to take on the farm/ or p.r in canada ?

johnnyboi93

my head is melted at the moment I would like to get an outsiders opinion please.

basically I live on a dairy farm and I'm 24 and the only son in the family resulting in me most likely inheriting the farm.

im currently on a working holiday visa in Vancouver canada and have the opportunity to start a carpentry apprenticeship. I've no prior experience with carpentry but have been in a sawmill before and I like working with timber.

i have worked on the farm a bit down through the years and I don't really enjoy it Tbh although I did when my father was laid up after a hip op as bad as it sounds I felt more independent plus my living situation was at home with my parents maybe I would be in a better mood if I had my own place. ideally I should have started to build my own herd already if I had a true interest. I'm not the most knowledgeable when it comes to farming I've been basically your standard labourer earning a small wage. I think I'm a bit blindfolded when it comes to the business/output/ and earning potential of the farm. there is another employee working I like the man and didn't want to see him leave at the time as I wanted to travel but if I'm going to take over now he may leave in order for me to earn a full time wage.

i do find ireland very bleak at the best of times and I have been taken back by how beautiful canada has been the scenery etc I'm thinking do I want to make a life for myself out here.

it may sound a bit crazy giving up all that inheritance and the farm. I'm going to have a sit down with my father and explain this whole situation to him and it breaks my heart to be telling him.

any advice is appreciated my question is should I go make a life for myself out in canada or farm in ireland?

enricoh

You enjoy carpentry and have been offered an apprenticeship in Canada where u are enjoying yourself. Go for it.
If you come home u may well end up resenting the farm and your oul lad. At least he has a fella to work for him and keep the place ticking over.

Your 24 do the apprenticeship, tell the oul lad u'll decide in 5 years and if u don't want it he'll get a nice tax free lump every year renting it out.

yesto24

Are you sure you can do an apprenticeship on a working holiday visa?
I know that it wasn't possible a few years ago.
Best to check that out before making any other plans.

beautyobsessed

My advice is to go to Canada - get it out of your system and then , go back to the Farm, trust me it will be the best thing you ever did and tell your folks you see the Farm as an option or a fall back option.

Growing your own food is like growing your own money, in an unstable world , farming can provide much stability if you are good at it [if I could be a farmer myself I would, I do a bit of beekeeping but would love to keep goats if I could find the time] and if you can balance the books and cut good deals, you will be on your way, if its not for you or you don't have the head for it then just face reality.

Jim2007

yesto24 wrote: »

Are you sure you can do an apprenticeship on a working holiday visa?
I know that it wasn't possible a few years ago.
Best to check that out before making any other plans.

I think that is the big question to answer, how you get for a working holiday visa to permanent status. Once you have sorted that out and have a clear path to follow, you can really start to think about what to do with the farm.

amcalester

Do what you want not what you think you should do with your life.

wexie

That's a toughy.....and it's not really anything anyone could every possibly answer for you.

But I'll give ya my 2 cents. (and full disclosure : I've spent a good bit of time in Canada albeit on the other side of it. If I could move the wife and kids tomorrow then I'd be packing right now).

I guess there's a few things

1) like already said, speak to your dad, honestly and openly. Good chance he knows you better than anyone here and may well be able to give you some good advice. Don't be too surprised if he tells you if he had had the same opportunity at your age he'd have taken it. Either way, talk to him and be honest

2) How urgent is this decision? As in is your father looking to retire soon? This opportunity you have now may never come again and could (quite literally) be a once in a lifetime chance. They don't come around too often. You may me able to do the apprenticeship and still take over the farm at some stage. With a trade in your back pocket should you ever want it.

3) Ireland is beautiful in many ways (landscape wise anyways) but the weather aint too great at times. Aside from that, if you were running a farm how much time would you have to enjoy it?

At the risk of going into too many cliches you'll really only be able to follow your own heart in this. I had a chance to follow a dream when I was about your age. My parents talked me out of it and I regret it to this day. I would never have met my wife, kids, ended up in Ireland etc. etc. and I wouldn't wish any of it away......But that doesn't mean I never wonder : what if....

BrokenArrows

OP if there is another guy working on the farm how about letting him run the farm (if he is able and only in the short term until you complete your apprenticeship and can make a less rushed decision in the future)