Now Ye're Talking - to an Irish Farmer

I'm a Farmer, AMA

Sapphire3 wrote: »

This is a great AMA, Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions.
Would you say that therefore it would be a waste of time for a person that has no background in farming to get an Agriculture Level 5 cert or Degree, because the area is such a closed shop to people with a non farming background?

Thanks Sapphire,

No it's not a waste of time, here's why; There is an awful lot of under-utilised land in this country, there's various reasons for this,
Bachelor farmers,
No heirs interested in farming,
Yes, subsidies, ppl are just doing the minimum to claim them.

If this land is brought back into production, there will be more openings in ag, either directly on the land or indirectly in sales/services etc. The biggest challenge someone from a non-farming background will have is catching up on skills compared to young ppl from farms, think of the 12 yr old I mentioned above driving a combine.

Owning land is probably a closed shop, unless you are extremely wealthy, but working in farming is not a closed shop.

I'm a Farmer, AMA

Mehaffey1 wrote: »

Thanks for the reply.

Heard on the Farming Show that although dairy farmers under financial hardship at the moment are still more optimistic about their future than their beef/sheep counterparts in NZ. Would you say the same is true at home?

Dairy farmers are always optimistic, to be milking cows in Ireland, you'd have to be! A couple of lads in my beef discussion group have switched to dairying in the last few years, one thing they've said is they can't get over the expenses involved, the second thing is how tied down they feel.

The big difference I see between dairy and beef farmers is that dairy farmers just accept the price of milk and get on with it, if it's good they re-invest, if it's bad they cut expenses.

Beef farmers moan about LG, but if we concentrated on what we can control inside the farm gate we would be a lot better off, eg. grass management.

I've never been to NZ, but I reckon beef farmers here are better off, distance to markets, being in EU, etc. No idea on the sheep, hope that answers the question.

I'm a Farmer, AMA

billie holiday wrote: »

Excellent representative for farmers you are.
I own 250 acres rent another 100. I milk 180 cows have 3 tractors modern milking parlour sheds paddocks water etc etc etc,
I employ one guy full time and 1 part time and am currently finding it pretty tough going.

I pay myself 55 euro for a 12 hour day.
How much money do you earn per hour ??

Thanks billie, I probably paint a pretty picture on here, but in reality, money is tight, I don't have a huge SFP as I was in dairying in the base years.

In a good year I'd be on €10 an hour, but I only 'work' about 20 hours a week, definitely in summer anyway, this time of year it's a lot more. When I was dairying I was probably doing 70 hours a week, there's more money per hour out of suckling-beef, but not necessarily more money per year, stick at it.
My guess is you have expanded and you budgeted on 30c/L not 21, it will bounce up again.

I'm a Farmer, AMA

Corpus Twisty wrote: »

As a farmer, do you think Joan Burton is a cnut?

CT, I don't know, I never met her, but she comes across very bad in the media Perhaps she could learn from Angela Merkel?

Sapphire3

I'm a Farmer, AMA wrote: »

Thanks Sapphire,

No it's not a waste of time, here's why; There is an awful lot of under-utilised land in this country, there's various reasons for this,
Bachelor farmers,
No heirs interested in farming,
Yes, subsidies, ppl are just doing the minimum to claim them.

If this land is brought back into production, there will be more openings in ag, either directly on the land or indirectly in sales/services etc. The biggest challenge someone from a non-farming background will have is catching up on skills compared to young ppl from farms, think of the 12 yr old I mentioned above driving a combine.

Owning land is probably a closed shop, unless you are extremely wealthy, but working in farming is not a closed shop.

Thanks for the reply, very informative.

Thargor

If someone inherited 25-45 acres with a few sheds whats the bare minimum they could get away with doing with it in order to claim grants/subsidies etc?

Basically wondering whats the best way to maximise the income from an inheritance like that when you have a job somewhere else yourself...

I'm a Farmer, AMA

For cattle, they'd probably need a minimum number of stock on it, a herd number, cattle crush to get started. I don't know what the min stocking rate is now, it was 0.15 LU/ha. Could you re-post over in farming and forestry forum?
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=845

yourpics

I'm a Farmer, AMA wrote: »

Thanks Sapphire,

No it's not a waste of time, here's why; There is an awful lot of under-utilised land in this country, there's various reasons for this,
Bachelor farmers,
No heirs interested in farming,
Yes, subsidies, ppl are just doing the minimum to claim them.

If this land is brought back into production, there will be more openings in ag, either directly on the land or indirectly in sales/services etc. The biggest challenge someone from a non-farming background will have is catching up on skills compared to young ppl from farms, think of the 12 yr old I mentioned above driving a combine.

Owning land is probably a closed shop, unless you are extremely wealthy, but working in farming is not a closed shop.

Owning land is not a closed shop, I am saving hard to buy a small holding and go part time!

diomed

Do farmers have a bit of grá for sheds?
Although I've lived in Dublin most of my life I was born in the midlands and have fond memories of my grandfather's big green shed with mountains of hay that we probably wrecked.
Every week I drive to Newbridge, Kildare and don't have time to look at the farms. But when I was a passenger a few times I found myself drooling over the lovely sheds.
Do you have a shed fetish?
Describe your ideal shed.
(great thread)

Gremlinertia

I may be looking at a return to the land in the future, thinking drystock with some forestry perhaps. However i'm so long out of it and the land is in a pretty bad way fencing and drainage wise.. I know i'm mad but do you think it's doable without completely breaking myself?.

I'm a Farmer, AMA

diomed wrote: »

Do farmers have a bit of grá for sheds?
Although I've lived in Dublin most of my life I was born in the midlands and have fond memories of my grandfather's big green shed with mountains of hay that we probably wrecked.
Every week I drive to Newbridge, Kildare and don't have time to look at the farms. But when I was a passenger a few times I found myself drooling over the lovely sheds.
Do you have a shed fetish?
Describe your ideal shed.
(great thread)

Yes, yes we do, it's the rain on the bord bia ad that makes the grass grow, it's lovely, but we don't like being out in it all day every day.

My ideal shed would be an 'umbrella' shed. http://www.roundhouseltd.co.uk/en/

I'm a Farmer, AMA

Gremlinertia wrote: »

I may be looking at a return to the land in the future, thinking drystock with some forestry perhaps. However i'm so long out of it and the land is in a pretty bad way fencing and drainage wise.. I know i'm mad but do you think it's doable without completely breaking myself?.

What part of the country is it in? It is doable, to get the most out of the forestry you need to be actively farming, there are different grant rates for farmers and non-farmers, have a look on the forestry section of farming and forestry. The neighbours will probably hate ya if it's good land, and you didn't offer it to them first:D

Gremlinertia

Tipp, lot of junk and remedial work needed, forestry probably on to drained bad land so there won't be double barrells pointing at me!.

Shrap

I'm a Farmer, AMA wrote: »

The neighbours will probably hate ya if it's good land, and you didn't offer it to them first:D

Now, that's the truth! My ex planted a certain field that was always a good field and refused to sell it for a half decent price to the neighbour it borders. Cue years of bad relations between them. Now, since I own it (bought outright btw), I'd do differently if the planted Ash died off and maybe try and get it back to arable or livestock. It would always have been fair enough if the ex hadn't planted it but just rented for the going rate. Definitely research the type of land first, and whether neighbours have opinions on it. We all work together in these areas - the ones who don't will generate bad feeling.

diomed

Gremlinertia wrote: »

Tipp, lot of junk and remedial work needed, forestry probably on to drained bad land so there won't be double barrells pointing at me!.

I am reading "Norwegian Wood: Chopping, Stacking, and Drying Wood the Scandinavian Way" by Lars Mitting. He was a fiction author but this book has sold about 300,000 copies and is now translated into a few languages. It was bestseller for 38 weeks in Norway, and now selling in the USA and Canada. Full of interesting facts like there are 1.2 million wood burning stoves in Norway. It is a do-it-yourself book but also lots of anecdotes.

Thargor

Firewood is a big deal in Norway:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/20/world/europe/in-norway-tv-program-on-firewood-elicits-passions.html?_r=0

noel50

how long does it take to bring a field back to grass after planted with tress for say 20 years is it possible to remove roots stumps etc

I'm a Farmer, AMA

It can be done, the trees have to be cut, the stumps have to be dug out, I reckon it would probably take 6 months to a year to do. The drains would have to be filled in to get it level. It's expensive too. AFAIK you have to give back all the money received for the forestry.

Shrap

I'm a Farmer, AMA wrote: »

It can be done, the trees have to be cut, the stumps have to be dug out, I reckon it would probably take 6 months to a year to do. The drains would have to be filled in to get it level. It's expensive too. AFAIK you have to give back all the money received for the forestry.

You do, yes. I'm wondering will the same apply if the whole plantation has to be clear felled and burned with the ash die-back though. That would be the only way I could consider doing it. The drains are a massive problem, and in recent years they're no longer doing that unless in a very wet area AFAIK. Amazing how policies like single species planting and such transformative actions as drain digging are so quickly found to be a really bad idea... :rolleyes:

BTW, thanks for this thread. Really interesting, as I have lived here 20 years but am not from a farming background. Totally confirms to me what a vocation farming is, and how much the love of it keeps you going!

mfceiling

Great thread. I grew up in the country and worked on farms as a young lad.

Have you good neighbours?

Do you watch Ear to the ground or Rare Breed (utv)?

What item have you bought that has paid for itself over and over?

You mentioned agitating slurry....do you wear breathing apparatus or do you get out of the shed asap? (please be careful either way - you'll be well aware of the danger of the gases and it's always an awful thing to hear about anyone dying doing this)

Finally any slang terms for us? - up in tyrone the slurry pit is known as a "duckle"

I'm a Farmer, AMA

mfceiling wrote: »

Great thread. I grew up in the country and worked on farms as a young lad.

Have you good neighbours?

Do you watch Ear to the ground or Rare Breed (utv)?

What item have you bought that has paid for itself over and over?

You mentioned agitating slurry....do you wear breathing apparatus or do you get out of the shed asap? (please be careful either way - you'll be well aware of the danger of the gases and it's always an awful thing to hear about anyone dying doing this)

Finally any slang terms for us? - up in tyrone the slurry pit is known as a "duckle"

Yes, we have good neighbours, we wouldn't see each other stuck anyway.

I watch ETTG most weeks, and countryfile, but not rarebreeds, UTV is buried in 'other channels' in our tv package.

No I don't wear breathing apparatus, our agitation points are outside. I don't go down in tanks anymore either. But I confess I used to.

No real slang terms, I call a fork a fork, not a pike/grape etc. One phrase that is local though is 'You sir'.:pac:

Not really an item as such, but fencing has paid for itself x 100 times.

Base price

If you won the Lotto tonight (expected to be €14 million). Would you:
1- Retire from farming and travel the world.
2- Employ a farm manager to do the work.
3- Keep farming, make the farm pay for itself and leave the money in the bank for a rainy day.
4- Keep farming and invest the money in the farm until it runs out.
5- None of the above.

whelan2

If you weren't a farmer what would you be?

I'm a Farmer, AMA

Base price wrote: »

If you won the Lotto tonight (expected to be €14 million). Would you:
1- Retire from farming and travel the world.
2- Employ a farm manager to do the work.
3- Keep farming, make the farm pay for itself and leave the money in the bank for a rainy day.
4- Keep farming and invest the money in the farm until it runs out.
5- None of the above.

I forgot to buy a ticket:(

I'm a Farmer, AMA

whelan2 wrote: »

If you weren't a farmer what would you be?

Answered it above w2, something in the line of engineering/welding/construction area. I'd say a lot of farmers are mechanically minded.

Kovu

What's your favourite cut of meat? And are you a fan of eating everything but the moo?

I'm a Farmer, AMA

Kovu wrote: »

What's your favourite cut of meat? And are you a fan of eating everything but the moo?

That's an easy one, fillet steak, rare. Lamb ribs would be a close second. There's a few vegetables I don't like, celery and spinach, everything else I'd try it anyway. I put on a bit of weight over the christmas, those quality street and roses tins have a lot to do with it:pac:.

Good question, have you a favourite cut of meat yourself?

Sorry only after realizing what you meant by everything but the moo, I have eaten, tongue, liver, heart, I reckon that's it as far as offal is concerned, I don't think I ever ate tripe. Beef liver is a bit stronger than lamb or pork.

Base price

I'm a Farmer, AMA wrote: »

I forgot to buy a ticket:(

If you theoretically won the €14 million.........

Kovu

I'm a Farmer, AMA wrote: »

Good question, have you a favourite cut of meat yourself?

I love all liver. Beef/Pork/Lamb/Chicken, get into my bellah!

I've different favourite cuts with different meats, rib eye steak but it has to be well aged and marbled. I'm one of those loonies that will rifle through all the packs in Lidl looking for one highly marbled. I use butchers for everything except steak, I know how I like it and the butcher we use has very lean steak which doesn't suit me. Pork belly, lamb neck and chicken thighs/oysters are the other cuts I love.
(chicken oysters are a small part on the back of a chicken)

I'm a Farmer, AMA

Base price wrote: »

If you theoretically won the €14 million.........

Ok, either 3 or 4 or something in between.