Knowledge Transfer programme.

Muckit

Anyone looking into this?

Reading through the T&C's here. I wonder is there much paperwork with it? Be grand if just attendance at 5 2hr meetings/yr. But I'm sure there is more to it.

croot

Muckit wrote: »

Anyone looking into this?

Reading through the T&C's here. I wonder is there much paperwork with it? Be grand if just attendance at 5 2hr meetings/yr. But I'm sure there is more to it.

i did the last one and am going to do this one. There wasn't a lot to do in the last one that you wouldn't be doing anyway an I learned a good bit on how to do or not to do things.

Muckit

Were you in the beef? I'm just wondering if you have to be in sucklers to join? I'm drystock.

tanko

Muckit wrote: »

Were you in the beef? I'm just wondering if you have to be in sucklers to join? I'm drystock.

There was drystock farmers in my group the last time.

Muckit

Great. Might be worth joining up so. Sure being sharing my 'knowledge' on here for years and never got a penny!!

Is there much work in doing up the profit monitor or does the facilitator help out? Does every participant have to host a meeting on their farm?

tanko

Muckit wrote: »

Great. Might be worth joining up so. Sure being sharing my 'knowledge' on here for years and never got a penny!!

Is there much work in doing up the profit monitor or does the facilitator help out? Does every participant have to host a meeting on their farm?

Profit monitors might have been done up but they were never discussed:pac:, not much to them.
Yeah, everyone had to host a meeting, i enjoyed our group, the meetings were great crack.

tractorporn

Muckit wrote:

Reading through the T&C's here. I wonder is there much paperwork with it? Be grand if just attendance at 5 2hr meetings/yr. But I'm sure there is more to it.

Are the meetings held during the day or in the evenings? That would be the deciding factor for me

Grueller

I have filled in the form with a private advisor. No farm walks, all hosted in a room rented from the local secondary school. All meetings from 7-9 in the evening. Herd health plan needs to be done by your vet. He said nowt about a profit monitor.

cute geoge

Does any one know any private advisor in the kerry area organising meetings .

croot

The last few years our one was held in the evenings as nearly all on it were working off farm as well. Mix of dry stock and suckler farmers on it. The profit monitor was handy because my accountant gave me the final figures for the advisor. Anyone thinking of joining would want to start contacting advisors to see if they are running it because it will be fully subscribed according to my advisor.

Buford T. Justice XIX

cute geoge wrote: »

Does any one know any private advisor in the kerry area organising meetings .

Which part of Kerry? PM if you want.

KatyMac

I filled in the paperwork last week - adviser told me I'd be the only female on his group - can't wait!!!!! I seem to remember the figure of €750/year for 3 years being mentioned, but that might be for something else and I got it stuck in the ol' brain. Think anything that will give you different ideas/ways to do something can't be bad. I've learned so much from belonging here even if I know nothing myself.

Siamsa Sessions

What you have to do re profit monitor depends on the advisor running the group. Some will ask you to do it, others won't.

I'll be joining a sheep one here and I'm looking forward to it. The €750 is a bonus.

Is it €750 per year, by the way?

The health plan is mandatory as far as I know. And the talk is that vets will be charging €150 for these.

Muckit

I went to the information meeting in Athenry last night.

The herd health plan is compulsory and has to be done every year and the farmer pays vet for this.

The vet will more than likely not be your own and there is no cap on what he can charge. So using your €150 guesstimate, that's potentially €450 gone out of the pot to start with.

The planner/facilitator is getting €500 a member/year. Some might say what does it matter. And maybe it doesn't. The onus is on the farmer to ensure he gets value for money according to the lady chairing the meeting. But l wonder will farmers have to sign off to say they are happy with the service before facilitator gets paid? Or will they get paid regardless? (Accountability). Then I'm thinking they don't get paid until farmer gets paid so maybe it's not something to be fretting about.

Regardless of the herd health plan costs and the work involved in FIP(Farm Improvement Plan), perhaps €500-600 a year is better than a puck in the jaw?

Still in 2 minds about joining. I used to be indecisive. Now, I'm not so sure.

Siamsa Sessions

Muckit wrote: »

Regardless of the herd health plan costs and the work involved in FIP(Farm Improvement Plan), perhaps €500-600 a year is better than a puck in the jaw?

A hell of a lot better than a puck in the jaw!

croot

Muckit wrote: »

The vet will more than likely not be your own and there is no cap on what he can charge. So using your €150 guesstimate, that's potentially €450 gone out of the pot to start with.

Did they say it cant be your own vet? That seems like a stupid idea because who would know your herd health history better than your own vet?

rangler1

Muckit wrote: »

I went to the information meeting in Athenry last night.

The herd health plan is compulsory and has to be done every year and the farmer pays vet for this.

The vet will more than likely not be your own and there is no cap on what he can charge. So using your €150 guesstimate, that's potentially €450 gone out of the pot to start with.

The planner/facilitator is getting €500 a member/year. Some might say what does it matter. And maybe it doesn't. The onus is on the farmer to ensure he gets value for money according to the lady chairing the meeting. But l wonder will farmers have to sign off to say they are happy with the service before facilitator gets paid? Or will they get paid regardless? (Accountability). Then I'm thinking they don't get paid until farmer gets paid so maybe it's not something to be fretting about.

Regardless of the herd health plan costs and the work involved in FIP(Farm Improvement Plan), perhaps €500-600 a year is better than a puck in the jaw?

Still in 2 minds about joining. I used to be indecisive. Now, I'm not so sure.

That lady had great patience,same questions over and over again......and the guy wanting the ''spirit'' included

jimmy G M

Siamsa Sessions wrote: »

A hell of a lot better than a puck in the jaw!

.....Or a kick from a spider......

tractorporn

Muckit wrote:

Regardless of the herd health plan costs and the work involved in FIP(Farm Improvement Plan), perhaps €500-600 a year is better than a puck in the jaw?

What's involved in the FIP muckit?? I missed the info eve last week. I'm seriously considering signing up. The facilitator I spoke to said I can join both a sheep and beef group for 1.5 times the payment. Would work out over 1100 per year then.

Muckit

rangler1 wrote: »

That lady had great patience,same questions over and over again......and the guy wanting the ''spirit'' included

What are you making of the whole thing? Is it a runner for you? Would the vetinary costs put you off?

Muckit

tractorporn wrote: »

What's involved in the FIP muckit?? I missed the info eve last week. I'm seriously considering signing up. The facilitator I spoke to said I can join both a sheep and beef group for 1.5 times the payment. Would work out over 1100 per year then.

Well I'm not 100% to be sure. To my knowledge it's a plan drawn up with your facilitator to increase the efficency and ultimately the profitability of your farm. Again l must ring to see how much work is in it for me. But from my understanding if you dont carry out any of the suggestions you don't get penalised.

As for joining two groups, l think (and l might b wrong) that it'll be twice the work for half the money. And the 1100 will be put in your pocket but the vet will have his hand in there for God knows how much. I suppose a lad could find all this info out before signing up. Very hard make an informed decision without all the facts.

Henwin

Buford T. Justice V wrote: »

Which part of Kerry? PM if you want.

we are looking for an advisor in kerry too, north kerry if you know of anyone

tractorporn

Muckit wrote:

As for joining two groups, l think (and l might b wrong) that it'll be twice the work for half the money. And the 1100 will be put in your pocket but the vet will have his hand in there for God knows how much. I suppose a lad could find all this info out before signing up. Very hard make an informed decision without all the facts.

Well the brother in law is a vet so he'll get the job of doing the plan in exchange for a few jobs round his place. Once there's not much involved in the improvement plan I think I'll sign up.

rangler1

Muckit wrote: »

What are you making of the whole thing? Is it a runner for you? Would the vetinary costs put you off?

No, I think discussion groups are good and always supported them even when we weren't paid to go. i'll be disappointed if my vet isn't approved, i cant see him charging much if i write it out for him.
One farm plan and one health plan should be all you need to do for the 1100.... plus of course attend five more meetings.
I had to laugh last night when john Carthy said eventually that you only had to do a farm and health plan but you didn't have to follow them , just shows the farce that it is.
Its not really worth it if you're doing it for the money

FeelTheBern

Henwin wrote: »

we are looking for an advisor in kerry too, north kerry if you know of anyone

If you go onto the Knowledge Transfer page on the Dept of Agric site they have a link to spreadsheets with names and contact details of all approved facilitators

Henwin

Can we pick out own advisor or is there an advisor assigned to you?

Muckit

You can pick whatever advisor you want.

tractorporn

rangler1 wrote:

No, I think discussion groups are good and always supported them even when we weren't paid to go.

Its not really worth it if you're doing it for the money

I totally agree with you there, but the flip side of that is if it's something that your going to do anyway you may as well look for the payment when it's there.

Muckit

I'II make no secret that if l join up l'll be doing it for the few pound.

Rangler1 l can't see what you are going to get out of it. You are not in it for the money and you are already top of your game. I don't get it.

Limestone Cowboy

Muckit wrote: »

I'II make no secret that if l join up l'll be doing it for the few pound.

Rangler1 l can't see what you are going to get out of it. You are not in it for the money and you are already top of your game. I don't get it.

How do you think he got to the top of his game? You will always have a bit more knowledge coming home from a meeting than you had going there. I really enjoyed them when our one was going around here.

rangler1

Muckit wrote: »

I'II make no secret that if l join up l'll be doing it for the few pound.

Rangler1 l can't see what you are going to get out of it. You are not in it for the money and you are already top of your game. I don't get it.

I suppose what i meant was that involement in discussion groups should be worth more than the payment
We're not top of our game, We;d be making silage if we were at the top of our game,but straw is easier to feed, you wouldn't want to look too close at the system here, it's geared for nourishment not punishment

Timmaay

When I look back at the 1st scheme for the discussion group, the payment was certainly part of the attraction, and I remember thinking the end of the 1st year that all the effort I went to in getting my 1/2 hearted and 2bh totally unrepresentative PM and other items like grass measurements etc was hardly worth it for the 750 or whatever everything in my pocket. However now that I'm well down the road joining the DG was without a doubt one of the best things I've done as a farmer (2nd only to joining boards ha), the PM I do every year now is utterly vital to seeing how the business is going here, this is even more true now with tighter margins, grassland management here has improved hugely, also alongside compact spring calving , both of which have probably added 50% to the bottom line, alongside reducing the workload. Not all down to the DG but I for one know I've got well more than a 750e yearly payment out of the group in improved efficency here, the payment moving forward will be nice certainly, however it absolutely shouldn't be the only reason you join one.

Miname

If you take nothing from the group other than even one like minded person to be able to bounce questions off then it's a bonus. My group meet during working hours and to be honest the times don't suit me but it's something that's definitely helped increase output and quality around my place and it gives you a kick in the Arse to tidy up those wee jobs you leave lying if you do have a farm walk.

razor8

i was with a private consultant the last few years in STAP but he didnt get approved this year. i rang teagasc and they had one place left but now they want me to pay a €145 contract renewal, this on top of the €500 the department is paying. i asked him what it was for and he said theyd do the SFP application next year free (i said i do it online myself) and sent out newsletters. seems a rip off to me

has anyone else been asked for this and have you paid it???

Mooooo

Our group didn't bother with it anyway, only 3 or 4 in favour a few more against and most didn't care either way. Might be a bit late now but one way of going in to it and and keeping same group if some lads didn't want in was to put the lads not signed up down as the nominated person for those that have signed up. Would keep the group together and those that wanted in would get there 750 or whatever

Farrell

Signed up awhile back, heard nothing since.
Has anyone actually had meetings / discussions?

Buford T. Justice XIX

Farrell wrote: »

Signed up awhile back, heard nothing since.
Has anyone actually had meetings / discussions?

Got a text yesterday about anyone interested in going to an open day as a group in 2 weeks time. That's all the feedback we have had so far.

KatyMac

I've got my first meeting on the 24th - will be doing Carbon Navigator at this meeting so I believe.

whelan2

Mooooo wrote: »

Our group didn't bother with it anyway, only 3 or 4 in favour a few more against and most didn't care either way. Might be a bit late now but one way of going in to it and and keeping same group if some lads didn't want in was to put the lads not signed up down as the nominated person for those that have signed up. Would keep the group together and those that wanted in would get there 750 or whatever

ye I am down as a nominated person in our group

Limestone Cowboy

Farrell wrote: »

Signed up awhile back, heard nothing since.
Has anyone actually had meetings / discussions?

Our first one is on the 23rd. I see they stuck a fella from well over 20 miles away in our group aswell when everyone else is in roughly the same area. Bit of a balls for him to have to drive up to the meetings.

Longford Leader

Farrell wrote: »

Signed up awhile back, heard nothing since.
Has anyone actually had meetings / discussions?

I had my first one two weeks ago. The second one will be in late September. Went to Beef 16 to cover the national event option.

That will leave only two more meetings to do before end of the KT year in May/June '17

Muckit

Limestone Cowboy wrote: »

Our first one is on the 23rd. I see they stuck a fella from well over 20 miles away in our group aswell when everyone else is in roughly the same area. Bit of a balls for him to have to drive up to the meetings.

I wouldn't worry about that lad. He probably wants to be away from his neighbours;)

Muckit

Mooooo wrote: »

Our group didn't bother with it anyway

What was to stop you going off and doing your own thing and joining a KT discussion group?

Mooooo

Muckit wrote: »

Mooooo wrote: »

Our group didn't bother with it anyway

What was to stop you going off and doing your own thing and joining a KT discussion group?

Nothing, only joined the group this year and it's a good group so I'd stick with them. I wasn't overly interested in it anyway, I'd be happy on getting to where the lads in the group are at performance wise

alps

Muckit wrote: »

What was to stop you going off and doing your own thing and joining a KT discussion group?

I bet Mooo's group is a pretty good one. Many of the better groups have declined this KT programme, for various reasons.
Groups that are ahead of the curve in performance terms saw this programme as time consuming and of no benifit. Precious time will be wasted at meetings conforming to paperwork and regurgitating standard "best practice advise" Some groups have moved away beyond this type of time use. This KT programme would have been a frustration and a waste of resource.

The terms and conditions allowing sensitive commercial information about individual farms to be shared with a waft of agencies was an incredible move. Groups that have been in operation for years have been split on this issue, with the majority of members having an issue with this sharing but many taking the poison for a very small fee...peanuts in fact...

I think the groups that have avoided the restrictions and burdening involved in this programme, and plan and execute their own, will move further and further ahead in performance and profitability....

mahoney_j

alps wrote: »

I bet Mooo's group is a pretty good one. Many of the better groups have declined this KT programme, for various reasons.
Groups that are ahead of the curve in performance terms saw this programme as time consuming and of no benifit. Precious time will be wasted at meetings conforming to paperwork and regurgitating standard "best practice advise" Some groups have moved away beyond this type of time use. This KT programme would have been a frustration and a waste of resource.

The terms and conditions allowing sensitive commercial information about individual farms to be shared with a waft of agencies was an incredible move. Groups that have been in operation for years have been split on this issue, with the majority of members having an issue with this sharing but many taking the poison for a very small fee...peanuts in fact...

I think the groups that have avoided the restrictions and burdening involved in this programme, and plan and execute their own, will move further and further ahead in performance and profitability....

Nailed it with that post ,I opted out but was only one in my group for a finish .lots of other local groups have had simillar opt outs but as it stands we can still participate without the red tape of kt .ill stick with my group for now as there's a great mix of old and young guys and guys expanding steadily

yewtree

Numbers participating in scheme lower than expected according to teagasc advisor.

Muckit

Mooooo wrote: »

Nothing, only joined the group this year and it's a good group so I'd stick with them. I wasn't overly interested in it anyway, I'd be happy on getting to where the lads in the group are at performance wise

Is there any reason a person couldn't do both is my point?

Keepgrowing

alps wrote: »

I bet Mooo's group is a pretty good one. Many of the better groups have declined this KT programme, for various reasons.
Groups that are ahead of the curve in performance terms saw this programme as time consuming and of no benifit. Precious time will be wasted at meetings conforming to paperwork and regurgitating standard "best practice advise" Some groups have moved away beyond this type of time use. This KT programme would have been a frustration and a waste of resource.

The terms and conditions allowing sensitive commercial information about individual farms to be shared with a waft of agencies was an incredible move. Groups that have been in operation for years have been split on this issue, with the majority of members having an issue with this sharing but many taking the poison for a very small fee...peanuts in fact...

I think the groups that have avoided the restrictions and burdening involved in this programme, and plan and execute their own, will move further and further ahead in performance and profitability....

Bang on. If anyone read the contract that was offered for signing there's no way they'd have signed for a few bob.

Muckit

alps wrote: »

I bet Mooo's group is a pretty good one. Many of the better groups have declined this KT programme, for various reasons.
Groups that are ahead of the curve in performance terms saw this programme as time consuming and of no benifit. Precious time will be wasted at meetings conforming to paperwork and regurgitating standard "best practice advise" Some groups have moved away beyond this type of time use. This KT programme would have been a frustration and a waste of resource.

The terms and conditions allowing sensitive commercial information about individual farms to be shared with a waft of agencies was an incredible move. Groups that have been in operation for years have been split on this issue, with the majority of members having an issue with this sharing but many taking the poison for a very small fee...peanuts in fact...

I think the groups that have avoided the restrictions and burdening involved in this programme, and plan and execute their own, will move further and further ahead in performance and profitability....

Could lads not join a KT group separately? In a secondary sector perhaps? This is an individual decision for wvery farmer, yet lads are talking like sheep.

I am assuming you are in milk?

I am in beef. Parttime on a small scale. Returns are poor and unpredictable. Figures would reflect this. This is guaranteed money for 5 meetings. Everyones circumstances are different. I know personally l will be packing my pride and vanity into my pocket ...along with the yoyos.

Mooooo

The reason our group didn't join was more or less exactly the first part of alps post. A lot of paperwork and time wasted at something they are all on top of anyway. I assume that if someone wanted to they could go to another group that's at it if they wanted as well. If the group had joined X amount of time of some meetings would be up with it and most lads want to get in do the walk deal with whatever topic and drive on.