Greencert Advantages

jobseek

Hi,
What is the benefit of it, in two minds as to whether to complete it or not,it has been discussed previously I know, but can someone give a simple breakdown of the advantages of having it?
Thanks

Count Mondego

jobseek wrote: »

Hi,
What is the benefit of it, in two minds as to whether to complete it or not,it has been discussed previously I know, but can someone give a simple breakdown of the advantages of having it?
Thanks

Some lads over the years were always claiming that it was pointless and a waste of money. Other lads went and got the cert and can now qualify for the 60% TAMSII grant. That's one advantage.

waalaa

Count Mondego wrote: »

Some lads over the years were always claiming that it was pointless and a waste of money. Other lads went and got the cert and can now qualify for the 60% TAMSII grant. That's one advantage.

If the only value people are getting out of an educational course is that they will be eligible for grants and can avoid stamp duty, then I think it's fair enough to call the green cert bollocks.

Nettleman

waalaa wrote: »

If the only value people are getting out of an educational course is that they will be eligible for grants and can avoid stamp duty, then I think it's fair enough to call the green cert bollocks.

And those are the things that draw in lads, but the government also gets to preach about the way it wants you to farm and the agencies it wants you to use and support[eg Icbf, etc]. You won't be told how to make a sick cow better or how to do A section. It also collects a lot of data from students ( weekly diaries, epm) etc

Username John

waalaa wrote: »

If the only value people are getting out of an educational course is that they will be eligible for grants and can avoid stamp duty, then I think it's fair enough to call the green cert bollocks.

Why?

For most jobs, a qualification gets you your first job, and after that its mainly experience. But you still need the qualification, even if you never use it as such.
Farming is a bit different, as experience will count for more, and ultimately everyone wants to be self-employed, and have their own farm.

But the requirement of qualifying for schemes, based on your education is akin to any job having a entry requirement.

As for the educational aspect, I don't know how much of any educational course people actually use when they get a job. Most courses tend and need to be very broad, whereas most jobs are narrow in what you do everyday.
Aside from farming - which is broad I would say....

Count Mondego

waalaa wrote: »

If the only value people are getting out of an educational course is that they will be eligible for grants and can avoid stamp duty, then I think it's fair enough to call the green cert bollocks.

I actually learned plenty on the course, and found the discussion group elements excellent. But I suppose there's plenty lads who know it all and should get the Cert sent out in the post automatically.

Cattlepen

I did the green cert when it was established first and never regretted it. I was young and thought I knew it all but was amazed at how much I didn't know. Education is not a burden, grasp any opportunity to learn with both hands.

waalaa

My brother and I bought a farm about 6 six years ago, we don't come from a farming background so we needed all the help we could get, I enquired about the green cert a few years ago but was told by a few people including one who used to work for Teagasc that since stamp duty was no longer an issue and I was working full time, it wasn't really worth doing. I just had visions it would be like when I did a safe pass course when I was 17, the exam answers were up on a board so everybody could pass including a group of Polish lads who barely had 6 words of English between them. I doubt there was any workplace accidents prevented because of that day.

I'm not particularly bothered about schemes or grants, but if people do find the green cert beneficial for farming then I would happily consider doing it if there ever are weekend/evening classes.

Muckit

Yeah teagasc needs to get real. There are a large number of farmers now working fulltime. How do they expect lads to do the course during weekday working hours?

I'd like to do the course but it will be hard if not practically impossible for me to do it even using up my holidays.

It's a lot to ask of a small part time farmer, both from a time and money point of view.

dohc turbo2

I've level 5 done starting 6 this month , it's tough there is 18 of us there all working a full time job and farming around it , but I don't regret starting it , I was away from farming for years and the lads in there I've met have all helped me out with any questions I've had , same with the lad over the course. I've been able to get the young farmer top up over it and the way I look at that is its the bulk of my fertiliser paid for over the next fe years , I'll be getting a few grand back once I've the green cert done , and I'm entitled to 60% in tams 11, so I'm my opinion nothing wrong with it

WestportCFE

jobseek wrote: »

Hi,
What is the benefit of it, in two minds as to whether to complete it or not,it has been discussed previously I know, but can someone give a simple breakdown of the advantages of having it?
Thanks

There are lots of educational advantages to the Green Cert. We deliver a lot of technical knowledge in the areas of Beef and Sheep production, focus on grassland management, complete the spraying course and focus a lot on the business side of farming which would surely help with loan applications etc.

As well as that as mentioned above there is a 60% building grant, access to the national reserve, young farmer top up and stock relief. The big benefit is now agricultural relief which helps with farm transfers.

CHOPS01

WestportCFE wrote: »

There are lots of educational advantages to the Green Cert. We deliver a lot of technical knowledge in the areas of Beef and Sheep production, focus on grassland management, complete the spraying course and focus a lot on the business side of farming which would surely help with loan applications etc.

As well as that as mentioned above there is a 60% building grant, access to the national reserve, young farmer top up and stock relief. The big benefit is now agricultural relief which helps with farm transfers.

At 40 is there any benefit in doing it?
Don't have college qualification so how would I have to do it full time somewhere?

WestportCFE

CHOPS01 wrote: »

At 40 is there any benefit in doing it?
Don't have college qualification so how would I have to do it full time somewhere?

We do it over 2 nights per week Monday and Tuesday 6.30-8.30.

If you are over 40 agri relief is still available you would need to speak to tax planner to see if necessary

CHOPS01

WestportCFE wrote: »

We do it over 2 nights per week Monday and Tuesday 6.30-8.30.

If you are over 40 agri relief is still available you would need to speak to tax planner to see if necessary

Think you have been asked before. Anywhere down Clare Limerick Tipp side where it can be done

Farrell

waalaa wrote: »

My brother and I bought a farm about 6 six years ago, we don't come from a farming background so we needed all the help we could get, I enquired about the green cert a few years ago but was told by a few people including one who used to work for Teagasc that since stamp duty was no longer an issue and I was working full time, it wasn't really worth doing. I just had visions it would be like when I did a safe pass course when I was 17, the exam answers were up on a board so everybody could pass including a group of Polish lads who barely had 6 words of English between them. I doubt there was any workplace accidents prevented because of that day.

I'm not particularly bothered about schemes or grants, but if people do find the green cert beneficial for farming then I would happily consider doing it if there ever are weekend/evening classes.

I did the 180hr a good few years ago, I thought we'd learn the correct ways to do things, as in doing driving lessons to get rid of bad methods, but that didn't happen, main non theory bits we learned was some weeds, manual handling & calibrating a tractor for spraying.
Sadly farming is all paperwork these days & the course is to suit.
If you want to learn practical stuff you're better work with a good farmer for a short period

steelbar

jobseek wrote: »

Hi,
What is the benefit of it, in two minds as to whether to complete it or not,it has been discussed previously I know, but can someone give a simple breakdown of the advantages of having it?
Thanks

I am currently half way through in Kildalton.
Being new to farming i have found the majority of the course useful.
I work 4 days a week off farm, so luckily i do not have to use annual leave days for the course, but lots of the lads have to use their holidays for the course days.

Due to the short time we are on site, and the condensed nature of the course, we got very little choice on that modules we did. Beef is mandatory , had a choice between Dairy, Sheep or Tractors and Crop production was not an option.
For me this was not ideal as I have a tillage enterprise, but there was no other options. And i suppose its no harm to know a bit about beef.

We have to maintain a weekly diary on our home/host farm, and have exams at the end of every module. There are a lot of practicals on every module, which lessens the weighting on the theory.

Being totally honest, it's more work than i was expecting, but that's not a bad thing. The days on site are a bit drawn out, but that's the nature of college! There is a good bunch on the course, which makes it easier too.

Its great to meet people who are in the same situation as you are, ie working off farm, and similar age bracket.

With the way farming is going, and admin/paperwork/cost control elements increasing in importance, I can see the benefits of the doing the course and learning how to identify efficiencies and improve profitability.
Also how Teagasc & Dept of Ag operate and require forms/applications completed (Currently trying to transfer herd number and entitlements at the moment, its an on going saga but wont get into it here)

The opening up of the grant schemes, and the payment of the young farmer top up are big incentives, and calling a spade a spade probably the main reason for most of the people on the course.

Despite that, we will leave there with our green certs next year in our back pockets and more knowledge that we started with.

Figerty

I did the 180 hour course 10 years ago.There were, broadly speaking, two types of people there;

The first were those who thought they might learn something even though the courses was an inconvenience.
The second type were those that thought it a waste of time and they would learning nothing because they knew it already and were only doing it for tax reasons.

The exams were ridiculously easy for the first type who read the books. Most of us were out in five minutes. Those that didn't want to be there were stewing for an hour. More importantly, there was something to learn if your mind was open. It more than paid for itself with the slatted shed grants anyway.

I still have the books and use them for a quick reference now and again. They were fantastic for my niece doing Ag science last year in Leaving certificate.

jobseek

WestportCFE wrote: »

There are lots of educational advantages to the Green Cert. We deliver a lot of technical knowledge in the areas of Beef and Sheep production, focus on grassland management, complete the spraying course and focus a lot on the business side of farming which would surely help with loan applications etc.

As well as that as mentioned above there is a 60% building grant, access to the national reserve, young farmer top up and stock relief. The big benefit is now agricultural relief which helps with farm transfers.

Hi,
Thanks for this information, will there be attendance required outside of the Monday and Tuesday evenings, im asking this as you mention completing the spraying course,or would this be weekend?

jobseek

Hi all,
Thanks for the replies,

Can someone provide information on agricultural relief, national reserve , etc

dohc turbo2

jobseek wrote: »

Hi all,
Thanks for the replies,

Can someone provide information on agricultural relief, national reserve , etc

agriculture relief gives u the same relief as being a son or favourite nephew , but it works out that the farm has to be 80% more valuable that ur other assets to work , been a coue of years since I did it but almost certain that's how it went

Hasmunch

I am currently doing this in Kildalton too.

There is a big mixture of people doing this course, full time farmers to people that have had little interaction with farms before.
Catering for that group and wide range of knowledge if difficult. People used to farming will find all the practicals basic.
The theory side of it is interesting, i.e. profit monitoring, grass management and theory behind the practical skills, as few of us will have had exposure to this properly before unless you are part of a discussion group.

However i think each person will take from it as much or as little as they want to. Some people with lots of experience might only get a few take aways while for a new person to farming there is a wealth of knowledge to be gained.

The pace of the course days in Kildalton is dreadful though. They could squash in 3 days worth of practical/theory into one 8 hour day in Kildalton. There is way too much time spent on breaks and sitting waiting around considering a lot of people are taking annual leave form work to do this.

jobseek

dohc turbo2 wrote: »

agriculture relief gives u the same relief as being a son or favourite nephew , but it works out that the farm has to be 80% more valuable that ur other assets to work , been a coue of years since I did it but almost certain that's how it went

So if it was a gift to a son, what would greencert mean for tax

dohc turbo2

jobseek wrote: »

So if it was a gift to a son, what would greencert mean for tax

Stamp duty relief, u would have to pay the tax , depending on the value of the farm , to a son the ceiling is over 200k I think

WestportCFE

dohc turbo2 wrote: »

Stamp duty relief, u would have to pay the tax , depending on the value of the farm , to a son the ceiling is over 200k I think

It reduces the value of the fan by 90% for Cgt and Cat purposes

ganmo

dohc turbo2 wrote: »

Stamp duty relief, u would have to pay the tax , depending on the value of the farm , to a son the ceiling is over 200k I think

I might be wrong but
if the son isn't a 'farmer' 200k is a gift and after that he's taxed

if the son is a 'farmer' its 2mil gift and after that is taxed

farmer = having a green cert or meeting some other revenue critera

Grueller

ganmo wrote: »

I might be wrong but
if the son isn't a 'farmer' 200k is a gift and after that he's taxed

farmer = having a green cert or meeting some other revenue critera

Farmer means that 80% of assets are agricultural excluding the family home for revenue purposes as far as I remember.