farming as a career

connolly18

hi lads i am still in school and have a real passion for farming. i have a 115 acre farm which i started farming last november after 20 years of overgrowth!! i have a flock of 62 sheep and am gonna get a few heifers this year. the farm is of about 20 acres of gd quailty ground and the rest bog. i want to try the best i can to make it full time in the future i am looking to expand my flock BIG time and get a gd head of cattle would it be possible to make it full time including renting a big of land in the coming years what would be the main things i need to focus on

The part time boy

Best of luck and fair play !

I never had 115 acres of dry stock but I say it be tight to make a full time living out of it .

There also a big difference between full time living at 20 than 30 with wife and kids .

I say do a few sums and go for it and give it a go. Farming need a more ppl like you

Who2

If you love farming and are still at school, I'd recommend study agriculture and look at being an adviser or such. Reclaim the ground bit by bit and enjoy your youth, but get an education first. 115 acres isn't a viable full time farm anymore, even on good ground and dairying your looking at a basic wage. Cattle and sheep you'll need at least 200 acres of reasonable ground or else sideline it with something else.

Grueller

Who2 wrote: »

If you love farming and are still at school, I'd recommend study agriculture and look at being an adviser or such. Reclaim the ground bit by bit and enjoy your youth, but get an education first. 115 acres isn't a viable full time farm anymore, even on good ground and dairying your looking at a basic wage. Cattle and sheep you'll need at least 200 acres of reasonable ground or else sideline it with something else.

You are bang on. I farm the same area of ground give or take an acre or 2. It is a sideline only with drystock. However, combined to a full time job it is a he'll of a lot of work. I am self employed on a contract basis with a couple of different organisations. This week for example I am in Dublin for work during the day. I am up at 4:45 every morning to get a few bits done and am only in the door half an hour.
Every week is not like this, but there will be times that you will be run ragged. It is great to see a young lad with drive and initiative, but just go in with the eyes open and be aware that you will have other commitments and days like these can take a toll on other aspects of your life if you let them.
Now, 4:45 won't be long coming. Goodnight.

Who2

Grueller wrote: »

You are bang on. I farm the same area of ground give or take an acre or 2. It is a sideline only with drystock. However, combined to a full time job it is a he'll of a lot of work. I am self employed on a contract basis with a couple of different organisations. This week for example I am in Dublin for work during the day. I am up at 4:45 every morning to get a few bits done and am only in the door half an hour.
Every week is not like this, but there will be times that you will be run ragged. It is great to see a young lad with drive and initiative, but just go in with the eyes open and be aware that you will have other commitments and days like these can take a toll on other aspects of your life if you let them.
Now, 4:45 won't be long coming. Goodnight.

you wont see many teagasc advisors up at 4.45.

davidk1394

I'm only slightly older than you and started the same way. I used conformation money to buy 2 calves and built it up to a herd of 60 Angus bulls when I was 20. Its a sheep and beef farm here with a flock of 600 ewes and cattle. Their tough work for the hours and money thats invested in them.I didn't like school but I love ag. I was 5 points short for ag in WIT so I did my year in kildalton and got in the backdoor into agriculture in WIT. I'm now in my final week of 4th year after completing a thesis which I thought I'd never do. I think the ag course not ag science would be right up your street. It will give you options in a few years time on what you want to do.
If you do go down this root the sheep are a very handy way of having an income for college. I sold the cattle and went agri contacting. It was a slight bit of madness but I'm proud of what I achieved and I am never stuck for money compared to my friends who try to scrap by on 40 a week. I do owe a lot of thanks to my parents for helping me at different stages but they were always paid back and I can now stand on my own 2 feet.

Muckit

davidk1394 wrote: »

I do owe a lot of thanks to my parents for helping me at different stages but they were always paid back and I can now stand on my own 2 feet.

Owing a lot of thanks is better than owing a lot of banks!! Fair play to you lad.