to your own?

What do you mean by that?

I've seen the big-eared boys on farms.

For goodness sake, this is all just...

If you see a field with a pond, with a family having a picnic, you fill in the pond with concrete, plough the family into the field, blow up the tree and use the leaves to make a dress for your wife, who's also your brother! Have I got anything else to say here, or shall I go? You have big sheds, but nobody's allowed in, and inside these sheds are twenty-foot-high chickens because of all the chemicals you've put in them, and these chickens are scared.
They don't know why they're so big.
They go, "Why am I so massive?" And they're looking down on all the other little chickens and they think they're in an aeroplane because all the other chickens are so small.
Do you deny that? No.
His silence, I think, speaks volumes.
And, basically, do you agree that everything I've said thus far is completely correct? Yes.
(DEEP VOlCE) Yes.
And you also run over badgers in your tractor for fun.
(DEEP VOlCE) Yes.
Thank you, Peter Baxendale Thomas.

This is T'Pau!!