Plans for 2020

390kid

Farm wise would be too grow me pedigree flock, slowly but surely and put up some form of extra housing for young cattle and il try to stick with it. For meself would be try to get more exercise and increase the savings for the mortgage fund, everything else can either fall in or out of place after that

Water John

If you go into organics esp horticulture, you do not aim to compete with mainstream supply. You're looking for the niche. Specialist restaurants, farmers markets, vegetable box, etc. If you build a bit of a base then, you can open a shop possibly. The family from Camp have a shop in Tralee. New shop in Mullingar opened by a guy who supplies a couple of farmers markets.
If you do the course with Jim Cronin, you'll be full of ideas and options. It just isn't my own personal area but good luck to anyone doing it.

Say my name

Water John wrote: »

If you go into organics esp horticulture, you do not aim to compete with mainstream supply. You're looking for the niche. Specialist restaurants, farmers markets, vegetable box, etc. If you build a bit of a base then, you can open a shop possibly. The family from Camp have a shop in Tralee. New shop in Mullingar opened by a guy who supplies a couple of farmers markets.
If you do the course with Jim Cronin, you'll be full of ideas and options. It just isn't my own personal area but good luck to anyone doing it.

And you'd need a lot of luck!!

I've seen first hand the work and management that entails just to supply a specialist organic shop with vegetables.
It's definitely no cakewalk and not getting any easier.
Farmer in question I saw I doubt he'll have anyone to take it on when he retires. The next generation have gone off on completely different tangents. Gone for the nine to five world with work entitlements..

whelan2

Well, how did your 2020 plans go? Didn't build milking parlour yet, hopefully will in 2021. Covid messed up alot of plans I'd say. Who'd have thought this time last year what we were facing into...

endainoz

endainoz wrote: »

Have a few bits of plans for the new year myself:

Continuing with the Organic farming, was very lucky to be accepted into the scheme but have a few bits in the yard and the crush to sort out yet.

Starting a new course on organic market gardening this month, I know very little about growing things but you have to start somewhere. My idea would be to sell locally to pubs and restaurants during the summer as a sideline. My current commute to work is nearly 40 mins for handy money so that has to stop in the near future.

Hopefully going to get a couple of rare breed cattle aswell at some point, either Droimeann or Irish Moiled (or both!)

Had thought to grow some hemp as an experiment but I'm kind of limited as to where I can plant it due to GLAS areas that I can't touch. The current LIPP area will be growing some in 2022 all going well!

Aside from that I want to look into an area for some agroforestry and to plant a few hedgerows aswell.

I also want to put up a box in the slatted shed for a barn owl to live in to keep rodents away. I heard one in the distance on Christmas Eve so thankfully they are in the area!

The usual festivals are booked off for 2020 aswell though maybe a short bit of a holiday later in the year might be on order too.

Well this will be a fun game looking back on the notions we had this time last year!

The market gardening course was great while it lasted! But it was put on hold in March for obvious reasons, we hope to return to do the course again in 2021. I did make a small no dig garden to grow a few bits for myself. It went pretty well. I have another plot three times the size ready to go for next year.

Very happy to say I did bite the bullet and bought two lovely Droimeann heifers, happy to say they are in calf so really looking forward to seeing how the calves turn out.

I have some hedgerows to plant very soon and have lots of places to plant.

Didn't get around to making the box for the barn owl yet, no excuse for that!

As for all the festivals I was due to attend, I'm not sure if I'm ready to talk about it yet.

Mac Taylor

endainoz wrote: »

Well this will be a fun game looking back on the notions we had this time last year!

The market gardening course was great while it lasted! But it was put on hold in March for obvious reasons, we hope to return to do the course again in 2021. I did make a small no dig garden to grow a few bits for myself. It went pretty well. I have another plot three times the size ready to go for next year.

Very happy to say I did bite the bullet and bought two lovely Droimeann heifers, happy to say they are in calf so really looking forward to seeing how the calves turn out.

I have some hedgerows to plant very soon and have lots of places to plant.

Didn't get around to making the box for the barn owl yet, no excuse for that!

As for all the festivals I was due to attend, I'm not sure if I'm ready to talk about it yet.

Were the droimeann purebreds.....did they come in calf? have a harking to get one or two myself....what is putting me off is that there is no ai droimeann bulls

endainoz

Mac Taylor wrote: »

Were the droimeann purebreds.....did they come in calf? have a harking to get one or two myself....what is putting me off is that there is no ai droimeann bulls

Not purebreds no, but will qualify for pedigree certs whenever I get them. Got the use of a Droimeann bull from the society, they are happy to arrange things like that with the interest in expanding the breed.

Timmaay

whelan2 wrote: »

What do you think of these new nike runners? New pbs all around.

God if you told me this time last yr <MODSNIP> would of given in and got himself a pair of cheat shoes I'd never of believed you lol.

Timmaay wrote: »

Jezz we have a somewhat ambitious farmer among us here and all you wanna do is knock him back, fair play to him because I know there are enough negative farmers who have no interest in pushing anything on (or alternatively lazy farmers like me who just aren't as pushed lol). And that last line brings me onto my 2020 plans, keep going largely as I am ha, get back up to 2018 cow numbers while still improving efficiency, keep up the hired labour (hopefully 2 parttime Labour units for most of calving season, then one rest the year), alongside continuing to take a back seat myself on the day to day running of the farm, and building on my off farm income streams.

Guess I didn't set the bar high but largely nailed the lot there ha.

Capercaillie

Say my name wrote: »

Hope to make my own carbon fertilizer and treat it with minerals and microbes and if all goes well maybe put it in the soil into the anaerobic layer to deepen the soil. Otherwise it'll be applied on top.

Wheels are in motion.

#keepitinteresting

An innovative project..

Say my name

Capercaillie wrote: »

An innovative project..

I've only gotten to the microbes part.
Haven't mixed them yet.

I am a bit further along though. And I have proven it as growing medium.

I think I may join a few farmer groups for this year. I'm learning the whole time about how far you can push things without purchasing npk fertilizer but I think I may try and see how others in this country are pushing it.
It's all very interesting though. It's way more complicated and not than the formal ag education I received.

By trying one thing it leads to education on another thing.
A simple thing I'll definitely be doing from learning how to make biology for the sprayer is making spray on biochar.

straight

straight wrote: »

Install calf feeder, upgrade paddock water system, maybe make some money this year with a bit of luck. Need to get away from the farm a bit more.

Achieved all of the above so happy enough. Baby steps.

K.G.

K.G. wrote: »

Finish and tidy up a couple of jobs in January. New pit for second cut and roof the topless cubicles.alot of my thinking is going into reducing work and hassle. Fencing and a good bit of concrete in a yardthats always covered in muck.kinda reached my number s cow wise ,might have passed it.looking at the irish dairy farmer magazine and definitely have no appetite for some of the stuff lads are doing.

Bar the roofing the cubicles got pit and that yard concreted so more or less on track.

mr.stonewall

mr.stonewall wrote: »

Plans for 2020
Hold numbers the same but play the cards right for the beam scheme
New crush in yard and cheap dungstead( old slats for wall)
Set up a few more temporary calving pens in disused palour (may double up as workshop
Drain and reseed 3.5 acres
Spllt 3 bigger fields in to flexiable paddocks and add a few extra water troughs
Ai an extra 25% of sucklers (75% to fixed time) just works easier with the job

Personal
More time to family and make the creche collections
Get 2 pigs and a few hens for the smallies
Do a welding course and more time to woodworking
Finish lawns and kerbs at house
Stay on top of paper work, both job and farm ( get accounts done in Jan)

All done bar the dungstead and reseeding. Ended up changing the tractor and re-roofing a kennel type cubicle house to a good lean to Proper crush just make life easier. Super results with breeding this year. From start to finish of due dates suckler is just 28 days.

visatorro

visatorro wrote:

Not expanding herd size here. Cutting numbers. But it's not a negative approach. Cutting alot of deadwood. Building wise iv plans but I'll be doing well getting anything more done. I need a couple of new lanes though. Other than that stay afloat! Hope that the different challenges facing Irish farming don't finish alot of people off.

visatorro wrote:

Iv to lose a stone or two aswell.

Milking less cows. Nearly same level of production. Genetics wise im about 20 years behind other people in the group I joined. Culled hard.
Got some lanes built.
Massively under estimated the amount of money improves are going to cost!
Just about stayed afloat.
Had serious health problems. Abit better now.
Off the fags!!
Put on about 2 extra stone. So that's 4 stone overweight now!

straight

visatorro wrote: »

Milking less cows. Nearly same level of production. Genetics wise im about 20 years behind other people in the group I joined. Culled hard.
Got some lanes built.
Massively under estimated the amount of money improves are going to cost!
Just about stayed afloat.
Had serious health problems. Abit better now.
Off the fags!!
Put on about 2 extra stone. So that's 4 stone overweight now!

Best of luck with your health lad. That's the most important.

roosterman71

roosterman71 wrote: »

My plans for the farm was to continue as per last year. But the father is thinking of renting out the place. Has been made an offer to set it to a beef man. If it happens, that will be the end of our farm. It would mean a sale of machinery and tools in the next year or 2 then as well. So I'm a bit all over the shop as to what's best

Well above never happened. Thankfully.

2020 was mental in terms of our land. The pandemic meant the father was bored out of his tree and the frustration of not being able to go even to town allowed his mind wander to things that he "could" do. A small list of what went on:

• Land reclamation on a huge scale. Had 2 men and diggers in for about 6 weeks. Lots of hedges and pointless bushes removed, 2500m of pipe laid, 675 ton of stone buried around them.
• Bought a small and antique disc harrow which the father cleaned down, fixed bearings and painted, for the Dexter to disk up all the areas that were reclaimed. Bought a new land leveler too to level it all off. Was reseeded via the wagtail Abbey, and by hand on the narrower bits. All stones picked by hand too.
• Built a small new lane after buying a small strip of land from a neighbour. Means we can access a field by driving 200m instead of 1000m and then crossing another field.
• Did the brakes on the Dexter. First time in 20+ years the brake peddles are no longer a footrest
• Grew grass a plenty on 5k gals of cattle slurry and 2 bags of CAN+S/acre.
• Got a new trunk bale handler made and sold the usual handler on Donedeal. +€100 on that change of handler
• Got a post driver and put down a lot of larch stakes we got made up from fallen larch trees in a small grove we own. These mainly replaced 14 year old stakes that were rotten. Was using the Leyland but one day that wouldn't start so put it on the Fendt. Auld lad couldn't believe the speed of it going up and down. "Working hydraulics" says I
• Saved a bit of turf and chopped a world of timber.

Dunedin

Well done Rooster. Serious amount of work there.

I know the pandemic was difficult and I can only imagine what it was like for families in small apartments/houses camped up cities with young kids all day but for myself and a lot like me in the country, it was an opportunity to get jobs done that I’d never get. My job was a four hour commute so working from home gave me 4 hours extra a day and a normal life.

Even got back fishing which I hadn’t in nearly 10 years.

Reggie.

Dunedin wrote: »

Well done Rooster. Serious amount of work there.

I know the pandemic was difficult and I can only imagine what it was like for families in small apartments/houses camped up cities with young kids all day but for myself and a lot like me in the country, it was an opportunity to get jobs done that I’d never get. My job was a four hour commute so working from home gave me 4 hours extra a day and a normal life.

Even got back fishing which I hadn’t in nearly 10 years.

Fishing now theres something I have to get back to

Hard Knocks

Reggie. wrote: »

Fishing now theres something I have to get back to

I’ve never fished, kids are eager
Probably a stupid question
What all equipment would you need

straight

Hard Knocks wrote: »

I’ve never fished, kids are eager
Probably a stupid question
What all equipment would you need

Bag of lime

Dinzee Conlee

Dunedin wrote: »

Well done Rooster. Serious amount of work there.

I know the pandemic was difficult and I can only imagine what it was like for families in small apartments/houses camped up cities with young kids all day but for myself and a lot like me in the country, it was an opportunity to get jobs done that I’d never get. My job was a four hour commute so working from home gave me 4 hours extra a day and a normal life.

Even got back fishing which I hadn’t in nearly 10 years.

4 hrs commuting each day is a serious Commute.
Now that you have seen life without the 4hrs - would you go back to it? Or would you be tempted to look for something closer to home?

TooOldBoots

Dunedin wrote: »

Well done Rooster. Serious amount of work there.

I know the pandemic was difficult and I can only imagine what it was like for families in small apartments/houses camped up cities with young kids all day but for myself and a lot like me in the country, it was an opportunity to get jobs done that I’d never get. My job was a four hour commute so working from home gave me 4 hours extra a day and a normal life.

Even got back fishing which I hadn’t in nearly 10 years.

I could never understand why people would give away there life like that. Spending 4 hours a day inching along the road in a metal coffin.

carrollsno1

carrollsno1 wrote: »

Start an Apprenticeship if i head home hopefully. Starting a new job out here in early january moneys not as good but should be an improvement of quality of life with the option to stay long term (visas provided as well). Looking likely ill be heading home though in the first half of the year and im absolutely dreading it, mad the way i could head off to this side of the world in a heartbeat nearly three years ago and the thoughts of heading home even for a holiday gives me the shivers nearly nowadays.

7 months into the apprenticeship now and no regrets with it, tough going financially for the first year however i see it as an investment in myself mire than anything and the second year rate is nearly the same as a GO rate with FRs plus overtime and subsistence so i should have more disposable income for the most part of this year. Very lucky to have gotten it with all thats going on in the world at the minute and its been consistent throughout all the levels of lockdown so far. The college part is delayed with the virus but i hope it doesnt add too much time onto the already 4 year timeframe for completion Still counting down the days until i get back to Australia all the same. Kinda went back into myself with all the lockdowns and lack of a social life and a 2hr commute everyday. Definitly a lot fitter and more flexible compared to this time last year lost inches but finding it hard to get the weight down all the same so please god the gyms stay open the whole yesr this yesr now youd have only been getting back into it and theyd be closed down again rhis year just passed. Definitly regret working like a dog through my last summer in Austrslia as we had no real summer here this yesr with restrictions. Its tough enough going on our age group (mid 20s) as we should really be in our prime going out enjoying ourselves but in reality id be asleep before 10pm most Saturday nights nowadays. I suppose its only really came to light this yesr how much friends i have within a 10km radius which is probably really only one to be fair so its been hard to meet up and socialise these days. Everythings online these days in terms if meeting the fairer sex which between the few of my friends that have given it a go hatchet is the only way you could describe it to be fair. On the farming side of things id only help out with the bare minimum as myself and the auld lad cant work together and ive no interest in tbe backward ways of doing things on a fragmented farm, very hard to come back from working on blocks of land 1000 acres upwards to less than 100 acres and moving cattle here there snd everywhere. I was considering rearing a good number of calves this spring again and try make a good go of it this year but i havent the capital to buy a few pallets of milk replacer and no matter what way id do it id never be really doing it my own way despite doing all the work of it at the same time. I thought about soldiering on and starting ar 5am every morning feeding OAD but the problem arose when i was going to have to be leaving at 5am for work anyway, i could see serious burnout happening for little reward at the end of it all or worse having an accident on the road from tiredness. I gave up relief milking as i was in an old shed where bits were tied up with twine and the like, would consider going back if i could get s decent setup nearby on the weekends but the tax system in thid country doesnt make it hugely beneficial at the same time as im losing money monday to friday job and still paying the higher rate of tax for the weekend work as well as it involves more rushing around and chasing my tail on my days off.
Thats been my 2020 it was a strange one, hopefully 2021 will be better.

Tileman

I remember before u went to Australia all you wanted to do was farm. It was great that you got away to experience a bigger world and open up a few options for you.
You may get a gra for it in time again but at least your bit tied to it like you would be if you had never left. Great lesson for other young people on the forum.

jimini0

straight wrote: »

Bag of lime

And an otter board

carrollsno1

Tileman wrote: »

I remember before u went to Australia all you wanted to do was farm. It was great that you got away to experience a bigger world and open up a few options for you.
You may get a gra for it in time again but at least your bit tied to it like you would be if you had never left. Great lesson for other young people on the forum.

Thats for sure, i was putting in the work here at home and working all hours just to go to the same pub every saturday night and listen to the same ****e every week but i was never put out of my comfort zone there was always a dinner provided at work and i was living at home. Even going to New Zealand the working conditions are not great but you land on a farm with a house provided and youre not working huge hours either (pay is reflective) so youve not got a lot to worry about. I landes in oz with id say the guts of $1500 in the account made a fair dent in that as i landed patricks weekend, hopped on a plane to Perth the Monday after Patricks weekend with no gaurantee of work lined up but i had a lead all the same. I waited 4 days in Perth before getting told to hop on a 10hr bustrip to a farm the bus ticket was the gurs of $100 i really only had enough to do a weekly shop when i landed on the farm there and maybe a bit for the following week. Youd learn to live in a situation like that and i left that farm with $11k after the seeding season finished up. There were many other times after that things went arseways out there abd youd be tight for cash but yed always figure sone way out of it. Telling the lads here about it and they think its madness and cant understand why i didnt just head home when things got tough out there, but theyve had tunnel vision there whole lives the mothers have the dinner ready every evening, shes a lift from the pub, she packs there bags for holidays and does all the laundry for them and they know no different.
I couldnt reccomend it more to any young lad thinking of going fulltime farming to throw yourself out of youre comfort zone and go out and travel and go hungry for a few days out there too just to get a wake up call if nothing else.

Reggie.

straight wrote: »

Bag of lime

Nah a grenade is better

Reggie.

Hard Knocks wrote: »

I’ve never fished, kids are eager
Probably a stupid question
What all equipment would you need

If just trout fishing. Rod about 8ft. Good reel. 4lb line. Bag of size 8 hooks (I think). Box of AAA weights. A few worms and patience

Reggie.

Dinzee Conlee wrote: »

4 hrs commuting each day is a serious Commute.
Now that you have seen life without the 4hrs - would you go back to it? Or would you be tempted to look for something closer to home?

I've the same in the army. Pure torture. Thank god it's nearly over

whelan2

Reggie. wrote: »

I've the same in the army. Pure torture. Thank god it's nearly over

How long left?